Scents for Your Studio, Your Body and Your Yoga Mat

Don't underestimate the power of the senses in affecting your daily life.

Sometimes it just takes a new soap or rose-scented facial cleanser to pep up the morning and start everything off right. Herewith, my favourite scents for my home, the studio environment, my yoga mat and my limbs.

Home & Studio

Living in an apartment, I have the luxury of knowing a candle or a diffuser will travel. This means, however, that if I pick the wrong scent, I'm stuck with it in every room. So! I am very careful. If you are in a studio environment, you don't want to be overwhelmed by scent nor offended. I find incense really makes me feel congested and claustrophobic and I have avoided going to yoga classes where I know the instructor will be burning it before and during class.
At home, I use MOR Neroli and Clementine diffuser. The beauty of this is that it takes no thought or maintenance. I just set up the diffuser initially and leave it. This is unlike candles where you need to light them and remember not to leave the house while they're still burning.
Neroli and Clementine is citrus fresh but subtle and just leaves a zesty, slightly Mediterranean fragrance lingering.

Body 

There's nothing worse than trying to get your weights workout on when the person next to you is either:
a) not wearing deodorant at all; or
b) wearing a powerful aftershave/perfume/anti-perspirant

Be authentic. Wear a fragrance that reflects your personality, your mood and your style but also be aware that you don't need to intoxicate the people around you. The gym or the yoga studio is not the place for Dior Poison, people.
I love The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Body Mist because it's fresh, it's subtle and it reminds me of beaches, fresh grapefruit juice, island time and has just enough sweetness to balance the citrus zing. Plus there's no nasty additives and it's ethically produced, you can be sure.

Yoga Mat 

Four Thieves is a combination of organic oils that are designed to not only purify and cleanse, but to uplift the senses and transport you. I use this to cleanse my mat before and after practicing and it has the beautiful, sage-based scent that reminds me of Bali and jungles, beaches, wild nature and beauty. Try Melbourne yoga teacher Amanda's blend - made locally for yogis! Four Thieves by Ananda Aromamist.

Wrist Support For Yoga, Pilates, TRX, Weights

I know many of you get pain through the wrists during yoga, pilates, balance, core and TRX or circuit training. I've done my research and asked those in the know and the resounding recommendation is WAGs. There are several models to choose from depending on the level of support you need and the type of workout. Get yours at WAGS.

Activewear, Yoga Pants and Accessories on Etsy

Are you a natural hunter? Could you be thrown into the wilds of the urban wilderness and hunt your way to coordinated pants, tank top and sneakers with ankle socks thrown in for good measure?

If so, trawling through the stock standard shopping sites for yoga pants is not going to give you the hunter’s high of “I FOUND THIS BEFORE ANYONE ELSE!” which is so good for you!

This is where Etsy kicks in. Not only can you find gear that nobody in your neighbourhood is going to be rocking at the same yoga class, but you can talk directly with the owner/designer/maker and know you’re supporting an entrepreneurial spirit in their business.

Without further ado, my favourite Etsy yoga gear purveyors. Hunting for yoga gear has never been so much fun...

Lily Jara Leggings

Day of the Dead meets yoga pants? Heck, yes.
This is just one of the crazy fine designs from Lily Jara. She also does awesome 80s geometric rainbow patterns, balloon print, donuts and leggings with one side devoted to fries and the other to ketchup. Yup, this is fun and fabulous.
Mermaid leggings for adults AND their mini yoga sprogs? Definitely. Also, Lily is a super babe and if you’re in the Florida area, I’ll be hugely jealous that you might be hanging out and doing yoga in balloon print leggings together.
My pick is the sugarskulls print leggings and while I haven’t yet been to Mexico, I feel like I’m embracing the gothic culture of Dios De Los Muertes (Day Of The Dead) in these.
Lily Jara Shop

Funky Leggzis Clothing
Funky indeed. Peacock print, Mario Brothers, Alice In Wonderland, the Eiffel Tower. If you can dream it, you can wear it on your pins thanks to Angela at Funky Leggzis.
My super strong personal training client rocks the peacock print leggings while she slays some heavy duty deadlifts so these are not only for fashion – they’re totally fitness friendly.
Made in Hobart and shipped internationally. Check them out.
Funky Leggzis Clothing








ArtsyClothing
Another super talented lady with a knack for leggings you’ll love. Ruta makes divine fitness and fashion forward leggings with sweet, hand-detailed designs.

I fell in love with the mini foxes but there are also bicycles, trees, panda bears and bird prints on t-shirts, leggings, baby suits and even decals for your Macbook.
ARTsyClothing

Fashion Jewelry Online
I’m a bit of a sucker for an anklet, and so are the fashion pack judging by the recent spate of sandals and sneakers with built-in ankle chains! If you’re a pilates, yoga, barre regular, you know you are going to spend a lot of time looking at your ankles (ah, blissful forward fold!) so you may want to give them a bit of zazz with the bohemian, yoga and Buddhist-inspired anklets, bracelets and necklaces from the delightful Puspamurti in Western Australia.
Fashion Jewelry Online





Modern Homewares
The lovely Aussie behind ModernHomewares store on Etsy creates cute, covetable pillow covers, ironing board covers and – essentially for me – yoga mat bags. Yes, no longer do you need to wrangle your yoga mat under one arm and your handbag under the other while you attempt to get through the studio door without knocking over the Ganesh statue and upsetting the decorative bamboo by reception.
My pick is the orange and white chevron print bag. A sling-shoulder harness allows you to pack and go. Without the mess!

ModernHomewares

And if you are more about creating and selling than buying - you can sign up and become a shop owner immediately. Get sewing, knitting, crafting and snapping photos stat!

Bring Sally Up Challenge

I discovered this on YouTube, the place of many fitness discoveries!

What is the Bring Sally Up Challenge?

Press play. Get up, get down and keep it going for the Whole. Track.

Some are going to squat, some will do push ups, some will lunge (good lord...) and WE are going to plie in second for...the...
Whole.
Track.

Here is Suzanne Bowen doing it. I recommend practicing because we'll be doing this in Ballet Sculpt for the next week. See you there.

Is there a particular reason I need to post this? No. Just a whole lot of extremely attractive Euro guys doing push ups for the Bring Sally Up Challenge. Consider it motivation!

Scholl Be Right!

The issue of hygiene in the gym and studio is confronting when you end up getting a nasty case of athlete's foot. Those shared yoga mats really should be cleaned but I have been to countless gyms and studios where they get stepped and lunged and sweated all over and then thrown in a heap.

However.

So, a little request please. Consider a trek to the supermarket to pick up a Hard Skin Remover, Anti-Perspirant for the feet and...if you need, Anti-Fungal treatment. I can personally recommend Scholl's but if you are going to get a pedicure at a salon, choose a VERY VERY clean and sterile one!

BEFORE Gym Time is Pedicure Time!

Scholl's Foot Care