DIY Yoga Mat Cleaner

This was my favorite one. Lol. I just like the attitude. 

So a while back, when I was doing the work out month February of last year, I thought about doing a yoga mat cleaner. Back then though, I thought to myself, Self, why would you do a yoga mat cleaner? 

You work out at home.

Then I started going to the gym. That’s right. Me, miss anti-work out in public, is going to the gym. In fact, it’s become my second home.

While at the gym, I picked up a yoga class, and then I realized why you’d want a cleaner.

The same class you do your yoga on is the same class that hot guy doing pushups and free weights sweats on. And the same class the Zumba people dance on with their shoes.

Does anyone else think about where dirty shoes have been?

I do. Ew.

And other peoples sweat, even that hot guys? Blech.

So I finally got down to business and made a yoga mat cleaner, because why not? 

I hunted around Pintrest, until I found a recipe I liked. I found one at Greenback Girl here. 

Here are my ingredients. 

You'll need some water, witch hazel, tea tree, lavender, eucalyptus oil, and a spray bottle. Well, really only the tea tree oil. that's the true disinfectant. But the others are good as well. 

First, you need a 1 cup of water. 

The website I got it from didn't say distilled water specifically, I picked it up, because distilled water is better than regular water, right? Besides this was only a dollar.  and I got to drink the rest. 

Next comes the witch hazel. 

You need 1/4 cup. Witch Hazel. This is a cleanser and air freshener. (You can use it on your face too.) I personally don't like the smell of witch hazel, but it helps clean and it makes it better. 

Next come the essential oils. 

You need 10 drops of tea tree oils. Again, a disinfectant. Personally, I love the smell of tea tree oil. 

 Then, 15 drops of lavender oil. This is for calming. It also covers the smell of the witch hazel. I like the smell tea tree oil smell better.

5 drops of Eucalyptus. Another air freshner and cleanser. 

Then you put it all in a bottle and. . . 

Shake, shake, shake. 

Then you spray spray spray. 

Give it a few minutes. Wipe it off. It smells aaaammmmmmaaazzzzzinnnnnnnnggggggg. I really mean it. It smells super good. And it felt pretty clean. If nothing else, it smells good. 

So this is the first post of 2017. I hope every one enjoyed it. 

Last Yoga Post--full body work out

I'm sure you're all super grateful for this being the last one.  If nothing else I hope you all have enjoyed this foray in to the world of yoga. 

So we'll begin at the dog series. Begin with Quarter Dog. For any of the dog series, you'll want to begin on your hands and knees, keeping them directly under your shoulders and hips. Lift yourself up onto your toes and Bending in the middle. Rest the weight of your body on your elbows. Hold for five or ten deep breathes. Extend your elbows until your arms are straight to move into Downward Facing Dog. Lift one leg at a time for Three Legged Dog. 

Step your feet back to back of your mat and hold your body up in the top of a push up position. To complete the  Knee Up Plank, bend one knee and lift it towards your chin. 

Next, stand up. Step one foot back and the other foot forward and bend at the knee, trying to keep your leg in line with your ankle and not let your knee go in front of your foot. Put your arms out to the side and twist your body so that your arms are in line with your legs for Warrior 2.  Arch your back until your back arm is on your leg and arch your forward arm back over your head for Reverse Warrior. Bring your body back up slowly. Lean forward and hook your shoulder under your knee and grab your ankle. 

Stand up completely for Side Fierce. Press your hands together in front of your chest and bend your knees. Turn your body and hook your elbow on the outside of your knee. 

Stand back up to move Open Triangle. Keeping your back leg straight and step your other leg out. Bend at the weight and put your hand flat on the ground, put your other hand up in the air and look up towards your hand. 

