Yoga Update: She Loves A Good Challenge!

Photo by Nigel Maitland (2017)

Today is the 1st of May 2019. There were 30 days in April and I set myself a challenge to do a 30 Days of Yoga. I deliver all kinds of fitness classes at Manchester Metropolitan University and I wanted to strengthen my whole body, enhance my flexibility and relieve my muscles that sometimes feel sore from all the training. Yoga has so many incredible benefits, but the main reasons why I wanted to do the 30 days were:

❤️ To get back into regular yoga practice

❤️ To inspire others to engage in regular yoga practice

I was inspired by Youtube Yoga GODDESS Adriene Mishler AKA Yoga With Adriene – she’s fantastic at helping you Find What Feels Good!

I had already been enjoying (joining the global community) doing her YouTube yoga sessions. So many friends, gym members, PT clients and I regularly talk about how good she is and how much she helps us. She is genuinely wonderful. Adriene has a special way of helping you feel supported and motivated, whilst encouraging you to ‘ease into it’ both physically and emotionally. She talks in an adorable Texas accent, she can laugh at herself, she is patient and loving towards her dog Benji and also towards herself. She encourages you to be kind to yourself, and talks about “full body awareness” in yoga – showing people how to get in touch with their bodies, exploring mindfulness in the body. AND she has yoga for EVERYTHING! See some of the awesome sessions below!

Yoga for flexibility:

Yoga for anxiety and stress:

Yoga for when you are stuck:

Head and Heart Reset:

Yoga for when you’re on the road!

Yoga With Adriene has already provided millions of people with free YouTube video 30 Day Yoga Challenges (more than once too!) and I had already tried to do her 30 Day Challenge a few times and only got a few days in each time.

So this time I decided to choose my own Yoga With Adriene videos, in any order I liked, as the hurdle that kept stopping me from continuing each day in the past was the time of certain sessions. If I felt too tired or too pushed for time, seeing a 27 or 33 minute practice on that specific day’s video didn’t work for me!

On the 1st of April I started a chart, writing each yoga practice I chose and how long it takes. If I do this again (yes I know I’m a nerd) I will put stars next to my favourite sessions, or even write notes about certain poses they feature and what they are good for.

 

By the 7th day I noticed that I already felt so good for it. I started to feel more energised. My joints felt better. I felt slightly stronger in certain poses and I looked forward to how I would be feeling and what I would be experiencing in my mind, body and soul by Day 30.

I’m afraid I don’t yet know what that would feel like 😂 I made it to 10 days in a row! And after a long day in work, smashing out band practice playing the drums for a couple of hours and talking to my housemates, I just climbed into my bed, without doing an evening yoga practice.

At first I felt a bit like I had let myself down as I had dropped off the wagon (especially when I had announced this 30 Day Yoga Challenge online) but I soon forgave myself. I realised I felt glad that I had proven to myself that I can do yoga for 10 days in a row! And I was happy when a few people told me I had inspired them to get back into Yoga With Adriene videos at home!

Photo by my Grandma when I was doing downward facing dog 😂 (1989)

I did a few more days of Yoga With Adriene videos, with a few sun salutations or cat / cow poses on my mat at the start of my day sometimes. In total, in April, I did 13 Yoga With Adriene videos and other bits here and there.

I’ve learned a lot along the way. I’ve also found myself reading more about yoga [THE BENEFITS ARE INCREDIBLE] and feeling really good on the whole. I could have felt gutted that I didn’t do 30 days… But yoga is all about compassion, to others and to yourself. It’s not about being in competition with others, and it’s about accepting where you’re at right now, in the moment, being fully present and being kind to yourself.

There is so much more to say, but I will save that for another day. Also thank you to everyone I know who has been part of my yoga journey so far, I am eternally grateful and I will never stop doing it! I just probably won’t do it every single day. And that’s okay!

Good night x x x

This one is pretty special before sleep. Let me know if you give it a go! ❤️ Namaste ❤️