What inspired YOU to take on the challenge? « Kula Yoga / Newport Yoga Forum

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What inspired YOU to take on the challenge?

(16 posts) (10 voices)

Started 9 months ago by karen
Latest reply from karen

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karen
Key Master
We all have unique reasons for signing up for the challenge. We want to know what inspires you, and what goals you have for the challenge.

Here's some possibilities to help trigger you:
- It could be for physical reasons: you are curious to see how your body responds to a consistent yoga practice.
- It could be for the allure of the unknown challenges: that in any obstacle, the act of meeting a challenge brings out and develops aspects of our character.
- It could be to give yourself a reason to take time out of your schedule for your own personal development.
- It could be that you can’t pass up any challenge… and that’s a good enough reason in itself (although there are underlying reasons to consider).
- What's your reason?
Let us about what inspired you to take on the 30 Day Challenge!
Posted 9 months ago #
karen
Key Master

As a teacher, I find myself "doing" yoga a lot, but not exploring my own practice as much as I'd like. The challenge is a great way for me to get back in my student-mind. In particular I'm wanting to challenge how my mind uses negative feedback to push myself. Instead, I'd like to discard the self-judgment and embrace the quiet and calm that yoga can bring!

Posted 9 months ago #
chris
Member

I find it difficult to fit in my own personal practice (enough of it anyway) taking this challenge holds me accountable to ensure I keep up the learning to continue to advance my teaching. In addition, I just enjoy challenging myself any chance I get, keeps both the mind and body strong.

Posted 9 months ago #
Troy
Member

The 30 Day Challenge is an experiment for me. The gym has been a regular part of my schedule for a long time and over the past couple of years I've fit in yoga when I felt like it. Not long before the challenge was announced I had started going to the gym less often and yoga more often and was noticing subtle changes in my body. So, I decided to find out what would happen with even more yoga. I'm curious to see how I feel and how my body responds during and after this challenge!

Posted 9 months ago #
sean
Member

In a word, Savasna. I crave it.

I did the Challenge earlier this year while I was training for an ultramarathon. I believe yoga is the perfect balance for running and allowed me to continue my training injury free.

With training season starting to ramp back up, I plan to use the Challenge again as a crosstraining tool to help build my core and keep my muscles "bendy"!

The Challenge is the perfect thing to make sure I come to yoga, even when I don't have time or simply am not in the mood.

Posted 9 months ago #
karen
Key Master

Sean - I agree, savasana feels extra good during a challenge, I'm enjoying it too.

Troy, keep us posted on how you feel in your transition from the gym to yoga. What I've heard from others is that they actually feel stronger from practicing yoga than lifting weights. Personally I gave up the gym a few years ago - I found that yoga easily matched the physical benefits but had more of an impact on my overall well being.

Posted 9 months ago #
gtrice
Member

I joined the challenge to force myself to go to other classes with other instructor's because I find I am a creature of habit. I am enjoyng all of them and find I get a different workout at each class. I started yoga about 2 years ago and now I can't live without it. I would like to thank all the instructor's for their superb expertice and a special thanks to Andrew for having inspired me down a path I never thought I would go. The challange is just a personal goal that I would like to achieve for myself. I must admit that I always look forward savasna.

Posted 9 months ago #
Andrew Colyn
Member

I joined the challenge for a few reasons! The number one reason was to embrace this lovely Kula, "community" more closely. We have this awesome group of people to whom I teach and practice with quite regularly.....I joined this challenge to support and grow this Kula, its grown hugely over the past few years, and by me participating in this challenge, do I not only help grow it, but also let the community inspire me, grow me, and support me, as I seek to become a better student and teacher..........See you on the mat! ! Andrew
OM

Namah Shivāya Gurave

Posted 9 months ago #
Alissa
Member

For the love of Yoga and being a student of something so amazing. For the connections within our yoga community as we meet in class and communicate about how we feel throughout. Also, how great it was to participate in the last challenge. This forum is becoming another great reason. Thanks for creating this Karen. It's very interesting to read everyone's posts and to share with eachother... creating more community. Also love Savasana for the "yoga mush brain" it helps create, the bliss of being still, and so many of us sharing that stillness... which is so different from anything else in life and so peaceful as we all simply "be" together. The list could really go on and on. Thanks everyone!

