November 1st – 30 days of Yoga

Please check out the new yoga challenge page that I have created.  That will be our space for all things yoga during the month of November!

 

When thinking about why I want to do this challenge an   immediate answer comes to me.  I think of all the benefits that I want to get from yoga.  I have heard many many stories from people in my life (either online or offline) about their success from yoga and they always seem so happy and calm and they really take pride in their yoga practice.  I’m not a professional by any means, but the previous stints i’ve had with yoga makes me crave more.  In the past i’ve done a bit of yoga and then quit after a certain amount of time because I either let other things get in the way (like running or other exercise) or I just didn’t make the time to do it.  November is my (and our!) month to make the time for ourselves to sit, stretch and really try to receive the benefits of yoga.

Why yoga?

First and foremost I need the stretch it provides!  Whenever I start a yoga program I become painfully aware of my lack of ability to touch my toes.  Over time as I start to loosen up the progress begins to show.  The poses get easier, they are not as daunting as they were before and I can feel my muscles getting stronger.

Secondly, the time away. What I mean is – regardless if its 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes I know I can take that time away from everything.  It’s kind of like doing other exercises, you know you are spending the time being good to your health and body.  Yoga allows the mind to clear so that you can focus on breathing and just stretch and concentrate on the poses.  During yoga I’m not planning my day for tomorrow, i’m not figuring out what bills I have to pay, i’m not concentrating on anything else but what i’m doing right there.

Thirdly I want to do yoga for strength.  Many women who i’ve spoken to have said that they have noticed great changes in their bodies.  I noticed in such a short period of time previously that my arms looked more toned and I was looking (and feeling!!) stronger.  I have heard that yoga can give you a workout like no other exercise can.  It can lengthen your muscles and change your body in ways that other exercises don’t.

Does this all sound too OUT THERE for you? Maybe you prefer to get your workout in with a good run or through a kickboxing class.  While I love those exercises too, I want to work on incorporating yoga into my daily routine.  Will I still be doing other exercise?  Of course!  But taking 10 minutes each day isn’t much to ask for myself.  Not only will this allow me to experience a different form of exercise, but it will also show me that I can make extra time in the day for myself.

But where do I begin?!? You may be asking yourself that question right now!  I like to use websites such as Yoga Today and I also enjoy the videos from Polly’s site Yoga is Yummy.  Polly’s videos are quick, informative and enjoyable- so I suggest if you need somewhere to start, check out her yoga for newbies video first.  Then work your way through the rest!

You don’t need all the gear right away, like a yoga mat or blocks- but if and when you feel that you might want these things- there is a lot of advice out there on what to buy.

I will likely be buying myself the gear, but I will wait a bit to see how I go!

I hope you’ll join me on my journey throughout November.  I hope we can discuss what works and what doesn’t.  I hope we can all link each other to great websites, talk about struggles and triumphs and give a little encouragement to those who need it (I probably will!).   There will be loads of room for discussion so please feel free to use the comments section as much (or as little) as you want.  I’ll be updating the yoga page each day that I commit to 10 minutes of yoga.  Throughout the month as mentioned before, i’ll be increasing the time spent – but starting small and working my way up is the way forward with this challenge!  Will you join me?

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