Summer is nearly upon us, which means it's time to finally unveil our Spring 2017 Mantra Box®. If you're new around here, Mantra Box® is a quarterly discovery box program which aims to support small business. We curate each box to help you inspire and support your practice and life off the mat as well. Last quarter, we hosted a giveaway of one box, asking what you'd like to see in future boxes. You named essential oils, candles, and natural beauty as the top three, and I am proud to say that we heard you loud and clear, and checked off all three in this box, as we included an essential oil therapy blend, a beeswax and lavender candle, and for natural beauty we had incredible handmade soap from Graham Gardens, a facial cream, and eye pen. Check out the video below to see what we included, and scroll down to learn more about the company behind each product we included. And don't forget - you can now pre-order next quarter's box!
The Goods
The Giveaway
If you weren't able to snag a box last quarter, no worries, because we are hosting the same giveaway once again. All you have to do is comment on this post and let us know what you'd like to see in a future box and we'll do our best to make it happen. Once you've left a comment, just use the widget below to record your entry. This giveaway is open to everyone within the US. If you have an email address you use for promotions, feel free to use that one, as your info will be shared with the companies who made this box possible. A winner will be picked on Monday, June 26, 2017.
Let's Pretend This Never Happened
I was so excited to be able to include a copy of Let's Pretend This Never Happened because I felt like it fit perfectly with this quarter's mantra for the box: Choose Happiness. Essentially, I wanted to encourage everyone to look for the little slivers of joy in life's moments - all of life's moments - even the tough times, because all these collective moments shape us, teach us, and allow us to continue to move forward, trying to be our best selves. This memoir completely embraces that perspective. Written with wit and a wry sense of humor, I know it's going to be a summer favorite for you guys.
Sarah Kugelman, CEO and Founder of skyn ICELAND
Founder of skyn ICELAND: Sara Kugelman
Why the company was started: Entrepreneur Sarah Kugelman almost didn’t see her 40th birthday. As the founder of gloss.com, one of the biggest beauty sites to emerge from the tech boom of the late nineties, Kugelman received a grave prognosis from her doctor. Her stress levels were off the charts and taking a serious toll on her health. After selling gloss.com to Estee Lauder in 2000, Sarah knew it was time to start a new chapter in her life. Over the next 18 months, Sarah researched how to eradicate the effects of stress on the skin. It was during a transformative trip to Iceland where she noticed the clear connection between the natives’ flawless complexions and their abundant natural resources in tandem with the natural ethos of cleanliness and purity. It was then that skyn ICELAND® was born, the first skincare line to specifically address the effects of chronic stress on the skin. Since its launch, skyn ICELAND has garnered a loyal following of beauty insiders, celebrities, influencers and anyone with a high-octane lifestyle.
Personal mantra: Stress less!
What the company does to give back: We support many charitable causes, including the Beagle Freedom Project and the American Heart Association.
Product included in box: Icelandic Relief Eye Cream Pen
Retail value: $20.00
Coupon code: SKYNMANTRA for 20% off
BIOHM CEO, Afif Ghannoum
Founder of BIOHM: Dr. Ghannoum
Why the company was started: BIOHM Health was founded by Dr. Ghannoum to be the first microbiome company. Our mission is simple: Engineer elegant products and services that address the total microbiome of both bacteria and fungi, allowing you to maintain total digestive health.
Personal mantra: Discover a deeper you.
What the company does to give back: By forming The BIOHM Research Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio, we concentrate on raising funding to help accelerate research & innovations in one of the country's largest healthcare destinations.
Product included in box: BIOHM Whole Probiotics
Retail value: $49.99
Coupon code: MANTRA20 for 20% off your purchase
Gina Graham, Graham Gardens
Founder of Graham Gardens: Gina Graham
Why the company was started: Honestly, my husband and I needed to find better skin care solutions for our kids when standard treatment options weren't really helping. Our innate curiosity about science (Mr. G.) and love for botanicals (Mrs. G.) took over and led us to think about things more deeply and experiment freely. We were surprised at how available and effective plants and oils could be! Their beauty and simplicity just won us over.
Personal mantra: I am joyfully living out my design with integrity by being fully invested in my people, Soli Deo Gloria!
What the company does to give back: The nature of our small company allows us to be actively investing in a more healthy marketplace for everyone. Our manufacturing and procurement practices directly support small and local businesses which have strong commitments to low environmental impact.
Product included in box: Peppermint Cream Cocoa Butter Soap
Retail value: $5.00
Coupon code: MantraBox for 20% off item
Kristin Chadwick, CEO OMAX Health
CEO of Omax3: Kristin Chadwick
Why the company was started: Omax3 was started by a group of Yale doctors and scientists who believed a special blend of ultra-purified and highly-concentrated omega-3s could hold the key to unlocking all the health benefits that have been reported in clinical studies. Their patented blend of EPA and DHA in a super concentrated formula is the "secret sauce" that delivers natural anti-inflammatory support and muscle recovery to health enthusiasts and athletes around the world.
Personal mantra: Life to the Max! (we believe everyone should live life to the fullest!!)
What the company does to give back: We recently partnered with Mike Golic and his wife Christine in supporting their initiative called imme.org which helps end the orphan cycle around the world. We are actively looking to find our voice and where we can best support causes that give back!
Product included in box: Omax3 The Ultra-Pure Omega-3
Retail value: $49.95
Coupon code: YBCMantra20 for 20% off and free shipping
Sabena Sarma, Founder of Pranayums
Founder of Pranayums : Sabena Sarma
Why the company was started: My mother’s spice box always served as our family’s medicine cabinet. We embraced Ayurvedic principles at home and sought natural solutions for common problems. Tummy pains were soothed with asafoetida. Nausea disappeared with cloves. She cooked for us and kept us healthy according to the ancient practice of Ayurveda, just like her mother did.