Stand back up slowly. Balance your weight on one foot for Half Moon. Lean forward until your hand is on the floor. (If you need help balancing use a chair. I do.) Lift your back leg and put your other hand in the air. Stand up. Warrior 3. Stand up. Again put both of your arms out, palms facing each other. Balance on one foot leaning forward, raising the other foot off the ground. For Warrior Eagle, do the same thing as warrior, but this time entwine your arms by putting one elbow on the other and allow the palms to touch wherever they can. 

Balancing Star. Place one foot on the ground and one hand flat on the ground. Keeping your knee bent lift the free hand and legs up in the air. Sage pose is similar except you need to grab your free foot, or leg where ever you can. Stand up for Standing forward straddle. Stand with your legs wide apart and bend at the waist put your arms out at the sides of your head. From here move in, Standing forward bend C. Clasp your hands behind your back and bend forward. 

Bring your body up, unclasping your hands. Step your feet out and bend the knees, kind of exposing your thighs outward. Put your arms out to the side and bend the elbows for Goddess pose.  Now lay on your stomach. Locust pose. Put your arms next to your body, placing your hands on the ground, palms up. Lift your chest and legs off the ground. It's easy to move into Bow position, bend the knees and grab your ankles, arching your back.  Sit up on your knees to complete Camel pose. Turn slightly to the side and grab one ankle. Now sit on the ground and extend your legs out for Intense East. Place your palms flat on the ground fingers pointing towards your feet. Lift yourself up by extending your arms and arch your back. Last exercise is the Wheel. Lay on your back, place your hands by your head with your fingers pointed towards your feet. Lift your body up with your legs and arms arching your body. I would recommend moving into child's pose after wards just to relax your body a little bit. 
So there's the full yoga routine. That's all of the routines. I hope you all enjoyed them. 

Only Two More Yoga Routines--Legs

Begin in Mountain. Stand with legs and palms pressed together. Take a few deep breathes. Bend forward in Standing Forward Bend keeping your hands next to your feet. Come back up and slowly move into Side Fierce by pressing your palms together and bending the knees. Turn slowly to the side hooking your elbows on the outside of your knees. 

Keeping your arms on the outside of your legs, extend your arm down so your hand touches the ground and your opposite arm up for Open Side Fierce. 

Now, you can drop down to your hands and your knees. Try to keep them directly under your hips and shoulder. Lift yourself up to a "v" shape by resting on your hands and feet. Lift one leg up and bend it towards your head while you arch your back and head towards your foot for Arching Three Legged Dog.

Come up to Begin the Warrior Series. Warrior 1 extend one leg back, keep your back foot pointed forward. Step the opposite leg forward and bend your knee. Bring your arms up and put your palms together and look up.  Now move into Twisted Side Angle place your right elbow on your right knee and wrap your left arm around your body, grabbing your leg. Unwind and put your right arm on the outside of your right leg for Extended Side Angle bring your left arm up by your head, extending it out. Look up toward the ceiling. 

Move back into Warrior 1. Lean forward and hook your right shoulder under your right knee for Burning Low Lunge. clasp your hand on your ankle. Unwind and straighten up, stretch your arms out to the sides for Warrior 2. Slowly arch your body back, and touch your left hand on your left leg bring your arm over your head to completely Reverse Warrior. 

Straighten up and hook one elbow the other one. wrap the arms around each other until the palms touch. Arch your back in the Eagle Warrior. 

Straighten up and place one leg out keeping it straight for Open Triangle, Stretch your arms out to your sides lean down and place your hand on the floor keeping the other hand extended out. Look up towards the ceiling. 

Extended Triangle. Straighten back up, but keep your legs in their place. Slowly turn and place your left hand on the ground on the outside of your right leg. 

Stand up with your legs close to one another. Hook one elbow on top of the other allowing the palms to touch where they can. Bend your knees and cross your legs, trying to hook your foot around either your ankle or calf for the Eagle pose. Slowly unwind your legs and arms. Balance on foot, while raising the other up behind you for Eagle Warrior, and hook your arms like you did in the previous stretch. 

