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Spring Renewal in March

2010-02-15T20:15:00Z

SPRING RENEWAL!

A sweet spring is around the corner, after months of cold weather, and record breaking storms. Feet begin to pop out of boots into sandals, and spas and salons welcome people with dry, winter skin into their wonderful spring treatments, refreshing the body and the feet. We move from winter sports to spring exercising, which puts a "spring" in our step and mood. And there we are, Beech Sandal Co., with Yoga Sandals(R) Footwear ready to join in with the sandal for health and beauty. The Upscale Pedicure Sandal(R) that exercises the muscles of the feet, keeps joints flexible, promotes balance and body alignment, and encourages health through movement!

There have been some exciting times here at Beech. We have arranged a donation of 50 boxes of sandals to"soles4souls.org" for Haitian relief efforts. We know with the earthquake rubble, that our toe separators will not allow the sandals to slip or slide off unstable surfaces, and the heel support will help cope with uneven ground. We think the people of Haiti will enjoy these brand new unique sandals while dealing with their healing process, and we were glad for the opportunity to support them in some way.

We are in the process of bringing back improved versions of the Evolutions and Fusions, wonderful stylish Summer models and colors. Our wholesale customers are part of this process, pre-ordering these models for June, which allows us to notify our factory of the quantities we will need. This effort has expanded our feeling of community with our wholesale customers because we are all working together to bring the public the latest in Yoga Sandals(R) Footwear. We have also had interest expressed by some major chains, but more about that in future Newsletters.

(Wholesale customers call NOW for our pre-order process at no charge!! 877-771-TOES)

We are planning to have two lines of unisex or men's sandals, our regular BSC (Balance-Strength-Control) with the molded Samoan bottom; and a new line, the Revolution. Revolutions are on the drawing board, and we should see them by the end of the year. It is exciting to think about these new models of Yoga Sandals(R) Footwear, as we really believe what Prevention (July, 2007) penned about us" "The Better Flip-Flop(R)," a toe separating sandal that is good for your foot's health.

And to support that belief, we are interviewing a podiatrist and doctor of osteopathy about our sandals, and will be writing up their comments. This article will focus specifically on "Challenging the Myth: Arch support can weaken the foot, and heel support is critical to foot health." Think about the arch: first of all, it is an ARCH, like the arch in a bridge,

connecting one part of the foot that touches the ground (heel), with the other part of the foot that touches the ground (ball of the foot and toes). In most cases, it does not touch the ground. Why? Because all the connective nerves and circulation travel through that area freely. Place a hard "arch support" against that space, and you cut off that free circulation.
A soft arch support feels good to the foot, but unless you have arch problems, it is not needed. What is needed is heel support at a critical point, to allow the arch to work naturally. Our sandals provide that specific heel bone support, allowing the arch to exercise it's function for the foot. Expect an article to be sent out in March about this very issue. Here's a peek:

Shoes and Arches:

The running shoe industry has grow to massive proportions in the last 30years, and some argue that the shoes we wear today -- with all the support and cushion -- are actually weakening our natural arches, and causing more injuries than they prevent. The shoes and inserts we wear today attempt to replace our natural arches. By doing so, some argue, the natural support structures in our feet (arches, muscles and tendons) have weakened so much that they no longer do what they were designed to do.

Some experts, like Benno Nigg of the Human Performance Lab at the University of Calgary, claim that wearing shoes causes the small muscles of the feet and even muscles of core to become weak, which impacts our natural biomechanics and may contribute to knee and hip pain. Nigg believes that by strengthening muscles in the foot, we can improve our natural biomechanics.

Food for thought!!

Special Offer!

We are offering our retail customers a little something for their Foot Spring Renewal with their purchase of any model of Yoga Sandals(R) Footwear, so check out the home page!
www.yogasandals.com

Meanwhile, take a look at Jack and Colleen celebrating the beginning of sunny days on the water, and our staff hopes those sunny days come very soon for all of you!

January, 2010 The New Year!

2010-01-05T17:32:00Z

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Jack, our mascot, is delighting in the energy of the New Year!

