A Review of Yoga Fix 30

Another January, another 30 day yoga challenge completed. This seems to be a theme for me. But hey, the New Year is a great time for a reset, and when there are challenges to do, why not?

This year, I completed the Yoga Fix 30 with Lesley Fightmaster. This was a series of roughly 20 minute videos targeting all areas of the body, usually with a meditation on Sunday. Here's what I liked, what I learned, and what I didn't like.

I liked...

• The brevity of the videos: I didn't need to get up early or carve out a huge chunk of time for yoga. I could add the videos onto a shorter workout, or do them after work.
• The duration of the videos: Thirty days is long enough to feel like I worked hard, but not so long that I regretted my commitment. I was ready for a few days break when the series finished.
• The accessibility of the videos: I used to like hard yoga, but after a bout with the flu (or whatever it was), these were challenging enough, without stressing my body.
• The imperfections: Fightmaster leaves the mistakes in her video, which makes me feel a whole lot better when I fall out of a pose. "Fall out. Get right back in," she says. That's a good motto for life.
• The mantra at the end: "Hands to the forehead, reminding us to have clear and loving thoughts. Hands to the heart, reminding us to have clear and loving intentions. Hands to the mouth, reminding us to have clear and loving communications." This is biblical if I do say so myself.

I learned...

• How to do an up dog: I could never figure out how cobra and up dog were different, but I finally got it. Thighs on the floor for cobra. Thighs off the floor for up dog. And in real up dog, I'm closer to the cool feet-flip that gets people back into down dog.
• Long workouts aren't for me: I did add my daily video on at the end of weights or jogging a few days, and I was tired. About 30 minutes is good for me. Much more, and I just don't do a good job.
• To take modifications: I am a perfectionist and want to do things 100%. But with the flu and my overall tiredness, I rested more in these yoga videos. And it was okay. I still got through.
• Yoga, as with any habit, is about priorities: There isn't time for everything, so I had to choose to do yoga over other workouts or activities. Nothing lost, but something gained. Life is about choices.
• You really should wait two hours after eating to practice: I left my video until after dinner one night, and though I waited as long as I could after eating (an hour or more), I didn't feel well afterwards. Lesson learned.

I didn't like...

• Sunday meditations: I would have preferred a shorter, gentler yoga class in lieu of the meditations. But it's okay, because I used that time to try to practice my own flows.
• The ads: It's a peril of YouTube, but I didn't enjoy clicking past the ads at the beginning of each video. I almost always felt rushed going into them, and the ads took a few more seconds of my time.
• The pacing: A few of the videos moved too fast for me, at least in my current state. I didn't like feeling like I couldn't keep up.
• My malaise: I don't think it was the videos' fault, but I felt more disconnected this time through yoga. I didn't feel as relaxed or calm. Maybe that's because I've been sick. Maybe it's because I'm stressed. I don't know, but whatever the cause, the videos felt more like a chore this time.
• The lack of Christian connection: I believe that Christians can practice yoga as an integration of body, mind, and spirit (because that's the way God made us). Fightmaster doesn't tout herself as a Christian yoga practitioner, so I can't fault her secular comments and connections, but some day, I would like to find a Christian yoga video producer.

That's all for this yoga wrap-up. Thoughts, comments, or questions? Please share in the comments section.