Do Something, Day 19

That which is worth doing?  It comes with a price.  That might be time.  It might be pain or discomfort.  It might be money.  Or something else.  But anything worth doing will not be easy.  It will come with it's own personal catch.

Priorities is what it's all about.  What is important to you?  You will find time for it.  You will get up early or stay up late to make it happen.  It's all about re-setting our priorities to accommodate our good habits we want to cultivate.

It might be harder at first, and that's both normal and totally okay.  But it will get easier the longer you keep it up.  Just like our little Do Something challenge has showed us.  It's a little easier every day to get up and do what we need to do, eh?

For me and the yoga classes, getting to and from, takes time.  2 hours a class, most days.  Half an hour to get ready and get there, an hour there, and half an hour to get home and on with the rest of the day.  It also costs money, for the membership to the Y...  but mostly, time.  Especially if kids come along to swim or play.  That takes more like 3 hours per day, and not every day is equipped with an extra 3 hours.

The clothes to work out in take money.  The laundry those clothes create take time to clean.  And the discomfort from strengthening muscles makes for interesting days sometimes.

But is it worth it?  You bet your cinnamon buns it is!

I'm only 19 days into this thing, but I can't see an end in sight.  I don't want to stop when I hit day 30.  I might add swimming in on some days where it fits the schedule better than a yoga class...  and when my foot stops cramping up on me randomly.  That's no fun, and I'd really rather avoid it.  But I can see continuing this challenge into the unforeseen future.

In fact, in April, I plan to host another 30 day yoga challenge!  That's only a few weeks away, and at this rate, it will be here before we know it!  :)  Consider joining me!  This yoga thing is contagious...  can you tell?  :)  

30 Day Yoga Challenge!! Day 30!!

Welcome to this, your final official day of the 30 day challenge!!  Just this one little practice and you will have a whole month under your belt!!  That is a full 4 weeks of daily practice to build the practice you want for yourself, for the future.

For most people, a good habit takes 21 days to form, and you have just done 29!  If that's not a way to get it in your mind that getting up and moving (in whatever way you like!) is a good thing, I don't know what is!

I know for me, I feel amazing.  My mind is clearer, my clothes fit better, and I am more in control of my random emotions as they come and go.  They are still there, of course, but I can more easily choose how to direct their energy, and can choose to be calm rather than upset, etc.

Anyway, so!  Where does your 30 days make you want to go?  Continue on?  Take a break?  Start from the beginning and do it all over again?  The choice is yours.

I congratulate you for making it this far!!!  It's no easy task.  There's always something that can get in the way.  But you made it.  Good for you!!!  That's amazing!!  I, for one, am proud of you.  *beams*

Okay, so here's your one last practice.  One more for the road, as it were.  ;)  Happy Yoga!!  Today, maybe focus on what you'd like to do from here on out, get into your mind and find your resolve or intention there.  You know what you would like to do from here.  Set out to accomplish it!

Today's is Yoga For Alignment, mostly because chiropractors and what they do are in the foreground of my mind this morning.  :)  Good stuff.



Namaste!  :)  Catch you on the flip side!

30 Day Yoga Challenge!! Day 29!!!

So so so close!  Keep going!  It won't be much longer and you'll be there!!!

Fast post before work, so I don't forget or have to post from my phone again!  That didn't work out very well, LOL.

This is another video, Hatha style, with the girl who looks like a normal person.  :)  Here you are!!

Happy Yoga!!  One more day!!!

30 Day Yoga Challenge!! Day 28!!

Happy Day 28!!  :)  Tension release is the focus of the day.  It goes hand in hand with the hip opener practice from yesterday.  Tension builds up and learning to release it is key.  It's a very good thing.  :)

Have a lovely day!  :)  (2 more days to go!!)

30 Day Yoga Challenge!! Day 27!!

So...  Close...  Almost...  There...

