Susan Nichols, a former artistic director in the toy industry turned to the ancient practice for rehabilitation after a debilitating back injury led to surgery in 1994; she found it so rewarding that she became a yoga instructor. Then she slipped.
'I was practicing yoga and I slipped on my "sticky" mat - the irony is, they become slippery when wet,' Nichols says. 'It was one of those "divine" moments. I thought, why doesn't someone design a towel that you could put over your mat to absorb moisture and keep you from slipping?'
Nichols envisioned a full-size towel that would not only absorb moisture, protect against slipping and extend the longevity of a yoga mat, but would also allow travelers to practice on a hotel room carpet, as well as protect yogis from the bacteria that collect on your yoga mat. A smaller towel, Nichols thought, would be ideal for Pilates, Spinning, weight-lifting and sculpting.
She went on an international search for the perfect fabric from which to create the towel. In Korea, she found microfiber, an extremely absorbent fabric that is soft, lightweight, machine washable and dryer safe. Nichols then combined the non toxic nubs patenting, SKIDLESS® under the brand in 2003.
"It's not a towel, it's not a mat, it's a SKIDLESS®," Nichols explains. "It's a brand, like Kleenex or Levis, that defines itself by its name and the distinctive dot that serves as the logo."
In January 2005, launched the SHIVA prop pillow. The first prop pillow designed to give you extra support during restorative poses, the Shiva prop pillow has a uniquely narrow, sloped shape that supports the head to keep yogis awake while practicing savasana (the "corpse pose" that concludes each yoga class). Created from memory foam and covered in SKIDLESS® fabric, the SHIVA prop pillow again filled a void in the yoga world.
In October 2005, Nichols introduced SKIDLESS® BIG, designed for tall yogis-especially men-who use an extra-long mat. BIG is available only in the indigo color which, like all colors, has an association with a specific chakra; indigo pertains to the third-eye chakra and psychic perception.
Other products are available in these seven chakra colors:
continues to expand, with several products set to launch in 2006, including yoga totes, a blanket, prop pillow, strap, bolster, meditation pillow, yoga mat, and a collection of yoga accessories for children.
Acting on her "divine" inspiration, Nichols didn't intend to revolutionize the yoga market - she was simply designing for her own need.
Labels: Skidless towel from Yogitoes, Susan Nichols, yoga pillow, yoga supplies, yoga towel, Yogitoes, yogitoes founder, YOGITOES SHIVA PROP
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