“Yoga is a mirror to look at ourselves from within”
– B.K.S. Iyengar
I’ve always been fascinated with yoga. From tales of its sacred origins, the gracefulness with which it is performed (and made to look easy!) to hearing countless individuals profess how the practice ‘changed their life’.
I myself have dabbled in the odd session here and there; whilst on holiday, at a gym taster session, that one time in my bedroom, but never has my practice expanded to anything more than a one-off.
It’s not until now that I’ve taken the time to do some soul searching that I thought about doing yoga on a regular basis. And by ‘soul searching’ I mean with regards to establishing long-term life goals, routines and getting motivated into pushing myself to do more things that ignite passion and purpose into my world.
That is how I decided to actively pursue the practice of yoga. Or at the very least give it a good go for 30 days so that I can really decide whether it’s something I see myself investing time in long term or not!
Why 30 days you ask? Quite simply, while searching for a YouTube yoga tutorial I came across Adriene Mishler’s channel ‘Yoga with Adriene’. I have followed one of her YouTube videos in the past and found her approach to the practice very warm, inviting and relaxed. I found that her channel had a ‘30 Days Of Yoga’ playlist and just decided there and then that this was something I wanted to challenge myself to do.
To keep myself accountable and to ensure I complete this self-proclaimed ‘challenge’, I have started writing this post after my first session on Saturday 11th April 2020.
Welcome to my 30 day yoga diary!
Day 1
(11.04.20)
Mentally? I am ready and excited to get going and to get better. Physically? I’ve learnt that I am not that flexible. I mean I could be worse, but this session wasn’t easy, despite how incredibly easy Adriene makes every pose and transition look. I’m trying to be gentle on myself and my expectations and focus on my breath as much as possible.
Day 2
(12.04.20)
I can feel a few pangs of muscle strain this morning after yesterday’s session. Nothing too painful (not like the sort of pain you get from lifting weights at the gym!) and I guess it shows the yoga is working in stretching those muscles out.
The main struggle I had today was with the wrists-when it comes to downward dog or plank position my wrists are not strong enough!
Day 3
(14.04.20)
I’m working my 30 yoga practice alongside running which is actually working so well so far. I find I need a break in between running to recover any aching muscles which I find yoga works really well for. Yoga is helping to work on my balance and core strength (which is lacking right now!) so I think alongside running this is working wonders for my body.
Day 4 & 5
(16.04.20)
Clearly I was feeling very energetic today as I fancied tackling day 4 and 5 of Adriene’s videos back to back! I hurt my leg muscles from running yesterday so I was very much looking forward to some strength training today. My wrists are still not perfectly adjusted to yoga practice but I have definitely noticed I am approaching certain movements that are repeated throughout the videos with more ease and familiarity.
Day 6
(17.04.20)
Today was yoga with a focus on abs which just reminded me of how weak they are! A lot of the movements were not dissimilar to the sort of routine I do for abs myself while working out at the gym. The struggle was real. However I did find the breathing technique to go alongside the movements helpful in getting me through the hardest parts!
Day 7
(19.04.20)
My abs are still aching from the day before yesterday! I’m not sure how much better I am at maintaining poses and my arms still feel incredibly weak, but I’m getting more and more familiar with poses and transitions between poses.
Day 8
(20.04.20)
It has been 8 days and I have to be honest, I still feel like I’m not very good at this and I have no idea if I’m progressing. Holding many of the poses is still painful. Saying this, I have to remind myself that once I could barely jog for 5 minutes, whereas now I can do a 5k jog and it not feel like the end of the world.
I will continue… but I can see why people give up!
Day 9
(22.04.20)
Today I actually got quite sweaty doing yoga… not sure why? I didn’t feel like I was overly exerting myself but clearly my body felt otherwise! I did tell myself that I would push myself to try harder. I also looked up that I was doing ‘downward dog’ incorrectly so I guess it shows my corrections and pushing myself are paying off as I’m exerting myself more. My wrists are not as painful today either!
Day 10 & 11
(25.04.20)
Today is a Saturday and I had more time on my hands than yesterday so I decided to double up on my yoga practice! Adriene’s day 10 video was only 12 minutes long too so I wanted to use my abundance of time and do more than just 12 minutes worth.
I felt really good about yoga today- really pushing myself through hard poses and working through and pains that show that I am making progress. I am without a doubt building strength. I can feel my muscles adapting and stretching.
Day 12
(26.04.20)
Today was a shorter stretch sequence for the back which came as a welcome relief as I felt really ‘tight’ and not very stretchy this Sunday morning. Practicing the tree pose was fun today as I got to see how my balance had improved compared to when I did this pose during a yoga session on holiday. I’ve got better!
