Day 28

10 days have passed since I have blogged. Over the past week and a half I have had the opportunity of doing some at home practices, thanks to the unruly weather and car troubles. I have found that doing yoga at home has given me balance in this challenge. I've really enjoyed turning my room into my own personal yoga spa... I have even incorporated some detoxing techniques to my life.. some being detox baths, green superfood drinks....eating the best foods ever! .. and a bunch of other stuff. It must be because of how my attention has shifted over the past 28 days to making my yoga a priority that my life has begun to take new direction. I'm starting to get some clarity on where I want to take my degree when I'm finished, I'm still a little unsure (that's not a bad thing though...mystery is good). I have become a very productive person, I write a long to do list in the morning and by the end of the day I have usually accomplished everything on it... writing in my blog was one of those things on my list today....

I'd have to say that this challenge is turning out different then what I had expected....I'm really enjoying it. I will end off with a quote that I heard today that I liked.... "Discipline brings freedom" ... I couldn't agree more..

Day 18

So it's been a long time since I've posted. The challenge is still going really good, I just finished day 18. My practice and body strength are improving with all the yoga. I'm not really finding it difficult to get in a daily practice, that has been the easy part so far. It's finding the time for everything else that's been a little tricky. But it's all good because I love challenges!

Tonight's class was a little strange, someone fainted in the beginning....which kind of threw me off. I was finding it a little hard to focus....and I could swear that I kept hearing people farting :S very weird.... maybe that's why that person fainted.... hmm who knows ...But I still really enjoyed it... I got a nice yoga stone off of it, hopefully it will help me sleep good tonight...yay day 18! :)

Day 11

Before class today I was feeling rather blah about the challenge. Thoughts were racing through my mind about the next 90 classes.. the needing to commit everyday....I started feeling like there wasn't enough time to do 90 classes! I was overwhelming myself...

When the class started I could feel the uneasiness start to float away and I realized that I had a ton of energy. The class was amazing! I loved every pose, especially working the abs. Nothing like being pregnant to make you appreciate being able to work your core. It felt good to work so hard. By the end of class I felt the complete opposite then when I started. Now I feel a total sense of accomplishment and I am again really excited about the rest of the challenge! yay!

It's funny how sometimes when you think you're going to have a crummy class, it can go the opposite way...

Day 8

Today was amazing.... I got so much accomplished. I think the combination of doing all this yoga, eating all this good raw food, meditating, and reading such inspiring books has really given me some bounce in my step. I actually did an Ahh meditation today, it was really intense.... by the end of it I felt as though I was buzzing lol. After that I decided to make myself a juice (something I haven't done in about a year).. it had been so long that I had to use pliers to turn the nob of the juicer! With all that good energy and juice flowing through my body I was able to do some studying for my course (yay!)... then I spent the rest of the day playing with Brynjar (something that I love :D). There's nothing better then spending time with a baby! They're pure love :)

So I was able to take all that positivity to my yoga class tonight, which I found was a breeze. Clancy was teaching tonight, she had a lot of insight to add to my practice. She said something at the end of the class (I can't remember what it was :S) ...but it reminded me of the verse from the Tao that I was practicing today. If I wasn't so tired I would elaborate more...but anyways, it was a really great class! 2 thumbs up! ...

Day 8...success! Looking forward to my 90 minute tomorrow morning!

Day 7!

Day 7 is done...now I'm looking forward to Day 8 (yay). Tonight I found that the class was actually pretty easy. I'm not sure if that's because I've been doing so much yoga that I'm getting stronger or maybe it was that yummy salad I had for supper that gave me the energy.

My thoughts as of right now regarding the challenge ....

1) It doesn't really feel any different from what I used to do. I think once I get further in it might start to get harder.

2) I'm loving all the support from the yoga community and all of the people in the challenge...it makes this so much more fun!

3) I'm finding it easier to bring my yoga off the mat and into my everyday life. I'm finding that my life is flowing really good right now.

4) I'm sleeping deeper at night. As hard as that is to do with an 8 month old..

5) Lastly, I'm really excited about what all this yoga will bring to my life over the next few months

That's about it for now!

Day 5

Since I had to do my energy exchange at the studio today, I had intended on doing a 5am at home practice.... on Tuesdays it's really hard for me to be away from Brynjar for the 4 hour shift then leave again later for another couple hours to go to yoga. Well when my alarm went off at 5 this morning I just couldn't do it! My body was exhausted....I was so tired...so cold.. I just wanted to stay in bed.. and that's what I did..

So instead of doing the at home practice, I tried a Yin class for the first time. I really enjoyed it and I think I will make it a part of this 100 day challenge. It was so nice to slow down the pace and do some deep stretching. I think incorporating that into my practice will really help when I do the regular Moksha series...

So Day 5 was a success.... still going strong .... looking forward to Day 6!!!

Day 4

I was able to make it to a 90 minute Moksha class today! It was really great...supper sweaty! I had a lot of trouble shutting off my internal dialogue...the chatter just wouldn't stop. But I had a good class physically, my downward dog felt really great... and I think I may have picked up some new insights on Ustrasana thanks to Leslee, she was encouraging us to explore the poses. Tomorrow I will approach camel a little differently then I have in the past.

So Day 4 was successful....I'm looking forward to Day 5...hopefully a 5 am at home practice!

Day 3 - Living the Mystery

Last night I read the first verse of my book to prepare myself for the next day... at first I wasn't really sure of how to apply it to my practice. So I decided to just sleep on it and read it again before taking off to a 9:30 am Moksha class...

Well I ended up sleeping in a little, so I didn't have time to read it over... but I made it to class which was good... While doing the first pranayama I was trying to remember what Wayne Dyer was trying to convey in verse 1, Living the Mystery. I could recall him mentioning something about wanting and allowing, ying and yang ....something about paradoxical thinking. As I was finishing up the last pranayama breath, a thought came into my mind, I wanted nothing more then to have a strong class. It was as if a light bulb went on in my head, I thought that maybe instead of concentrating on trying to have a great class (which is something I do all the time), I should allow it to just happen... naturally...letting go of my expectations of what I think having a "strong class" was. I kept that thought in my mind the entire class..

Well I ended up having an amazing class! I'm not sure if it was because I allowed myself to...it might have just been the breakfast I ate...who knows. What I took from the class was that if I can learn to acknowledge the wanting in my life or in my practice, then I can shift into the allowing....without one you cannot have the other...

Day 2

So day 2 is now complete, I was able to escape to a 90 minute class this morning. It was rejuvenating! ...a really awesome way to start my day :)

I have decided to use my book, Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life by Wayne Dyer, to help guide me through this challenge. The book consists of 81 verses from the Tao, Wayne Dyer explores and has written essays about each one. My plan is to read a verse when I wake up and try to take it through my day and my practice. My hope is in the end my practice will be changed...and hopefully my life too..

For the challenge in general I am keeping in mind verse 63, Living Without Difficulties. He advises us to see simplicity.. So instead of seeing this as 100 days of yoga, I can break it down to one day..to one class.. to one pose.. down to one breath. So if I can take this challenge one breath at a time and stay in the moment, I am hoping it will help me accomplish this without difficulties. In the end it's really my breath that the 100 days consists of..

Day 1

Well I have officially started the challenge! Day 1....successful. It was a very hot and sweaty class, just the way I like it. I actually stayed in savasana for a long time which added to my yoga buzz afterwards. So I would have to give Day 1 two thumbs up! :)