As I perused my inbox this morning, I received a message from Dharma Yoga Syracuse: This is a notification that your 1-Month Unlimited New Student Special $40 expires on 11/22/2012. Continue or not to continue being a yogi? That’s a softball question with an easy answer. 
Ever since quitting smoking 25 years ago, I began my obsession with exercise. I went to the YMCA five days a week to press iron, swim, or play hoops. I also took up running. The first time I laced a pair of New Balance shoes, I stopped at about the 528 foot (10th of a mile) mark, wheezing and coughing with torso inverted, hands on knees, and head between my legs. I wonder why? In a year, a pack a day smoker like me, inhales a cup of tar into their lungs. My body was feeling the by-product of decades of self abuse.
I saw running as a competitive challenge. After several months of going a little further each time out, I was jogging (more like a Clydesdale vs. a deer) 4-5 miles every other day. Instead of nicotine, my new addiction was running.
Twenty five years later, I have a new addiction.
Yoga is my dessert of the day.
Yoga provides me with:
- Balance
- Poise
- Calmness
- Endurance
- Conscious breathing
- Isometric training
- Meditation
- Stretching
- Confidence
- Muscle tone
It’s been 27 days since I declared my 30 Day Challenge. I’ll sign up for another month of classes and continue the exploration of this new chapter. Other than giving up smoking, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done for my health.
My yoga center got some air time last week.
Several of you have been sending me emails updating me on your challenge. Will you be continuing, pausing, stopping, or trying something else all together? Talk to me below.
So exciting. I am curious, do you find that you are still running and doing the other sports you enjoy. I seem to go in phases, where one “dessert” takes over for a while. I work toward a mix, but my heart seems to go in phases with this stuff. At one point I was doing yoga every day and became a certified instructor… then I went at the running thing full tilt with many marathons under my belt…. then kickboxing… yoga is always there, but not as a daily ritual. Your posts are inspiring me to bring it more to the forefront and see what possibilities that brings. Namaste.
Thanks Karin.
In the last 30 days, I’ve run one time only because I don’t have the energy. The yoga workout takes a lot out of me. That’s a good thing.
When I belonged to a gym, I’d mix up the exercise routine quite a bit as I mentioned in the piece.
Yoga feels like the perfect exercise, over and above anything I’ve ever done before.
Wow, master yoga instructor? Marathon runner? Impressive. Kickboxing too? Nice.
I’m loving yoga so much for what is does for my mind and body. Not sure if I’ll do it every day though we shall see.
Again, thanks for stopping by.
Go Steve! I love your saying that “yoga is your dessert for today “. Yummy! I commend you for “staying on your Mat”, being true to your body and allowing the mind to move you toward completing your 30 day challenge of Yoga! You are powerful, strong and committed!
Thanks Michelle for your inspiration!
You started this challenge for me that’s changed me forever.
Sorry for the delayed response. I did really well with my challenge for the first few weeks. It was eating healthy once more. I maintained my juicing (juicing raw fruits and vegetables) and exercise in the morning while eating light at night. However, since working around fried food for a night job, I definitely faltered the last week of it.
What brought the idea of the 30 day challenge on, Steve? I know that the will ultimately comes from the mindset and I know I can do it!
Ryan
Nice going Ryan? I’d be interested in hearing how you felt through the process. Not sure if you made notes in a journal along the way.
Eating just fruits and veggies is a real challenge. Sounded like you had a great experience.
My -mo- was layered:
– I wanted to do something I had never done before.
– It had to be health and wellness driven.
– I was inspired by a friend who did a 40 day challenge.
– I saw the speech by Matt Cutts, Google engineer, included in this post https://endgamebusiness.com/blog/30-day-challenge-week-3/
I’m heading towards day 50.
That’s excellent! A great book which I keep with me (at all times since it is small enough) is called Zen To Done. It is a spin-off of David Allen’s ‘Getting Things Done’, except this book consolidates it. It works on the long-term. The author knows that an individual can go in really motivated but when attempting to tackle every project at once, they will burn out and eventually give up.
He heeds against that and states to work on each one quickly and record documentation for accountability. Once you feel you have mastered an aspect of your life needing improvement, move to the next.
I’ll take a look at that book. Thanks for the recommendation.
Quickly is the operative word. The brain does it’s best work quickly.
Thanks for your insights Ryan. Good stuff!