If you read my 2020 bucket list, you'll know something I wanted to do this year was to complete a 30-day yoga challenge, and as of January 31st, I'm happy to say, I am able to tick that one off the list.
I made the last-minute decision to begin the year by participating in the Home 30-Day Yoga with Adriene challenge. I'll be honest, when I first decided to do it, I expected to last a few days before I came up with an excuse to skip a session, however, I surprised myself by making it to day 30 without missing a single day, and I'll be honest, I'm pretty damn proud of that.
I thought I might feel out of my depth completing the challenge. I'm pretty new to yoga and have only ever practised at home from Youtube videos. I also have pretty poor balance and flexibility (something I blame on being born premature... but it could be that up until now, I've never pushed myself in those areas). Although there were definitely certain poses I struggled with, and a few a couldn't do, I found Adriene was great at making the sessions accessible for all abilities, offering alternatives depending on where you're at with your yoga journey.
Throughout the journey, Adriene keeps in mind where you're at, adjusting each practice to align with what you've already done, and allowing you to push yourself when necessary without jumping completely out of your comfort zone.
Some sessions definitely edged toward to mediation side of things with a lot of concentration on breathwork (for example day 12 and day 25), and others felt far more physical, like much more of a full-body workout (such as day 6). For me personally, I preferred the more physical sessions as I can find myself easily distracted when the session is more focused on breath than movement.
I made the last-minute decision to begin the year by participating in the Home 30-Day Yoga with Adriene challenge. I'll be honest, when I first decided to do it, I expected to last a few days before I came up with an excuse to skip a session, however, I surprised myself by making it to day 30 without missing a single day, and I'll be honest, I'm pretty damn proud of that.
The thing about daily yoga, is that does take dedication and time. So if it's something you're considering, like me, in the back of your mind you're probably questioning whether it's worth it - so in the blog post I thought I'd share my review of the challenge which will hopefully offer guidance on whether it's suitable for you.
The Sessions:
The sessions ranged from 16 to 40 mins, averaging around the 20-minute mark, so it didn't actually take too much time out of my day and was possible to squeeze in somewhere on those busy days. On the days I was lacking the motivation to make it to the mat, the thought 'it's only 20minutes' convinced me to take part in the practice, a decision I never once regretted.I thought I might feel out of my depth completing the challenge. I'm pretty new to yoga and have only ever practised at home from Youtube videos. I also have pretty poor balance and flexibility (something I blame on being born premature... but it could be that up until now, I've never pushed myself in those areas). Although there were definitely certain poses I struggled with, and a few a couldn't do, I found Adriene was great at making the sessions accessible for all abilities, offering alternatives depending on where you're at with your yoga journey.
Throughout the journey, Adriene keeps in mind where you're at, adjusting each practice to align with what you've already done, and allowing you to push yourself when necessary without jumping completely out of your comfort zone.
Some sessions definitely edged toward to mediation side of things with a lot of concentration on breathwork (for example day 12 and day 25), and others felt far more physical, like much more of a full-body workout (such as day 6). For me personally, I preferred the more physical sessions as I can find myself easily distracted when the session is more focused on breath than movement.
My Experience:
If you read this blog post of mine, you'll know I find yoga to be a great stress reliever and this 30-day challenge couldn't have come at a better time for me. I found myself looking forward to a yoga session at the end of each day, seeing them as a way to release any tension. Honestly some days it felt like the yoga was the only thing which kept me sane.
As I mentioned previously, I thought I might struggle in places with the practice, and although my poses weren't always perfect, I saw improvements as the journey went on, finding myself able to do poses which were initially a no-go, and feeling more in touch with my centre to balance and having built strength. I can now also officially touch my toes, something I've never been able to do.
Something I didn't expect, was to be able to see the physical changes in my body. I decided to complete the challenge because I thought it might be good for my mental health, and simply to see if I could. I did not really consider that I might impact the appearance of my body, however challenging myself and moving for that 20minutes every day I found myself seeing some toning on my stomach, and my bum perking up, something I've only had back when I saw a personal trainer - nothing major, but small changes. I also lost some weight, however, I'm not completely sure whether that was related.
As I mentioned previously, I thought I might struggle in places with the practice, and although my poses weren't always perfect, I saw improvements as the journey went on, finding myself able to do poses which were initially a no-go, and feeling more in touch with my centre to balance and having built strength. I can now also officially touch my toes, something I've never been able to do.
Something I didn't expect, was to be able to see the physical changes in my body. I decided to complete the challenge because I thought it might be good for my mental health, and simply to see if I could. I did not really consider that I might impact the appearance of my body, however challenging myself and moving for that 20minutes every day I found myself seeing some toning on my stomach, and my bum perking up, something I've only had back when I saw a personal trainer - nothing major, but small changes. I also lost some weight, however, I'm not completely sure whether that was related.
Finding Motivation:
I didn't expect to find the motivation to unroll the mat each day, but I did - and that alone I found rewarding, so I thought I'd share my bit of wisdom on that.
It's very unlikely you will feel like doing yoga every day for 30 days because, life happens - but if you push yourself to do it, you'll be proud, and it will be worth it.
- Figure out when works for you and do it the same time every day. A lot of people like to do the morning to get it over and done with. For me personally, I find yoga session in the evening most rewarding as they offer me a way to unwind from my day.
- Put a positive spin on it, think 'I get to do yoga today' rather than 'I have to do yoga today'.
- Plan well: If you know a day is going to be particularly busy figure out when you can fit in your practice. If you're away from home take your yoga mat. Be organised and it will feel less like a chore, squeezed into a busy day, and you'll really be able to appreciate the time you've taken to do it.
- Accept that you're not always going to feel like doing it, but understand you're always capable of doing it.
- Tell others about your challenge, have them hold you accountable. Maybe post about it on social media - I posted about it on my Instagram story and knowing I'd mentioned it in a public place, motivated me when I just didn't fancy it.
- Think about how you'll improve over where you're at. If at the start of the challenge I let my frustrations of not being where I wanted to be, get to me, I would have given up much earlier. Instead, I used that frustration to motivate me to work to improve.
It takes time, and dedication, but if you're looking for more zen and movement in your day, I'd recommend this Yoga challenge. Since completing it I've kept up doing yoga most days because it makes both my body and mind feel good.
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