January. A month where the seeds of ideas are planted for the months to follow. Instead of vowing resolutions, create your goals for this year that starts the new decade. Build the steps to those goals with careful consideration of what can be done, and what is beyond your actions. Take time to visualize each step to your goal, and renew your commitment to that goal. An old Sufi saying: "Trust in God but tether your camel first." Tend to what you can do, turn over what is out of your control. In this uncertain time, there is much we all can do, and much we need to recognize is beyond our control. What we CAN do is often more than what we THINK we can do.

Living those principals as a company, Beech Sandal Co. intends to make this year a year where our toe separating sandals are accepted as "The Better Flip-Flop(R)," as stated in Prevention Magazine in July, 2007. It takes time to become known for what a product can do, and we believe this year is our year to be known for the health and energy our sandals provide for the feet and body.

To begin the year right, we will be featured in the "Secret Room Events" for the Golden Globe Awards. Various celebrities will receive gifts of our sandals, and we will be there to explain the benefits. Who knows who we will meet? Pictures will be posted after the event on January 14th. Watch the local news for coverage, and you might see us there!

When you think of the heels female celebrities wear most of the time, you can imagine how soothing our sandals will be to those cramped feet. Releasing the bones, the muscles, and the nerves, Yoga Sandals will return the flow of energy to the feet and allow the body to feel grounded and aligned. We are excited to share "The Better Flip-Flop(R)" with those in the spotlight for the Golden Globes.

We are still working on getting the sandal for Shaq (see last newsletter) just right. It amazed us, but also made sense, to hear how many basketball players practice yoga. The increased flexibility and release of musculature tension, as well as the ability to concentrate, would all be improved by the practice of yoga. And as we have stated, spreading the toes is the key to grounding and holding the standing asanas (positions), and spreading the toes is critical to balance in sports (just picture standing on a surfboard).

As we face the critical news that most of the country in under storm and snow watch, we were glad to have developed our Comfys model of Yoga Sandals(R) Footwear. Warm and easy to wear, it still has the toe spreaders and critical heel support that allows the foot to exercise and work naturally. The sole has the rubber inserts that allows traction in winter conditions, and with or without a pair of toe socks, the feet stay comfortable. What else? They really stand up for that winter pedicure! As word gets out, they are becoming one of our more popular choices. We just heard that the Safari theme will be part of the Golden Globe Events.

"Comfys for Causes" was a great success for the Holiday season, with people being able to choose their charity with part of the purchase price of the slipper/sandal. Giving to friends and family and giving to causes turned out to be the "Win/Win" we wanted it to be. While the need goes on, we decided to continue to donate privately to allow our customers deeper discounts on Comfys for this hard winter season.

We are looking forward to supporting Yoga Month (Health Awareness) in September, Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, and Alzheimer's Awareness Month in November. Ketty, our artist with Alzheimer's (see November newsletter), has agreed to donate her art to the "Making Memories with Art" for their cards and calenders. Recently, we have been approached by local schools, who always need money for the extras with the budget cuts they face, and we are working on a program to help. More details in future newsletters. For our company to grow to the point where we can help others has been an important landmark for our staff.

So, to sum it all up, we have set our goals, visualized the steps needed to accomplish those goals, and look forward to making 2010 a good year full of energy and health for Beech and our customers. Again, a good 2010 to you all!

Colleen joining in the fun, but looking forward to Spring!

December Newsletter: A Year of New Ideas

2009-12-02T21:11:00Z

                                               DECEMBER 2009
                                  A YEAR OF NEW IDEAS

(And please read on for details of our New Holiday Contest, and Holiday Greetings from our mascot, Jack

A PS: On December 19th we joined the local DO-DAH Holiday Parade for the very first time,
So here we are in all our Holiday Glory!

Wow! It is December! 2009 is coming to an end, and we have seen many new ideas become reality at Beech. First the exciting news, QVC is in the works for 2010 here in the US, and our British distributor, Love Those Shoes, had a great showing in a QVC program in Britian. So Yoga Sandals(R) is coming to TV! The other fun news is that we are making a sandal for Shaq at the request of his yoga instructor. In this picture, Shaq's sample is next to a man's size 14 foot---you guess the size! A large and talented man!

                                           COMFYS FOR CAUSES!

