Our ‘365 day’ challenge started on August 17, 2023. Today is day 14 of 365. Here’s what we’ve experienced so far.
I have started to branch away from YwA and move to more “intermediate” flows. I’ve found a new channel which has been kicking my butt. But in like, a good way. I think that’s starting to become my qualm with Adriene…sometimes she can talk a little too much in her videos. I catch myself getting frustrated haha. It’s a welcome reminder to slow down, but I confess myself irritated if at moments because I feel like it slows me down. I know the right way to look at this is as a lesson in patience and I’m really trying my hardest to improve on that front with a lot of things. Anyway, just the same I need to remind myself to not get too deep into new poses too quickly or assume I know the next step for a pose. Sometimes I can’t help it because some of the movements feel more intuitive, but I catch myself thinking I’m following directions and then looking at the screen and seeing the instructor in a completely different position. I can’t help but laugh at myself. We are always trying!
I know I need to start getting into more group practice. There’s still lots of stuff on YouTube, too. God bless the internet. There’s so much free yoga out there, dude. Still so much to learn. I know it’s hard not to compare yourself to others, but I catch myself doing it all the time when watching videos online of other people who have clearly been practicing for years. I can appreciate the hard work those practitioners put into their yoga, because it is expressed in their ability to move through and into the posture. You objectively witness the process of finding balance and getting there is its own reward. Asana practice has been incredibly humbling in the way that it is quick to remind me when my mind is wandering. And boy, does it wander. I stumble quite a bit. Even after practicing for months! But also, because I catch myself not being there. If I’m mentally elsewhere it’s painfully obvious because I begin to lose balance, or shake uncontrollably, or collapse in and out of certain postures. When I am not fully present and conscious, supporting myself in my every endeavor, I lose hope of any sight or alignment. I suppose there’s a larger metaphor to be made if you applied that to other everyday aspects of life, but that’s entirely tangent.
So far, Charlie has been showing me more intermediate postures and expanding my yogic vocabulary. My main focuses are proper alignment and transition through the basic and resting postures, their dos and don’ts, and their respective Sanskrit/variation names. Do I feel better? I want to say yes. I’m already more toned, though I’ve been eating like poop and have yet to incorporate my full workout routine. That’s what sucks about a fast metabolism, is I need to constantly stay engaged or else I wither away like a rose in the desert. Physically, I’m sore. Likely only because I’ve been hitting it tough the past week or so. Twice some days, even. I feel guilty if I take a day off to have a Yin session, but this is my ego speaking. Taking a break can be good, but I think I can get away with 7 days a week as long as I allow myself to take shorter (~10 min.) or more restorative sessions.
I’ll call this…4/10. I still have a lot going on outside of yoga and this challenge which I’m contending with, so I’m still “gathering data” on all of that. I am proud of myself for doing this and for sticking to it for two weeks so far. But there are 50 more to go. Lots of time to think of how to improve data collection, measure progress, think of writing topics, do more research, etc. Lots to do, but for now it can all wait until day 15.