What I love about this day and age is all the free content available too us over the internet!
This year so far has been one of learning, growing and taking challenges and as a result, been one of the most productive and accomplished in a few years!
I think I'm getting slightly addicted to the challenges, as I'm finally showing myself that I can do something when I put my mind to it and not give up after a few days. And my latest challenge... 30 days of Yoga.
I wanted to practise yoga and challenge myself with it as I wanted to work on my form, back health, strength and flexibility all from the comfort of my home. So I searched up Yoga for beginner challenges on YouTube and came across a 30 day challenge from 2015 on a channel called Yoga With Adriene.
I watched a few of her video's before I started the challenge to get to know what I was getting in to and if there were any crazy poses! But I found I really warmed to Adriene and how she explained things really well, that as the time went on I didn't have to really look at the video as I practised.
Thankfully the first day was a session dedicated to easing in the next 30 days, and the first few days Adriene took the time to teach us how to hold the pose properly and bringing you back to a space of mindfulness within the practise (being aware of your form and breathing), something I hadn't experienced whenever I did a random yoga DVD in the past.
However, those first few days also showed me the impact of this practise and that you don't need to do a boot camp workout to be hurting the next day. I was engaging muscles my body had forgotten about. The first 3 days I could feel it around my hips and the sides of my bum, and moving onto day 5 I could feel my upper core was engaging and sore. But once the first week was done, I ceased to feel the soreness and can only assume my body was now getting comfortable with the practise.
Over the next few weeks, I noticed I was gaining more upper body strength, improved balance and I continued to push to try and stand in more advanced poses.
Not only could I feel the difference in my body, I could also see the changes in my mental wellbeing. Things didn't get on top of me as easily as they did and I wasn't stressing out over the small stuff. I was able to just sail through the day with relative ease as my mindset had shifted in someway to a more positive one.
By half way through the challenge I noticed the changes in my flexibility and how I was able to go a step further in the practise with doing slightly advanced pose modifications (not by much but I wanted to push myself out of the novice zone).
In the first week I was only able to do the tree pose if the ball of my foot rested against the ankle of the supporting leg. By the end of the practise, I was able to balance with my foot pressed into my thigh with my arms reaching up to the sun!
Also half way through the challenge I took on another challenge. I trekked up Mount Snowdon.
On July 1st I took on the challenge of walking up to the summit of Snowdon, with a friend, as I'd never done it before and it was on my bucket list. It was a gorgeous, sweltering day, and the views were stunning! It was a 6 hour round trip and clocking in over 30,000 steps, I was bracing myself for all the soreness imaginable and envisioning the 7pm bedtime for some well deserved sleep from such a physical venture. But I didn't. This is one of those proud moments for me that I can say, not only did I climb to the Summit, but I also stayed true to the challenge and carried on with the yoga that day!
I think it might have actually aided in my recovery as I wasn't nearly hurting as much as I thought I'd be the next day. WIN WIN!
Towards the end of the challenge, I was truly enjoying the practise and didn't feel as though I had to do it because it was a challenge, but I genuinely wanted to! Saying that some days I prayed it was a short one as one tends to be busy, but it didn't mean I enjoyed it any less.
One practise in particular that I will never forget was Day 24 and I followed the practise as norm but the end was different to the previous ones as we didn't finish immediately with shavasana, but had more of a short meditation session before the practise came to an end. And it was this meditation session that something happened that I cant explain anymore than, I let something go. It was an amazing feeling. I remember lying on the floor listening to Adriene and we'd been on the floor for a while so I started to think, when is this going to end?! But the next thing I knew I could see/ visualise myself standing and holding onto red and yellow balloons. I thought it weird, but I could hear Adriene repeat the words Allow, Release, Let go. So I did as she said and released the balloons but they just hovered there in front of me until I gave the permission for the balloons to be let go and they just floated away. It's odd and I can't explain it, but when I awoke from the meditation I felt so happy and on top of the earth it was weird. But I still couldn't tell you what I was that I let go, I just knew that I had.
Doing this challenge has been an amazing experience for me and I would highly recommend anyone to give it a try or even just practise along to a few of Adriene's video's to see what kind of impact it has on you.
It is not a quick fix by any means as it does take time, but you do get results pretty quick which encourages you to carry on.
I'll admit though that I have not done yoga for the past 2 weeks since I finished the challenge, but I can tell you I can feel the effect it has since I stopped. My mentality isn't as clear, I'm more tired and I can tell I've lost the strength and flexibility that I had gained through the 30 days. I've basically reverted back to how I was before I started, and honestly, I'm mentally and physically drained from not practising and taking the time for me and myself. It's shown me what a difference half an hour each day can make to take the time to look after your wellbeing.
I will definitely be returning to her practises and have since subscribed to her chanel so I get those little reminders to practise when I can!
Let me know if you have ever done the 30 days of Yoga and who you followed. Do you follow Adriene on YouTube or any social media? Who are your favourite Yogi's? I'd Love to hear from you!