“I believe that your yoga mat carries a lot of symbolic value. It is a container for the physical, emotional and spiritual journey you embark on when practicing yoga.”

The words of Ilse Lewis; South African artist, research psychologist, founder of NOVAWOOLF could not be a more accurate description of what a yoga mat represents. When I happened to scroll through my Instagram feed and stumble upon this mat brand, I was immediately intrigued! It was only as matter of time before I connected with Ilse to hear all our her journey as an artist, yoga practitioner and wellpreneur!

Growing up, Ilse felt that she was a bit of a misfit. As a serious and somewhat shy child, she was forever battling low self-esteem. Although she struggled to make more than one or two close friends at a time, she grew up marvelling at artists and philosophers, making friends with books, paintings, and songs instead.

“As far as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by the mind and human behaviour, and in turn, how society operates. Certain troubles I noticed in the world around me deeply affected me emotionally & I’ve always been wired to try to make a difference. I wanted to find a way to express how things could be different - kinder and more beautiful.”

Fast-forward a bit, where Ilse went on to study branding and worked in the advertising and fashion industry. Feeling somewhat unfulfilled, she went on to study psychology where she now has her Masters degree in Social & Psychological Research. Through many challenging life situations, unresolved traumas and physical health problems - Ilse found herself in a hugely transformation time where she started practicing yoga at home via YouTube channels.

During this time, she rekindled her passion for drawing- something she hadn’t done since high school. Her artwork grew as she shared her content through social media and has since exhibited her work locally & internationally.

The idea of sharing her prints on yoga mats was quite a serendipitous discovery. After exploring ways of expanding her art business, she posted a mockup of a yoga mat with her treasured MoonMagic painting printed on the mat. The response through Instagram was overwhelming! A Yoga mat - the perfect canvas!

Ilse was immediately drawn to establishing a mat that she wanted to practice on! It was important to Ilse that these yoga mats not only brought incredible quality and performance features, but were there to support each practitioners practice; physically, emotionally and spiritually.

“Your yoga mat really needs to rise up to meet some of your external needs during your practice, so that you are free to focus on you. You do not want to be worrying about slipping on your mat, you do not want to be focusing on whatever horrible plastic smell is coming from your mat, or that there are chemicals seeping into your skin while your pores open up during your practice. Similarly, you really do not want to have to face the reality that your mat could actually be doing a lot of harm to our environment, while you are trying to engage in a practice that brings growth and positivity into the world. NOVAWOOLF yoga mats ensure that you never have to - this is the basic requirement of any yoga mat, in my opinion.”

NOVAWOOLF currently have to different mats:

All NOVAWOOLF mats are eco-friendly & biodegradable and do not contain any harmful chemicals. They are kind to your body, as well as our planet. Further, all mats are extra large & extra wide, to give you just that extra bit of room to expand.

“NOVAWOOLF yoga mats reflect an equal measure of scientific engineering, and thoughtfully curated art, to create a magical product that will become a treasured part of your yoga story." I believe this type of integration between body & mind, emotional value & physical performance, ecological consciousness & personal satisfaction are key to living a balanced, healthy, abundant life. I believe in quality over quantity, consciously curating your life and only owning items that add value to your life.” - Ilse

Those who own NOVAWOOLF mats have shared that they wish they had one of each mat, since each represents a distinct emotional state they may feel on various days - "it’s like having a mood ring for your yoga practice”, says Ilse.

As if this incredible yoga mat range is not enough, there is so much to look forward to in the future for NOVAWOOLF. Ilse plans on creating a comprehensive range of yoga accessories, and lifestyle products that will really add value to our tribe! Their NOMADIC collection (travel yoga mat) prototype is currently on its way to India to accompany SA-based yogi and local studio owner @chloevrussell on her 300hr teacher training! This process ensures that each product is tested and refined ensuring the absolute best quality.