Half Moon. From Eagle Warrior unwind and come back to center. Once your ready, balance on your foot again, lean forward to rest your hand on the ground while raising your leg int the air. Extend your hand up and look up. Next Balancing Star. keep one foot flat on the ground toes pointing out. Keep your knee slightly bent, balance on your hand keeping both your opposite hand and leg extended in the air. 

Stand back up keeping your legs apart and your arms out to your sides for 5-Point Star. Tense your muscles for this one. Move into Goddess by stepping your legs wide apart and bending at the knees. Extend your arms out to the sides and bend the elbows. 

Straighten your legs and bend at the waist extend your arms directly out forward for Extended Standing Straddle. Place your legs out wide and lay forward, keeping your arms under you for Wide Legged Split. 

Lay on your stomach for Clasped Locust. Clasp your hands behind your back and raise your chest and your legs off the ground. Move into Bow by bending your knees and grabbing your ankles. 

Now sit on the ground. To complete Intense East extend your legs out in front of you keeping them together, and place your hands flat on the ground fingers pointing to your feet. Push up on your hands to straighten your arms, creating a line with your body. Drop down onto your back for Half Wheel. Arch your back up bending your knees. Support your weight by placing your hands under your hips and resting your weight on your elbow. 

Wild Thing is another one that takes a little bit of work to get into. Go into arching three legged dog and allow your foot to continue the motion until you've flipped over and it's flat on the ground. Stretching the opposite hand out. 

Still More Yoga Routines--Core

I swear, only a few more. Two more after this one today. And I'm sure you guys will be glad to be done of it. All right, so this routine focuses more on your core muscles. You'll see several of the moves that your familiar with in here, but don't forget the muscle toning will work on more than one muscles group

On your hands and knees, extend your arms and legs, bring yourself up into a "V" shape for Downward Facing Dog. Go into Quarter Dog by bending your elbows and resting them on the flour. From there raise back up, into Downward Facing Dog, Lift one Leg up for Three Legged Dog. Curl one leg around and bend your head towards your foot for Arching Three Legged Dog. 

Move into the top part of a plank by stretching your legs out behind you and extending your arm. Bend your knee and bring it up to your chest for Knee Up Plank. 

Next are the Warrior Series. Keeping one foot extended back, step forward placing your foot on the ground. Extend your arm up and look to the ceiling. Warrior 1. Revolved Side Warrior, bringing your hands down in front of the chest, press the palms together. Lean forward and hook your elbow on the outside of the opposite knee. 

Slowly untwist and bring yourself up right, stretch your arms out to your sides for Warrior 2. Again move into Extended Side Angle still in Warrior 2 lean forward and place your hand flat on the ground and stretch your arm over your head while looking up. 

Stand up completely for Warrior 3. Raise your arms into the air next to your head, balancing on one foot lean forward. Still on one foot lean forward till your hand is flat on the ground and raise your leg. Keep your free hand extended above you and turn your head up towards the ceiling.

Stand back up. Step one foot forward, keeping it straight. Stretch your arms out to your sides. Twist your body, and place the same hand as extended leg on the ground, keeping your other arm stretched up. Look toward the ceiling. 

Move into Side Plank. Lay on your side and place one foot either on top of or slightly in front of the other. To begin, you can rest on your elbow, or if you feel strong, extend your arm and and stretch the other arm in the air trying to keep it inline. 

Balancing Star. Keep one foot and hand flat on the floor. Stretch your leg up and your hand up keeping your balance. To complete Sage pose, try grabbing your foot with your hand. This is one you may have to work into. Sage Tree is an easier pose. Keep one hand extended, but bend one your knee and place your foot against your knee. 

