Hi,

YMAA is happy to announce that we are now able to offer martial artists a choice in their training and performance clothes. As an alternative to the traditional YMAA silk uniforms, we've added new pants and a top made with eco-friendly fabrics.

http://store.yahoo.com/ymaa/taichisilcom.html

WHY ORGANIC?
We all love the comfortable feel of wearing cotton clothing, but many of us are not yet aware about the 53 million pounds of toxic pesticides and even more chemicals it takes annually for our clothing's production. Or about the millions of exploited workers suffering from physical and financial stress who made our clothing.

Now we know, and more importantly care, about how this wonderful fabric is brought to us. We have knowledge and freedom to make a choice in support of a direction that not only delivers comfort to our bodies, but also to our brothers and sisters, and ultimately the planet.

Please take a look and congratulate yourself for purchasing, and promoting, organic cotton clothing that is so vital to the welfare of our planet.
Conventionally grown cotton accounts for 25% of worldwide insecticide use. Pesticides used on cotton are among the most hazardous. At least 107 pesticide active ingredients are carcinogenic.

Protect children who are at greater risk for pesticide-related health problems than adults. Millions of children in the US receive up to 35% of their estimated lifetime dose of some carcinogenic pesticides by age five through food, contaminated drinking water, household use, and pesticide drift.

Protect Water Quality -Pesticide can contaminate ground water, the primary source of drinking water for half the US population.

Protect Farm Workers who suffer from an abundance of toxic exposure and related health problems.

Prevent Soil Erosion- it's a serious problem worldwide. Organic practices, including the addition of compost to soils and the use of cover crop rotations, can both reduce erosion and improve soil.

Support a True Economy- conventional cotton prices do not reflect hidden costs carried by taxpayers such as billions of dollars in annual subsidies, pesticide regulation and testing, hazardous waste disposal, and environmental damage. It takes one pound of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to conventionally grow the three pounds of cotton needed to make a T-shirt and a pair of jeans.

It Feels Good to make a choice that has so many nurturing effects on the land and the people we love.

“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.”
-Chief Seattle-

http://store.yahoo.com/ymaa/taichisilcom.html

As martial artists we are in a search for the truth in all things, to truly know reality. How can we know reality if we are not aware of all things in our life, such as the consequences of our actions? For instance, in the modern world, we are not in the mountains, in tune with nature, we are instead involved in a local and global community, and our actions directly affect many people around us. When I spend money, I want to know that I am not helping to support the use of carcinogenic chemicals, poisoning the farm workers, water and soil. This is a modern understanding of karma. If my action of spending money helps a negative activity to continue, I cannot feel peaceful. And I can not pretend to be open-minded and aware if I do not know how my actions are affecting everyone around me, the people in my community, and even farm workers in another country, not to mention the earth itself. We're all in this together. Thank you.