Global Groovin'

Our Thriving Earth: A Fair Trade Story

Around The World: Circular Seating Styles
If you like to shop fair trade and also have that extra boho flair that brought you to Global Groove Life’s website then you probably already have an unique home design theme going on. Cheers to that - good for you!
Circular seating continues to build interest in your space and provides seating options that alter from the norm (always a good thing with the bohemian crowd).
Functional And Fun
Need additional seating? Roll in some balance balls from the office or studio instead of having your guest “pull up a chair.” This is way easier to do than carrying chairs around to move them - and it works especially well if you have multiple areas of the house that are used for socializing with people.
Red Flower of Life Cover
Gone are the days of uncomfortable office chairs. If you work from home or are otherwise spending a lot of time sitting at a table or desk then you should really try sitting on a yoga ball. They’re quite comfortable and you can easily find wheeled bases that keep them more stable beneath you if straight up sitting on a ball sounds like a bit of a challenge.
Here are three of our top reasons why we recommend using a balance ball as your new favorite chair:
1. You’ll experience a new level of comfort while sitting on a balance ball!
Say goodbye to uncomfortable wooden chairs and other unforgiving materials and hello to a flexible, responsive seat. The slight bounce that the ball provides allows you to make constant micro-adjustments instead of stagnating in the same position for hours at a time.
Although sitting in one single position may seem like it would be more comfortable, studies have proven that staying sedentary hour after hour (for example while working, watching TV, or scrolling through the internet) can lead to potentially lethal complications! Sitting on a yoga ball is a simple way to keep your body and life force energy moving.
2. It’s good for you!
We know, we know - we sound like your mother responding to child you when you asked her why you need to eat your vegetables! We’re not trying to dredge up old memories … but just like your mama we see the importance of looking out for your health and wellbeing!
Balancing on a yoga ball strengthens your core muscles. You know, the ones in your stomach, sides, and back that keep you moving around with ease (or not depending on the state of your core). Maintaining a strong core is very important to your overall balance and range of motion. So we’re big fans of anything that can be done to keep this part of the body toned.
3. A new perspective!
You probably know by now how passionate we are GGL are about gaining new perspectives - on everything from style to life. If you are desk-bound for a large part of the day then you could probably benefit from the change of perspective that replacing your desk chair with a balance ball will bring you.
Cobalt Geometric Cover
Changing your point of view can really transform your whole mindset and therefore your entire day! You can funnel your newfound energy and enthusiasm into more productivity and efficiency.
Style It
Naturally as a bohemian (i.e. individual with a strong sense of self and personal expression) you’ll want to explore the unique style opportunities that come along with using yoga balls as seating. Global Groove Life has so many options to transform your balance ball from blah to chic.
Plum Geometric Ball Cover
Want to use your ball as an accent piece? Choose a brightly colored or a boldly patterned yoga ball cover. Here are a few of our favorites below.
Tribal Sand Cover
Alternately, you may want to be able to use the balance ball as a chair in multiple rooms and as a workout tool in your studio. In that case you couldchoose a few different covers - or - go for a more neutral tone.
Black Flower of Life Cover
Olive Geometric Cover
We’re sure that you’ll find your perfect groove however you choose to use and decorate your balance balls. Send in photos of how you’re using your yoga ball in your space - we’d love to see it!
Amara Evans is a vibrational healer, collective consciousness-raiser, writer, and devotee of the Goddess. She loves to connect with her global community through writing and speaking about important topics like the environment, spirituality, and fair trade.

Groovin' With The Woke Folks

Live Boho Bold With The Color Of The Year

Top 10 Fair Trade Stocking Stuffers For Everyone On Your List

Transform Black Friday: Conscious Consumerism

Sustainable, Comfortable Meditation With Zafus
Sustainability is a priority to most people in conscious circles so it makes perfect sense to support the expansion of your consciousness with practices and products that also support our planet and all our relations. Global Groove Life (GGL) is happy to share deeper insights with you about the materials we choose to use in our products - in this case our meditation cushions.
A Seat Above
Let’s face it, if you aren’t comfortable then your meditation practice will not be as focused or as beneficial for you. We’re often shown unrealistic images of people meditating in magazines and online. People are portrayed sitting in lotus or half-lotus position on the ground which is not a comfortable position for the body to be in for extended periods of time.
If you’re naturally very limber or have been practicing yoga for years then maybe these positions will work for you but for most folks these poses can feel uncomfortable or challenging. It’s much better for many bodies to sit with the hips elevated above the knees. Enter the zafu - a traditional seat used for meditation and more. The filler inside these cushions is a perfect combination of strong and malleable to support you in sitting for as long as you’d like to.
Organic, Roasted… Buckwheat
Nope, we’re not talking about coffee! The words organic and roasted are describing the buckwheat filler used in our meditation cushions! This buckwheat is grown without the use of pesticides - yay! - because it is a naturally pest-free crop. Not only is the buckwheat used in GGL’s zafus pesticide-free, it’s also synergistic to its environment. It actually enhances the soil it’s grown in!
After it’s harvested the hulls are roasted which cleans them and ensures the integrity of the husk. This allows for your meditation cushion to maintain its shape for much longer than hulls that have been processed by washing versus roasting - which means your zafu will support your meditation practice for a long time.
Sustainable Tree-sources
Global Groove Life is committed to bringing you high quality products that are sustainably sourced. The zafus we sell are no exception to these standards. Both the buckwheat hulls and kapok fiber used as filler for them are pesticide-free.
Kapok fiber is a durable and mold-resistant material, making it perfect for long term use. It’s a more sustainable filler option that cotton. Did you know that 25% of all pesticides used in the world are used on the cotton crop? Kapok is one of the few sustainable rainforest crops in the world.
Kapok trees produce thousands of seed pods each year. The seeds inside these pods are surrounded by the soft yellow fluff that’s been used for centuries as bedding. This silky material is used as part of the filler for Global Groove Life’s zafus to support you in a comfortable and sustainable meditation practice.
GGL’s goals are to provide our customers with well crafted, eco-friendly apparel and items that support you in living a balanced lifestyle, to support the artists who create our goods, and to create a thriving world for everyone! Offering meditation supplies made from materials that are grown without undue harm to the Earth feels good to us - we hope it feels good to you, too!
Amara Evans is a vibrational healer, collective consciousness-raiser, writer, and devotee of the Goddess. She loves to connect with her global community through writing and speaking about important topics like the environment, spirituality, and fair trade.

Spreading The #LotusLove
The lotus flower is beloved by people around the world. We at Global Groove Life love the lotus so much that we’ve included it in the GGL logo! It represents growth and rising above the muck to bloom and express - the same way that fair trade and fair business rise above the dirty, exploitative practices of traditional business to expand into a better way of interacting with the world and our human family. The GGL lotus is overlaid over a map of the world that we love so much. A perfect fit to represent our intention to uplift the planet!
Purification So Sweet
Humanity has long revered the lotus as a floral representation of purification. The plant grows up through the mud and reveals the purity of its beautiful essence as it blooms. It shows us how we, too, can share our essential natures as we continue to purify ourselves and push our way beyond the sticky mud of the world.
No Mud No Lotus
You may have heard this expression shared by Vietnamese Zen Buddhist Monk and world peace advocate Thich Nhat Hanh, “No mud, no lotus.” All humans are born into a world where there is suffering - represented by the mud. And each person incarnated in this world has the potential to become fully enlightened and fully self-aware - represented by a blossoming lotus flower.
This quote reminds us that even our suffering serves us and helps us to feel gratitude for the entire experience of life. In this way the lotus is also a symbol of transcendence. What a great reminder of this powerful ability we have to overcome and rise above.
#LotusLove Tribe
Global Groove Life is partnering with Global Party People! We’re a global community that supports respectful co-existence through peace, love, music, dance, and community. We operate on the vibration of love and trust and use art and music to make the world a better place. We believe that a smile is the same in every language. Come dance with us and join our Global Community.
Do you want to join our Global Tribe? During the month of September GGL is offering you a FREE #LotusLove decal in the color of your choice! Global Party People is offering a FREE music download, too! Just sign up here to join us on our journey and to receive these free gifts!
Color Therapy
The #LotusLove decals are available in an assortment of colors - the chakra colors to be exact. So which color - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, or violet - are you resonating with today? Or what aspect of your life do you want to reinvigorate?
Global Groove Life chose to print the stickers in the chakra colors because often folks are attracted to colors which represent different things that are going on in their lives and/or physical bodies. Learn more about each chakra associated color below.
Chakra Power
Choose red to empower and clear your root chakra, muladhara, which will have you feeling secure and grounded. The orange decal will assist you in balancing your sacral chakra, svadhisthana, so you can freely express yourself. Go with the yellow lotus to heal your solar plexus chakra, manipura, to be confident and feel in control with a healthy sense of self esteem.
A green lotus decal will assist you in clearing your heart chakra, anahata, and feeling compassion in loving relationships. Choose the light blue sticker to balance your throat chakra, vishuddha, which will support you in expressing yourself openly and freely. A dark blue lotus will help you with your third eye chakra, ajna, the center of intuition. Choose the purple lotus to clear and balance your crown chakra, sahasrara, so you can have a clear view of the world and your connection with it. Even if you’re not aware of what you’d like to work on just let your intuition guide you to choose whatever color lotus decal you’re drawn to.
Which #LotusLove decal are you most drawn to? Get yours today!
Amara Evans is a vibrational healer, collective consciousness-raiser, and devotee of the Goddess. She loves to connect with her global community through writing about important topics like the environment, spirituality, and fair trade.

