Yogahack: How to Keep a Yoga Mat Sticky, Not Stinky

You don’t want to be that person, you know, the one who everyone  stays as far away from at yoga class because their mat reeks so bad and has so much sweat and bacteria growing on it that it might very well be  the next step in the evolution of yoga.  The living, breathing, stinky mat.

But no, oh no, not your mat.  You would never sweat all over your mat, roll it up sopping wet and then throw it in the sweltering trunk of your car.  Trust me, it’s not going to be so hot in the trunk that it cooks the little suckers who are throwing a party on your yoga mat.  The heat just gets them even more riled up and excited to plant a foot fungus on your forehead the next time you rest in child’s pose.  Now that’s a lovely thought isn’t it?

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve written about how to clean a yoga mat, and since I initiated my freshly-delivered yoga mat last night with more than just a few drops of sweat, it’s about time for a re-attack.  Feel free to chime in with any tips or advice (”yogahacks”) if you’re already one of those who knows how to baby your mat like it’s a Rolls Royce.

First off, the method you use for cleaning your mat depends on what type of mat you have and how dirty it is.   For daily preemptive action, you should at least wipe your mat off with a towel after each use.   Some like to spritz their mat with a little mat spray before toweling it off or they use a handy wipe or it’s costlier cousin, the yoga mat wipe, to scrub away the nasties.  Beware, however, that you don’t use mat spray just to cover up a smelly mat problem.  Some people are allergic to it as well.

Even if you take the time to regularly wipe down your mat, it could still use a more thorough cleansing every couple weeks if you use the mat a lot.  Cleaning a lightly soiled  mat is as simple as grabbing a sponge or rag and rubbing out the oily spots with a solution of two cups of water and four drops of dish soap. If you don’t want to use soap, you can also create a 50% water/50% organic cider vinegar solution, which is what Manduka recommends for the Black Mat Pro and eKO if you don’t want to fork over the dough for actual yoga mat wash.   Once the mat is clean, rinse the solution off with fresh water, and then rub the mat down with a dry terry cloth towel and hang it out to air dry.

The true stinky mat. If you’ve neglected your mat for so long that it’s practically alive, then you may want to choose to fully submerse it in a solution of warm water and mild detergent or mat cleanser.   Once the mat is scrubbed off and rinsed clean, squeeze out any excess water, roll the mat up with a dry towel,  and then smoosh the moisture out by stepping on it.  Finally, hang the mat up to air dry.

One final method for dealing with a dirty mat is to throw it into the washing machine on the gentle cycle with a little detergent and cold water.  I’ve never personally used this method, so I can’t vouch for the effect the washing machine has on a yoga mat, or vice versa, but can confirm that some manufacturers like Manduka highly recommend against using the washing machine, both for the sake of the mat and the machine.  If you do choose to go this route, at the very least, remove the mat before the washing machine hits the spin cycle.

Obviously these are only a few of the numerous methods for keeping a yoga mat healthy and clean.  Just remember, don’t be “that guy.”  If you have a proven method that works for you or your particular mat and would like to share, please leave a comment.

30 Day Yoga Challenge ~ Day 5

“Anyone who practices can obtain success in yoga but not one who is lazy. Constant practice alone is the secret of success.” — Hatha Yoga Pradipika

Okay, so my last blog entry was written not only for everyone else who wants to take on the challenge of a daily yoga asana practice, but also for myself. Right now I’m on day five of my own 30 day yoga challenge. Prior to the last five days of yoga, it’s been a while since I had strung out any number of consecutive days that resembled anything like a dedicated yoga practice. My list of excuses for a “lazy” practice goes go on and on. I’ll spare you the details.

Right now, even though I basically work 90 plus hours a week (12+ hours a day, seven days a week, tis my life in the military these days), I probably have more free time in my day than I have had in a long time. I go about doing my military/lawyer stuff over here in Iraq during the day, and then I’m lucky enough to have a little time in the evenings to go back to my room and chat with my family, relax, and get some exercise. A few weeks into my little adventure in Iraq, I realized that despite the nasty dust storms and wicked-awful heat, I could make my six months here memorable by really focusing on building a “constant” yoga practice; a yoga habit if you will. Funny thing is, I don’t even have a mat yet (though one is on the way). I bought a six dollar blanket that I fold in half and throw out on the floor. The idea was good in theory, but in reality it’s like a two hour battle with a large piece of polyester, with all the bunching and slipping and shifting around it does. Despite the less than perfect floor covering, I have a totally quiet room, with nothing better to do than to sweep the floor, lay out the blanket, turn off the A/C and work up a dang good yoga sweat.

