Patricia Lombard July 26, 2022
Local Businesses Working Together: Center for Yoga
Using Compostable Cups From Pondicherry Dry Goods
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Center for Yoga is now using compostable cups provided by Pondcherry Dry Goods.
We love it when local small businesses we’ve featured get together! This week we learned the Center for Yoga is now offering zero-waste cups from Pondicherry Dry Goods, a local business based in Brookside offering handmade teas and compostable plates and cups
made from palm leaves. “I was a student at the Yoga Studio before the pandemic and loved the studio and teachers. My chronic lung condition improved so much with yoga that I decided to train as a teacher,” explained Puneet Gupta, who along with her husband Robin, owns Pondicherry Dry Goods and also teaches yoga at the Anderson Munger YMCA.
“Pre-pandemic the studio used to offer hot tea which we students enjoyed,” explained Gupta. “So when my favorite people came back to open the studio and my favorite teachers were
teaching, I thought of offering them Pondicherry artisan tea to brew or retail.” “They weren’t brewing yet but were happy to put some of the teas on the shelf for retail. We took some teas for tasting to Heather Zimmerman, manager and Jeri Caamaño, lead greeter at Center for Yoga. As we poured the teas into the sustainable leaf cups, Heather
and Jeri, loved the cups. And the tea!” Gupta told the Buzz.
Zimmerman told Gupta they’d love to use the sustainable cups since they’re in line with the philosophy of the studio. Made from fallen palm leaves, the cups are free of plastics,additives or glues, so they can completely decompose back into the earth without any toxic
additives.
Jeri demonstrated how the water cooler at Center for Yoga works with the compostable cups.
“Like yoga, it’s good for the body, nature’s gift going back to nature,” said Gupta, adding, “So that is how the Pondicherry sustainable cups came to the water cooler at the center for yoga!”
Allison Beteta, Assistant manager of the studio, told the Buzz they were thrilled to carry products from local businesses. Recently, she said, they have also restocked the boutique at the studio with Uzi Jewelry, created by a client, and a jumpsuit designed by ShaktiLA.com, another local designer.
“We love partnering with the community; we are all about building community,” said Beteta.
You can learn more about Center For Yoga’s new pay-what-you-can community class, on Fridays from 2:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m., and all their classes at Center for Yoga.
The boutique at the Center for Yoga is stocked with products including some from local small businesses like Pondicherry Dry Goods.