Flow
Goal Post #12 yoga, part 2
In July, I joined a group of women for revolution - 31 days of yoga. We were spread all over the world, so it was a virtual gathering. We'd all tackle the same video practice each day then discuss how it went and encourage each other to keep it up.
Having made so much progress practicing yoga again consistently, I didn't expect the challenge to be especially demanding. HA! It was much harder than I imagined. The freedom of doing my own poses in my own time made following someone else a chore. The instructor's name is Adriene and I groaned or complained at her more once. Plus I missed being outside in summer weather.
Practicing in a park during my lunch breaks definitely helped with the second problem. Some of my most successful sessions were during lunchtime because it was the best of both worlds. Exercising outside can get exciting in work clothes with ants, sudden breezes and heat, but for me it was better than a cramped room. Fun tip- the right maxi dress provides full coverage, breathability, and freedom of movement!
Mid-month, I felt something unlock in me. Following along became enjoyable instead of restrictive and I was appreciating holding unfamiliar poses. Off the mat I noticed my body movements had more intention. Moving from my core instead of flinging myself from one task to the next felt graceful, a word not often used to describe this librarian with adult ADHD posing awkwardly in photos.
Having made so much progress practicing yoga again consistently, I didn't expect the challenge to be especially demanding. HA! It was much harder than I imagined. The freedom of doing my own poses in my own time made following someone else a chore. The instructor's name is Adriene and I groaned or complained at her more once. Plus I missed being outside in summer weather.
Practicing in a park during my lunch breaks definitely helped with the second problem. Some of my most successful sessions were during lunchtime because it was the best of both worlds. Exercising outside can get exciting in work clothes with ants, sudden breezes and heat, but for me it was better than a cramped room. Fun tip- the right maxi dress provides full coverage, breathability, and freedom of movement!
Mid-month, I felt something unlock in me. Following along became enjoyable instead of restrictive and I was appreciating holding unfamiliar poses. Off the mat I noticed my body movements had more intention. Moving from my core instead of flinging myself from one task to the next felt graceful, a word not often used to describe this librarian with adult ADHD posing awkwardly in photos.
The yoga challenge did throw off my personal routine but it wasn't the only culprit. Nic started a new job in June and was getting up earlier. This meant I no longer had the living space to myself each morning. Now we've moved, I have plenty of space to practice with both of us awake, but at that point it was easier to hit pause on the routine. Between these two adjustments, I stopped morning planks completely. It took a couple of months to re-establish that habit after July but maintaining morning yoga was easier somehow.
Altogether, I didn't complete every day of the revolution but still count the experience a success. Simply put, there were days when jumping on my bike was what I needed mentally and the physical space limitations inside our house were no joke.
The 31 day challenge was difficult but worth the effort. Practicing yoga for longer on a regular basis strengthened my body and my will power. Adriene’s message about listening to our bodies as part of taking care of them and finding what feels good with exercise really resonated with my priorities about health.
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