Ground Into Your Practice, Anywhere, With The Root Board®
The Root Board® is a bamboo platform designed for yogis practicing on uneven surfaces, like carpet or outdoors. Co-founded by Kathy McCarthy and husband Brian McCarthy, The Root Board was created to be a simple solution for yoga in all places, and a game-changer in your practice and path to well-being.
Origins
It was during the Covid-19 quarantine that Kathy and Brian, like countless others during that challenging period, found themselves jolted out of their daily routines, and yet armed with newfound time and a heightened sense of motivation to introspect and chart the course of their lives. With the yoga studios closed it was a particularly trying period for Kathy, who struggled with the feeling that her yoga practice was slipping away. The distractions of being at home, coupled with the instability of practicing on a carpeted surface, had disrupted the familiar physical and mental release she had come to depend on.
Yoga is a discipline that hinges on calming the mind, honing focus, mastering one’s breath, and striving for peak poses. What Kathy soon came to realize was that practicing asana on carpet was a source of frustration, causing joint soreness and depriving her of the inner peace and radiant energy that the physical practice of yoga imparts.
In a concerted effort to enhance her yoga space, Kathy and Brian embarked on a mission to find tranquility in their compact living space, adorned with wall-to-wall carpet. Through diligent experimentation, Brian ingeniously conceived and crafted a bamboo yoga platform that wonderfully replicated the tactile experience of a professional studio. The impact on Kathy’s practice was immediate and profound, providing the stability she desperately needed to delve deeper, find serenity, and attain her full potential. Introducing: The Root Board®. It’s a simple complement to your at-home practice space that brings a sensation of grounding and stability no matter where you set up. It, quite simply, works!
The Challenges of Practicing Yoga on an Uneven Surface
Stability is paramount in yoga, both in a physical and mental sense. The foundation you practice on plays an integral role in achieving this equilibrium. When you step onto your yoga mat, you rightfully expect a stable and reliable surface to support your practice. Unfortunately, yogis practicing on carpet at home find themselves falling short of this expectation. This instability can manifest as wobbling during standing balances or discomfort during seated positions, disrupting the flow of your practice and eroding your confidence. This struggle can be mentally taxing and physically draining, detracting from the serenity that yoga aims to deliver.
Practicing on carpet often invites gripping, which contradicts the principles of creating space and releasing tension. It also places undue stress on wrists and ankles, potentially leading to soreness and injuries, especially in poses that require bearing weight on your hands, knees, or elbows, such as plank, tabletop, or camel pose.
The soft carpeting robs practitioners of the subtle sensations necessary for challenging poses, like inversions. For instance, when inverted, the feedback your hand receives is pivotal for maintaining balance, but this feedback is absent when your hand rests on a soft surface, significantly increasing the difficulty of the pose and inviting wrist injuries.
The Root Board®: A Simple Solution
The Root Board® is a simple yet elegantly designed solution to these challenges. It consists of two bamboo pieces linked together with a jigsaw pattern, complete with ergonomic handholds that make it portable and easy to store.
Kathy and Brian chose MOSO Bamboo for several compelling reasons. Unlike wood or plastic, bamboo has a minimal environmental impact, aligning with the core values of the yoga community. It is eco-friendly and sustainable, as bamboo is a rapidly growing grass that requires fewer resources to cultivate. Bamboo also aids in protecting against soil degradation and erosion, and absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than trees. Furthermore, bamboo is biodegradable and emits fewer carbon emissions during production compared to plastic.
They also selected bamboo for its tactile qualities. It strikes a balance between being pliable enough to feel comfortable under your head, knees, or hands and rigid enough to provide a secure, stable surface for balancing poses. The porous nature of bamboo makes it relatively lightweight compared to materials like oak.
But Don’t Take It From Us — Here’s What Folks Are Saying!
Perfect for practicing on carpet!
“I was on this site looking for the heaviest mat possible to prevent sliding and buckling on my carpet when I discovered The Root Board. It’s exactly what I needed. This platform provides a solid surface for my mat, and now it feels like I’m back to practicing on hardwood. It’s sturdy, well-made, and conveniently slides under my sofa when I’m done!” – Sandra P
The best invention for Yogi’s to date!!!
“The best invention for Yogi’s ever!!! It’s easy to put together, portable, and a wrist lifesaver!!! It’s like having a studio on the go! I highly, repeat HIGHLY recommend this board for any and all Yogi’s needing a sturdy base to practice on. Two puzzle pieces that hook together, and it’s the size of a normal yoga mat. That’s as simple and safe as it sounds!!!” – LauraLeigh W
Find The Root Board® at the Sedona Yoga Festival This March!
We couldn’t be more excited to be partnering with The Root Board® for the 11th Sedona Yoga Festival, happening March 14–17, 2024 (get your ticket here!) Don’t miss your chance to learn more about The Root Board®, meet Kathy and Brian, try a Root Board® for yourself, learn about wholesale or social partnership opportunities, and be entered to win a Root Board® and Root Bag Tote® (Valued at $284 Whether you are an online instructor, creator, partner, or a passionate yogi, you won’t want to miss the chance to connect with The Root Board® at their booth.
Yoga possesses the incredible power to transform individuals into kinder, calmer beings, and The Root Board® mission is to empower the yoga community so that, together, we can contribute to making the world a better place.
SPECIAL OFFER! SYF attendees will get $20 off using a code found on The Root Board® website. Visit this link to learn more.