A Father’s Day Ode To Conscious Men
Useful, Useable, and Thrive-able Gift Ideas
Conscious gift buying can be exceptionally tricky in our factory and sweatshop age, where consumers are demanding cheap and accessible products at an even higher rate than ever before. If you’re already a consumer of fair trade and ethical brand buying for yourself, then you are well aware of how time consuming (not to mention pricey) it can get. So when it comes to buying for others, do you lower your standards and save? Or is there an easier way?
Shopping sustainably is paramount in our modern world. The population is at an all time high, and surging like never before, Mother Earth’s resources are being strained and we are seeing the effects of that strain all around the globe. There is a plethora of companies that have already made the shift to sustainable practices: renewable energy, recycled materials, and fair wages for workers are all a part of what makes a good business great in the eyes of the conscious consumer. But now that entrepreneurs have figured out how to create businesses that are sustainable… why not up the ante? Why stop at making your business sustainable, if it could be thrive-able? Let’s make 2017 the year where everyone is treated fairly, and we support businesses that are going above and beyond to make this world a better place.
Below are five unique, useable, and most importantly thriveable gift ideas that won’t break the bank. Next time you are in a pinch as to where to buy or what to buy for your friends and loved ones, give these gifts a gander!
prAna: prAna is a retail company specializing in men’s and women’s movement and lifestyle apparel. They are constantly committed to making a positive environmental and personal impact on their consumers and producers. If you are shopping for a man in your life, their products can be especially astute, with many options for versatile and stylish men’s clothing.
Global Groove Life (Yoga): Have an avid yogi friend? Well look no further than GGL’s unique and beautiful Yoga Ball Covers. With dozens of styles and colours to choose from, and a comfortable variety of sizes, these Ball Covers make the perfect gift.
Ethical Shop: Looking for an inexpensive gift that’s also thriveable? Hop onto ethicalshop.org and you will be charmed by the endless amount of adorable fair trade gifts available for purchase. One of my personal favourite is the Yoga Socks, perfect for any dancer, gymnast, or yogi in your life, these comfortable and durable socks are sure to impress!
Global Groove Life (Lifestyle): A gift that is sure to impress all ages, genders, and interests is Global Groove Life’s Boozik line up. These hand carved, natural bamboo speakers, produce brilliant sound from you smart phone or tablet by simply placing it comfortably in the slot, and voila! Crisp, clear, and amplified sounds brought to you completely chare-cord free!
Ten Thousand Villages: Still feeling a little discouraged? Ten Thousand Villages has been a pioneer in making positive change in business sustainability since 1946, and their website has a page dedicated to helping you find the perfect gift. Simply choose from their descriptive widgets and find gifts tailored to the style of whomever you are buying for!
Don’t be discouraged by the daunting task of looking for sustainable and thriveable gifts for your friends and family, use this quick guide as a jumping off point to finding the perfect gift, that also gives back!
Avery Lentz is a curious creative soul residing in Northern California. She loves to write, dance, travel, and talk with her fellow humans. When she isn't buried in a mountain of notebooks and reading material, you can find her out in the woods, scaling mountains, or perusing the coast. Through her writing she hopes to spread messages of love and acceptance for all and a kind approach to Mother Earth.