We are very inspired by the response to Comfys for Causes! People who bought Comfys for themselves and loved ones got to choose to donate 20% of their purchase price to one of 5 causes: Feeding America, ASPCA for animals, Alzheimer's, 350.org for the planet, or a local cause for Sunset Beach, and the response has been fantastic! People want to give more beyond their family and friends this holiday season as a way of uplifting the country as a whole, and to be able to buy a healthy, stylish slipper/sandal, and do that community giving as well is a win/win situation! We even got a mention in this Holiday Blog:

http://pwsgiftguide.blogspot.com/2009/11/holiday-top-hot-products.html

We have always supported September's Yoga Month, and October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but 2009 was the first year we not only supported November's Alzheimer's Awareness Month, but did our first "gala" fund raiser for the cause. The fund raiser featured Ketty, who with moderate Alzheimer's, picked up a paint brush for the first time at 79 and did some amazing work. You can see a YouTube video of the event at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h1apR7X5P0

UNIQUE FOR THE FEET

2009 also saw the introduction of our Yoga Sandals(R) Originals2. We figured for those buying Yoga Toes(R) and other "one size" foot aids to help their toes and feet, that a toe spreading sandal that could be changed by the customer to fit their unique foot would be a beneficial idea. It also helped that the beaded strap on the sandal could be changed to any touch of color to match an outfit. Yoga Sandals(R)2 became a sandal that was healthy for the person's unique foot, was stylishly economical, and let's not forget the original purpose, great for pedicures!

HOLIDAY CONTEST!!

As usual in December, we have some great freebies on our site, but I also wanted to point out our Holiday Contest. This year, based on the idea of giving, we ask that you take a video of yourself (with or without Yoga Sandals(R)) doing some charitable act---donating time at a food bank or animal shelter, giving to the Toys for Tots program, a community charitable program----then post that video on YouTube using the keywords "Yoga Sandals" and send us the link (we will also look under Yoga Sandals on YouTube so we catch it!). We will post the links on our site up until Dec. 25th, then take a vote by e-mail Dec. 26th to Jan. 15th. Whoever gets the most votes wins a Spa Renewal Day ($250.00 value) to get ready for 2010! So get creative in your giving, video it, post it, and be in the contest! Remember our photo winner from last year? Here she is! Be Inspired!

Last, but not least, Jack, our mascot here at Beech, his new friend, Colleen, and all our hardworking staff wish you Happy Holidays and a New Year filled with healing and peace.

Jack is a Cool Santa!

Colleen is looking forward to those Holiday goodies!

November Newsletter: Alzheimer's Awarness Month

2009-11-17T19:05:00Z

The November Newsletter is a bit late as Beech Sandal Co. has been very busy with some exciting events. On November 8th, we threw our first fundraiser for the Alzheimer's Association at the U Can Too Art Gallery. The fundraiser featured Ketty, a woman with moderate Alzheimer's, who picked up a paint brush for the first time at 79 and has done some wonderful art. We showed her work, sold cards and prints of the paintings, and had her there to sign them. The Alzheimer's Association also donated cards done by other artists with Alzheimer's, and it turns out they have a program, Making Memories with Art, that focuses on art with Alzheimer's patients. This event led to a wonderful contact with Dr. Daniel Potts, a neurologist whose father also had Alzheimer's and became a well known water colorist during his illness. The experience of watching Ketty's joy in her work, and amazement that people loved it, will be a cherished memory for her family. For Ketty, the event was lost to her memory by the next day. For Alzheimer's patients, the here and now is what is important, and the art work gives them a sense of self worth and competence for the moment, in a world that is increasingly not understandable. While Ketty has no memory of the event, she looks at her art and feels a sense of pride that is joyful to see. Beech Sandal Co. raised over $400 for the Alzheimer's Association, which for a small local event and our first fundraiser, seemed awesome. Did you know the color purple is the Alzheimer's Awareness color because it stand for compassion?

We have had so much pleasure in giving back, we decided to start "Comfys for Causes." When you purchase a pair of Comfys slippers/sandals, 20% of your purchase goes to a cause of your choice. The list of causes includes Feeding America, The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 350.org (a non-profit group dedicated to reducing our carbon footprint on this planet), the Health Awareness cause of the month (November is Alzheimer's), and a very local cause, the Sunset Beach Community Association, a group trying to raise money to study the potential of incorporating as a city and keeping Sunset Beach's unique character. So whether you give to the planet or a city, to the hungry or helping animals, or to the prevention of the diseases that plague our world, your 20% of your purchase will go to your choice. Go to the home page of www.yogasandals.com and click Comfys for Causes on the side panel, or go directly to www.comfysandals.com
Please indicate your choice on the comments section of the order page.

