My first yoga DVD
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I have been a complete yoga lover & believer since around 7th grade. It all started at Target when I picked up my first yoga video. It was Rodney Yee's Yoga for Abs (& i still love Rodney Yee to this day). I was so excited about it! I popped that tape in my tape player and did my first yoga practice on my parent's living room floor and it was awesome!! I have never felt like that before. My body felt so strong yet so relaxed. It was pretty amazing to know that you could feel like that's and after that first practice, I was hooked. Now I wasn't an avid yoga follower right from the start. I would pop that tape in and use it every once in a while, but not consistently. I loved yoga & the way it made me felt, But how many devoted 12-year old yogis do you know? So anywho, I would pop this video in every once in a while and love it and then go back to focusing on my dance classes that I did 3 days a week.
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Christy Turlington, a yogi and an amazing woman I admire
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When I got into high school I remember My aunt having all these VHS (yeah, remember those??) tapes of yoga practices. I was always intrigued with yoga and I honestly don't know why. It's not something I grew up with, or really knew anything about. I don't even remember the first time I was introduced to yoga, I just remember seeing that VHS at Target and those VHS tapes of my aunts and I couldn't wait to get my hands on them. I was drawn to it for some reason.
My sweet Coco next to me as I document my yoga challenge doing an at-home practice.
I would try all different yoga tapes and practice them at home. I always wanted to grow in my practice and become a "yogi" but I was young and it was just added to my very long list of things I wanted to do. I dabbled in yoga from 1997 until just recently. Not until college Did i have the opportunity to try yoga in a real studio setting which changed everything!! After college and not having a free gym, i didn't do much in-studio yoga, i just stuck with videos here and there. I would pop a video in when I felt tense, or my back hurt, or when something just didn't feel right. I knew yoga helped and it made me feel great, i just wouldn't take it to that deeper level or consistency or pushing myself further. I finally took the leap to a real studio almost 4 years ago & i finally tried a strictly yoga studio. Wow, was that an amazing experience. It was different from what yoga I was used to. It was hard, and I sweat, and I felt stronger, and sore, and calm all at the same time. Once I started at yoga studios I knew I wanted to dive deeper into this amazing practice.
Some snapshots of my yoga challenge
My new job gives me the opportunity & time to workout and try new things which is what I love and appreciate so much. So, with that and the goals I set for myself (which once again, I will post that blog soon on goal setting) I decided I was going to take advantage of where I am with my life and do this yoga challenge. I was practicing yoga maybe once or twice a week but I wanted more!
Documenting my 14 days of yoga
I started at one of my favorite studios that I haven't been to in a while. It was actually my first real yoga studio I ever went to. It felt good to be back in this beautiful studio that I loved so much. The look, the feel, everything about this studio is what I love to my core. The studio actually reflects a room I have in my house, and this is before I even had been into this studio, so it was kind of cool to see myself in this room that I had never even been to before...hopefully that just made sense. It does in my head, but that doesn't mean a thing!
An at-home practice with my yogi helper, Coco
Anyways, I started out my challenge at the studio where it all began. I set my intention for that practice to really start cleaning up the Edges of my practice and diving deeper into this thing that I loved so much. I wanted to feel what I felt at yoga, throughout my day and share that with others. I wanted to be the person I've always wanted to be. And that class set the tone for the rest of my challenge. To me, I've always wanted to be that person that works out, lives a healthy lifestyle. I've always wanted to be that person trotting around with a yoga mat and really understanding the terminology of yoga and health and fitness. I wanted to know what the benefits of yoga are & what they can do for your body and not only know them, but benefit from them because I'm practicing yoga daily. I wanted yoga to be an absolute in my life.
A sweaty mat documented this day
I feel like I have accomplished so much already just practicing 14 days straight of yoga. The first day was a great class to really break down each pose and make sure I was in the correct positions and angles. I thought it was nice to go back to the basics and make sure my form was correct. Then the second day I jumped into an intense, hot yoga practice. The teacher pushed my mind a lot further than I thought I could ever go. I tried poses I never even imagined doing and held poses for waaaaay longer than I ever thought I could have. This teacher pushed your limits, your thoughts, your practice, your poses, your body, your mind, everything! I left so proud of myself for not breaking poses, not quitting when it hurt and really pushing myself to see how far I could go. It was only Day #2 and I had already learned so much about myself.
Another home practice with my helper by my side
Every day the need for yoga grew more & more. Now that I've incorporated it into my life for 2 weeks straight, I will never be able to live without it. Even if it's a quick couple of flows at night, or a couple of sun salutations in the morning, I'm going to have to do yoga in my day, even if it's for just 20 or 30 minutes. After practicing for 2 weeks straight my flexibility has improved drastically, my mental clarity is amazing & I'm so much calmer and happy! I understand the terms better and I can even flow through some moves on my own which makes me pretty proud!
My last day I did a practice outside in our backyard, in this beautiful weather as my sweet Lucy protected me from the deck.
Doing 14 days, I got to try different types and it really helped me see what kinds I really enjoy more. I appreciate them all, but I do feel like there are certain types for you. I've connected with old friends doing my challenge, I've grown my goals more and really become proud of myself. It feels good to have conquered a personal goal and better yourself in the end. I was diligent with this challenge and I'm really proud. I learned so much & I'm so glad I can see the change in my life already and in my daily routine.
What have you always wanted to do? What have you always wanted to push further into? Take that leap. Because guess what? That person you've always wanted to be is there. You have the opportunity to be that person. You just have to do it!
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