Thanks for stopping by Daily Cup of Yoga and indulging me as I share a few details about my life sprinkled with tidbits of yogic wisdom. Namaste!

P.S. Don’t forget to visit Daily Cup of Yoga’s new website!

The Yoga Habit ~ 30 Day Yoga Challenge

“This practice becomes firmly rooted when it is cultivated skillfully and continuously for a long time.” – The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali 1:14

If you’re anything like me, then you may have noticed that the intensity of your yoga practice surges at times and then peters out at times.  You practice regularly for a week or two, and then nothing.   You move on to something else for a while and then realize one day that you haven’t seen your yoga mat for a month.  It’s a strong likelihood that this pattern of inconsistency affects not only your yoga practice, but other aspects in your life.  It’s human nature.  While this pattern is certainly natural, for many people it becomes a habit that hinders them from taking their performance and skill in any activity to the next level.  For most people, myself included, it’s not that they one day decide they don’t enjoy yoga practice, it’s just that they have not taken the necessary steps to develop the yoga habit.

Habits

“It seems, in fact, as though the second half of a man’s life is made up of nothing but the habits he has accumulated during the first half.” – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Habits are powerful, unconscious patterns of behavior that once formed, play a large role in influencing the direction of one’s life.  To a certain degree, our lives go where our habits take us.  Our bodies, the vehicle; our habits, the chauffeur.

How to Form a Habit. Habits can be both good and bad, and interestingly enough, creating a good habit pretty much involves the same process as making a bad habit.  Without delving into neurological explanations for habit formation (check out Scott Young’s great explanation here), the bottom line is that habits form through REPETITION. The philosopher Aristotle nailed it on the head: “We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.”

To form a habit, all you need to do is repeat the activity over a period of time.  Opinions vary on the length of time it takes to form a habit, but most agree that it takes anywhere from three to six weeks of conscious, consistent, repetitive, and focused behavior to develop a new good habit.  It’s not always easy, but the end results are almost always worth it.

The Yoga Habit ~ 30 Day Yoga Challenge

If you want to consistently enjoy the benefits of yoga, then you need to take the steps necessary to make it a habit.  One of the best ways to develop the yoga habit is to commit to a 30 day yoga challenge.  

30 Day Yoga Challenge.   The heart of the 30 day challenge is commitment.  It means making a promise to yourself and following through on it.   It means banishing from your life all your old wimpy excuses for failure.  It means promising to practice for a certain amount of time each day and just doing it.  If you commit to 15 minutes a day, then you practice for 15 minutes every day.  If you commit to an hour each day, then you practice for an hour.  Don’t set unrealistic expectations, but commit to a goal that pushes you.  Whatever you commit to, do it for 30 days and you will drastically improve your chances of turning your yoga practice into a habit.

Here are a few suggestions for succeeding in creating a yoga habit.

1.  Make yourself accountable. Another aspect of commitment is accountability.  Write down your goal and/or tell someone about your plans.    Memorializing the commitment on paper or telling a friend helps set it deep into your mind that you will practice yoga for 30 days in a row.  Make yourself accountable to prove that you can do anything you set your mind to.

2.  Prioritize your life. If a 30 day yoga challenge is something you want to commit to, then make it a priority.   Use these 30 days to simplify and streamline your life.  Examine your current daily routine and activities and determine what really needs to stay and what needs to get the axe.   Maybe that means watching less TV or cutting back on social web surfing so you have time to dedicate to your practice.  Most people have plenty of time, they just don’t use it well.  Depending on how high the yoga challenge ranks in your priorities, you may also decide to temporarily give up otherwise worthwhile activities to create the necessary time.  Chances are if you cut something out of your life, you won’t even notice it’s gone in a month.

