Day 21

DAY 21 (May 27,2012) OFF THE MAT, INTO THE WORLD. By now you have learned alot about yourself. Your strengths, capabilities, what makes you tick. Maybe you remembered some dream you had for yourself and you are pursuing it again. Keep coming back to these lessons. Let your yoga mat be a place of affirmation and inspiration. Pour your heart on your mat. Sit quietly in meditation and the answers will keep coming to you in ways that hours of worry could never have produced. I am truly proud that you leaned in to the hard days instead of pulling away. I am glad you did the work for yourself! I am grateful we were all on this journey together! Now let's take it to others.....:)

Meditation: Since we are taking our practice out into the world today, take your meditation with you. I would love for you to take a walk all by yourself today. Just ten minutes will do. With each step think of how far you have come, and where your new "you" will take you next...may it be a place of happiness and wonder because YOU DESERVE IT!

Yoga: When you return from your walk please just do Savasana (corpse pose). Let all the energy and intention you created in your practice these twenty-one days come to rest upon you and fill you up. When you "awaken" from you Savasana please treat it as a re-birth.

Journal: Put it in a nice safe place and refer to it again and again when you need to be reminded of "the good things".

It has been my honor that you read my blog and do this challenge with me! I would love to hear about your experience! Please tell me what worked for you, what didn't...just anything that comes to mind! Much love to you all:) Becca

Day 20

Day 20 (May 26,2012) I WILL HONOR MYSELF AND OTHERS. Keep showing yourself kindness. help others to think of themselves in a kind way also. We have everything to gain as a human race by building up ourselves and others. Think what the world would look like if we showed others respect even if they were very different from us....IT CAN START WITH YOU AND ME:) And it will bring US peace. We have worked hard to establish peace between our mind and body on this twenty-one day journey. In face the word yoga means UNITY...and that is our ultimate goal in life: TO BE ONE WITH EVERYTHING:)

Meditation: Same as Day 1 for 10 minutes.

Yoga: Four full Sun Salutations on both sides of the body. Add triangle or side angle poses, a balancing pose of your choice, hold plank for one minute and Warrior I and Warrior II for 10 breahts each.

Journal: Write down a few ways we can honor to ourselves and others.

Have a great Saturday! We are having a family picnic in the park today....i hope you have some fun plans too. I would love to hear about them! I would also love to hear about your yoga challenge experience! So feel free to leave me a post below! Proud of each of you:)

Day 19

Day 19 (May 25,2012) I AM READY! You are ready! You are strong and lovely. Think back on all the good things you have learned about yourself during this yoga journey. If you found some things out about yourself that you are not so pleased about, own up to those too. Admitting to yourself that you have some work to do without thinking negatively on it is the first step of letting go of  a trait you no longer wish to have.

Meditation: Same as Day 1 for 10 minutes.

Yoga: Four full Sun Salutations on both sides of the body. Add triangle or side angle poses, a balancing pose of your choice, hold plank for one minute and Warrior I and Warrior II for 10 breaths each.

Journal: Write down some things you are ready to accomplish!

Can you even believe our challenge is almost finished?! I have had a great time doing this with you all. I will post again in the morning...:) Have a great Friday!

Day 18

Day 18 (May 24,2012) I WILL BE MY BEST SELF. When do you feel the best about yourself? For me hiking in the mountains with my family is when I feel the best about myself. I feel capable and strong. I know just what to pack and how to stay on course. I feel like I know how to keep the troops (my 3 boys) rallied and my body feels gorgeous pumping itself to the peak! Think of something that makes you feel like that. We may not be able to do that activity everyday, but the memory and it's positive feeling can be brought to mind again and again.

Meditation: Same as Day 1 for 10 minutes.

Yoga: Four full Sun Salutations on both sides of the body. Add triangle or side angle poses, a balancing pose of your choice, hold plank for one minute, and Warrior I and Warrior II for 10 breaths each.

Journal: Write down the moments you feel the most beauitiful, care-free, and capable:)

I am teaching yoga tonight...hope to see some of you there. For all my non-local friends please let me just say thank you again for reading and participating in this yoga challenge!

