Let's cut to the quick. I did not do this challenge as I should have. Yoga is best done in a studio, with the co-regulation and instruction of a teacher. At home, it is best done with quiet, focus, and solitude. I did none of this. I did the challenge online via video. I often did other things during the video (e.g. reading on my phone). I sometimes got interrupted and had to half and half a practice. But it was still good for me.
Adriene Mischler of Yoga with Adriene posts a 30 day challenge almost every year. I have done them for several years now. Each year, it's a squeeze to fit in the practices for 30 days. Each year, I consider quitting, but my stubbornness keeps me going. In the end, I am glad when I finish.
To be honest, I'm not in the best yoga shape, but I'm not an absolute beginner, either. I get annoyed at the very basic nature of the beginning practices. They seem too slow and too easy, but I think that is part of Mischler's intent. We all need to start with a beginner's mind. We need to reset, not think we know it all, and begin anew. Good practice for yoga, and for life.
Mischler's style is part restorative hatha, part energetic vinyasa, part Pilates with some plain old stretching thrown in. Really, there is something for everyone. Mischler's dramatic flair and quirky humor add to the practice. (If you investigate her videos, beware, that sometimes her humor can be a bit mature.)
I combined the challenge this year with my run training. This contributed to the tight scheduling and multi-tasking, but it worked. I looked forward to the slowness of the practice after a potentially harder run. Making these challenge a success, for me, means using them as meditation, not exercise. For me, they don't do the job of exercise, even though yoga is an exercise.
The theme of this challenge was breath, focusing on the breath to rest. Focusing on the breath to guide through. Focusing on the breath to stay in the moment. I didn't do great with breath. I didn't even practice all of the breaths. But I said the challenge was good for me. Why? It gave me a breath of fresh air. It forced me to focus at least a little bit. I practiced prioritizing. I remembered, even if only for a brief few moments, what it felt like to rest.
Will I continue with daily yoga, as recommended by Mischler? No, probably not. Will I keep doing yoga. Yes, probably so. Will I do next year's challenge? Yes, if I can. It's a good way to reset at the beginning of the year, and if nothing else, motivation to keep my practice going.
Hello, February, goodbye, Breath. But really not goodbye. Hello to keeping the practice going, at least subconsciously, to giving myself a little rest and space, even if not indicated by the clock or the yoga calendar. We all live on air, so yoga or not, breath is important.
.JPEG)
