You come into the practice space, slip out of your shoes then socks, and place both bare feet on a nicely rolled out sticky mat. Your eyes close as a deep breath travels through your lungs. Ahhhh. "Let us come all the way to the floor onto the belly with the chin touching the mat," I say. You think, "What's that smell?" *sniff sniff* Feet? Phew! Yep, those little doggies do track some of the most wonderful blooming microscopic nature guests right onto that mat of yours or one you borrowed. You know...you do need to clean your rolled up space more than once a year, right? If you have toenail fungus, do you want it to touch your face? I, too, forget about the whole ground-dirt-to-face idea when I practice yoga. Let's make that change together.
Here's a recipe for a do-it-yourself cleanser I use on my yoga mat cleanings (as well as other surfaces):
32 oz spray bottle
1.5 shots Distilled White Vinegar
2-4 drops Tea Tree essential oils (check for personal allergies to this oil)
3/4 of the container Rosemary Tea**
Rest of the container clean water (if you won't drink it, don't put it in here)
Shake once before spraying a mist over your yoga mat. Use a cloth of your choice to rub the entire mat. Flip and repeat. You can either roll the mat around a towel and step on it to squeeze out the moisture, put it outside in a sunspot, or drape it over a chair in your house to dry. Make sure it's completely dry before rolling it up and tossing it back in it's storage space. You don't want to breathe in mold particles.
Do you have a cleaning method for your mat to share?
Rosemary Tea**
Cut 1" of fresh rosemary and pull off the leaves. Boil 1 gal. of clean water. Remove from heat. Place in the rosemary needles. Steep it in a covered container overnight. Strain.
Here's a recipe for a do-it-yourself cleanser I use on my yoga mat cleanings (as well as other surfaces):
32 oz spray bottle
1.5 shots Distilled White Vinegar
2-4 drops Tea Tree essential oils (check for personal allergies to this oil)
3/4 of the container Rosemary Tea**
Rest of the container clean water (if you won't drink it, don't put it in here)
Shake once before spraying a mist over your yoga mat. Use a cloth of your choice to rub the entire mat. Flip and repeat. You can either roll the mat around a towel and step on it to squeeze out the moisture, put it outside in a sunspot, or drape it over a chair in your house to dry. Make sure it's completely dry before rolling it up and tossing it back in it's storage space. You don't want to breathe in mold particles.
Do you have a cleaning method for your mat to share?
Rosemary Tea**
Cut 1" of fresh rosemary and pull off the leaves. Boil 1 gal. of clean water. Remove from heat. Place in the rosemary needles. Steep it in a covered container overnight. Strain.