Frequently Pondered Questions

Simply Yoga is a trading subsidiary of the European Yoga Network - the worlds first, and only non-profit, solar powered, Yoga community interest network.

You are lucky to have found us, and we are lucky that you have chosen to walk this way for a while - so we offer you a very warm welcome!

There is no rush, take your time, we have been online since 1999 and we are planning to be here for a good few more years yet. We don't really have a lot to say about ourselves - but if you are interested in who we are and what we are doing then this is probably as good a place as any to start.

WOW - What inspires you to do the things you do like this ?
Why haven't I seen any adverts or trade stands for Simply Yoga - or at least a nice Simply Yoga brochure like all the other online mail order companies ?
Why don't you even try to make a profit ?
This looks like all the other online Yoga shops to me - so why do you say it is ethical ?
Are you really environmentally proactive, (or are you just jumping on the Green Bandwagon)?
Does the Powered by You logo actually mean anything ?

Is competition in Yoga actually good for our health ? - you decide !

You would think that a competitive market is in consumers interests. But, we are not comfortable in the mainstream health, sports and fitness channels and trade shows, and so (just to try and prove a point) we withdrew all our paid for advertising in 2008.

What ?

That's right, our sales do not depend on paid advertising so, (on average) our Yoga mats and equipment are 10% cheaper than they would normally be !. Our offers continue to be the amongst the most affordable offers available anywhere.

We don't deliberately set out to undercut other suppliers, but because we are 100% Internet based, and we don't go through all the normal advertising channels trying to clamour for customers we are confident that we can at least match other companies prices on the same products. If we can't, then we generally don't stock the product ! Simple as that.

We think that advertising with Google, Yahoo, MSN and AOL could well be contributing to a general sense of dis-ease in the Yoga community as many worthwhile Yoga studios and suppliers are being set up to compete against each other … and it is consumers that (indirectly) pay for it as advertisers have to recover their advertising costs through their prices to stay profitable.

Yes, consumers are all paying for all of this nonsense - especially at peak times like the run up to Christmas ! and yet we have proved that we do not need them to sustain us.

We have the power to change Yoga culture for the better.

If you agree that we are right to disengage from all the highly monetised media companies and internet search engines, we need your help to do it here.
If you are another online provider at least think twice before you outbid a competitor for yoga keywords !!
We can all start relying on each other more - as a community. If you know a good supplier - as well as telling them how pleased you are - why not tell your friends, put a link to a good website or post up good suppliers on a BLOG or online FORUM or something ?

Why have you set up as a social enterprise - surely you just in it for the money ?

While not all Yoga equipment manufacturers and suppliers can follow a not-for-profit business model, it is clear that many could do a lot more to support the Yoga community or protect the environment.

This business is about making a more inspired world, asking questions and meeting the most complex social and environmental challenges through business. It is part of a community based, social enterprise under a legal constitution that sets out our community interest credentials, making us more connected, and more able to deliver benefits to the Yoga community than a profit-seeking company.

We also do our best to work with, (or at least alongside) many of the other good online Yoga shops that trade for profit - in a very open and friendly way - and they too serve their customers very well indeed.

So that we can continue to do more good stuff for everyone, and make more improvements, we have rely on people to support us.

Simply Yoga is part of a network owned by its members - people like you - a bit like a co-op. Why not Join us today?

There are no greedy shareholders or remote, syndicated business consultants, (Dragons) - which helps us to keep our outlook really open, care-free and transparent - and most importantly, helps us put things back into the yoga community

Organic Feedback about our Yoga shop

This is an automated data retrieval service based on real, live data - we don't furtively sift through what we want you to see - or filter out any bits - so you get all the freshest stuff !

5 out of 5: "Very fast delivery. Thank you." Date: 8 March 2010 Rated by Buyer: claired1234 4 out of 5: "Thank you. Yoga Toeless socks safely received." Date: 6 March 2010 Rated by Buyer: penny2357 5 out of 5: "top seller" Date: 4 March 2010 Rated by Buyer: michelledove 5 out of 5: "Great service" Date: 20 February 2010 Rated by Buyer: Miss J. 5 out of 5: "Excellant. Swift efficient service. Good quality goods" Date: 18 February 2010 Rated by Buyer: Susan J. 5 out of 5: "Pricey item but I knew that when I bought it - good quality, fast service, reliable seller. Thank you."…

Simply Yoga is currently the only Yoga shop that is listed as a candidate for Open Source Yoga provider status.

Does the Powered by You logo actually mean anything ?

Well, yes - we are pursuing a new and dramatically open approach to Yoga. Our ethical approach to trading continues to evolve and any profits we do make directly benefits the the european Yoga community through supporting a range of Yoga social campaigns and community outreach projects.

We are here to provide a sustainable, more community centred approach for future generations of seekers using modern principles of Social Enterprise.

This means that everyone can enjoy the specially selected range of products we have to offer online but also using this website helps in other, (not so obvious) but important ways:-

Helps us to research, develop and promote specialist products and services that may not be profitable - but worthwhile from a special needs perspective
Helps to keep the prices we can offer fair and reasonable
Helps to support various social outreach projects and Yoga community campaigns.

Everyone works online from home - providing opportunities for flexible working patterns for everyone.
No pressure to make profits - so less stress on staff
No expensive glossy, printed brochures to fund
No expensive trade fairs or advertising campaigns to leech revenue
No bricks and mortar shops or warehouses to rent or maintain

Can you believe we are actually way cool and Rootsy 24 hours a day ?

Thought not - too good to be true isn't it ?

But, this website does run on 100% Solar Energy. Our parent company is a pioneer of ecological and affordable Yoga website hosting and internet services, which is much more beneficial for the planet than carbon-neutral sites which still rely on conventional methods of generating power like coal burning power stations and nuclear fuels.

Of course, as flag bearers of more ecological and ethical Yoga goods and services it goes without saying that we also go out of our way to minimise, re-use and recyle packaging etc. and loads of other good stuff - but don't get us started on politics, ethics, ecology or religion - there is way too much to go into here, maybe visit the Open Source Yoga Wiki for some more on that ?