This week's blog post marks the first in a very exciting series. Over the next few months we are going to be discussing the Top Five Most Important Pillow Facts. Now, this time frame may sound a bit long for only five facts, but think about all the very long things that come in fives... like half decades, the Great Lakes, and certain people's fingers.
Fact Number 1: A pillow is not a rhinoceros.
This is vitally important, which is the reason we have it as our opening fact salvo. The fact that a pillow is not a rhinoceros was instrumental in the development and proliferation of the modern pillow. Rhinoceroses are highly endangered and had they been used as pillows, as was almost the case, the average pillow today would not only be incredibly expensive, but you would have to purchase them on the black market as they would be illegal.
We should consider ourselves lucky - only the fall of Greek civilization saved us from having to shoot our pillows with a tranquilizer gun. When the ancient Greek philosopher, Restocles, first conceived of the pillow, the rhinoceros was exactly what he had in mind and eventually attempted to emulate. Restocles mentions in his memoir, It's All Greek To Me, that he had fond memories of playing on the bellies of rhinos, which later gave him the idea of creating the pillow.
"I recall one evening, after a full day romping around the family rhino paddock, lying down upon the beast. His back and shoulders were quite rough and scratched my face, but after some tickling I managed to get the animal to roll over and found that his tummy was actually very soft and plush."
The rest, as they say, is history.
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It has come to our attention that society as a whole has a lack of interest in pillows. We here at Soaring Heart are having a hard time conceiving the notion that people wouldn't be excited, engaged, enthusiastic, and overall deeply in love with the entire idea and philosophy of pillowdom. Dave (the guy who makes most of our pillows) alone has a collection of pillows so extensive that his neighborhood committee is bringing him up on zoning charges and Jeff (logistics) can be routinely spotted walking his pillows in Gasworks Park. We do recommend regularly walking your pillows as exercise is important.
We have decided collectively that America's non-love affair with pillows must be psychological as the various physical benefits, such as glossier and more radiant hair, are self evident. We have devised a simple test that will help diagnose these problems.
Below is an Inkblot test. Click the answer that best describes what you see to get a free diagnosis and prescription. We're talking about your health, so let's try to keep things serious.
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Cotton is one of the most important non-food crops that humans utilize. Just about everyone uses various cotton products on a daily basis. The USDA estimated there were almost 14 million acres of US land dedicated to conventional cotton production in 2011(1). An immense amount of fertilizer, pesticide and insecticide are used on these lands to help ensure crops are not lost to pests, invasive species of plants, etc. (2).
In contrast, there were about 16,000 acres of land dedicated to organic cotton growth in the US last year (3). The Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Co-op, which is composed of about 30 farmers were responsible for approximately 10,000 of the 16,000 acres (4). We’re proud to use TOCMC organic cotton batting in our handcrafted mattresses. Our organic cotton farmers produce the highest quality cotton batting, free of harmful chemicals. This means they really know what they’re doing, utilizing crop rotation, compost and cover crops to keep soil rich. Keeping weeds and pests at bay is a challenge and is done by manual removal, complementary crops and the use of beneficial insects and predators.
Organic cotton is of a much higher quality. It’s softer, less dense and doesn't compress as quickly as its conventional cousin. We also like working with materials we know are free of pesticides. Our wool supplier, who connected us with the co-op, actually goes to the farm in Texas and sees the crop we will get. I’ve been sleeping on an Organic Cotton and Wool Shikibuton with a Latex Shikibuton beneath for about four years. It has traveled with me and is still in amazing shape with minimal compression. (I’m also good about flipping my shiki and washing my mattress pad.) Thanks for reading and sleep well!
- Ian Howard (Sleep Specialist)
Lately we have been making a pretty big deal about pillows over here at Soaring Heart, but there is reason behind our obsessing. The perfect pillow is the first step to a great night's sleep. The proper pillow can help correctly align your neck, spine and hips, by providing the right head and neck support, which will help alleviate sore muscles and stiffness in the morning. I know what you're thinking, "sales pitch..." and well... yeah, it is a sales pitch, we sell pillows, but it also happens to be true.
