WHERE LIV WITHIN BEGAN
JOURNEY TO INDIA
In December 2024, when I began searching for a yoga mat for my personal practice, I came to a roadblock, realising that there was no mat available that felt truly natural. Every option, even those marketed as 'eco-friendly' or 'natural', either contained recycled plastics, micro-plastics, PVCs, synthetics, were manufactured in factories with harmful off-gassing or used unnatural dyes that we not mentioned or hidden under vague labels, such as 'water-based dyes'. Many of these dyes still contain heavy metals, synthetic fixatives or plastic coatings that can be absorbed by our skin or into our beautiful environment. Not one of these felt safe for my body, health or the environment, or in energetic integrity with my yoga practice.
This led me to discover truly natural, traditional cotton yoga mats from India, which I began practicing on and fell in love with. I was pleasantly surprised by these mats, with a deep knowing that I had stumbled upon a hidden gem, and I knew that I would never again practice on a generic rubber yoga mat.
Before I knew it, I was on my way to India in June 2024, visiting a handlooming village where artisans use traditional weaving with cotton and herbal dyeing techniques passed down through generations. In collaboration with these village communities, our Organic Cotton Yoga Mat came to fruition: a mat that is truly natural, non-toxic, environmentally friendly, comfortable, practical and aligned with mindful practice.
CRAFTED CONSCIOUSLY
Made from 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton, each mat is handcrafted on a traditional Indian handloom with herbal Ayurvedic plant dyes, creating a naturally antibacterial and antimicrobial surface that supports practice. The natural tree rubber base provides non-slip stability, while the soft, resilient cotton offers a comfortable foundation for movement, meditation and mindfulness.
Every mat is unique, with subtle variations in colour, texture and size. These mats also support the preservation of the ancient handlooming, allowing artisans across generations to pass down sacred skills, sustain their communities and share this artistry with the world, while also supporting the environment by using minimal electricity in the process.
Beyond their physical benefits, our mats hold their own energetic frequency, supporting the body, skin and nervous system in alignment with nature. The skin, the body's largest organ, breathes and absorbs all it touches, so practising on naturally plant-dyed chemical-free cotton allows the body to absorb nature instead of toxins. Free from synthetics, plastics and chemical dyes, our yoga mat creates a space of grounding, clarity and self-reflection, reconnecting practice with the rhythms of nature.
May these mats support your practice with as much much as they have supported mine.
OUR FOUNDER
Liv Within was born from my own journey back to myself. I am an Aussie girl at heart, feeling most at home in the ocean, on a hiking trail or swimming in mountain waters with only the sounds of nature surrounding me. I live a simple, intentional way of life. I am a student of yoga, devoted to the teachings of traditional tantric Hatha yoga and the wisdom of ancient healing traditions. I am constantly learning and deepening my practice.
My journey has not been linear. After years of feeling stuck in cycles of overworking, overexercising and searching for fulfilment outside of myself, I reached a point of feeling deeply disconnected, like I had woken up one day in a life I hadn't consciously chosen. I was existentially questioning my existence, moving through really low periods while my body was quietly asking me to slow down.
That whisper eventually became impossible to ignore, showing up as ongoing chronic UTIs, cystic acne, crippling anxiety and a level of extreme chronic fatigue that meant I could no longer exercise without feeling like I was coming down with something. My whole being was out of balance and I was being called inward.
Through this process, I took my health and life into my own hands and finally listened to my inner voice, even though it was out of my comfort zone and completely unfamiliar. I quit my 9-5 medical receptionist job, moved 10 hours away from my hometown and finally started to listen to what my soul was craving. I stepped into the unknown, travelling solo up the east coast of Australia and living in my van for nearly 2 years.
Through this, I discovered the true depth of yoga, as a daily practice that has the power to completely shift your state of being. It has become my anchor, supporting me through anxiety and emotional lows, guiding me back into my body and teaching me how to listen, feel and hold myself, instead of override how I am feeling.
Listening to my inner voice has taken me to places I never could have planned, taking solo trips through Thailand, Sri Lanka and Bali and sitting in stillness through two 10-day silent Vipassana retreats. I've moved homes more times than I can count, drawn to change, new environments and the growth they bring. I find deep safety in simplicity, the idea of selling all of my belongings and being able to carry everything I own on my back feels like food for my soul. I've learnt to trust the whispers of my intuition and follow what feels truly aligned.
Liv Within is a reflection of everything I have lived and continue to embody, and that yoga when practiced with intention and respect for its roots, is a powerful form of medicine. I leave you with this - question everything, stay curious, come back into your body and allow space for consciousness to flow through you. Thank you for being here. This is just the beginning.
Liv x