Day 17:

Day 17 ( May 23,2012) I CAN BE AN INSPIRATION TO OTHERS. Start applying this mantra to all your daily delaings. If you want your spouse, child, co-worker to act nice...act nice first. If you want others around you to be healthy, set the example. Our young ones in the community especially need good role models. That could be YOU! Show the important people, and a few strangers too, what is truly important to you in your life by your actions.

Meditation: Same as Day 1 for 10 minutes.

Yoga: Four full Sun Salutations on both sides of the body. Add triangle pose, a balancing pose of your choice, hold plank for one minute, and Warrior I and Warrior II for 10 breaths each.

Journal for 5 minutes on how you can inspire others!

Sorry, this is a late post today! I got the privelege of taking a VERY early yoga class by a great teacher Gayle Bailey Golicke, then went to work...so just arriving home now! Hope you had a great day and have fun doing your yoga tonight:) HUGS!

Day 16

Day 16 (May 22,2012) I WILL TRY SOMETHING NEW TODAY. Just mix your life up a little. Go home from work a different way, find a new band to listen to on your i-pod, say "hi" to someone you normally wouldn't, order a new dish off the menu, walk backwards! Just do something different for a change. It helps our mind stay alert to switch things up! And, you may just find your new favorite thing! How inspiring!!!

Meditation: Same as Day 1 for 10 minutes.

Yoga: Four full Sun Salutations on both sides of the body. Add triangle poses, a balancing pose of your choice, hold plank for one minute, and Warrior I and Warrior II for 10 breaths each.

Journal: Write down some new things you are going to give a try.

Day 15

Day 15 (May 21,2012) I WANT TO AND WILL BE HEALTHY. In everything we do today let us choose the healthiest path! Healthy speech, thoughts and actions can liberate us from illness in our body, mind and spirit.

Meditation: Same as Day 1 for 10 minutes.

Yoga: Four full Sun Salutations on both sides of the body. Add triangle or side angle poses, a balancing pose of your choice, hold plank for one minute, and Warrior I and Warrior II for 10 breaths each.

Journal: Write down small changes you can make daily to improve your overall health...example: choose a piece of fruit more often than a piece of cake! Don't engage in gossip, walk to the grocery for that one item you need to make supper instead of driving. You will see improvents in your environment, relationships, and body/mind just by investigating and implementing small changes you can  stick with!

Happy Monday everyone! This is our final week together during this challenge! I hope you are happy with your progress:)

Day 14

Day 14 (May 20,2012) I HAVE TALENTS. Today start thinking about what you are really good at doing. It doesn't have to be anything big like singing, dancing, etc. It can be as small as realizing your ability to make children happy. Maybe you give good hugs, or you intuitively know when and what to say to your best friend. Maybe you have great organizing skills or you know how to make a mean grilled cheese sandwich...you get the idea! Give yourself props for the things you do wonderfullly! When you feel down because you can't master something in life...such as a hard yoga pose...return your mind to the positive things you can do. The more you talk nice to yourself the easier those hard things will become. Your spirit becomes more willing when you show patience toward yourself:)

Meditation: Same as Day 1 for 10 minutes.

Yoga: Four full Sun Salutations on both sides of the body. Add triangle or side angle poses, a balancing pose of your choice, hold plank for one minute, and Warrior I and Warrior II for 10 breaths each.

Journal: Write down five talents you have:)

Wow! We have made it two weeks. This last Saturday, I must be honest...i could not do a full practice. I had an iffy shoulder form work! You may run in to a hard day yourself! Don't beat yourself up..do as much as you can and be happy you are sticking with your meditation and journaling.

Day 13

Day 13 (May 19,2012) JUST FOR TODAY I WILL WORRY ABOUT NOTHING. Try to give all your troubles a rest today. Worrying won't really solve any of them...it just takes the beauty out of the day you are currently in, makes you immobile and zaps your strength. This is where your meditation practice comes in. When worries arise, acknowledge them, then simply turn them away.

Meditation: Same as Day 1 for 7 minutes.

Yoga: Four full sun salutations on both sides of the body. Add a balancing pose of your choice, hold plank for one minute, and Warrior I and Warrior II for 10 breaths each.

Journal for 5 minutes.

Have a wonderful weekend:)

Day 12

Day 12 (May 18,2012) TODAY I CHOOSE HAPPINESS. Even in the face of adversity we truly have a choice not to give in to our anger, jealousy, greed, insecurities...etc. Today when we face something that usually would destroy our happiness we will acknowledge our feelings then choose to be happy anyway:)

Meditation: Same as Day 1 for 7 minutes.

