Mindful Living Through Yoga: The Ladina Yoga Journey

Maysun Hassanaly, a Yoga Teacher and Engineer, founded Ladina Yoga to merge her passion for yoga and her commitment to sustainability. Inspired by her diverse cultural background and the rich craftsmanship of Madagascar, Maysun aimed to create eco-friendly yoga gear made from natural materials. Ladina Yoga empowers African artists and promotes diversity and inclusion within the yoga community. The company is dedicated to sustainable practices, using recyclable materials and supporting reforestation initiatives. Maysun envisions Ladina Yoga as a leading sustainable and inclusive yoga brand in the next five years, continually innovating with eco-friendly products.

Hello! My name is Maysun Hassanaly, I am a Yoga Teacher and an Engineer. I grew up in a very rich cultural environment, being of Indian descent, Malagasy-born and French. Growing up, I remember being surrounded with beautiful handmade crafts made of organic fibers and recycled material. I always wondered why Malagasy art and craftsmanship was not widely known to the rest of the world.

During my university years and the start of my Engineering career in London, I always did things on the side. I had part time jobs, I got into yoga, I was learning different crafts and skills… I wanted to reconnect with my creativity, that I had lost in my Engineering life. 

Then at the end of 2019, I decided to take a career break to explore other options. While in Madagascar, I practised yoga with my favourite teacher on Malagasy handwoven mats (tsihy). I loved the feeling of being grounded and connected to nature and wanted to share this feeling with the world. I also realised that most of my yoga gear was made of PVC and toxic materials, and it was really difficult to find eco-friendly yoga gear with a nice design and ethical values.

I knew there needed a better way for the yoga world. A couple of months later, I trained as a yoga teacher in India and upon coming back to London (in lockdown!), Ladina Yoga was born. 

We empower African artists and people of colour through education, and the provision of sustainable, ethical and joyful yoga gear. Sadly, we noticed the yoga industry not only lacks eco-friendly options, but it also lacks diversity and inclusion, and we are doing everything we can to change this. From our artist selection to photoshoot models, event descriptions, social media strategy, product behind the scenes and environmental partnerships, everything is thoughtfully planned to reflect our ethos.

Our product range features natural, recyclable and recycled materials. For example, our mats are made of natural rubber. Our meditation cushions are 100% made of raffia and filled with UK-grown organic buckwheat hulls. We have a zero plastic tolerance policy and all our packaging is recyclable. Recently we published a 2-part series about how our yoga mats are made, and we received a lot of comments from yoga practitioners saying it is so useful to see the whole process, as no other company has ever done this before.

A lot of people also tell us that our designs are clearly recognisable because they are so colourful and vibrant, which makes yoga practitioners want to step on their mat every day and find joy and inspiration!

We have also partnered with Bondy, a reforestation initiative in Madagascar, to plant one mangrove tree for every yoga mat sold. Madagascar is the 4th most deforested country in the world, and with this initiative, we not only help with reforestation but also support the education of locals on sustainable farming. This ensures that the effort is long-term and sustainable.

From the very start of Ladina Yoga, I drew on my background in Systems Engineering to build a set of requirements for every product we make. These cover everything from materials and manufacturing to shipping methods and recyclability, and each one gives us a clear way to measure, verify and validate it throughout the product's life.

Prototyping and testing happen alongside this process, as we analyse and verify each requirement in real time. A product is only ready to launch once it meets every requirement we've set.

Ideally, these requirements stay fixed once they're in place, and only change when we find a genuine improvement, whether that's a lower-carbon shipping method or a better recycling scheme.

Constantly researching and testing new ways to be more sustainable is hard, time-consuming work. But it's also exactly why Ladina Yoga exists, and why yoga practitioners choose us.

Ladina Yoga works with African artists from low-income backgrounds. Generally, these are women trying to make some additional income for their families by creating handmade art using traditional weaving techniques. We reward our artists with above-average income and make sure they work in a healthy and safe environment.

Our raffia meditation cushions are a big hit because there is zero plastic involved, and it just feels like bringing nature home. It usually takes between 3 to 7 days to make one cushion, and it's all organic. We love showing off the behind the scenes to show our community the hard work it takes to make a single cushion, and the talented artist behind it!

We have also partnered with Ocean Sole in Kenya, who support and train women from a similar background to make additional income by creating yoga blocks out of recycled flip flops!

The equation of stretching and breathing in yoga enables both a physical and psychological release. When you train your mind to hang out in the moment, to notice your breath, to feel your feet grounded to the earth instead of worrying, you start getting into a flow state of mind. All of this helps to relax your body and your mind. In turn, you feel lighter, more content, you can breathe better, fall asleep quicker and enjoy a better sleep quality.

As an extension of breathing, a recent study has shown that chanting mantras such as "Om" (Aum) for five minutes can enhance your parasympathetic nervous system activity, making you feel more relaxed and calm.

My vision for the next 5 years is for Ladina Yoga to become synonymous with sustainable and inclusive yoga. In terms of product development, there is a lot in the works, starting with travel mats launching this summer and a collaboration with an African artist I'm very excited about.

I am always on the lookout for unique eco-friendly materials and new ways of doing things, so every time I travel to Africa, my team and I work on lots of different prototypes for mats, blocks, cushions and more. For example, we wanted to collaborate with a company recycling tyres in Ghana for our mats, as they are made of rubber. Unfortunately, they did not have the technology to make yoga mats, but I have full confidence that there is a better future for mats to be fully sustainable, highly performant and biodegradable.

Experts suggest that your sleep isn't solely influenced by your night-time activities; rather, how you spend your day and transition into the evening also significantly impacts your sleep quality. So, I try to make my day as intentional and enjoyable as possible! Everyday, I need to do at least one thing I enjoy and switch off at least an hour before bed time (this is a real challenge for me as I am a night owl).

I've also started incorporating essential oils in my routine so every night before bed I spray a few mists of the Calm Spray over my pillows and my bed. If I'm too excited or my thoughts are spiralling, I avoid lying down straight away. Instead, I sit up and practice Anulom Vilom (alternate nostril breathing) by blocking my right nostril and breathing in and out from the left nostril. The left nostril is connected to the right hemisphere of the brain, which is your calming and nurturing side. And as a general rule, avoid an intense yoga asana practice right before bed time.