Thank you SO much for the comments on my post about changing my goal. You are all so smart and so encouraging! I have a call in to my doctor to discuss walking the half 
In an effort to focus on a Feat that I’ve been wanting to do for a while (i.e. all year), I started Marianne Elliot’s 30 Day Yoga program yesterday.
I’ve been following Marianne’s website for a while now. I found her site through other fabulous blogs/bloggers sometime in the Spring, when she was holding her Karma Yoga: 30 Days of Yoga course. Karma Yoga allows you to pay whatever you wish for the course during this specific period. The proceeds go towards Off the Mat and Voice of Women (an organization to help Afghan women). I felt good knowing that I was helping an entrepreneur and organizations that promote yoga, activism and women’s rights.
30 Days of Yoga is an online course designed to help you foster, re-start or start a home practice. Marianne describes it on her website: “You already know how awesome yoga is, right? You love your yoga classes and you know that a home practice would take that goodness to a whole new level. But it’s hard to practice at home. All kinds of things get in the way. Maybe, like I did, you’ve started to think that you’ll never be one of those people who can find the motivation to practice yoga by yourself? I hear you. I created this course for myself because I struggled with my home yoga practice. I tried bribing myself into it, nagging myself into it, forcing myself into it. None of that worked. What worked – for me and for hundreds of others – is the simple, compassionate approach I set out in this course. 30 days of yoga is an online program designed to give you everything you need to begin (or restart) a regular practice of yoga in the comfort of your own home. All you need to bring is the intention to give yourself what you need and the willingness to be a bit kinder to yourself than you might generally be.”
I read this description and thought: YEP! That’s me! I love, love, love yoga. I love going to classes. I love yoga studios – the energy that happens when a class is breathing and sweating together. I love yoga teachers and they way they encourage you, bring new ideas to class and encourage you to try something new.
All of these reasons are why a home practice has been hard for me. I’ve never really been an “at-home” exerciser. I usually need to get out of the house in order to focus. Plus, I find doing the same video or workout DVD pretty boring after the first few times I’ve completed it. I’m also crazy busy and fitting in time to practice has been difficult.
So those were my excuses Regardless, an at home yoga practice is something I’ve wanted to have since I started practicing yoga three years ago. In my ideal life, I love the idea of doing 30 minutes to an hour of yoga each morning. That probably won’t happen, unless I got up at 5:30am (which I know many people do. I am not one of those people).
For the purposes of the 30 Days, I’m following Marianne’s intention. I’m being kind to myself. I’m aiming for 45 minutes 3 days a week, with 10 minutes every day – either in the morning or at night. That’s at least some form of yoga daily.
So far, it’s been great. Last night I felt pretty crummy. I had worked 6 days of the past 7, was hardcore studying for about 7 days for a midterm, and sleeping about 5-6 hours a night. I was burning both ends and my body was starting to remind me of it. I knew that it was my first day, so I told myself I’d do 10 minutes of breathing. I ended up doing the entire 45 minutes because I felt so good.
I’m really excited about the next 30 days. My goal is to be on the mat daily; to stretch out my body after days of sitting at my desk for work and in the classroom as a student and to focus on myself for 10-45 minutes. My intention is to be more open and not put so much stress on my body – physically, mentally and emotionally – or push myself so hard.
Do you have a yoga practice or a self-care practice? How do you protect that time in your otherwise busy life?!
i absolutely love this plan!
I haven’t had nearly enough yoga experience to feel comfortable practicing on my own (I’d be afraid that I’d hurt myself, actually!), but I do love this idea.
“Self-care” practices in my life vary, depending on the day, my needs, my schedule, etc. Sometimes I go for a long run, sometimes I set aside an hour to read my book, sometimes I meet up with a friend, sometimes I bake, sometimes I put on sweatpants and watch a Real Housewives marathon (no shame). The one constant: regardless of the day, I make sure to give myself time to unwind and decompress—otherwise, I become an absolute lunatic!
Ha! Yeah, I’m at a point now where I feel comfortable enough to practice on my own with knowing my body and the poses so I’m excited! I totally agree – I’m trying to take time for myself during the day that doesn’t include being on the computer or sitting at a desk!
This. I sooo needed to read this! I’m the same way… madly in love with yoga but with an almost complete inability to motivate myself to practice at home. I am finished with internship next week (FINALLY, OMG) and I have this bookmarked to look into further when I get back from San Fran after 11/6.
Yes! Let me know if you want more info, I am happy to chat about it. I am the same way with home practice and hoping this will get me in the yoga at home mood.
Also, HI CHRISTIN!!!
I know, right? I’m all sneaking back in the blog world, thinking no one will notice any different.
HI!
I am one of “those people” (alarm goes off at 5:15), and although I love doing my sun salutes and breathing and all that juicy yoga stuff before work, I am exhausted by the time I leave the office. And it shows. As a matter of fact, I just went to the bathroom and was horrified at the dark circles under my eyes–you’d think I just pulled an all-nighter! No, I’m just tired from waking up early to do yoga.
The problem is that I try to do all this stuff after work as well, which leads to later bedtimes, etc, etc. If you can find a routine that makes you happy (as you are WAY busier than me), I’d love to hear it!
I SO wish I could be like you and wake up early to get my self-care in for the morning! The earliest I can manage is 6am and that’s because the dog needs to go out
Have you always been able to do that, or was it a concerted effort? I will keep you posted!
I’ve always been an early bird, but then it makes me an old lady at night…if a party starts at 9? 10? Forget it! But I find so much more contentment rising early and waking up with the earth, especially on weekends when I don’t have to rush off somewhere right away. I’ll admit, though, it’s much harder to wake up early when it’s pitch black out. This kind of thing is easier when the sun starts popping out at 5:30.
I totally agree – I can’t wait for Daylight Savings in the hope the sun will wake me up again! I was never an early riser but I’m learning to really love it. I think my body likes it too – it’s my brain that generally opposes!
Yoga makes me happy. Right now I aim for 2-3 studio classes a week (to make up for the fact that once I get home, there’s not much studio yoga to be done) and at least one at home practice (even just a 20 minute yogadownload.com workout – freeeeebies)
I loveeee yoga download free classes! So great when you’re not at home too, but you’ve got your phone/IPod. I’m hoping to get back to studio classes on the weekends!
Love your post! Sometimes if I don’t have time for an asana practice, I’ll do a short session of pranayama, especially bastrika, the bellows breath. It helps to clear the cobwebs in the brain! Then a little Naddi Suddhi, alternate nostril breathing, which is so calming. Then I’m ready for the day–or a good night’s sleep! Or–there’s a great guided relaxation on my Big Yoga “Flex-Ability” DVD. Let me know if you’d like a copy for review!
Thanks for visiting and commenting Meera! A relaxation guide sounds amazing!!
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