Day 13 & 14
(28.04.20)
I must have pulled a neck muscle or something during the night the day before last as yesterday was a no-go exercise zone for me! And even though I still get twinges of pain I decided to give yoga a go today as the movements are so gradual I figured I’d be able to stop and amend if there was any pain. Turns out, all the movements from day 13 & 14 videos were perfectly fine! Again, I’m noticing my balance is better and my understanding of the poses and how to perform them improves each time. Gaining some yogi-language familiarity!
Day 15
(30.04.20)
HALF WAY THROUGH.
I got a bit frustrated with myself today, not gonna lie. I am stronger in some ways – for example I have less wrist pain now! But then in others I struggle – like when it comes to my core and lifting my body in certain poses. Someone in the comments of today’s video said the same but said it’s important to notice the struggles and keep coming back to them to practice and develop the weaknesses into strengths. Here’s hoping!
Day 16
(01.05.20)
I just wasn’t feeling it today. I’ve been in a bit of a mental funk all day and thought it was best to do something physical today instead of avoiding it completely. But I just didn’t love yoga today, I have to be honest. I still did it however!
Day 17
(05.05.20)
It’s amazing how today I had a head full of anxieties and worries but by the end of the yoga session I felt at peace. I focused really hard on the poses and breathing so that I forgot everything. Today was hard – it always seems to be – but it’s also a perfect example of why it’s not just a physical journey, but a mental one too. Also my wrists are definitely more strong and able to hold me up now! A victory!
Day 18 & 19
(06.05.20)
It’s interesting on days when I feel like I can do more than one video practice that the videos seem to really balance each other. Day 18 was super quick in terms of transitions movements whereas day 19 was mellow and breathing focused so I really enjoyed doing them back to back. I felt quite relaxed and good about today’s practice. I think it’s because I’ve found that I’ve resisted negative commentary in my head as I go through the movements and stumble on the harder parts – something we should all take into practice in our everyday lives!
Day 20
(11.05.20)
It felt good to be back doing yoga after a few days off. Today’s practice felt relaxed and I can tell my downward dog is coming along as I could hold the pose without collapsing into a heap! I’m definitely getting there in terms of not only focusing on Adriene’s instructions but also breathing and not having much else occupy my mind which feels like meditation.
Day 21
(12.05.20)
I can actually feel that improvements in my strength and probably discipline towards myself are occurring. I am definitely more comfortable and more flexible.
Day 22
(13.05.20)
I thought it was worth mentioning that I read the comments after I complete each video and am thriving off of the positivity that the yoga community is sharing. I’m not perfect but I’m challenging myself to get better each time I ‘come to the mat’ and it’s honesty so heartwarming to read about how other people are getting on.
Day 23
(15.05.20)
Today’s video focused on arms and I’m fully aware that that is the area in my body I need to work on so I tried really hard today. I felt pretty strong today except for when practicing a side plank where pretty much all your body weight is put on one wrist and while I haven’t been struggling with my wrists since the beginning this time they hurt!
Day 24
(19.05.20)
Allow, release, let go.
Today’s video was so chilled and slow and relaxing, it was honestly a joy to do! I can appreciate the harder yoga days when you’re getting hot and working your muscles intensely as well as the quieter days when you move gently and feel at ease.
Day 25
(21.05.20)
I saw a significant improvement in my body during today’s practice as my heels are closer to the mat than ever during downward dog – SUCH AN ACHIEVEMENT!
Today’s video was short but Adriene suggested we practice a crow pose afterwards so I clicked onto her video explaining how to build up to the pose and practiced. Did I achieve a crow pose? No. But I did feel like it will be doable eventually!
Day 26
(22.05.20)
Another day, another relaxing yoga session! Even though I was feeling sluggish I still decided to go for it and feel better having stretched and moved today.
Day 27
(26.05.20)
I can’t believe I’m nearly at the end of this ‘challenge’. It was great to get back to yoga after the bank holiday and today I was pleasantly surprised that my planks have gotten so much easier to hold and my wrists don’t hurt anymore.
Day 28
(28.05.20)
It’s interesting how today Adriene was speaking about being more free and personalised with the movements and how you will hopefully progress into creating sequences that work for you. While I feel like I am not confident enough to do that myself (just yet!) I will say that I am able to intuitively see where each move is likely to go next and I also do tailor movements to accommodate where I am with my strength and body right now. I’m also far less judgemental on myself with regards to how far I push myself to match up to where Adriene is as I know my own strength more now. I see progress and I feel a building of my strength significantly now.
Day 29
(29.05.20)
Penultimate day!!! I did my yoga before getting ready for the day and it has made me feel great! I don’t really have the mental struggle and dread of getting myself to do this practice which is refreshing – I already know I will continue doing yoga after these 30 day videos are done!
Day 30
(02.06.20)
I JUST DID IT! I’ve finished my challenge!!!
Wow – today’s video pretty much gave me free reign to either follow along with Adriene or just do my own thing – I did a little of both. I got a bit emotional, I won’t lie. I’m so proud and happy that I found this challenge and completed it. I’ve also just read the comments section of the video and it’s just so lovely to read other people’s experiences doing this along with me too!
A note…
Before we get into all the good stuff and things I’ve learnt through my experience, I’m putting it out there that I did not complete the video sequence consecutively for 30 days as it wouldn’t have fit into my daily exercise schedule and overall life routine. Instead I opted to do a video every other day or a couple of times a week.
This challenge kept me coming back regularly, which is what I found to be most important and helped with my motivation. I think this is worth mentioning that should you also wish to challenge yourself to 30 days of yoga, that you do so at your own pace and in a way that suits your lifestyle. That way you have a greater chance of continuing your practice afterwards. If that means doing yoga everyday then great, but don’t feel intimidated if that’s not possible.
What I’ve learnt through yoga
Perseverance
I’m the sort of person who typically likes to be good at stuff right away and lacks the patience needed to develop a skill because of my own lack of perseverance. With this practice however, I really forced myself to acknowledge that it’s totally fine that I can’t do a handstand yet. It’s fine that my wrists couldn’t hold me up without acheing. I took each ‘negative’ thought about my own lack of strength in the beginning and focused on my mental strength instead. I kept showing up and I kept yoga fun – isn’t that a great takeaway if nothing else?
Breathing
So truly I did not appreciate the importance of breathing when it came to yoga. At the beginning I was so focused on following Adriene’s instructions and doing the poses correctly that I missed out on how crucial breathing is to the practice. Your breath really helps to guide you through each sequence and helps bring every part of your body and it’s movements together.
Don’t ignore the importance of focusing on breath. It will make yoga that much easier!
Mindfulness
I want to share a particular experience I had in the latter stages of my 30 day practice where I remember catching myself thinking that I had completely forgotten something that had been bothering me earlier in the day. I was shocked at how peaceful and present I was in what I was doing and how I had disconnected from the stress of the day. Again, this is something I don’t think I would have experienced had I only done yoga on an irregular basis. It truly shocked me at how mindful and rooted in the present moment I became when doing yoga. It’s definitely a ‘me time’ actively where I now shut out the world and focus on myself, my body and my mental health.
Strength
I’ve been going to the gym and lifting weights regularly for a while now, but it’s funny to see that while I thought I was strong I really….wasn’t. I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated just how little equipment you need to build strength – you don’t need loads of weightlifting gear – you just need your body!
The improvements I have seen with regards to building strength in my upper body and core even in a short space of time is crazy! Using your own body weight has worked wonders.
Flexibility
When it comes to flexibility I am nowhere near where I would like to be and still find it really challenging to do certain poses, however the growth and improvement from where I was on day one is significant. I’ve had moments where I surprised myself by holding a hard pose for an extended period of time that I didn’t think I would be able to. I’ve also had moments where I could barely lift myself up and felt discouraged before realising this is something my body can work towards being able to do at a later date. This is all a work in progress!
No pain!
Take this as you wish but I had annoying lower back pain for a few months prior to now from poor posture when sitting and doing computer work and now I HAVE NONE.
Awareness
Something I hadn’t expected to experience with doing yoga regularly is growing that much more aware of my body. Adriene emphasises the importance of noticing how you feel each step of the way which is something foreign to many people I think. It has helped me take note of where I can stretch and push myself further with certain poses and where I need to modify and lessen the strain my body is undertaking. Interestingly I have had no injuries from practicing yoga, whereas the same cannot be said for when I’ve been running or from strength training at the gym!
We take for granted that we are able to move and do things and going yoga has nurtured more admiration and respect for what our body can do for us. I feel that much more in tune with myself.
Will I continue doing yoga?
I had already decided pretty early on in the process that I will continue practicing yoga after my 30 day challenge would be over! This probably comes as no surprise considering that I have had nothing negative to report back from my experience. If anything I have only had incredible revelations as a result!
Once the initial wrist pain went away (wrists feature heavily in some key yoga positions!) and my confidence grew within myself and this extended to confidence in my practice, I was hooked. I love the way I feel during yoga and I love how I feel afterwards.
I wanted to document this process to not only stay accountable for myself but to also see if I could finally make yoga ‘stick’ as something I could do for the rest of my life. I was worried that I wouldn’t love it if I’m being really honest, particularly at the beginning as it was hard. I think we as humans naturally tend to err on the side of caution and take the easier route, which is a habit I am starting to challenge in myself this year in particular. Yoga was the ‘harder’ option than other forms of exercise for me, but I am so proud that I made the effort to work at it.
I am truly and wholeheartedly excited to see where I will be a year from now with my yoga practice! And while she may never see this, I still want to say a massive ‘thank you’ and send a shout-out to Adriene for challenging me, motivating me for 30 sessions and for allowing me to fall in love with yoga.
Until next time,
Lica xoxo
P.S. If you fancy giving Adriene’s 30 day yoga challenge a go for yourself, click HERE.
