Source challenger Liz King "in the eye of a brand new Boeing 737-800"
If you have been in class at either of the studios in the last few weeks, you have felt the buzz of the “30 Day Challenge.” Fifty students and teachers have embarked on this journey together and committed to practicing yoga for 30 days straight-in classes, at home, on vacations, with kids, with their partners, with their friends, wherever and whenever they can.
This has been a transformational journey for all. Some people have done poses for the first time that have eluded them for years. People are getting stronger, healing injuries, breaking through self-created barriers, finding an enriching community, and having fun!
For me, the challenge has been in sticking with my commitment to practice at home, with kids, noise, and life all around me. There have been many days where my practice was 10 minutes on my mat when I wake up, with baby crawling around me, then five minutes in the kitchen waiting for breakfast to cook, 20 minutes with my 5 year old in the living room, and then 10 minutes of meditation before falling into bed at the end of a full day. And occasionally I have gotten a continual 40 minutes or so to myself, when the baby is napping and my son occupied.
Through this challenge, I have really gotten that I really can find that quiet space within myself, no matter what is going on around me. I don’t have to wait for the perfect moment, the perfect space, to practice, but I can do a downward dog in the kitchen with my daughter in her high chair, take a few deep breaths, and reconnect to my center. This might sound obvious, especially for a yoga teacher to say, but I have been reminded how good yoga makes me feel! Believe me, even yoga teachers struggle to take time for themselves. To practice throughout my day, instead of waiting for the perfect time, I find myself in a constant state of presence, and feel like I am able to take time for myself in a few breaths, a cat-cow, and a giggling pose with my son.
Congratulations to all of our 30-day challengers! I honor you for your commitment and your breakthroughs! Here’s to the next challenge – continuing to carry your commitment to yourself and your yoga into your life for the next 30 days, 30 months, and 30 years!
Peace,
Erin
Note: Our photo above is from 30 Day Challenger and regular Source student, Liz King. If you have a yoga photo of yourself that you would like to share with the Source community (via Facebook and the Source website), please send it to our newsletter coordinator, Tamiko Nimura, at tfnimura@gmail.com.