All our new models of Comfys are available! Great animal prints, and a sleek black panther in an indoor/outdoor slipper that has all the health benefits of our regular sandals. The fabric keeps your feet warm, while spreading the toes and providing heel bone support that exercises the foot, keeps joints flexible, and promotes proper foot motion. I have worn them with animal print jackets out and about just for fun, and of course, they are great for pedicures. So check them out, and remember with your gift to yourself or your loved ones, you also give 20% to a worthy cause of your choice.

We also have a new Holiday Contest! Give some time to a charity of your choice (wearing or not wearing Yoga Sandals(R)), video it, put it up on YouTube with the keyword Yoga Sandals and the charity, then send it to us through customerservice@yogasandals.com. We will also check on YouTube under the keyword Yoga Sandals to make sure the video gets to us. We will display the videos until Dec. 26th, then take a vote from our e-mail list as to the best video between Dec. 26th and Jan. 15th. The winner gets a Spa Renewal Day ($250.00 value) for the New Year at their local day spa. So do a some giving this holiday season, video it, YouTube it with the keywords Yoga Sandals and the charity, send it to us (or we'll look for it), and you are in the contest. Good Luck!

We put up a sample video on Comfys for Causes, so again go to that button on the side of the home page at yogasandals.com, or go directly to comfysandals.com and look for the movie sign on the home page. Our video is our Alzheimer's fundraiser, you'll see a quick shot of our YogaSandals.com black T-shirt, and a more important shot of Ketty, our artist. You can also click on this link:

youtube.com

And as a happy ending this month, meet Jack's best friend, Colleen. They are busy getting ready for the holidays! Have a great Thanksgiving with friends and family!

October 2009 Newsletter: Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2009-10-03T19:21:00Z

October is Pink!

October brings in the fall colors, but all around us we see PINK! Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Pink that reminds women to have their annual breast check-ups, and pink that encourages all of us to donate to finding the cure. October is important to me as owner of Beech Sandal Co., because in October, 2007, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. In my case, it was the sharp sighted radiologist who found a small tumor, less than 1 cm, that saved me from what could have been a much more intense ordeal. I underwent a lumpectomy, and five targeted radiation treatments, did not have to undergo chemotherapy, and am cancer free today. My experience made me a believer in EARLY detection, which means "Women, get those annual mammograms or MRIs (in case of dense tissue)." And support progress in both detection and treatment.

So in that spirit, along with companies across the nation, we are contributing some of our proceeds to the Susan G. Komen Cancer Foundation. This foundation promotes breast cancer outreach, education, screening and treatment programs. 25% of the net proceeds go directly to support the Komen Foundation’s Research Program. The founder, Nancy Brinker states “I truly believe that within five years, breast cancer will no longer be a killing disease, but a manageable one." For more information on Breast Cancer diagnosis, treatment, education and research, try this website: http://www.nbcam.org/. What we like to do is offer products that speak to women during this month, so of course we have our traditional PINK sandal with free awareness ribbon charms.

We have also added our New Originials2, a Black sandal that will come with a free pink beaded strap, for that "touch of pink." This sandal also has small loopholes for charms, so we are including free awareness ribbon charms with this model as well.

And as a benefit for dry fall skin, we are also including a free small jar of Beech All Natural Foot Balm.

So you get a couple of free gifts with either of these sandal models (and we're giving a little price break on the sandals as well), and 15% of your purchase will go support the work of the Komen Foundation. That seems like a purchase that is a winner for women!

Our work brought us a special mention on this website: http://www.beautynewsnyc.com/spa/spaahh-finds-for-charity-pampered-body-generous-heart/

We hope other companies will join us in supporting Breast Cancer Awareness each October until the disease has a cure. And hopefully that cure will crack the hold many cancers have on the people of our earth.

And we also want to mention the fun of October----Halloween! The chance for children and adults to be playful, for families to enjoy being silly, and of course the candy (followed by the toothbrush). Here is our Halloween picture for inspiration!

September 09 Newsletter

2009-09-09T19:47:00Z

September is Yoga Month. Congratulations to Yoga Month on their second anniversary of being a nationally recognized month for health and wellness! Please check out their website at www.yogamonth.org. If you would like to see pictures from the LA Event last year, go to the Celebrity News section of our website, scroll down through the Celebrity Events pictures and you will get to the pictures of the very first Yoga Month Celebration, or follow this link:

http://www.yogasandals.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=93.