I searched for the best and easiest way to add these powerful super spices to our busy lives – and Pranayums was born. Single serve spice packets to enjoy on the go, with the foods you already love. Delicious, versatile, convenient and good for you – from our family to yours.
Personal mantra: Blur the line between work and play and give back even if you have a little.
What the company does to give back: Giving back to communities helps make the world a better place, and that's the kind of world we want to live in. That's why 5% of all profits from Pranayums goes to educating and feeding kids.
Product included in box: Pranayums Daily Super Spice Shot
Retail value: $1.29
Coupon code: PranayumsYBC for 15% off
Company: KRAVE Jerky
Why the company was started: Founded in 2009, KRAVE set out to offer consumers artisanal-style meat and poultry snacks that represent a protein renaissance inspired by the Sonoma, CA wine country where the company is based. KRAVE took a snack that was once full of preservatives, nitrite-ridden and relegated to gas stations and gave it a flavorful spin focused on culinary-inspired ingredients and a refined process that makes it a healthier, more satisfying source of protein for anyone on-the-go.
Personal mantra: KRAVEBetter
Product included in box: Spicy Red Pepper Pork KRAVE Stick & Rosemary Lemon Turkey KRAVE Stick
Retail value: $1.79 per stick
Coupon code: YOGABYCANDACE for 20%off any purchase at www.kravejerky.com
Floracopeia Founders David and Sara Crow
Founders of Floracopeia: David and Sara Crow
Why the company was started: Floracopeia was established to provide the highest quality botanical treasures and health education, support ecological agriculture, and promote traditional plant-based knowledge.
What the company does to give back: By choosing to economically support ecologically responsible farmers and sustainable agroforestry projects around the world, we are helping to uplift remote and impoverished communities as we preserve and protect the earth and her treasures. We have personal relationships with most of our distillers.
Product included in box: Immortelle Perfecting Creme
Retail value: $80.00
Coupon code: MANTRA20 for 20% off
Founder of Grainful: Jan Pajerski
Why the company was started: To help people lead better lives by giving them healthy, great tasting and convenient food options. To accomplish this ambition, we’re taking the amazing nutritional benefits of steel cut oats beyond breakfast to lunch and dinner.
Personal mantra: You can’t control circumstance, but you can choose how you respond to anything that happens.
What the company does to give back: We support local events, such as the AIDS ride for life, donate to local food banks and participate in local entrepreneurship mentoring. As the company grows and gains stable financial footing we’re excited to expand our sphere of influence.
Product included in box: Meal Kit
Retail value: $4.99-$5.99
Coupon code: YBC20 for 20% off
Founder of Ingrid Stevens Photography: Ingrid Stevens - - Email at ijstevens@shaw.ca.
Why the company was started: My friend suggested I make cards out of pictures I had taken and sell them at a local school's craft fair. And I love to capture all the beauty that surrounds me whether it be a person or nature.
Personal mantra: This changes as the seasons of life do. But I would have to say right now it is "just breathe".
What the company does to give back: Donate card packages/photo session packages to local businesses seeking contributions for fundraisers.
Product included in box: Greeting Card
Retail value: $4.00
Founder of Plant Therapy: Chris Jones
Why the company was started: Chris and Amanda Jones saw the need for a different kind of essential oil company. One where you could find the highest quality essential oils at a more affordable price. They wanted to make a difference and they have!
Personal mantra: Our ultimate goal is not to be the largest essential oil company; it is to positively impact the lives of as many people as humanly possible. Ultimately, we feel this is possible only by providing our customers with an exceptional experience that keeps them coming back. By selling such a high quality product at an affordable price, we not only positively affect the lives of our customers, it also gives us the financial means by which we can help those who are less fortunate to live a happier, healthier, and more productive life." – Chris Jones, President of Plant Therapy Inc.
What the company does to give back: At Plant Therapy, our goal is to have the greatest possible impact on the most people. This is why we feel so strongly about giving back. Because of our amazing customers, we are blessed to be in a position to support those who are in need both locally and worldwide.
Product included in box: 10 ml Germ Fighter Synergy
Retail value: $8.95
Coupon code: MANTRA for 20% off (valid through 1/1/18)
Rootz Nutrition founder: Harrison Levy
Rootz Nutrition Founder, Harrison Levy
Personal Mantra: Love the process.
Why the company was started: The inspiration for Rootz came from my own desire to have protein and energy supplements that weren't loaded with chemicals and artificial flavors, and my frustration with the low quality products available on the market. I wanted something that was made from real food ingredients that I could actually pronounce, but would still give me results.... So I went out and made my own products that I could feel good about putting in my body.
What does the company do to give back? We donate protein to underprivileged/disaster stricken areas.
Product included in box: Paleo Energizing Superfood
Retail value: $54.99
Discount Code: yogabycandace for $5 off.
We also included:
- Your Tea, who included a full size box of Happy Tea & Man Tea (for male specific boxes)
- Beeswax Candle from Sol Organix, who makes incredible organic cotton sheets.
- Coupons for full size products from Maple Hill Creamery, a company we love for its pasture raised, grass-fed products.
Pre-Order Now Before They're Sold Out
Be sure to pre-order your Summer 2017 Mantra Box®! We've already unveiled one of the hero products - check it out here to see what it is, or wait and be totally surprised. All the other products will be a surprise! Thanks for supporting YBC and all the companies that help keep YBC going! xo