Manduka and John Friend Unveil 'the John Friend Collection by Manduka'

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Manduka, creator of high performance yoga gear and the #1 choice of yoga teachers worldwide, announced today its partnership with Anusara Yoga founder John Friend to debut its first ever co-created line of yoga gear.  

Going outside the 24" industry standard width for yoga mats, the John Friend Collection by Manduka will launch initially with two extra wide mats including the 29-inch wide eKO Superlite and 30-inch wide PROlite.  This is the first time the yoga community will have access to such a high quality blend of innovative technology and the veteran experience of John Friend in a mat, providing superior comfort and sufficient space to align the body and explore yoga postures.  The added space allows for a deeper expression of movement and a better connection between body, mat and heart.

"Our partnership with renowned yoga teacher John Friend allows us to provide the most innovative and ecologically responsible yoga gear in a new way," said Sky Meltzer, CEO of Manduka.  "Together we've aligned to create a collection that pushes industry standards, pouring over four decades of expertise into designs that will inspire yoga practitioners worldwide."

The John Friend PROlite offers the same features of the beloved PROlite—lightweight, high performance and zero-waste—but now 6 additional inches of width.  This mat is a revolution in design and comfort, engineered for sustainability with high quality material that will not peel, flake or fade.  Its fabric-like surface finish offers slip resistance, its closed cell surface keeps out moisture and its proprietary dot-pattern bottom withstands sliding so your focus can be solely on your practice.  Available in the rich, purple hue Magic that is embraced by John Friend's 600,000 students for its spiritual energy, the John Friend PROlite is a heartfelt expression of beauty and purpose.  

The John Friend eKO SuperLite is a combination of eco-conscious innovation and travel-ready performance.  This new to market, 29 inch lightweight, environmentally friendly mat has a natural sea grass texture, provides superior grip on carpet or hard surfaces and is ultra-portable, folding easily for travel no matter where your journey takes you.  Its tightly woven scrim resists tearing or stretching, its closed cell design will not absorb bacteria and it's made from non-Amazon harvested, natural tree rubber which means no PVC, toxic plasticizers or harmful dyes.  The John Friend eKO SuperLite is available in Midnight (blue) and Magic (deep purple) and is the longest travel mat in the Manduka collection at 72".

"For years I've been committed to the teaching that yoga comes from the heart—that it is a practice accessible to all and brings out your inner joy and divine energy," said John Friend, Founder of Anusara yoga.  "Manduka is a company that embodies the same principles while providing high quality products to enhance your practice.  I am honored to collaborate with such an authentic company to bring an amazing new line of gear to the yoga community, deepening the connection between heart and mat, and inspiring students of any level to enjoy more energetic freedom during their practice."

The John Friend Collection by Manduka will expand in 2012 to include towels, bags and other innovative gear and is available for sale on www.manduka.com, www.anusara.com and in select yoga studios worldwide. Join us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/mandukayoga or follow us @MandukaYoga

About Manduka

Founded in 1997, Manduka was built on the simple idea that a better yoga mat can make a world of difference. Manduka strives to support and enrich the yoga community by providing premium quality mats and products while respecting employees, customers, materials, and the environment.  Created for and by yoga enthusiasts, Manduka's technical and purpose-driven product designs meet and often exceed the distinct needs of all practitioners.  Today Manduka's products, which include yoga mats, towels, yoga straps, water bottles, and bags, are sold in more than 35 countries around the world. Not only focusing on superior design, Manduka also promotes their ethos of quality, thoughtfulness and sustainability in all realms of their business.

About Anusara

Founded by John Friend in 1997, Anusara yoga is a school of hatha yoga, which unifies a life-affirming Shiva-Shakti Tantric philosophy of intrinsic goodness with Universal Principles of Alignment.  Present in over 70 countries, Anusara yoga has become one of the most highly respected schools of hatha yoga with over 1,300 licensed yoga teachers, thousands of teachers in training and hundreds of thousands of students worldwide.  For more information, visit http://www.anusara.com

SOURCE Manduka