I recently completed everyone’s favourite online yoga teacher, Yoga with Adriene‘s 31 Day Yoga Revolution. Followers of Rhyme & Ribbons will know that I am not new to yoga, and frequently go practice in a local studio that I adore (It’s my biggest “treat” to myself”.) I also do Adriene’s videos online various evenings throughout the week. I love the way that I feel after a yoga session, and I love the way that it makes me feel about my body. When I go to practice at the studio a few blocks from my house, I always come home more relaxed and refreshed and I definitely sleep better that night.
I started doing one of her previous challenges: 30 Days of Yoga, a few years ago and it only lasted about 7 days for me. Because as much as I love yoga, I really struggle to commit myself to doing something every single day. I struggle to commit myself to anything every single day, even things that I adore, so it’s no reflection on yoga practice.
This time I was firm in my unwavering commitment to practice every single day. No cheating, no doing two videos one day and none the next. Only to do the practice as intended: a little every single day. (Her longest video during the 31 Day Revolution is 45 minutes. Most are around 28 minutes, some as little as 15.)
I heard someone say once that you either do something for a little while every day or not at all; otherwise, if you commit yourself to doing something 3 times per week, there’s always an excuse to put it off until “tomorrow” and you never end up following through.
I found that that idea especially resonates with me.
After being so dedicated to my Great North Run training last year, for most of 2018 I fell out of the habit of running for that very reason – I kept putting it off throughout the week and I’ve only fairly recently started to up my running again.
I feel an immense level of satisfaction having completed the 31 Days, and I definitely came away with some distinct takeaways. The type of yoga I enjoy in the morning is hugely different to what I enjoy in the evening. In the evening, I like to focus on reflective thinking and deep stretches and balance, whereas in the morning I prefer to get my body going. I also discovered that I really struggle with meditation in the morning; my head races forward to the 100 million things that I need to do during the upcoming day. Meditation comes somewhat more naturally to me in the evening, though I still greatly struggle with it. I’ve downloaded Headspace to help me strengthen that practice, so I’ll let you know how I get on with that!
Have you completed one of Yoga with Adriene’s challenges? Have you ever challenged yourself to do anything every single day?
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