yoga mat

Buying a yoga mat is like buying a new pair of running sneakers. It takes careful consideration and research to find the right fit. Since there are hundreds to confuse you choose from, narrow down your search by asking these important questions.

How Much Do I Want to Spend?
Your budget is a huge factor in the mat you end up with. Do you have the dough to lay down for the priciest one on the market or are you happy buying a cheaper mat? The upside of buying a more expensive mat, like the Manduka PRO Black Magic ($104), is durability, which will actually save you money over time.

How Thick Do I Want It?
If you're new to the mat-buying scene, you might not realize that mats come in different thicknesses. A quarter-inch is the standard mat thickness, probably like the one you've borrowed from your studio. Think about how your body feels on this mat in certain poses where your bones are pressing into the floor. If you've felt discomfort, splurge on a thicker mat, but make sure it's also dense. A thick squishy mat makes balancing postures more difficult.

Keep reading for more things to consider when purchasing a new yoga mat.

Rolling a yoga mat shouldn't be rocket science, right? But as with most things, there's a right way and a not-so-right way. If you unroll your yoga mat and are left with the end curling up by your hands or feet, here's a simple solution to put into your practice.

1. Lay your mat out on the floor, with the side you practice on facing up. To help you remember which side is which, you can write your name in small print with a Sharpie on the top corner where your hands would be in Down Dog (learn the basics of the Down Dog pose here). Writing your name on your mat is also a good idea in case you lose it.
2. Off the mat, walk over to the end where your feet would be in Down Dog. Squat down, hold onto this end with both hands and then flip it to the right so the side you don't practice on is now facing up.
3. Start rolling your mat from this end all the way to the top of your mat. The side you practice on will be exposed (as well as your name).
4. The next time you're ready to practice, hold onto the top end with both hands and flick the rest of the mat away from you, unrolling it so the side you don't practice on is facing down. You're left with a flat mat every time.

I find working out to be very personal — I'm sweating, pushing myself to my physical limits, and striving to achieve my fitness goals — which is why I like my workout gear to reflect my style and personality. As soon as I saw Jennifer Aniston present Oprah with a customized yoga mat from Yogamatics earlier this year, I knew I had to have one since I love yoga and needed a new mat anyway. But other than yoga mats, what else can you customize to your liking? Here's a rundown of some of my favorites.

• DIY Running Shoes From Nike: Add a splash of color to a new pair of kicks thanks to Nike's ID customization service. Just find your favorite Nike sneaker, use their color palette to find all your favorite colors, and then personalize your shoes with a cute tag (eight characters max). Just playing around with the site and customization options is a fun experience. What are you waiting for — just do it!

See what other gear you can design to your delight.

At this year's Yoga Journal Conference I received a free bottle of Nama Hand and Yoga Mat Sanitizer ($6). The timing couldn't have been better: I had a class with Ana Forrest scheduled for later that day and forgot to bring my DIY mat cleaner from home. I've since used the entire bottle of Nama sanitizer up, and while I'm still partial to my homemade tea tree mat sanitizer, Nama is a great option for people who aren't into DIY cleaners.

What I like best about the Nama sanitizer mist is that it's natural and safe to use on my mat. There's nothing artificial about it; instead it's made up of things like green tea extract, peppermint oil, water, and alcohol (to really get rid of the germs). Since chemical-filled cleaners are one of the reasons I started making my own mat cleaner at home, it's nice to have a retail option for times when I might be in a bind. Like any mist sanitizer, it's also easy to use — just spray and wipe dry. But, what's really great about this spray is how good it smells. The scent of peppermint is completely invigorating and fresh, and it ensures that I am never caring around a smelly mat.

I'm a germaphobe — at least when it comes to yoga. I don't like loaning out my mat and won't borrow one unless I know that it's clean. Something about another person's sweat makes me squeamish. Recently, I found myself in a predicament: new yoga studio, no mat of my own, and community mats were not cleaned. Seeing the uncomfortable look on my face, a fellow student handed me a Jo-Sha yoga mat wipe ($13 for 50 wipes).

Jo-Sha wipes are packed in the same way that disposable makeup wipes are, which makes them really easy to travel with. I've used wipes in the past to clean my mat, but they always left a sticky film behind — not Jo-Sha wipes though. What is left behind is the faint smell of lavender that brings a little bit of aromatherapy to my practice.

After a long day of working and working out, you may want to dump your gym stuff as soon as you walk in the door. But taking time to keep your equipment organized and clean can help extend a product's life and also keep you more enthusiastic about the next day's workout. Here are some tips to storing your workout items.

• Take your gym shoes out of your bag for a bit to air them out. Loosen the tongues and the laces to help them breathe.
• If you use small hand weights at home, clean them regularly to prevent cracks and dirt buildup, and keep your weights on an uncluttered floor or in a box to prevent trips.
• Like any other bag, gym bags will keep their shape and last longer if you don't hang them. Place yours on an uncrowded and dust-free shelf.
• In addition to the wipe down, storing your yoga mat spread out instead of rolled can keep it mildew free.
• Don't forget that storing all of these items where you can see them can help motivate you to work out the next day!

With all that sweat and those germs hanging out at the gym and yoga studio, your workout gear can get dirty, moldy, and smelly. So here's a tip: keep a small spray bottle of essential-oil-infused water in your gym bag so you can spray and wipe your gym stuff immediately after use.

Using tea tree and lavender oils is a great eco-friendly way to keep your gym equipment germ-free because of antibacterial, antifungal, and tension-relieving properties; tea tree oil has been used to treat poison ivy and acne, and the scent of lavender oil can help you relax.

All you need is a small clean spray bottle that seals tightly. Fill it with distilled, spring, or tap water and add one or two drops of tea tree oil, plus another drop of lavender oil. Throw the bottle in your bag and spray down your gym bag, shoes, and yoga mat when you're done or if you're feeling like your gym stuff could use some extra attention. Just be sure to wipe everything down and spray in a well-ventilated area away from anyone in case they are sensitive to the smell.