I'm declaring the month of April my "spring cleaning" month, which just means that I'm going to be spending more time focusing on simplifying and getting in tune with myself.

Last month, I set up a weekly exercise regimen solely from exercise videos found on YouTube, and since the routine changes up each day of the week, I haven't had too much trouble sticking to the plan or staying interested. One of my favorite discoveries has been Adriene Mishler, a 20-something actress and yoga instructor based out of Austin, Texas.

As a long-time exercise video user, I can typically tell within 15 minutes whether or not I'll be able to watch (and rewatch) someone's videos without getting annoyed. Adriene is one of the best fitness instructors I've ever come across. She balances motivational tips ("find what feels good" is her main tenet), instructional tips, and a little bit of humor without talking too much and coming across as insincere. Most of her yoga videos are timed to resemble a real-time yoga class, and each video addresses a different concern (flatulence was a recently covered topic, I kid you not). Her videos range from beginner videos to more advanced videos, fat-burning videos, and videos that focus on particular poses. If you're looking for a soothing, inspirational instructor to get you into or back into yoga, I highly recommend checking out Adriene's channel.

Another YouTube video I've added to my playlist is a meditation video that I keep coming back to, in spite of the fact that I sometimes question how I've managed to take it seriously. It's a 10 minute guided "elevated focus meditation," guided by Dr. Michael Millett. The words "hypnosis" and "hypnotherapy" are associated with Dr. Millett's name, but I have found this video nothing but calming and easy-to-follow (if I start buying and liking things I haven't normally done, I will alert you and the authorities lol). The reason I struggle sometimes not to laugh while following this particular meditation is because Dr. Millett's mantra seems to be "Don't just have a good day, have a great day." Aside from that, his guided meditation is sparse and gives you room to breathe and let go. This video, along with Esther Teule's meditation videos, have helped me dive into meditation with ease.

Are you planning to give your life a little spring cleaning? And if you practice meditation, who are some of your favorite guides/teachers?

Photo: Yoga With Adriene's Facebook page