Okay!  We had a nice slow light practice yesterday, and that felt fantastic.  I fell asleep on my mat again.  I do that, lol.  Especially with night practice after a long day.  I like to have a blanket handy for savasana for that reason, actually.  I wake up really cold after, if I do fall asleep.  Blanket in savasana, and then when I sit up, I tend to move it around my shoulders for the final mediation in lotus.  Makes me look a little funny, probably, but no more funny than attack cat during meditation:

Okay!  Anyway, funny looks aside, blankets are awesome.  They could be used as a bolster too, if you needed one.  Not a bad thing to have handy.  :)

Video for today!  Yesterday we did shoulder tension and openers.  Today we'll go for hips.  Those are MY two problem areas, so that's what I like to focus on sometimes, joint-wise.  Backs of the legs being long is another area to focus on, so forward folding is another focus of mine.  Anyway, if you have problem areas, look for yoga practices or sequences that can help work with them nicely!  :)  There are loads of them out there.



Amazing the difference one little class can make, eh?  Have a lovely day!

30 Day Yoga Challenge!! Day 26!!

Welcome to Day 26!!!  I'm super excited this morning, but that may just be my OVERDOSE OF COFFEE!!! EEEEEE!!

Okay, sorry.  *composure*  Four more days to go!!  You can do it!!  And how awesome will you be??  THIS AWESOME!!

I'm going to shut my caffeinated head and give you your video now.  And go do a little dance.  And maybe play a little World of Warcraft.  Because I'm a dork like that.  :P

Have a wonderful day!!!

30 Day Yoga Challenge!! Day 25!!

Welcome to day 25!  Just 5 days to go!

Today's video is an intermediate level, so it may be a little harder than some others we've done, but give it a try!  Remember to modify as needed, if you are not feeling it today.



Namaste!  <3

30 Day Yoga Challenge!! Day 24!!

Good morning!  Welcome to day 24!  We're in the home stretch, only 6 days left of the challenge!!  How awesome are you for making it this far!?  THIS AWESOME!!  :)

As promised, we switch to a new teacher and a little more active practice today.  The last few days have been lovely and almost restorative, which has been really nice.  Nice slow break, while maintaining our flow.  That's the thing, even if you can't do a big practice like today's every day, doing the slow stretches, holding them longer, etc, really helps us keep up without feeling over-exerted.

But, enough of that, and back to the fun hard stuff for a day or two!  :)  So here we go!  This is considered intermediate, so if things are too hard, remember to take the easier pose variations.  Knees on the floor for the push up bit and cobra instead of up dog, etc.  Follow what your body tells you, take breaks if you need to, and do your best!  :)

Happy Yoga!

30 Day Yoga Challenge!! Day 23!!

Good morning!  Double checked today's video before putting it up.  (Brilliant ideas, I know, LOL)  This one IS an hour long, and the focus is discernment.  These are good slow classes that take a LOT of time on each pose, and that's a good thing when you're beginning.  You get a deeper stretch, and can feel the effects a little longer, I think.



I'm not really sure how I feel about the music used behind the videos, but that's just me.  I like some music, but maybe not quite as ethereal-sounding.  ;)  Anyway, here you go!

Will try and find some other long classes by a different teacher, with a different feel, for the next couple days, so you can branch out even more.  :)

Have a lovely day!

30 Day Yoga Challenge!! Day 22!!

 I am trying to post this from my phone, which is being irritating.  will have to make this longer st hone tonight.       Anyway, video! 

 On the computer now! Loving that my phone was able to find and post a video, don't get me wrong, but my touch screen was NOT being responsive and I couldn't fix spelling errors or use swype. Or the sideways keyboard, which is easier to type individual keys with. One or the other please!  Lovely dying Android.  (I miss my iPhone!!)

In any case, the video today is another hour-ish long class with Dr. Melissa West.  This one focuses on gratitude, something we could probably all work on.  We have so much to be thankful for, after all, and how often do we take time to reflect on that?  Once or twice a year on holidays?  Let's make this a more common practice.

I hope your day was blessed, and we'll see you tomorrow!  :)  

ETA again!  I went to watch and follow this video, which was pulled up...  only to find out it is NOT a full class and I don't see the same one as full length at Yoga Yak's page.  So we're going to switch to a different class!

