That's Fit

You know those women who show up for yoga and they're perfectly organized? They roll out their mats, and their keys and water bottles and jackets magically appear off to the side, and they're ready to get their "om" on? Yeah, that's not me. I've always been the girl who's still struggling to stash my stuff when the rest of the class is going into Downward Dog. But not anymore. Not with a Yogoco bag.

The difference with this bag is that it not only has space for your mat (up to 26 inches wide) -- lots of yoga bags do that -- it's that Yogoco bags have a separate (and ventilated) space for all of the other goodies you can't possibly leave the house without. You know, like aforementioned water bottle and keys, along with a towel, post-workout snack, clothes to change into, shoes, phone ... and whatever else you need to bring along.

Plus, it looks cooler than any other bag you're going to find. Yogoco offers a variety of patterns (my favorite is the Wahini White). If you're not into the funky floral patterns, there are plenty of plain colors, too. And they're designed to go over your shoulder and hang comfortably flat against your back.

Want to be like Halle Berry? Then grab a green yoga mats. Well, not actually green but, you know, green.

Berry has been toting around Yogamatic's floral "Arum" mat to her yoga classes. The mat is eco-friendly -- made from biodegradable materials and some profits go to the environmental organization Global Green -- and you can even customize yours with images found on the Yogamatic website.

Got a yoga mat you like? Tell us all about it.

Do you love how great you feel after yoga class, but your a bit crunched for time? Try these yoga moves -- no mat required!

Because they spend most of their time on the floor, exercise mats are rarely cleaned as often as they should be -- when is the last time you gave yours more than just a good shake on the back step? It's probably due for a scrub!

Lightly soiled
Make a solution of four drops of dish soap to two cups of water and wash dirty areas with a spray bottle, cloth, or sponge. Rinse with plain water and air dry.

Heavily soiled
Submerge the mat in warm water with just a touch of mild detergent (using too much could leave the mat slippery and dangerous in the future). Hand wash, rinse in plain water, and hang to air dry. If squeezing doesn't get enough water out of the mat, try rolling it up with a towel and stepping on it before separating the two and hanging the mat to dry.

Replace "It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Superman!" with "She rolls out her mat, strikes a pose, it's Yoga Girl!"

Tamara Standard is a yoga guru with a mission to bring yoga to the masses, especially to residents of tough San Francisco neighborhoods devoid of yoga studios or most anything yoga-like. She'll calmly and confidently uncurl her yoga mat on rough streetcorners in areas such as the Tenderloin and Mission districts to teach yoga gratis to people traditionally unexposed. Doesn't matter if crack or prostitution is simultaneously for sale, nothing stops her.

On her inspirational website Standard shares Yoga Girl is her alter ego of sorts, an extension of her desire to serve others. I see Yoga Girl as the embodiment of an authentic, spiritual super hero. Truly extraordinary, Standard is opening hearts, filling spirits and softening the taut muscles, ligaments and tendons of busy city dwellers. Who knows how many people tuck away the yoga Standard willingly shares, later unwinding at sunset or waking up with the birds with a sun salutation in a little corner of their home. A cherished moment of serenity capable of flourishing into a deeper, lifelong practice.

Go Yoga Girl! Has anyone seen her?

Calling all yogis -- Fitsugar has some great suggestions on on yoga mat etiquette. When was the last time you washed your mat? I'm embarrassed to think about how many times I've practiced on mine compared to how many times I've cleaned it. And I never wash my feet before staring my poses. Here are some mat tips, whether you're borrowing or using your own:

• Let your mat air-dry every now and then -- otherwise it's can breed bacteria
• Wash your feet before using your mat -- even if you've been wearing socks, chances are your feet still aren't very fresh.
• Don't step on anyone else's mat -- even if you're just passing through
• Don't use spray to disguise any funny smells on your mat -- wash it!

How do you take care of your yoga mat?

If you're someone who'd prefer to do their Yoga alone at the park rather than cramped in a studio at your local fitness center, this is your gadget.

It's a Yoga mat -- but instead of merely providing a surface on which you can contort your body into all those awkward and painful-looking shapes, it also comes with a built-in MP3 players and stereo speakers, plus streaming video playback so you can see your instructor from any position.

Part of me thinks all that techno-gadgetry wouldn't help you achieve the meditative bliss that Yoga is supposed to provide. But then again, I always found the intense physical discomfort of Yoga kept me reaching any higher plane of thought, so maybe it's just as well that you crank out the jams will folding into a pretzel.

I dusted off my easiest yoga tape late last night and popped it into the VCR. Yes, this tape is old -- the VCR, mind you. I haven't done yoga in four months. No boos from the fit-crowd, I have a legitimate excuse -- I ruptured my achilles tendon on May 3. I'm healing well, but a yoga-less existence made this bod tight, brittle, and sore. Aaaahhh, for 30 minutes I gently stretched, modified positions as necessary, and felt the glory while reaching my arms to the sky in a series of sun salutations.

Too lazy to roll up that purple yoga mat, my kids were greeted with a bright, squishy rectangle this morning. They also spotted the battered yoga tape lying next to the TV. The clutter elicited a positive response -- my three-year-old daughter put in the tape and immediately began gentle spinal twists, sun salutations and a Namaste gesture. She used to be my yoga buddy. She'd missed it, too.

I saw the proof this morning. Modeling fitness to your kids is a promotional strategy. So leave the 3 pound barbells and yoga mat lying around. Invite your kids to occasionally workout with you. Until puberty, they pretty much want to be with you most of the time. By the independent teen years, perhaps they'll go jogging before the party.

I purchase all my yoga tapes through Gaiam, a trusted source serving yogis of all levels, even kids.

The folks over at the super cool, brand-new Weblogs Inc. Blog, DIY Life, have asked the following question: What do you do with an old yoga mat? Throwing it out seems to go against all yogi principals. Wouldn't it be better to recycle or re-use it? Luckily you can -- here are some suggestions:

• Use it to sit on at sporting events, and save yourself the hassle of carrying folding chairs
• Cut it up, tape it together and use it to kneel on while gardening
• Use it as packing material

If you have an old yoga mat lying around, and you're wondering what to do with it, check out this site for lots of inspiration. There's no excuse to be wasteful!

What did you do with your old mat?