Hello Yogis!
The very first Yoga Goodness Studio 21-in-31 Challenge is almost ov
er!
Over 30 people joined the Challenge and a lot of you have already finished it. So, I've been talking to you about it and this is what I heard:
I feel great.
My mood is better.
I've lost weight.
My old injuries have faded away.
I have more energy.
I love yoga - it's so much fun!
I feel victorious - I accomplished my goal!
I asked people if they were bored doing yoga every day and I got a resounding "NO! We love it. We are going to keep coming." (you can imagine how happy this makes me....BIG SMILE!)
One person told me that she had never done yoga before and she loves doing the challenge. But her muscles are feeling a little bit sore. So, after it is over, she is going to drop back to 2-3 classes a week.
That is a good idea for many of us. The reason we at Yoga Goodness designed this challenge to be 21 classes in 31 days as opposed to 30 classes in 30 days is to help develop a long term relationship with yoga. A relationship that will continue to feed your mind and body for years to come.
Part of a healthy yoga relationship is organizing your practice so that it continues to be a renewal source of energy for you
. For some of us, that means taking different kinds of classes - restorative, yin or meditation - in order to let our body rest in a mindful beneficial way.
For some of us, it is good to take at least one complete day of rest a week. And it might be different from week to week.
One of the biggest benefits from doing a vinyasa yoga style practice is that it is always different. There is a clear structure to a Yoga Goodness class but there is no script, no set sequence. This gives you a good chance of avoiding repetitive stress injuries in body and mind - in other words, the practice is designed to support your physical development as well as keep your attention in the present moment
.
From there you can ask yourself, what is the best way for me to practice today? And, as many of you have found already, this kind of awareness has a positive impact on the quality of your personal life, too. This is a good step toward moving away from reactivity to responsiveness, toward being a better listener and experiencing the world with more vibrancy.
So bravo to all the Yoga Goodness challengers for setting a goal and accomplishing it with grace, robustness, open hearts and open minds. Now, we just keep on keeping on.
See you on the mat,
Love,
Cyndi