"Pillows can not only impact the quality of our sleep, but also how healthfully we rest and recharge," says sleep expert Michael Breus, PhD, a clinical psychologist and author of Beauty Sleep: Look Younger, Lose Weight, and Feel Great Through Better Sleep. If you want more information, and we always recommend getting as much information as possible, click here to visit WebMD's article on how the paradisaical pillow (this alliteration thing is getting tough..) can improve your sleep, but don't forget to come back.
So here we are, your convinced and now you want your new pillow. "What is the next step?" you may well ask. First, how do you sleep? Are you a side sleeper, stomach sleeper, or a back sleeper? This is an important first question as it will help dictate your pillow choice. For example, if you are a side sleeper we recommend putting a pillow between your legs to help align your hips (or better yet use a body pillow) and for your head you will want something with loft to fill in the gap between your head and the mattress, taking stress off your shoulders.
Not sure if you need a new pillow? If you are like most Americans, you probably do. Pillows seem to be the bedding that gets left behind. People hold onto them forever. Think back to the last time you bought a pillow. If you can't quite recall, it is probably a good sign that it was a while ago. Here is a good test (unless you have latex pillows); go get your pillow, I'll wait...
Alright, now take your pillow and fold it over and press out all the air. If the pillow doesn't come back to life, as it were, and unfold itself, it is probably time to get a new one. Now we make a lot of different type of pillows at Soaring Heart Natural Bed Company, too many to discuss fully in this blog. Click here to visit our pillow page and see all the verities available to you.
Questions? Comments? Want to learn more? Write to us on our Facebook page and I will write back to you personally. Don't forget to "like" us while your there...
When I first moved to Seattle I found a little storefront at the north end of Lake Union that was handcrafting futons. Something pulled me into checking out Soaring Heart (I did need a bed ASAP). I walked in and was greeted by Doug MacQuarrie (Soaring Heart's founder) and knew immediately this was a special place. And I was right! Little did I realize I would be working here 30 years later.
On the eve of my two years at Soaring Heart I was asked to write something for our blog. I could have written about our products, our materials, or how to find the perfect combination for a good night's sleep, but I felt that our most important assets were the stories, talents and personalities are what make's Soaring Heart special. I hope you have a chance to experience Soaring Heart Natural Bed Company for yourself.
- John Page: Sales Consultant
- Jeff Greenwood
You already know the critical importance of using health-friendly, chemical-free bedding for your children, as you don’t want to expose them to anything that may harm them or contribute to problems later on in life. However, creating a safe bed space isn’t only about what bedding you use. There's also a couple simple, quick things you can do to assure safe setup and use of some of the safe bed space now available that will help every parent sleep better at night.
Bunks are typically incredibly safe, but you’ll want to take some extra precautions just in case. One way to help ensure the safety of your child on the bottom bunk is to arrange the bunk beds so they meet at perpendicular, not parallel, lines. The top bunk should be placed as normal, but place the bottom bunk at a 90 degree angle heading in the other direction. If you make sure your child sleeps with his head on the part of the bed that’s out in the open and not under the top bunk, even in the event of a bed collapse, your child should be safe (especially if their feet don’t reach very far just yet). Even though the collapse scenario is highly unlikely, this is also a great way to provide you as parents with greater peace of mind, and alot easier access to your kids!
Even if you
decide to build the bunks in a traditional setup, don’t worry too much. Just be sure that the entire bunk structure
is stable and built on a sturdy foundation.
Also check regularly to make sure all bolts and fasteners are tightened
and undamaged, so that no unexpected loosening has occurred since you
originally set up the bunks. Also, be
sure you only allow a certain weight load on the bunks at any one time. For instance, don’t put your 6-foot-7, football quarterback uncle on the
top bunk when he comes to visit.
So long as you use common sense, and keep your eye open for any
structural or fastening problems, you should be able to rely on a safe and
sturdy bunk bed setup.
Soaring Heart was pleased to host GLAAD - the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation - for our annual holiday fundraiser. We had great food, fine music by the Michael Navedo Trio, and a photo shoot focused on catching our guests cuddled up in celebration of the season. We believe we all sleep better when everyone in our community is treated fairly, given equal opportunity and celebrates our nation's amazing diversity.
May you all have a fine holiday season and best wishes for the New Year!
