30-Day Yoga and Meditation Challenge!

We typically don’t like to post long entries, but this one is a mix of a personal entry, as well as a fitness one. So if you’re only interested in doing a yoga and/or meditation challenge, just scroll to “30-Day Yoga and Meditation Challenge!” header below. 

I’ve been on and off of yoga for years. I remember my first yoga experience - it was almost ten years ago, while I was in university. I had read about Yoga in tabloid magazines, and celebrities - Madonna in particular - were raving about it, so my curiosity was piqued. I attended a yoga class at Bally Total Fitness in Toronto with some friends. At the time, I couldn’t stand it. It seemed like an awkward, boring, slow class that was basically all about stretching. I didn’t understand what all the hype was about. I went back to my high-energy, palpitating workouts that caused me to sweat and work off all of my pent up, young energy. 

Forward to a couple years later when HOT yoga came on the scene. I decided to give it a try. The class was a 90 minute one, and oh my goodness, the HEAT! I felt dizzy half-way through, felt like I was going to faint, but I was “sweating”, red-faced, and afterwards, felt so refreshed, awake, and alive! I couldn’t wait to go to my next one. 

Over time, I maintained an on-again, off-again love affair with hot yoga, going to multiple studios, using up their “new member” deals, eventually even getting my husband hooked on it and the “refreshed, alive” after-glow we’d get after a session of stretching, breath-work, and (what seemed like) “detoxing".

Then came the research. Friends in the fitness and nutrition industry warned me about the dangers of doing yoga in a heated environment - other than the potential for heat-stroke or fainting, the temporary increased flexibility to your muscles in a heated environment can lead to injuries or damage, possibly even long-term. Over-stretching your muscles when they’re in a softened state can lead to joint problems, inflammation, and arthritis. And personally, I do find it difficult to really listen to my body and accede to its limitations when distracted and encouraged by others around me to go further. (You can read more about the dangers of hot yoga HERE and HERE)

So I took one final break. 

Colleen Saidman Yee Quote | The Turnover

And then a couple months ago I heard about Colleen Saidman Yee’s new book, “Yoga for Life” and had to pick it up. After finishing it, I can't recommend it enough. It’s full of beautiful, softening insight and an honest truth about her own life's struggles and how yoga has helped her get through it all, plus pages upon pages of various yoga sequences that you can practice in your own space. 

Colleen’s book has renewed my love for the discipline, and since I’ve begun to read it, I’ve sporadically practiced yoga in my own space, whenever I can (sometimes for just 5 minutes), followed by a period of meditation. And since I’ve just entered into my second trimester of pregnancy, this practice of tuning it to my body, at my own pace, in my own private space, has become that much more important and fruitful to my well-being. 

However, I haven’t yet made it a real daily routine, so starting today, I will begin a...

 

30-Day Yoga and Meditation Challenge!

My goals will be:

  • To grow and maintain strength in my body during my remaining months of pregnancy,
  • Gain a better mind-body connection, and
  • Aid in regulating my mental health. The union of flowing movements and regulated breathing in yoga have been shown to regulate one’s stress, blood pressure, cortisol levels, and even mood. 
  • (For more benefits on the practice of yoga, click HERE)

I will be using a combination of Colleen’s yoga sequences from her book, “Yoga for Life”, as well as the below online sources:

There are plenty YouTube channels that offer Yoga sequences you can follow - just find some that resonate with the style and pace you’re most comfortable with. 

As for the meditation aspect of my challenge, there are a few apps that I tend to cycle through if I need it (otherwise I'll just sit quietly), most of which are guided meditation applications:

Now, in order for you to successfully complete your 30-day yoga challenge, consistency will be a key proponent and you should outline some details beforehand:

  • Select a minimum amount of time that you can devote to your practice every day. I’m going to start with a short 15 minutes. Whether that’s 10 minutes of yoga and 5 minutes of meditation, or 5 minutes of yoga and 10 minutes of meditation will depend on how I’m feeling that day. I can even go over my time if I like, but keeping my goal reasonable ensures I’ll be able to stick to it every day.
  • Select a time of day to consistently practice every day. This will help manage your day better and ensure you get your practice in.
  • Find or create a space to practice in every day. Knowing where you’ll be practicing your session will also help ensure consistency over the 30 days. The space should be conducive to your practice - I'd recommend adding some decorative elements if needed to create a more zen-like atmosphere. 
  • And this is optional, but you may find that you're more likely to stay on track, if you record your progress during the 30 days. I've created a small checklist or calendar that you can write in - feel free to download and use it for your yoga and/or meditation challenge!

That's it! I hope you can join me on your own challenge and that you find these resources/outlines helpful! I'll be blogging about my progress in two weeks, with more tips and insights!

Till then, here are a few other great sources to check out:

 

Grow, Personal Growth, FitnessTeenna TsangYoga, Challenge, Worksheet, Fitness, 30 Day Challenge, MeditationComment