This one IS a full length class.  Sorry about that!  The focus today is, not gratitude, which we could still focus more on, but is "Yoga of Choice".  



These tend to have a little more time spent on the meditation at the beginning and end, I'm noticing.  It can be a little difficult to just "be" with so much talking...  or perhaps you enjoy the talking because it gives you something to focus on.  Again, if you are not liking the videos linked, go back to one we've done before!  Or choose one at the store and follow that.  Or even take your favorite bits from everything so far, put on some quiet music, and do a self practice at your own pace, doing what feels nice at the moment.  Work on a pose that's been giving you trouble, or work on your flow in Sun Salutations...  It's totally up to you.

The point is to try, to work at it, and try to promote a daily practice.  Even a little tiny bit of yoga every day can go a LONG way.  I always try to fit in a little tiny bit, even if I cannot do a full practice.  I feel better with the full practice, but I do what I can.  And standing poses while I make dinner are better than nothing!  :)

Anyway, I'll be quiet.  Long day.  Off I go.  :)  Practice time.  And again, check in!  Let us know how you're doing, if you have questions or comments, etc.  :)  I'd be happy to chat!

30 Day Yoga Challenge! Day 21!!

Welcome to day 21! We're going to continue with the series we started yesterday. The videos are around 1 hour long, and should lean toward beginner levels. :)

 Take today's practice to focus on what you have achieved so far, and what does that mean to you? If you are so inclined, let us know in the comments area! I know we have readers, I see your views! Let's hear what you think!

 And hey, if you think some of the posts are full of crap, give us your opinion! :) I'm more than happy to hear your thoughts and would love the dialogue about it! :) Without further ado, today's video.  Yoga of Awareness:




Namaste!  Have a lovely day!  

30 Day Yoga Challenge! Day 20!!

We're well on our way! :) I am going to lead out with a series of classes by Dr. Melissa West. There are TONS of them, so if you are interested in continuing with free online classes daily after the challenge is done, this would be an easy way to continue on with hour-ish long classes.

Here is the playlist where they can be found, if you are so inclined! :) She leans toward more beginner level stuff, so if you feel like you need more, seek elsewhere or buy a disc... but she's a good starting point for sure. :)  This starts on page 3 of the list, so go to page 2 and 1 to see classes 2-100+.



Namaste!  :)

30 Day Yoga Challenge! Day 19!!

Happy Day 19!!  Lots of videos from the yoga philosophy post yesterday, should check them out if you have not already!  :)

Today's video is another 40-ish minute one.  It's not so hard to keep up the long ones now, eh?  Maybe some days more than others, but the stamina is building!  Good stuff!  :)



They call this "heart expanding"...  you can take that to mean "chest openers" or you can make it a deeper thought if you like!  :)

Namaste!

30 Day Yoga Challenge! Day 18!!

Moving right along, both literally and figuratively! :) Keep it up!! Only a few more days to go to reach that goal! 30 days... it seemed intimidating at first, didn't it? Not so scary now, eh?

Some days you are tight, some days you are sore, but every day, without fail, after your practice, you feel better, don't you? :) That is proof, my friends. Proof of the awesome powers of yoga. It has its amazing benefits! :)

And after a while, when you find yourself incorporating the breath and the mindsets into your other aspects of life (kids made a huge mess in the kitchen with flour... the dog escaped the backyard... that frustrating client at work who is difficult to please...), you'll begin to see how yoga is helpful beyond the practice. How it helps with maintaining focus and approaching life's challenges with calm and poise.

Yoga is the practice, indeed, but it is much much more. :)

Anyway, on the practice side of things! I've found you a 43 minute hatha yoga class. It's not too easy, not too hard. Give it a try, or redo a favorite practice from earlier this month! :)



I'm going to do some research and post some yoga philosophy videos for you if you are interested. :) And once I have my full 30 day list, I'm going to make a 30 day yoga challenge page up top, so you can come back here or link to it any time if someone else wants to try it for themselves! :) Keep it all easy and reachable.