Dolphin Plank or Bridge laying on your stomach, rest on your elbows, keeping them directly under your shoulders. Lift yourself up on your toes, keeping them bent towards your body.  One Legged Four Limbed Staff rest your weight on your hands, keeping your elbows bent at and close to your body. Keeping your weight on your toes lift one leg us keeping it slightly extended. 
Time to stretch out in Up Dog. Extend your feet and drop your hips to the ground. Stretch your body up by extending your arms and arching your back. Tilt your head back if you want a deeper stretch. Drop back to your stomach for the Clasped Locust clasp your hands behind your back and lift your chest and legs off the ground. From there, unclasp your hands and extend them forward next to your head for Extended Locust. Again, keep your legs and chest lifted.  Now for Locust, rest your hands, palm face up next to your body, again keeping your chest and your legs lifted.  Still on your stomach, bend your knees, keeping your legs lifted, and grab your ankles for the Bow pose. Lay back down for Half Frog, rest your weight on your elbows and keep one leg extended out behind you. Bend one knee up and press on your foot with your hand. For Frog, do the same thing to both feet at the same time.  Now turn over on to your back. Sitting on your bum, keep your legs together and lift them as high as you can, while sitting your torso up. Keep your arms extended on the outside of your legs for Boat. Go into Intense East by sitting down and extending your legs out in front of you. Place your hands behind you, with your fingers pointing towards your feet. Extend your arms, bringing your body into a line.  Extended Low Squat. Go down in a low squat, hovering your bum over the ground. Lean your body forward and extend your arms out in front of you.  Stretching it out again, come up to your knees for the Camel. Turn slightly to the side and grab your ankle with one foot and grab the other with the other hand. Arch your back and tilt your head backwards. And then Cool down, Do Head to Knee. Sit on the ground and bend one knee to your body and stretch the other one out. Grab on the leg where ever you can, working your way down as you get more flexible. Bend your body forward trying to touch your forehead to your leg. 
 

Even More Yoga Routines--Butt

Ok, so there are actually 6 of these routines, counting the ones I've already posted. When I was doing these regularly, I would do targeted work out for butt, back, arms legs, core, and then a full body with a rest/cardio day.  So, we've got three more of these. I hope you're enjoying them and finding them useful. 

Begin with Downward Facing Dog. To achieve this position get on your hands and knees and square them up with your shoulders and hips. Straighten your arms and it should give you that good shape. Go into Three Legged Dog by raising one legs. Stand up and go into step Warrior 1 one leg forward bending at the knee and step the other leg back. Bring your arms up over your head and press your palms together. Look up at the ceiling. 

Arching Warrior. From Warrior 1, clasp your hands behind your back and arch your back. From there lean forward and go into Humble Warrior. Straighten back into Warrior 1 pose. For Extended Twisted Warrior Rest your elbow on the matching knee and wrap the opposite hand around the back grabbing your thigh. Look over the opposite shoulder. 

Burning Low Lunge. Keeping your legs in warrior pose, bend down and hook your shoulder under the matching knee. Either grab your ankle with both hands or hook your hands in front of your angle. 

Next comes the Fierce. I know that it's not in that order on the picture, but it makes it easier. Stand up in Mountain pose, with legs and feet together. Bring your arms up over your head until your palms touch. Look up toward the ceiling and bend your knees. 

Eagle. Stand up in to mountain pose. Sink down into fierce. Hook one elbow on top of the others and and twist the arms allowing the palms to touch. Cross your legs, trying to hook your foot on the back of your leg. 

Unwind. Standing in Mountain pose, balance on one foot, lifting the other leg up holding your arms forward for the Warrior 3. Doing the same thing again, hook one elbow on the other, twisting your arms till the palms touch for Warrior Eagle. 

Begin Half Moon by balancing on one foot and leaning forward until you have the same hand on the floor. Raise the opposite leg and hand in the air and look up towards the ceiling.

Stand back up into Mountain pose. Step your feet shoulder width apart and bend your knees. Bring your arms out to and bend at the elbow for Mini Goddess.

Straightening your knees, complete the Standing Forward Bend by bending at the waist and grabbing your big toe. (Yes, another out of sequence one.)

