Today we are very happy to talk to Kenia from hejhej. hejhej was born when the two founders Anna and Sophie visited a museum in Sweden. Both are passionate about yoga themselves and became aware of the ecological consequences of their yoga mat while touring the exhibition of the Turkish artist, Pinar Yoldas. They decided to solve the problem and developed the first closed-loop yoga mat: made of recycled materials and 100% recyclable.
Dear Kenia, thank you for your time and this joint MAp meets. At the beginning of our conversation, could you give us an insight into what hejhej has to offer today - after all, closed-loop yoga mats aren’t anymore the only hejhej products.
Thank you very much for inviting us to take part in this interview. As you say, the first closed-loop hejhej-mat is not our only product. Quite quickly we designed a yoga mat bag, the hejhej-bag. Then we gradually added other yoga equipment such as a yoga belt, yoga bolster, yoga block, meditation cushion, eye pillow and spray. All these products are completely developed in the spirit of the circular economy. Our take-back system also applies to all products. Our goal is to provide a way for you to make your yoga practice as sustainable as possible. A short documentary of our hejhej-bolsters shows very nicely how consciously we design our product development.
Health and well-being is an important part of your sustainability philosophy. You pass this on to your partner hotels with whom you successfully cooperate. What are the most important elements of this philosophy that hotels can implement in the area of health promotion?
We really appreciate the great cooperation with our partner hotels. In the meantime, we have a super nice and diverse selection, whereby we work out and establish an individual cooperation with each hotel. Health promotion does not have to be complicated. A movement or yoga programme in the hotel is already an easy-to-implement method for a hotel to do something for preventive health promotion. The good thing is that you don't need much for yoga. The most important thing is a good yoga mat and of course other tools are practical. It is also important to mention that a nice yoga set-up in the hotel motivates the guests to move. So by offering yoga equipment in the rooms or for rent in your hotel, you motivate people to do more for their health and well-being.
Yoga has become a central theme and offer for many hotels. What tips can you give hoteliers to create a yoga offer for guests that stands out from the competition, offers added value for guests and is sustainable?
We also notice how widespread yoga has become in hotel concepts and love it. Especially on holiday, it's a nice way to use free time to try yoga or deepen your own practice. High-quality yoga equipment is a unique selling point for a hotel. To offer yoga, it's great to have a yoga room and your own yoga teacher - but you don't necessarily need one. For example, we have a cooperation with a partner hotel that has bought many yoga mats for their flats from hejhej. Each yoga mat has a co-branded label with both brand names woven into it in a high-quality way. Next to the hejhej-mats, QR codes are displayed in the flats that link to a video playlist from us. In cooperation with the hotel, we have recorded yoga videos on their premises. Guests can practice yoga on the high-quality yoga mats directly in their room, whether beginner or advanced, there is something for everyone. Our yoga videos on Youtube range from Vinyasa, Yin, Pranayama, Katonah Yoga to accessible yoga and yoga for the blind. Our goal here is to make the yoga world more inclusive. Your hotel can easily share this offer and provide it to guests.
As always, our final MAp meets question: what makes a hotel experience a truly outstanding one for you personally?
At hejhej we have a statement that has always accompanied our product development: small things matter. By this we mean that even the smallest detail matters. For example, we also think about the zip and sewing thread in our products and find the most sustainable solution on the market for everything.
It's similar for me with hotel experiences. I often notice exactly those little things. That's when I notice whether the hotel is really interested in sustainability or just wants to improve its image. Whether the interior, the care products or the food have really been thought about and whether there is a conscious focus on regionality and longevity. That's exactly what makes a lasting impression on me in a hotel experience.
About hejhej:
hejhej is the first closed-loop yoga brand on the market. It is based in Nuremberg, Germany. With the hejhej-mat, it has taken a decisive step towards making the yoga world more sustainable and circular. Find out more at www.hejhej-mats.com or on Instagram at @hejhej_mats.
About Kenia
Kenia Bohmeyer has been working for hejhej since 2020. Her responsibilities include communication with hotels. If you are interested in collaborating with hejhej, you can message her directly at kenia [at] hejhej-mats.com (kenia[at]hejhej-mats[dot]com). She is looking forward to hearing from you!
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