Anyway! Happy Yoga! Hope you have a lovely day! <3

30 Day Yoga Challenge! Day 17!!

Morning!  Quick post, and off to work.  Still need to start coffee.  Not much time.  ;)

55 min today!  If you need to take breaks, hang out in child's pose for a few breaths and get back in there!  :)



Some of this is going to be harder than you've tried before, just because it's new or because of the nature of the pose.  Pigeon is hard because of how deep a hip opener it is, for example.  But try it out, try to relax, and see what you can do!  :)

30 Day Yoga Challenge! Day 16!!

Over the hump, it's all downhill from here. :) Today we'll do a little longer one but take it easy since we pushed ourselves yesterday. Sound like a plan? No? Too bad, that's the plan. Don't like it, you can find another video to follow today. :P So there.

(Don't mind me, I'm a bit ornery today.)

Anyway!! Here we go! This one is led by a lovely lady who looks a lot more like I do than some of the models we've been seeing! Shows lots of adjustments if you're new to the practice too, which is nice. :) This is 43 minutes long, but not too difficult. If you want a challenge when you're done, go back and try the inversions from day 14, or arm balances from day 15. :)



This practice would be a good one to try and remember poses from and use while reading, watching tv at home, or studying.  I use many of these poses while doing other things at home, myself, and it's a nice way to keep the practice going while doing things I need to get done (studying), reading for fun, or to keep moving while enjoying a tv show or movie.  :)

Anyway!  So that's that!  Hope you have a lovely day 16!

30 Day Yoga Challenge! Day 15!!

Happy Half Way Point!!! :) Look how far you've come!! Be proud!!


Going to do 2 practices today again, for a total of 33 minutes. Stay in savasana as LONG as you like. After this practice, you deserve it. :) Just be sure to set a timer for yourself if you have somewhere to be afterward. I tend to fall asleep after the hard ones. :)


The first video is about 10 minutes and shows a simple morning practice. Core toning stuff, which will help with practice #2.


The second is our challenging one of the day! 23 minutes long, so today's isn't TOO long, but that's because it's harder. Second one is arm balances. Teaching us how to begin them and what we can do to make ourselves strong to achieve them one day, if today's try does not work. :)







I love the look of accomplishment on the model's face in this last one!  She's really good and she is struggling with these too!  That makes me feel better.  And I love Kathryn's approach.  Maybe it's a little kick, maybe a hover, maybe nothing, but the point is ...  you tried today.  That is the thing.  If you never try, you'll never get there.  Give your body the benefit of the doubt.  Maybe not today, but if you keep it up and keep trying, some day you will get there.  :)

You can do it!!  Happy yoga, and may your day be blessed!  :)  

30 Day Yoga Challenge! Day 14!!

Day 14! And as promised, we're doing a little longer today... And also, a little upside down time! :)

First video we did on day 9. Standing Poses.
Second video is new, and is how I achieved a decent headstand. :)





I can't move away from the wall yet, and I am hesitant to do the tripod version with my back still not normal, but I'm trying! :) Give it a shot! :) See if you can do it, see how long you can hold it, and be proud of yourself for trying!!

Happy yoga!

30 Day Yoga Challenge! Day 13!!

Day 13. Getting into the 17-minutes-isn't-long-enough stage of the practice! So let's do two today! They add up to 35 minutes. I found a bunch of 40-60 minute practices we need to lead into, so we're getting our length a bit longer! :) Build up our endurance!

First video is inversions, forward bending and the like, in different leg stances.

Second video is shoulder opening, to work toward a shoulderstand. Yesterday's video showed one, with head and neck on the ground and the rest of the body up in the air.

Tomorrow we'll continue with the inversions and work on a headstand after a lovely warm up. It's not as hard as it looks, you use a wall for help. It will be fun!! :)








Happy day 13! Almost to the half way point!!

30 Day Yoga Challenge! Day 12!!

Day 12! Today's video is a 20 minute class done by the same people who did the video for day 8. Figured having a "down" day instead of an intensive one, considering yesterday's practice, would be nice. :)



Happy Yoga! Keep it up!!!