We are so happy to announce a new offering to our customers!
Driftless Tannery’s yoga and meditation rugs are made by a local weaver with the trimmings from our naturally tanned sheepskin. This reduces landfill waste while producing a beautiful, functional, comfortable mats for energizing our bodies. No harsh chemicals are used in our tanning process therefore no toxins will be emitted, ever.
Most common yoga mats today are made of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Polymer Environmental Resin (PER), or Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) commonly known as EVAs or Ethylene-vinyl acetate. PVCs and EVAs are known to pose potential health hazards. They are made with chemicals that can cause irritation to the skin and may even emit toxic gases. You know the smell if you have ever taken the plastic off a brand-new yoga mat or worse, you take it in when you are lying in Balasana or Shavasana.
Our sheepskin yoga rugs give off a gentle smell of lanolin, wool and bark tannin. The bark tanned, leather backed wool in the sheepskin absorbs moisture and is naturally antibacterial and odor resistant.
Driftless Tannery’s yoga rugs are hand made by Roberta Barham* with 10 or more different types of sheepskin. Each rug contains many unique textures and colors. Our rugs have a ribbed, tactile texture that comes naturally with the weave thickness. They are a little thicker than your standard PVC or cork yoga mat but weigh about the same.
“I have been practicing yoga for 25 years. My practice has grown and changed with my age. When I started, I was all about the power vinyasa flows, the hotter the practice space, the better. As I’ve aged, I have learned to be more gentle and intentional about my practice. I find these woven yoga rugs to have just the right amount of cushion. Mine connects me to the earth unlike any other yoga mat I’ve used. While it doesn’t slip out from under me in my practice, it does force me to be intentional in my movements. If you practice powerful (fast) vinyasa flows, you may find you need to use a non-slip pad underneath to keep the rug where you want it.” -Bethany
Sheepskin is often described as “grounding” because of the natural earth energies radiating from the material. We believe these rugs add an extra element of connection to the earth when used in yoga or meditation practice.
We are currently taking deposits for our yoga and meditation rugs. You can reserve yours today by clicking here: Shop Naturally Tanned Sheepskins - Driftless Tannery.
Thanks for reading and for following along on our journey.
-Team Driftless
*Renewed Traditions (Roberta Barham, a Driftless Region weaver) continues generations of Swedish craftsmanship, using her grandfather’s rug loom. She uses 8/4 ply 100% cotton warp with a 24”-27” width. You can find more of Roberta’s work here: Renewed Traditions (wordpress.com)