Now begin the ones that really require balance. (which I have none of.)

Start with Dancer. Balance your weight on one leg and lift the other one behind you, bending the lifted knee. Grab that foot with the matching hand and then lean forward bringing the opposite hand in front of you. Bend your elbow slightly and make an "O" with your fingers. 

Let go of your foot and slowly swing it forward. Grabbing your big Toe, raise your leg into the air as high as possible. (For me, I don't have that much strength or balance, so I would rest my foot on something high.) This completes Standing Hand to Big Toe A. 

Bring your leg down if you're using a prop and then bring it out to the side for Standing hand to Big Toe B. Lower the leg and bring it forward for Hand to Big Toe D. 

To do Extended Standing Straddle, stand with your legs wide apart, bend at the waist with your arms extended forward. Transition into Wide Legged Forward Bend, by clasping your hands behind your back and bending your head down to the ground. Wide Legged Split put your legs wide part laying your head down on the ground. You don't have to put your legs flat to the ground, so this is good for those of us who can't do splits. Keep your arms under your legs. 

Come back up. Keeping your feet shoulder width apart do the Low Squat by bending your knees and stretching your arms out in front of you. 

You can shift into the Wide Squat by sitting back but still hovering off the ground. Press your hands together in front of your chest. 

Stand up and step your feet wide apart, pointing your toes outward. Bend at the knees and sink down. Bring your arms out to the side and bend at the knees. 

Locust and Extended Locust are similar. Laying on your stomach, for locust, place your hand palms up next to your body and raise your legs and chest off the ground. For extended locust, still on your stomach, raise your hand in front of you and lift them off the ground for more extension. 

Now, flip over and sit down. To begin Intense East, place your palms flat on the ground with your fingers pointed towards your feet. Stretch your legs out in front of you and arch your body up. 

Extended Table Top. Sit on the floor and place one hand behind you. Bend your knees and lift your body up keeping one hand stretched out beside your head. 

It may take a little while to work up to this one, but lay on your back to begin  One Legged headstand wheel. Place your hands by your head flat on the ground and keep your feet flat on the ground. Arch your body up and move your hands behind your head for support. As you build up strength, raise your leg in the air. 

Time for a Cool Down. Lay on your back, and just relax the muscles. 

More Yoga Poses--back

Eventually, I will do a full body circuit. I have them written down with my own little hieroglyph reminders, but that wouldn't mean anything to anyone else.  So, I have to go find the original things I used to make the work outs. Here are the poses said to work the back. Again, I would team these up with weight lifting and cardio and what not. 

Begin with mountain pose, hold that position for five breaths. Go down into forward bend for another five breaths.  Stand up tall and press your palms together in front of your chest, bend at the knees and sit down, holding your hands still twist at the waist. Hold it for 5 breaths on each side for the side fierce.  Stand up and move into a warrior pose reach your back hand to touch as far down on your leg as you can, bring the arm over the head and bend backwards in reverse warrior.  To do an open triangle, stand back up and then put one leg forward, keeping it straight, bend at the waist putting one on arm in front your leg with your hand flat on the ground, but the other one up in the air, trying to make a straight line. Look up towards your hand that's in the air.  For half-moon Stand back up. Balancing on one leg, lean down until your hand is flat on the ground. hold one hand in the air, making a straight line and raise the other leg up into the air.  Stand up and place your feet flat on the floor. Bending at the elbows, place on arm over the other and let the hands touch where ever they can. (this will really stretch your back.) Balancing on one foot, leaning forward, raise one leg straight out into the air. This is the Eagle warrior, or warrior 3 pose.  Now for the side plank. Lay on your side, resting your wait on your hand, or your elbow. I do elbow because it's easier. Place one foot on top of the other or a little in front and raise your free hand into the air.  Bridge pose, or what I know to be the plank. On your stomach, rest the wait of your body on your elbows and your toes. Make sure your elbows are under your shoulders, and your toes are tucked in. Hold this for 5 breathes.  Lay down your stomach for locust pose. Keeping your arms next to your body, and your palms facing up, lift your torso and legs up. For five breathes. From there, go into bow pose by grabbing your legs with your hands.  Now lay on your back, placing your feet flat on the floor bend your knees and raise your hips off the ground. Support your back with your hands for the bridge pose. Now for the Wheel. Lay flat on your back, bend your elbows back so that your hands are next to your head. Bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the floor. Push up with your feet and your arms. Unless your strong, this takes a while to build up too. Hold that for 5 breathes.  Now for the cow face pose, as cool down stretch.  Sit with one leg bent under you, and cross your opposite leg over it and too the side. Take one hand and touch that same shoulder with it and then place the other hand behind your back and try to touch the hands together.  And that is my back routine. 