3.  Set a time and have a practice plan. A lot of our daily routine, i.e. when, where, and how we do things, is determined by our habits.  Since you’re trying to make yoga a habit, figure out the best time in the day and place for you to get on your yoga mat.  Morning or night doesn’t matter so much as picking a time and then sticking to it as best as possible.   Maybe there are certain yoga classes you want to attend.  Plan for it.  Remember, you’re trying to form a habit, and consistency will help with that.  Not many people can make it to the yoga studio for 30 days in a row, so you will also have a chance to work on your home practice.  For many people,  myself included, home practice is the only option available.  My advice is to go to bed a little earlier so you can practice in the quiet of the morning before the world wakes up.  However, when setting your schedule, also allow for some flexibility.  Life would be boring if there weren’t any surprises.  If you know your regular practice time won’t work one day,  or something unexpected pops up, have a backup plan in place already so you’re not tempted to skip a day.

4.  Educate yourself. This is also a very important step in maintaining your motivation throughout the 30 day yoga challenge.  Spend some time at the bookstore or library and browse through the yoga section.   If you see a book that interests you, buy it; you’ll probably never be more deserving of a purchase for yourself.   Throughout the month, turn to your yoga library and other yoga-related magazines, DVDs, and websites to increase your understanding of whatever aspect of yoga interests you, be it asana sequences, philosophy, history, whatever.

Here are a few good places to start:

• General Yoga Sites: Yoga Journal; Yoga.com; ABCs-of-Yoga; Himalayan Institute
• Online Yoga Tutorials & Classes: Yoga Today; Yoga Download; My Yoga Online
  
• Yoga Podcasts: Hillary’s Yoga Practice; Yoga Peeps; Elsie’s Yoga Kula; YOGAmazing
  
• Yoga Books, DVDs, & Music: Visit the Daily Cup of Yoga Store for recommendations and reviews!
  
• If you have TONS of time, check out my ever-expanding list of yoga links on delicious.com (close to 600!)

5.  Write about it. Keep track of your 30 day yoga challenge by writing about it in your journal or blog.  You may even consider following this 30 day yoga journey designed by Florian Yoga Companion.  If nothing else, at least have a calendar to mark off each day that you practice.  Nobody wants to have an empty square on their 30 day yoga challenge calendar:) If you do  decide to write about your 30 day yoga challenge, let us know so we can cheer you on!

Just Do It!

Completing your own 30 day yoga challenge will require discipline, commitment, focus, and sacrifice.  It won’t guarantee that you have a yoga habit for life – you can fall out of good habits just as easily as you fall into bad ones – but it will be a step in the right direction.   So take the leap, start a 30 day yoga challenge, and enjoy the journey of a daily yoga habit.

The Yoga+ Kirtan Yoga Playlist

I just found an amazing Kirtan Yoga Playlist at Yoga+ that I had to share.  It’s not one of those “click on the title to download” kind of playlists, but ten actual songs that you can listen to the whole 13 minute song for free and really enjoy.  Not old stuff either.  Very current and great sound quality.   I highly recommend.  If that weren’t enough there’s a bonus playlist with another seven songs.  Just one of the fruits of my new yoga magazine purchases, which I’m also slowly enjoying.

When you listen to “Amba Parameshwari,” close your eyes and imagine yourself standing in a beautiful forest next to a flowing river.

Come visit the new Daily Cup of Yoga!

Ashtanga Yoga First Series Video by David Swenson

I happily surfed my way into David Swenson’s Ashtanga Yoga First Series video on YouTube the other day.  The whole thing!  I enjoy reading  and practicing with Swenson’s Ashtanga Yoga book, — it’s one of my favorite yoga books of all time — but have never had a chance to preview his yoga videos.

I haven’t watched the entire film yet, but so far I have a very favorable impression of both the video and Swenson as an instructor.  That’s pretty much what I expected based on his book.  Nothing flashy, but Swenson is very easy to listen to and his knowledge and wisdom of yoga seems to just kind float out of his mouth in a humble, yet authoritative way.

If you enjoy this first clip of instruction on breathing and bandhas, check out the rest of the video here in one convenient location.

