DIY Yoga Mat Cleanser

Simple process to make this DIY recipe for a yoga mat cleansing solution! "Kriyas" are actions, processes, deeds, or efforts. They are a variety of Kriyas - cleansing/purifying techniques that we use in yoga. It may be best to extend the practice of cleansing and care towards the materials that allow for our comfort in practice. Happy Prana for our home on the mat!

 

 

MATERIALS:

spray bottle (glass, plastic, etc)

essential oils

water

RECIPE:

5 drops lavender oil
5 drops tea tree oil
1 tsp witchhazel extract (optional)
1/2 tsp alcohol (optional)
1/8 tsp white vinegar (optional)
water (enough to fill the remainder of the spray bottle)

Some essential oils are best for cleaning, freshening and disinfecting. Use oils with natural antiseptic, antifungal, and antibacterial properties. Ideal options for this are using tea tree oil and lavender oil together or separately. The scent will probably stay with the mat for a little while. However the solution shouldn't be strong enough to create a perfumed yoga mat!

DIRECTIONS

Spray liberally onto a clean cloth and wipe down both sides of the mat.

NOTE
For a deeper cleanse, put the spray directly on the yoga mat and scrub, scrub, scrub! Leave your yoga mat out to dry in an outdoor environment. This allows the prana (fresh life force energy) of the wind to purify and dry your yoga mat at the same time.

Did you know that you can throw your yoga mat in the washing machine with a little bit of eco friendly detergent? Do not put it in the dryer though! At first when its wet out of the machine, it will be very wrinkly...but no worries! It will straighten out and smooth nicely when hung to dry.

Of course, you can always use soap and water, or even just water to clean your mat!

DIY - DO IT YOURSELF                                                                          
KIS - KEEP IT SIMPLE

A Closer Look at Plank Pose

Plank Pose is an asana that we perform often, the fifth of twelve moments during rounds of sun salutations (with 24 movements in a complete round).

Since this posture is one we experience quite a lot, its best to examine this sometimes challenging and strength building pose. Be kind to your body and practice ahimsa (non-violence/peace) when working on tuning up this asana in your sadhana (practice).

The palms are flat on the ground. The middle finger and middle wrist point straight forward. Allow the wrists, elbows and shoulders to be in a line. The breath, core muscles and arm strength will stabilize you here. Keep the shoulders back, leaving space between them and the ears. Draw the shoulder blades together on your back, letting the chest/heart stay open. Imagine a long line of lengthening from the tailbone, through the neck and out the crown of the head. If the body isn't straight enough, step back a few inches with the feet. Make sure the facial muscles aren't too contracted as you keep the breath steady. Often we hold the breath during this pose before we exhale out of it, when transitioning in sun salutation sequence.

above image: from The Yoga Mechanic

Plank can be modified by putting the knees and/or elbows down onto the mat.

While keeping the elbows to the sides of the body, the knees, chest and then chin/forehead are lowered onto the mat between the palms. The movement opens you forward into a chest rising pose (ex. king cobra, baby cobra, upward dog) as sun salutation continues.

Plank pose can be intense and one can acquire tension in the neck/shoulder/shoulderblade area if this pose is continuously practiced incorrectly. This blog post was inspired by my own difficulty with plank pose alignment, as well as some students who were curious about improving their plank aswell. Hopefully we can all progress on our yogic journey's of inquiry together! Share feedback and constructive criticism to this post please! There are lots of resources where you can acquire more information. It is probably best to consult a teacher or be your own guru and learn from your own experience on the mat!

Inviting You To Yoga East: Oct/Nov Session

Namaste Greetings from Happy Prana!

There is a magical little place in London Ontario's East Village called Yoga East. Its the gorgeous and welcoming home studio of Mary McCullough located at Ontario St. & Princess St. (537 Ontario St).

For the upcoming months of October and November, I will be personally offering an 8 week session of yoga classes on Thursday evenings from 7:15 to 8:30pm. The cost is only $10 per class for a total of $80. If you are interested, please let me know asap so that I can sign you up. There is room for 10 people to get on the list for this session so its best to decide about your participation sooner than later! Reply to this by emailing happyprana@hotmail.com or on my facebook. I am eager to answer any questions you may have about the (very accessible) yoga being offered or about the studio we will be enjoying together.