Yoga Routine

Like I said before, I'm not a professional trainer, but I try to find things that I like and in my adventures I happened upon some yoga exercise on sugar pop that seemed like they would work. 
So I decided to put my own routines together based on what I saw in the articles from sugar pop. With these, mind you, I would add some weight training, but I'm not going to put those in here right now. 

Arms

Begin with the Sun Salutation. Repeat the sequence five times. 

Everything else will be done in counts of 10. So either five to a side or 10 counts if you're working both sides. Personally, I do each stretch on both sides before moving on or I'll forget. 

On your hands and knees go into the quarter dog by resting your elbows down on the ground. 

From Quarter Dog, come up from your elbows and hold your arms straight. After a ten count, lift one leg into the air for three legged Dog. Arch your back and bend your knee pushing your head and foot towards each other. From there, drop your legs into push up position and bring your knee forward. 

For the one-legged four limb staff lay on your stomach and then hold lift your weight on your hands, bending your elbows. Rest your wait on one foot and raise the other up. 

For the next one go into a side plank position, keep one foot flat on the floor, bending slightly at the knee  and raise the foot and the arm up into the air. You can drop the leg in the air down into the extended the table top holding one arm out by your ear. Do both sides. 

I'll be putting up other ones, but for the sake of length. And know that you will see some repeats, just because toning like this works all the muscles, not just the ones. 

As always,

Yoga VS Aerobic Exercise

Now, I'm not a personal trainer. I can only speak to the research I've found, personally. Also, the things I've experienced for myself. 

 I'll get this out of the way. On a personal level, I enjoy yoga, but I have to team it up with aerobics to see any true changes in my body. I do know that when I did yoga I did build a lot of strength. I went from not being able to do the back bend at all to being able to hold it for a ten count. 

So despite the meditation aspect of yoga that some people employ, exercise in general improves your outlook. Elle said it best.

Now into the comparison. 

  

So calories burned? Aerobics does it best. Yoga does burn calories, but you're most likely going to burn more doing a hard aerobic exercise. Now, if any of you care, there are hot yoga and Vinyasa that burn a lot of calories, but still Aerobics is going to burn more in general. That goes with fat as well. Aerobics vs Yoga in calories and fat burned

Point to Aerobics. 

Just because aerobics burns more calories doesn't mean it's better for your muscles. Sure if you're doing weight lifting, you'll gain muscle, but aerobics and yoga. Yoga trains your muscles better. 

  Aerobics can't help you do that. 

Aerobics vs Yoga in strength

Point to Yoga

So cardiac benefits do go to aerobics. It hasn't been proven that yoga has cardiac benefits. Now the stretching of yoga is better for realigning and relaxing muscles.

Again, I like a mix of both. 

If you've got problems, like a bad knee I would recommend starting with yoga until you get strength built up. I mean if doing things like Brazilian Butt Lift are too intense, yoga is a great place. Like I said, I actually enjoy a mix of both. Yoga feels great on my tight muscles and sometimes I'm too tired to do hard core exercise