Mike Schaefer & the entire team at Soaring Heart
GLAAD tidings everyone! Last week Soaring Heart hosted, well, GLAAD Tidings, a holiday fundraiser for GLAAD (Gay and lesbian alliance against defamation). The evening went off without a hitch and I must say I was surprised (although I shouldn't have been) at how well the showroom turned into a party space, although it required some doing. There were tables to set up, hors d'oeuvres to tray, punch to make... Mike (The owner), who is on the GLAAD Board of Directors, was running around all day getting everything ready for the evening. He even donated his family silver to the cause. The food needed to go on something after all...
Everyone around the shop pitched in and helped, which was really great to see. I served the drinks, which was a tasty punch Mike concocted, and created the signage, John (Bedding Consultant) readied the showroom, and Jason (Sales Manager) played in the band. Everyone else pitched in and made sure the shop looked great and everyone was happy... and we all stuck around for punch and canapé of course.
Despite my skepticism (mostly brought on by a lazy nature...) Soaring Heart's showroom was perfect for the event. Everyone said the place was as inviting as ever and people enjoyed having a glass of punch or wine while lying back on a nice comfy bed and listening to great music. Everyone here is extremely proud the fundraiser went so well and people had good time. It was a little extra work, but we had fun and GLAAD was able to get some moolah. A perfect way to start the holiday season.
Sleep Well.
I am imagining one of the farms that our wool comes from on the Oregon Coast. Seeing the cool mist rolling off the ocean to blanket the high cliffs that rise up like a wall at it’s edge. The mist then gently weeping on the grassy landscape. I’m imagining all this as Nathan leads us through a description of the farm. Nathan, our contact and supplier for wool, our arms and legs and voice so to speak in the field, connecting us with our farms and ranches, is with us at the store now chatting over how wool production has been this year, and what is emerging on the market for cotton, the two most important materials for our products.
His mind is a treasure trove of experience. How weather affects the strength and durability of wool from year to year. What will happen to cotton prices after the draughts in Texas. How to forecast and prepare for these changes in production. The names of each family that works their land to improve it for their next generation… My mind is on the Wahl family which has had their property for over 130 years. They protect sensitive areas and restore marshes with native plantings. They leave 30% of the land off limits to livestock, reserved only for birds and other wildlife.The other 70% they rotate, the flocks tilling and airing the soil with their small light hooves.
My mind keeps drifting back to the Wahl’s property. This is the kind of place I’ve often dreamed of having myself. Fashion shoot, I’m wearing wellies, a long plaid lined coat, shearing my flock... Ha! Not quite. But I definitely love to tend the land in a general sense… A tradition of improving and caring for something. That has always been essential to me. A place that is rich in history to be discovered and understood. The British have a long love affair with places like this, called the Country manor. They revive their imagination and feed their soul in the sense of place. You see it in their news paper kiosks, with publications like Country Life, Gardens Illustrated, and The Field.There is a serious sense of adventure and play in their gardens and in their love of the country.
I run my hands over the soft piles of wool products Nathan and I are discussing. We chat about some of the new products we want to create, made of our locally farmed and spun wool, colored with vegetable dies, and sewn on site at the store. I’m only half aware I am spinning a yarn in my head. To me Nathan is our own American version of the country gentleman, buying and selling in all things natural and organic, while carving out a living from the land that can challenge you with its many seasons. Tall and assured I can imagine him getting a little dirty in the service of doing a job well, but I would never know that on first glance as he cradles a mug of something warm in his hands. When we build a bed or sandwich layers of wool together into a topper I understand now why the fibers are so strong. Our lofty wool comes from a place of quality.
Wow! Oprah Magazine just recently published a fascinating article about buying mattresses that are both good for your body and for the environment. There is some really great information there and Soaring Heart highly recommends you all check it out and see what it has to say. It is a great article that not only gives a lot of information about natural and organic bedding, such as non-offgasing (All Soaring Heart Mattresses are certified 100% non-offgasing)and and use great materials, but it helps the consumer pick out a mattress that is good for them. Have fun reading and sleep well!
http://www.oprah.com/world/Tips-for-Buying-an-Eco-Friendly-Mattress
