Whether you’re interested in enhancing your daily mindfulness practices, such as yoga, hiking and tai chi—or you’re looking to elevate your personal style while supporting a worthy cause, Buddha Gear is a line of stylish accessories that is dedicated to helping more people enjoy the simplicity of meditation and mindfulness.

Founded in 2018 by Jason Latas and Joy Schade, Buddha Gear offers a selection of meditation headbands, beanies, hats and crystals. One of the brand’s best-sellers is the Buddha Band, which is fashion meets function with moisture-wicking fabric and a hidden pocket that holds your chosen crystal over your third eye for better yoga, meditation and sleep.

“On one of my spiritual journeys to Peru, I had the idea to wrap a crystal in a bandana so I could wear it over my third eye during meditation,” says Latas, who has been an adventure guide and wellness coach for three decades and has traveled and studied with spiritual masters across the globe. “My meditations and mindfulness practice, including yoga and sleep, took on a whole new dimension when I put a crystal over my third eye! Every crystal has a different vibration and when you hold one over your antenna (third eye), you literally tune in to a different frequency and experience. I have been meditating with crystals ever since!”

Adds Schade, who has been designing and selling hats for 12 years, “They are great for sports or any other activity, and the pocket is big enough for cash and ID so runners, hikers and event goers can go hands-free! This is also what spurred the Buddha Bandana line with stash pockets built in.”

The Buddha band was just the beginning, and now they have beanies and hats with sacred symbols so you can carry the energy of these symbols over your third eye all day long. Their hats and beanies are available in an array of colors, and feature beautiful designs such as lotus flowers, Buddha, moon phases, and more. A line of colorful and fun Pride Wear is coming soon.

Another thing that is extremely important to Latas and Schade is their combined passion for giving back and helping people find peace and balance in their lives, while having fun in the process. For every beanie they sell, they are gifting one to the homeless with a tag inside reminding them that they matter and are loved.

“Joy and I have always found a way to give back in all of our other businesses,” says Latas. “We wanted to start this business with the intention of giving back from the start and continuously. We give hats to different cancer houses and patients, but the homeless is our chosen group that we have a built in share for! Most families in America are only a couple paychecks away from being homeless—we want to change this! Could you imagine if we all gave back and helped each other out? We’re all in this together!”

For more information and to purchase, visit buddha-gear.com and follow them on Instagram: @buddhagear

[Images courtesy of Buddha Gear]

Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk