The 5th Annual Yoga Challenge starts in 2 days! I am so excited–and admittedly a bit frazzled! So much to do!!
I am going to the studio today to, among other things, hang the sign-in chart with the names of all 60 people who signed up. (Sold out for the 5th year in a row! Yeah, baby.)
I will also put up the chart for the “Virtuals,” and so far there are 6 of you. (You know who you are!) Some of you are already cleared as “Authors” and can write your own posts whenever you want (you can start today if you like!) but some of you haven’t, so if you want to become an author, here’s what you do:
I will need to send you an invitation via WordPress. So if you think you are going to want to be more than a “Commenter” let me know.
You will then create an account with WordPress, which is free, and easy-breezy.
You can find a YouTube guiding you through the process here.
If you watch the YouTube they assume you are wanting to set up a blog. If you want to, I say GO FOR IT! But it’s not necessary for our purposes here.
You will have 2 options after you create a username and password.
One option is:
Gimme a blog!
The other option is:
Just a username please .
Click the “just a username,” and you’re done.
Once you have a username, let me know what it is, and I’ll add you as an Author.
See? Easy, right? Okay then, go do it.
You’ll notice that I changed themes this year, too. I like it. It’s clear, and easy to see comments. Okay, I gotta bolt. So happy to be back here at Virtual Yogarians! Talk soon.
Kath
I’m in! I’ve ben looking forward to the Challenge for weeks. Get ready for some life changes. Yeeeeeeee haaaaaw!
Yeah, baby! Let’s do this thing! REALLY looking forward to your posts! Mwah!
Okay! I am in too..and I talked my husband into it a well!
Day 1: 45 minutes of yoga early before leaving for the half marathon in Ithaca this morning. YAY!
You are amazing, Jackie! Good luck today!
I went to a 90 minute yoga class at my gym this morning to kick off the challenge. It was on the softer side – lots of laying poses, twists, etcs, but she threw in a few triangles and warriors as well, so I at least got to break a sweat. The plan for tomorrow is Vinyasa at the gym, unless the school district calls me in to sub, in which case I’ll have to do a video or something at home instead.
By the way, this is Emily.
I took the blog option when I signed up but I haven’t finished setting it up yet. I have an LJ, but its pretty dead over there, so I’m thinking about blogging over here instead.
Well it has been awhile, but I got about 30 minutes of yoga in for the first time since October…shoulder felt pretty well!
I would like to be included in the challenge if it is not too late?
I am looking forward to this so much. Yoga everyday – 7 days a week for for as long as the challenges last? – Yes, this will definitely change my life!!!
I already blog at WordPress and have a domain name.
Working on lurking. The virtual challenge seems so much more accountable and i suspect actually harder; so we’ll see. Nice home practice day one but where is all the energy?
I set personal goals for this challenge that I felt maybe difficult to stick with. However, so far my practice has been the easy part. I am tech illiterate, it just isn’t my thing. Setting up this account was the “challenge”! I am now calmed down and very excited to be part of this amazing group for the next 30 days.
goals: (1 hr practice)- Intention-alternate nostril 2each-kapalabhati 300-uddyana bandha 10-stretch-asanas- 20 min. meditation end with gratitude. 2 days successful
I set personal goals for this challenge that I felt maybe difficult to stick with. However, so far my practice has been the easy part. I am tech illiterate, it just isn’t my thing. Setting up this account was the “challenge”! I am now calmed down and very excited to be part of this amazing group for the next 30 days.
goals: (1 hr practice)- Intention-alternate nostril 2each-kapalabhati 300-uddyana bandha 10-stretch-asanas- 20 min. meditation end with gratitude. 2 days successful
4 days of practice accomplished. This morning after my practice I sat still thinking about how easy it was yesterday doing my yoga in the living room area compared to at the foot of my bed. Then I also realized that I often tell myself ,” Don’t forget I HAVE to do yoga today.” I am changing that phrase to ” I am allowing myself time for yoga today.” Because it’s not a have to. It’s an I deserve this time for me and my yoga.
Namaste
I can’t believe it has been 8 days of yoga already. We are now in Sedona AZ. It was awesome to do yoga outside today. I am surrounded by so much beauty. In wide leg forward bend I opened my eyes to see amazing mountains, in triangle it looked like I was reaching for the top of the one mountain. My gratitude today was, that I could be in this magical place doing yoga.
WoW, Sherry!! How I envy you!! I have never been to Sedona but it is on my “must-go-to” places. It is supposed to be an “energy vortex” place and from the sounds of it, you are feelin’ it!! Go! Fly!!
~K.
Thank you Kath. This is a special place. