True Story - how it all started.

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

True Story - how it all started.

In October 2018, I was getting ready to head out to teach 26&2 (formerly known as Bikram Yoga) at Hot 8 Yoga, Santa Monica. Upon picking up my yoga bag to carry necessary things; water, dry clothes, a towel, etc. To my own surprise, I discovered numerous single-use plastic bags discarded on the floor of my closet.

Quite frankly I was shocked. Not only by the pile of plastic bags I had subconsciously stored but also by the realization of where they had come from. Hot 8 yoga, like most other yoga studios, provided single-use plastic bags to students for carrying wet and sweaty yoga clothes home. Plastic bags do not biodegrade.

The experience was so surreal it left me feeling compelled to do something. To find a reusable alternative for myself, and to encourage others to do the same. That very night I ordered a wet bag online and when the wet bag arrived after a few days, I was not very pleased. The quality was average at best. The make was as generic as it came. There was no sense of personalization, no trace of style or appeal. It seemed as though the concept of Yoga Wet Bags was non-existent. And it is then that I thought, maybe I can offer something different and better.

Against all odds, uncertainty, financial concerns, and flat-out fear of the unknown. With unwavering determination to solve the plastic bag problem, to inspire change, and to offer something different and better, I founded Souleva. In line with our brand purpose, I derived our name from the French word 'soulever,' which means raise, lift, elevate, etc.

I hope you make us part of your journey by finding something at Souleva.com that you didn't even know you are looking for.

With Much Love