MEET THE ARTIST: HEIDI LISTER HEVESY

If you've seen Manduka's latest towel collection, you might have noticed that it's different from the towels we've released before.

The towel prints, designed by textile designer and watercolor artist Heidi Lishter Hevesi, are paintings created exclusively for us.

Their depth and complexity are wonderful, perfectly reflecting the "spirit of blooming flowers" that we are conveying in our Spring/Summer collection.

Heidi has a long connection with yoga.
We'd like to share a little more of her story.

Growing up in a small rural village in England, Heidi loved to draw from a young age.
Encouraged by a teacher who saw her inclination towards patterns in her work, Heidi studied textile design at university, then moved to New York and worked in a textile design studio.
It was in New York that Heidi discovered yoga and her other passion, rock climbing.
She uses the strength and breathing techniques she learned through yoga to challenge herself to greater heights.

Art, yoga, climbing - all of these continue to blossom in her life.





For Heidi, yoga and rock climbing seamlessly intersect, and the two are complementary.
Both demand our complete presence, but rock climbing comes with an adrenaline rush and a certain kind of stress.

Yoga leads us to a quieter, more peaceful space, even amidst potentially strenuous movements.
These are beautifully and harmoniously opposing forces, and she says many of the climbers she knows are avid yoga practitioners.
Both are places where we can become more fully ourselves.
It's no surprise that this season's designs are full of vitality and mystery, as she walks in both realms.

When she starts to create a piece, Heidi walks in nature looking for color inspiration.
Her love for the natural world created this piece.
What we found so wonderful is that she just started painting.
She says she doesn't know what will happen, and she trusts the mess, the paint splattered everywhere.
She takes an intuitive approach because overthinking doesn't work.
Just like in yoga, she accepts that one stroke leads to the next, without dictating where one stroke will end.

We loved this embrace of intentional imperfection.
Her experiences, often serendipitous, can manifest into something beautiful.
Working with our team, she narrowed down her color and pattern choices, and the collection was born.





We feel very fortunate to bring Heidi's art to you this season.
How wonderful is it that each of these Yogitoes towels was born as a unique painting?
Heidi created such beauty and detail in all of them.
See which one speaks to you.
And may her art help you to further understand the presence, joy, and blossoming of your practice.


→ Click here for yogitoes yoga towels