Manduka was founded in 1997 by Peter Sterios, an architect turned yogi whose first product was a simple, elegant black mat that revolutionized his own yoga practice with its combination of firm grip and complete support. Soon he started sharing it.

To thank them for inspiring his own journey, Peter sent versions of his early mat to other yoga instructors including Erich Schiffmann, Rod Stryker, Angela Farmer, Victor Van Kooten, Rodney Yee, and Shiva Rea. These were his first customers. And, when they in turn shared the new mats with their students, a business was born.

Peter called his growing business Manduka in homage to his teacher and mentor, Shandor Remete, whose core practice and teaching always included the ancient Hatha Yoga Pradipika pose, Mandukasana (or "frog"). The first time Peter practiced it he was struck by how the word and pose were mirror images, simultaneously catchy, childlike, playful and profound. The joy of Manduka is now spoken in countries all over the world.

The quality and performance of Manduka mats and yoga accessories are still unmatched in the marketplace. They are still crafted using simple, enduring, natural, and whenever possible, renewable materials and a fine attention to detail. Manduka's heritage and mission is to be a company by and for yoga teachers and their students: constantly evolving, improving, and celebrating the spirit and wisdom of the discipline. Practice on 🖤

(As originally told by Manduka and adapted by Easyday)