Posted 9 months ago #
karen
Key Master

Andrew - you've hit on something that I didn't first see an intention for the challenge - the two way exchange with the kula, our community. Picture jumping into the 30 day challenge alone - it would be a completely different experience... although there would still be a lot to gain on a personal level, we have a lot to learn and to give each other in this. I hope this forum gives us another venue for exchanging support for each other through the day-to-day struggles and victories of the challenge.

Alissa - you were the one who inspired me to reflect on being a student again - that you've learned to quiet your teacher's mind during your own practice and enjoy it for it's own qualities: being receptive to being taught, and directing that inwards.

Posted 9 months ago #
jennifergagnon
Member

I was inspired to participate in the challenge because I love yoga and it is better for my mind and it's connection to my body than anything else I have ever done. I find when I do yoga for 30 days in a row, lots of stuff comes up and it feels like a mind-body cleanse; detoxifying from the inside-out. I also take this 30 days and challenge myself to journal my thoughts and feelings; body and mind.
Tonight I came to class in a tight ball of anger and hurt. One of my teachers (SFU) had wrote "weak" beside my name on a class list of assignments and circulated it around the class, not with the intention of hurting anyone's feelings I'm sure! It brought me straight back to my childhood where I met my self-critic for the first time! It grew into a monster throughout my adolescence and it was a yoga therapist who inspired me to practice on a regular basis, with the focus on disarming this inner critic and overcoming anxiety. Yoga has done so much for me.
All that to say that I came to class tonight all balled up and the ever-amazing Heather has disarming the inner critic as the theme of our practice. She kept saying over and over, "let it go, you aren't that" and "open up to grace and something bigger." It was such a profound experience for me and I am so, so grateful for teachers like Heather who have the gift of intuition and so much grace. I have never been to a yoga studio that has more than one great teacher and we are so fortunate at Newport to have so many and the "kula" is truly beautiful. Thank-you guys for inspiring me and helping me to live in the moment and to truly "sparkle with the essence of our true inner beauty" as Andrew would say!

Posted 9 months ago #
karen
Key Master

Hey Jen - thanks for sharing! I'm happy that you found relief in your practice last night, and how amazing that Heather's theme was so bang on to your needs at the time. The battle against the inner critic has also been an issue for me, and yoga both challenges and soothes that. The 30 day challenge is my stage to work on self-acceptance. The tiny voice may even be provoked in my practice (balancing poses are like fuel on the flame)... and I'm caught between either:

a) rationalizing my way out of the negativity, that "it doesn't serve me" so letting it go

b) accepting the voice, but recognizing that it is small, and just a reaction to external stimulus instead of an expression of my inner self.

Even if its over tree pose or warrior 3, it's preparing to deal with the same stimulus / reaction in life at large.

Thanks for your kind words about the studio and community... see you soon.

Posted 9 months ago #
mimii
Member

Lately, I found myself very intense physically and emotionally. So I thought, doing Yoga could probably help and why not challenge myslef to do the 30 day yoga before the end of 2009?!
In fact, I feel so greatful that I started the 30 day challenge, I have something to look forward to everyday now!
While planning my yoga schedule, I distract myself from all the negative thoughts in my mind. However, my shoulder muscle seems to be more tense though, I don't know why.

Anyways, I want to say thank you to all the instructors, espically Karen! You guys are being so friendly. It is nice to see your smiley faces while walking into the studio early in the morning :D

Posted 9 months ago #
Naomi
Member

Like Chris said when we started, I'm "back with a vengeance!" :) I started out here, and used to "stalk" Andrew regularly ;) but then went M.I.A. for about a year and a half after taking a FT job downtown. Now I have my own schedule again and thought the 30 day challenge was a great opportunity to do the opposite of going cold turkey to quit something. I am looking forward to seeing the muscle tone return, and I also know the practice will be so good to help ease tightness in my hips/low back/shoulders caused by stress. Week 1 was tough (OUCH)... my body was a very reluctant passenger. Week 2 and the ball is starting to roll along again! :) ... feels so good/healthy to be doing this again, for both body and mind...

Posted 9 months ago #
sean
Member

The biggest challenge thus far has been finding enough time in my schedule. Just doubled up and it wasn't first time either. Luckily Karen took it easy on us this morning. 1 day left and I still need another double. It's all good!

Posted 8 months ago #
karen
Key Master

Sean, you did it !!! I'm not sure how much engineering got done over the last couple weeks... but I like where your priorities!

Posted 8 months ago #

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