Yoga: Four full Sun Salutations on both sides of the body. Add a balancing pose of your choice, hold plank for one minute, and Warrior I and Warrior II for 10 breaths each.

Journal for 5 minutes.

Most of all enjoy your happiness today!

Day 11

Day 11 (May 17,2012) WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT QUITTING...THINK ABOUT WHY YOU STARTED. This holds true not just for our twenty one day yoga challenge but in everything we start in life. Our long term relationships, raising our children, our commitment to our life's calling. Think about some areas where you gave up when maybe you shouldn't have. Not to beat yourself up about failure, but to gain insight as to what your stumbling blocks may be. We can all learn from our mistakes and instead of being embarrassed about them, OWN THEM. Use them as a reminder of how far you have evolved as a human being.

Mediatation: Same as Day 1 for 7 minutes.

Yoga: Four full Sun Salutations on both sides of the body. Add a balancing pose of your choice, hold plank for one minute, and Warrior I and Warrior II for 10 breaths each.

Journal for 5 minutes.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thursday! I am teaching yoga tonight which always makes my day! I sincerely wish for all those reading this to get to do something they really enjoy today too:)

Day 10

Day 10 (May 16, 2012) BELIEVE YOU CAN AND YOU ARE HALFWAY THERE. Guess what?...YOU are halfway there in your twenty one day yoga challenge too! Great job having faith in yourself...I knew you could do it! Be very proud of yourself for how far you have come. Use this time to see the progress you have made in your body, mind and spirit. What new things have you managed to bring in to your life...what negative things have you let go? Thank YOU for always coming back to your mat!

Meditation: Same as Day 1 for 7 minutes.

Yoga: Four full Sun Salutations on both sides of the body. Add a balancing pose of your choice, hold plank for 30 seconds, and Warrior I and Warrior II for 5 breaths each.

Journal for 5 minutes about your progress.

I hope everyone has a great day! Give yourself a little reward today...a new cd...rent your favorite movie...leave work 15 minutes early and take a walk with your family...just something to celebrate your acheivements!

Day 9

Day 9 (May 15,2012) TODAY IS A GIFT.Let us all resolve to complete something we have been putting off today! We have been given an opportunity to awaken once again to life...let's make the most of it! Live it up and get some stuff done! :)

Meditation: Same as Day 1 for 7 minutes.

Yoga: Four full Sun Salutations on both sides of the body. Add a balancing pose of your choice, and hold plank for 30 seconds.

Journal for 5 minutes.

Hope everyone has a great day...looks like I better go get busy!

Day 8

Day 8: (May 14,2012) I WILL DO MORE OF WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY! Remember when you were a small child, the games you played? Several of them you probably made up yourself! One of my favorite games was pretending my siblings and I were in a rock and roll band...I of course was the singer! Well, guess what?! I never stopped playing this game. I know it sounds silly but it is perfectly fine to be a mature, responsible adult who never gives up on dreams! What brings you joy? Make you forget about how you look or act? What comes natural to you? DO IT AGAIN! And do it like no one is watching. Own it:)

Meditation: Same as Day 1 for 7 minutes.

Yoga: Four full Sun Salutations on both sides of the body. Add a balancing pose of your choice, and hold plank pose for 30 seconds.

Journal: Write about an activity that makes you the happiest.

I hope you enjoyed your first week of the yoga challenge! I certainly did! My family has joined me in practice here at home nearly every day...and they even came to the studio to see me teach! I  am inspired by their interest in my passion (yoga) and it draws us close as a family to breathe in harmony during asana:) What a gift they have given me!

Day 7

Day 7 (May 13,2012) Happy Mother's Day! :) Mantra: I WILL STRIVE TO BE MORE ME THAN I HAVE EVER BEEN BEFORE! Live in a place of authenticity. You will gain more respect for yourself when you are truly being yourself! It will also allow you to start seeing others for who they really are and not try to change them in to who you want them to be.

Meditation: Same as Day 1 for 5 minutes.

Yoga: Three full Sun Salutations.

Journal: Thought provoking question: Where have I gained insight in my mind and body? Write down 5 things you truly love about yourself and your life.

