Swapping the fashion world for yoga studios, Nitara was founded by London-born ashtanga yoga teacher & fashion designer Ellie Foden. After struggling to find yoga wear that really reflected her lifestyle in a modern and honest way, she decided to make her own.
With this in mind, Nitara make contemporary yoga and activewear that leaves as little impact upon our planet as possible, their signature fabric is made from 86% recycled plastic, so in fact it helps to clear some of our footprint.
The word ‘NITARA नितर’ means ‘to be deeply rooted or grounded’ in sanskrit and is actually the spiritual name given to founder Ellie by her teacher on her first trip to India.
With respect to that, Nitara promises to keep their roots grounded in a mantra that Ellie learned from her teacher, which was to ‘honour the source’…..
‘Tread lightly, breathe deeply’.
Click the link to shop their beautiful collection…
Why has your company chosen to support our global campaign Yoga Stops Traffick?
We believe that everyone has the right to feel the same way that we do through yoga; to feel calm, grounded and quietly empowered! Trafficking robs people of that right, so we want to do what we can to give them their power back.
What is your role within the company?
I am the founder and designer.
What does your typical ‘work day’ look like?
Oooh, I don’t really have one! haha. Aside from running NITARA, I’m also an Ashtanga yoga teacher and Massage therapist; although I’ve scaled back on the latter recently. The only constant every day is my asana practice: I practice early in the morning. Some days I teach an early class. The middle of the day will be taken up with planning, designing, marketing or admin-work for NITARA…and I often teach another yoga class or have a private massage client in the evenings…there’s never a dull moment!
How did you come to the practice of yoga?
I found yoga on the Nintendo Wii Fit games console when I was about 17 years old – yes, really!
What impact has regular yoga had on your mind & body?
Yoga has, in a quiet way, changed everything. It’s made a gradual and quite unintentional, but monumental change in my body & mind, my connection to myself and other people, my creativity and the way I design, the way I look at the world, the way I speak, what I eat, what I want from life, what I value…yeah it’s been a bit of a game changer all round!
Which is your favourite yoga pose?
As an Ashtanga yogi I should probably give a pose from that sequence; but to tell the truth, my favourite is actually a yin posture: Banana pose! I love it, its so balancing and calming.
How else do you practice ‘self care’ in your life?
Journaling: My practice of ‘The morning pages’ has completely changed my life. Otherwise, it’s not a typical ‘self care’ thing to mention, but I think the best thing you can do for yourself is protect your own energy. I say no to a lot of things; business, yoga teaching and otherwise, purely because I know what I’m like when I spread myself too thin: I get overwhelmed, anxious…and then totally shut down. So, to prevent that, I set boundaries. I say ‘yes’ to the things and people that are a ‘hell yes!’ or are a step in the direction I really want to go; otherwise I say no.
Who/What has been your biggest inspiration?
I’m a total magpie, I find inspiration everywhere! I’d say the most constant thing that inspires me is travel. I love exploring places and meeting people, hearing how they live, what they value, the food they share and the kinds of things they create.
What do you think is the biggest issue facing the global yoga community?
Hmm…that’s another hard one to answer because there are a lot of issues and none at the same time… Yoga teaches us to accept darkness when it arises and, instead of forcing to fix it, face it head on. Allowing it to release in its own time – right? We’ve had a weird couple of years within the yoga community, a whole lot of darkness has risen to the surface: Me too’s, big questions about the structure of entire lineages, the role of yoga in the world, what is and isn’t okay to teach, what qualifies a teacher, what is asana and where did it come from, fallen ‘Gurus’…I could go on for days! We are to accept that those issues are supposed to arise for us now in order for the entire community to learn and move on. So the solution: listen. Listen when an issue comes to light, accept it, learn from it, grow from it. We need to have these big conversations in a an open and honest way, together, to move forwards. Creating an even better, more connected, lighter community.
What’s on the horizon for your company?
Oohh we have a few exciting things in the mix! We’re adding another layer to how we care for people & planet (kicking off in 2020!), we’re designing new things; always inspired by our customers requests, what they feel would make them feel more comfortable when they move. And we’re working on some exciting collaborations and events to help spread our message as wide as possible.
What message would you like to give to everyone taking part in Yoga Stops Traffick 2020?
Thank you!!! You ARE yoga…keep practicing 😉