Lets spend the changing autumn months together on our mats and transition inside this beautiful sacred space that has lots of luxurious yoga props and restorative comforts!

Whether you are interested/available or not, please forward this invitation to any others who you think could benefit. Thank you deeply for your time in considering this opportunity,
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

Happy Prana - Nicole

Gratitude Yoga

Gratitude Yoga

thank you yoga

thank you so much for giving me a place to land

for opening channels of prana each morning to flow through the day

much gratitude yoga as we fold and bow and step down

chakral realignment

cultivating the glow

a service to keep my life straight

an offering to spiral with change

a power rising to the top

rooting in four directions

prayer pose with gratitude

yoga thank you for shaping my life

for ringing me out and inviting me in

this gift is for everyone

thankyou with the essence of a million universes

light and dark interwoven

to balance and grace our gaze

oneness

Recently returned from a fortnight B.C. visit to some friends, I have some yoga travel photos to share! More to come as I am doing a yoga photo shoot with my photographer friend soon! Yoga photos can be important to spread the visual inspiration to practice as well as giving others an idea of your presence as an instructor. Often then can be quite instructional in terms of posture and form. Also i think its just awesome to do yoga poses in interesting places and document the process as an artistic photo journal of one's yogic journeys. Thanks for visiting the Happy Prana blog!

 

Sage Pose I & II: Bharadvajasana

Thankyou for these adaptations from:

"YOGA MIND, BODY and SPIRIT: A Return to Wholeness -
for students of all levels and traditions" by Donna Farhi

Its always a delight to discover the sensations of a new asana in your practice! Sage Pose 1 and 2 have been added to my sadhana (practice) as of this morning. What an incredible and releasing twist! It took me a few tries to align my legs properly with the pillow prop. Its not very often that I use props on the mat, but this one is especially worth providing the extra support for. These are the instructions I've worded myself so please check other resources for variety and clarity. Please offer corrections or modifications if you have them. Give it a try until the pose "feels" right for your body.

In my practice I direct poses to the left first and then the right. Traditionally we twist or move to the right first. Shifting the motions to the left first honours our feminine goddess aspect. This is especially important since we practice so many sun salutations and often leave out moon salutations in common sequences. Experiment with awareness of your body's abilities. Exercise caution at all times and use the gentleness and compassion AHIMSA (non-violence) throughout your yogic experience!

Sage Pose 1

Breathe. Kneel in Vajrasana (sitting on heels). Shift the weight of the body to the left so that both left feet are to the side of the pelvis. Put a blanket or pillow prop under the left hip so that both sides of the pelvis are level. Breathe. Inhale, lengthening the spinal column through the crown. Exhale and twist to the left with the core and both arms/hands. Maintain breadth of chest by expanding shoulders. Breathe. Reach the left arm around the back and rest it there or lightly connect to the inside of the upper right arm.
Notice and Feel! Slowly release after the bind and repeat on the other side, adjusting the prop as needed.


Sage Pose 2

Breathe. Kneel in Vajrasana (sitting on heels) and extend the left leg. Cross the foot over the right thigh into a half lotus position. Breathe. Shift the weight of your body down slightly to just inside of the bent right leg. Put a blanket or pillow prop under the left hip so that both sides of the pelvis are level. Breathe. Inhale, lengthening the spinal column through the crown. Exhale and twist to the left with the core and both arms/hands. Maintain breadth of chest by expanding shoulders. Breathe. Reach the left arm around the back to take hold of the foot from the right side of the body. Breathe. Notice and Feel! Slowly release after the bind and repeat on the other side, adjusting the prop as needed.

Benefits, Cautions and Contraindications:

Releases hips and lower back. Opens the shoulders, chest and lungs. Stimulates the large and small intestines (digestion).

Only practice in first or second trimester of pregnancy if comfortable.

Namaste

Yoga Block Asanas!