We have made it in this challenge for a whole week:) Great job everybody!

Day 6

Day 6 (May 12, 2012) : I WILL HAVE COMPASSION FOR MYSELF FOR WHAT I CAN DO TODAY. Every day is different for us physically, mentally, and emotionally...just do the very best you can with what you have to work with in this very moment...not worrying about how good you were at something in the past or how great you will become in the future...just how awesome being fully present in yourself feels NOW!

Meditation: Same as Day 1 for 5 minutes.

Yoga: Three full Sun Salutations on both sides of the body.

Journal for 5 minutes.

Well we have all made it to day six which means tomorrow we will have done one full week of daily yoga, meditation, and self awareness practice...I think that is great! :)

Day 5

Day 5 (May 11,2012) : LOVE CONQUERS ALL. (Thank you Bible...book of First Corinthians) Having a genuine love for ourselves can conquer a lot of our insecurities. The next time you feel like beating yourself up verbally, think to yourself..."Would I say these exact words to my best friend?" I am guessing none of us would or we wouldn't have that best friend for very long! So why would we speak to ourselves that way?! An example of how we can change our internal dialogue: "My hips are not huge...they are perfect for a baby to rest upon. My thighs are not ugly...they are welcoming:), etc...If you are a man reading this you probably have different worries, but you get the idea!  Now you can think of some of your own and write them down in your journal. Refer to them on days when you forget how truly amazing you are! Be your own best friend!

Meditation: Same as Day 1 for 5 minutes.

Yoga Two full Sun Salutations on both sides of the body.

Journal for 5 minutes...don't forget to write down things you LOVE about yourself!

See you back here tomorrow for Day 6! Thanks again for reading my blog...if you ever want to leave a comment, question or  concern please feel free to do so! If you have an story to share about your personal journey, I would love to hear it!

Day 4

Day 4 ( May 10,2012): I WILL BE AN INSTRUMENT OF PEACE. (Thank you Saint Francis) An act of kindness toward someone who is being difficult is a very hard thing to do...but watch how it difuses the bad situation. Use this mantra in all your daily dealings and you will have a sense of calm.

Meditation: Same as Day 1 for 5 minutes.

Journal for 5 minutes.

All ready to day four! WOW time flies when you are having fun:) ....at least for me anyway! Read some more right here tomorrow!

Day 3

Day 3:(May 9,2012) I WILL BE THE CHANGE I WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD. (thank you Gandhi) If things are not going right for you, don't despair! You have an opportunity to make your life better. Real change can begin with YOU! Just because other people don't do the right things in realtionships, communities, the world...does not mean we can't! WE MUST! You will always feel better for it.

Meditation: Same as Day 1 for 5 minutes.

Yoga : Two full Sun Salutations. Both sides of the body.

Journal for 5 minutes.

Again, I am so glad you are taking time to do this! I think it is really a neat thing that we are in this together:)

Day 2

Day 2: (May 8, 2012)  I WILL ENJOY THE BODY I HAVE RIGHT NOW! It is time to let go of our perceived "flaws". Thank your body for working so hard to carry you thru your day by paying it compliments. YOU ARE A BEAUTIFUL PERSON!

Meditation: Same as Day 1 for 5 minutes.

Yoga: One full Sun Salutation. Both sides of your body.

Journal for 5 minutes.

Meet me back here for Day 3:)

Day 1

For Day 1...Monday, May 7,2012:

Welcome! Your mantra (an encouraging thing to say to yourself) for today is: MY HEART IS OPEN TO THIS NEW CHALLENGE/EXPERIENCE WITH NO JUDGEMENT TOWARD MYSELF.

Meditation: (5 minutes, set a timer) Read this sequence first, then begin: Sit on the floor in any comfortable posture that allows your spine to be straight (Easy Seated Pose). Breathe. Deep inhales, long exhales. In thru the nose, out thru the nose. Close your eyes. As questions, anxiety or thoughts arise...acknowledge them, then simply turn them away...perhaps recalling your daily mantra at this time. Keep doing this simple meditation for five minutes and always with deep cleansing breath.

Yoga: Do one full  Sun Salutation. (pictures of this sequence posted on this blog.) Please remember to do poses on both sides of your body to maintain balance.

Journal about your experience today before leaving your quiet space.

