Mason's Jar: Converted Yogi

I did it!

Last Sunday I finished my 30 day Yoga with Adriene challenge... so what's my final verdict? I'm hooked!

I'm so glad I made the commitment to push through 30 days. Starting my yoga journey with a home practice was so beneficial to me. Like I mentioned in my previous post (Namaste or Nah?), going to a public yoga class can be intimidating if you are a newbie. Adriene's YouTube channel was a perfect place for a curious beginner like me. One thing I absolutely LOVE about the way she teaches yoga is that she does not want you to strain yourself to do a perfect downward dog, or for you to feel discouraged if you have to modify the pose. Her main focus is that your body should benefit from yoga and that it is important to find what feels good. You'll see me sporting the FWFG tank in the picture above!

After my 30 days I've come to be a lot more conscious of my breathing and my posture. I've always had a tendency to slump over when I sit down and even when I stand. Yoga has made me more aware of how my body reacts when I do those things. My upper body and my core have gotten stronger and more capable of supporting the rest of my body when transitioning from position to position. It has improved my flexibility and I feel more limber. Last but not least, it has definitely given me a chance to connect with myself. Mind, body, spirit, ya know.

When I sit on the mat it's time to let go of whatever the day has thrown at me and to reconnect with myself and what I am doing. I don't think about the client that was rude to me today at work or about how Panera Bread forgot the avocado in my salad. It's hard to explain the peace of mind I have found in taking time to do this daily practice, but this is truly the reason why I 100% plan on continuing in growing with yoga.

A few days after I finished the challenge I made the decision to brave another public class. After my previous not-so-fantastic experiences with classes, I was a little nervous. But I did feel a lot more confident going in than I did before. The class ended up going SO well. Afterwards I felt relaxed not intimidated, and I was even complimented by a few ladies. They asked how long I had been doing yoga and were definitely shocked when I laughed and said, "um about 30 days."

If you are still on the fence about this whole yoga hype like I was, I encourage you again to give it a try. And really give it a try. Now here are some fun pictures of a few poses I've been working on... laugh if you want (: