04 Apr 30 Day Yoga Challenge

Today marks the 4th day of a self imposed 30 day yoga challenge.  Why am I doing this you ask?  Well, for starters, I want to be more regular with my exercise.  Here I am preaching to everyone about healthy lifestyles, self care and regular exercise and yet, I’m not always so good about following my own advice.  And, I want to prove that in fact, I DO have the time to exercise if I truly make it a priority and commit to this.

You see, a few years ago, my husband started a Monday Yoga Club at his company.  He invited me to join them every Monday at 2:00pm.

“Two in the afternoon?  On a MONDAY of all days?  That’s the worst time to do yoga!”

After some arm tugging, I decided to join and give it a shot. But every Monday I had the same experience.  As 2:00 approached, I’d start to panic and the inner dialogue would begin:

“Should I go?”

“NO!  I have waaaay too much to do and I’ll fall behind.”

“But it always feels so good.”

“Yeah, but a full hour? On a MONDAY?

“Yeah but it’s so good for everything.  Stress. Posture. Energy.”

“But I have so many e-mails and there will be more waiting for me and then I’ll never catch up.”

“Yeah but…..”

And so, I’d go. And once class started, it would take 10 – 15 minutes to disengage from my mental to do list and shift my focus from my busy brain to my body and then the magic would happen.  After enough downward dogs, tree poses and forward folds, I’d be simultaneously relaxed and energized.  And it just so turned out that those Yoga Monday afternoons turned out to be the most productive time of the week.

So, 4 days in, I’m finding a few things to be true.

1. I don’t have the time to do this, but I’m making the time.  And once it’s on the calendar, the time magically appears.
2. I go into class tired and tense and come out energized and feeling great.
3. Practicing yoga at home (with tapes) is a bit more challenging since my office is in my home and I have to work that much harder to disengage and stick with it.
4. My posture is much better already and I am more aware of how I sit and work.
5. I plan to keep going!

So, what challenges can you take up?  Yoga?  Walking? Running?  Hitting the gym?  Taking class?

Whatever it is, getting into a regular rhythm of exercising and literally scheduling it into your day will do wonders for just about every aspect of your life, make you more productive at work, help you sleep better, lift your mood and even lose a pound or two.

So, what are you waiting for?  Pick a challenge you can commit to, and leave a comment letting me know and I’ll be sure to cheer you on!

Until the Next TIme, Namaste!

Vivienne