Hope you enjoyed your yoga time...come back tomorrow for Day 2. So glad you are doing this with me!

balancing poses, triangle, and savasana with a dog distraction:)

dancer's balancing pose. remember breathing deeply helps keep you balanced and calm. shift your weight to your left leg. make a "hitchiker's thumb" with your right hand., then let the  right toes rest between thumb and fingers. inhale deeply...slowly extending left arm in front of you and pressing right foot back into hand gaining elevation for the leg on your exhale. beautiful! keep breathing!  and remember to do on both sides of the body to keep yourself balanced.

tree pose (balancing). (please never place your foot on the inside of your knee. only on the inside of the calf, or the inside of the thigh for safety.) breathe deeply and smile too because this pose is fun! also do on both sides of the body.

eagle pose.(balancing)

plank...hold for one minute...increases strength, and stamina in the body...excellent for all over toning:)

savasana (corpse pose) let all the energy and intention you created in your yoga practice today begin to settle back down on you in this pose....i suggest staying in savasana for at least eight minutes. i have a dog (sookie stackhouse fluffy-bottom is her name) in my picture and i decided to leave the picture just like this...life has distractions...that doesn't mean they have to interrupt our yoga practice or principles.

easy seated pose, and sun salutation

easy seated pose

begin at the top of your mat. hands to heart center

inhale.drop down in to chair pose.making sure to draw the navel in toward the spine

fold completely forward on your exhale then inhale in to this half lift.palms in front of shins, shoulders square back

on the top of your next exhale step back in to high plank (push up pose) then rotate the elbows in and continue to exhale down until you are hovering directly over your mat. (drop your knees if you need to:)

inhale. let your toes roll under and help scoop you forward and up in to upward facing dog

exhale.let your toes roll under, press out thru your palms, sink your heels down toward the mat, really draw your navel in so the top of your chest can move closer to the tops of your thighs. this is your downward facing dog pose.

on your next inhale bring your right (or left) foot up to the right hand...lifting up in to warrior I. make sure both hips are pointing foward, and most of all keep breathing:)

on your next exhale rotate the back foot  until it is lined up with the back of your mat.let your arms extend over both of your legs.let your gaze be over the middle finger . and again deep cleansing breaths:) to come out of this warrior II pose inhale and windmill your arms around and place palms on your mat.exhale in to a downward facing dog pose, then inhale walking to the top of your mat, staying in a forward fold.inhale again and gently roll your way to standing, hands to heart center once again. take a full inhale and exhale...begin again, this time focusing on the other side of your body

21 day yoga challenge...begins May 7,2012

21 day yoga challenge.

Namaste. Thank you for your interest! My name is Becca and I am a Certified Yoga Instructor. I want to help people develop a daily yoga practice right from their  home. The challenge will begin on May 7, 2012. The  yoga class I teach in my local community will be doing this with me, and also friends in different states and  countries will be  joining us via this blog. I hope you leave comments about your yoga journey also! The following paragraphs are a preface:

Why we do yoga, and why for twenty-one days : Learning about our "center" and using our balance in a yoga pose can help us practice finding our center and balance in real life situations. Also learning something new helps us to create fresh "pathways" in our brain...carrying us away from our old "ruts" and habitual thoughts and feelings. Scientists have proven it takes twenty-one days to break old, bad habits and the same amount of time to form new, good habits!

Suggestions: Each day drink at least 8 to 10 eight ounce glasses of water, take a multi-vitamin, get at least seven hours of sleep. You may also want to journal about things that come up during your meditation time. Also write about what poses you enjoy and why, what poses are hard for you and why, or a particular problem you are gaining insight about during your practice or something you have gained gratitude for during your practice. So have a pen and notebook ready. Before you begin this challenge have a designated place and time to do your yoga practice and meditation. It does not need to be fancy...just comfortable with as few distractions as possible. Other things you may want to consider during this time are: optimal nutrition, letting go of any bad habits, nurturing good relationships, letting go of harmful ones and creating new healthy opportunities in your life such as incorporating a thirty minute cardio routine of walking or jogging in to your day for ultimate fitness! Allow these twenty-one days to be a time of restoration, re-evaluation, and rejuvenation! I can't wait to get started with you! I will post the yoga sequences Saturday and Sunday...and we will begin our journey together on Monday! Love and Light, Becca