We support Yoga Month because of the focus on wellness and prevention and balanced lifestyle. These principles coincide with Yoga Sandals®, which supports the body’s balance through keeping the feet exercised, flexible and energetic. In honor of our support, we have once again donated a substantial amount of sandals to Yoga Month for their gift bags, so if you are in the LA area on September 20, 2009, check out the Yoga Month Event and get a free gift bag! Here are the details:

http://www.yogamonth.org/2009/yogahealthfestivals.php

We are also giving away FREE Yoga charms with our Originals and Originals²all through September’s Yoga Month! See our online store for details.

And just in case free Yoga Charms are not your style, you can look forward to October and choose FREE Spider Halloween charms instead! This offer is good through September.

Keep your eyes open for the September 14th Newsweek Magazine on Women's Health and Wellness and Yoga. It features an editorial write up on Yoga Month and the Himalayan Institute (who carry our sandals for their yoga students), as well as covering women’s issues.

Beech Sandal Co.’s staff is very excited about our winter offerings of new animal prints on Yoga Sandals® Comfys. These slippers/sandals will have Black Panther, Snakeskin, Brown Leopard Spot, and Zebra prints. The material is super soft with a pretty sheen, and the toe separators are fabric covered tubes. They have the supportive heel bone support that is essential with toe separation for full health benefits that is our patented foot therapy. And they have a sturdy sole, so can be easily worn outdoors. This fabric will not leave threads on polish during a pedicure. It is the perfect winter slipper/sandal for health and beauty! Please keep checking back on this link for ordering and availability, http://www.xmasslippers.com ,or call our office for details (toll free 877-771-TOES).

With Football season coming up, we wanted to share this picture with you of Quarterback Jack, our mascot, diligently practicing his football skills on Labor Day! He continues to show us the natural need for spreading the toes for speed and agility!

Hey! Just to thank you for reading this September Newsletter, enter code 9BL8G9
and receive $2.00 off when you order regularly priced sandals or slippers from our on-line store in September (please note Pedicurz(R) and Clearance items are not eligible for this offer).

July/August Newsletter

2009-06-29T06:06:00Z

July/August Newsletter

Our mascot, Jack, iscelebrating the 4^th of July! And Beech Sandal Co. is also celebrating by donating 15% of all productpurchases to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. We are directing our donation to the outreachprogram for homeless women veterans and their children. Check out what this wonderful organizationdoes at http://www.nchv.org/.

Auburn University in Alabamahas been studying flip-flops and their effect on a person’s body. No surprise that use of an unsupportiveflip-flop creates foot, ankle, knee and hip pain! Read the News Release from Auburn at http://wireeagle.auburn.edu/news/359. We believe Yoga Sandals® support thestability of the foot through the toe separators, keep joints flexible, andprovide arch support through supporting the heel bone, allowing all the musclesof the feet to exercise naturally. So, whatever you choose, please leave thosefloppy flip-flops behind this summer and protect your feet and body.

Beech Sandal Co. is going to Japan! This is a country that has many styles ofwhat they call “4 Finger” sandals and shoes, and we have been contacted byseveral distributors that want Yoga Sandals® there as well. They tell us our Californiadesigned sandals provide better support, and better toe separation than whatthey have on the market.

It seems that the interest inour sandals is growing, both in articles and blogs, and interest from aroundthe world. We believe in our motto“Sandal Evolution®” and know that single thong sandals must be replaced bymulti-thong sandals for the health of the foot.

We also want to let you knowabout Yoga Month in September. This is anationally recognized month, much like October being Breast Cancer Awarenessmonth, and this is its second year. Theorganizers of Yoga Month asked us to pass this message on to you:

ONE WEEK OF FREE YOGADURING NATIONAL YOGA MONTH SEPTEMBER

Throughout the month of September,people across the country will have access to an entire week of free yogaclasses by visiting www.yogamonth.org.The offer is part of the National Yoga Month campaign which is designed toeducate, inspire and generate awareness of the positive impact of yoga onhealth

Please check out theirwebsite for more information!

Please enjoy the remainder ofyour summer by doing the things you love both small and large.