Savasana ~ A Great Pose for Practicing the Art of Doing Nothing

“…every day, a little ‘bit dying.” Pattabhi Jois

Perhaps you’ve discovered, as I have, that you have some of your best do nothing time when you’re laying on your mat in Savasana (”Corpse Pose”).  For another take on the subject, check out the article “Find Serenity in Savasana” over at Yoga Journal.

And for an amazing analysis of savasana, click on the resting stick figure below:

The Art of Doing Nothing

Isn’t it nice to have those moments in life when you’ve checked off every last box on your agenda and can just let your mind and body relax?   I’m sure that happens to you all the time, right? Yeah, right.

Are you still waiting for all that free time to show up before enjoying the fruits of doing absolutely nothing? Do you know how to “do nothing?” Are you too busy or have too many thoughts running through your head to relax and enjoy those ever-present moments of  sweet nothingness?  Do you even know what that is?

For some, doing nothing is a waste of time, but for others it can be an art form that enhances their ability to enjoy the simple pleasures of life.  Follow this simple plan to master  the Art of Doing Nothing, and in the process improve your life, melt away  stress, become more patient, and make yourself more productive when you actually do have stuff to do.

Step 1:  Start small

Doing nothing, in the true sense of the word, can be overwhelming if you attempt to do too much nothing all at once.   Most of us simply don’t know what to do with ourselves when we have nothing to do, which is why it’s best to start small.  Focus on 5-10 minutes at a time, and start your practice sessions in a safe place — at home, not at work or in a busy public place.  Find a time and place where there are not many distractions, not much noise, not a lot of people to bother you.  Just make sure your surroundings are quiet and comfortable.

Step 2:  Remove distractions

Shut off all distractions — TV, computer, cell phones, regular phones, Blackberries, and the like.  I know this might feel impossible to do, but doing nothing is tough when you’re surrounded by blinking gadgets beckoning for you to do something.  Although you may initially get that panicky feeling that swells in your chest when you realize you drove all the way to the grocery store without a cell phone, I promise, it will be all right.  I’ve been there, and I lived to tell about it.

Now, close your eyes, and do nothing.   Do nothing.  Simple, huh?  Perhaps doing nothing is more of a meditative mindset than a physical possibility.  Of course, you’re always doing something — you’re sitting, you’re thinking, you’re breathing — but if someone were to call you and ask what you’re doing, of course you’d say, “Oh, nothing.”  But luckily you’ve already turned your cell phone off, so you don’t have to worry about pesky distractions or telling others that you’re busy doing nothing.

Just sit there for five minutes and do nothing.

This is all you have to do to attain a basic level of do-nothingness.  Commit to this practice for five to 10 minutes a day and observe what happens.  To take this practice to the next level, continue on to the next step.

Step 3:  Breathe

The first place to start to master this simple art is  with your breath.  If this sounds suspiciously like meditation, just remember you’re not meditating, you are doing nothing.  (Okay, you can call it meditation if you want to:)

First, breathe slowly in and slowly out.

Next, on the inhale, notice how the breath enters your body through your nose, journeys down to your lungs, and expands your diaphragm.

On the exhale, feel the lightness of the air as it slowly escapes the body.  Feel the satisfaction of empty lungs.  Try to do this for 5-10 minutes.

You may notice while you are doing nothing that your mind starts to tell you that you need to do something.  If it makes your mind feel better, go ahead and trick it by telling it that you are “doing” breathing.  The mind just wants something to do.  Of course, you’re not actually doing anything since you can’t help it whether you breathe or not.  You’re just letting the body do what it does naturally:  BREATHE.    No effort, no work, just simply doing nothing.

Conclusion

Amazingly enough, if you commit to just this little bit of doing nothing, chances are good that you’ll find that you like it a lot.   Of course you won’t become a master of the Art of Doing Nothing overnight, but once you become proficient with these simple steps, don’t be surprised to find yourself wanting more and more nothingness.  Doing nothing is not easy.  It takes practice.  But, if you commit to taking a few minutes each day to do nothing, it will become easy, natural, and a definite item to check off your daily to-do list.

[Inspired by Leo at Zen Habits]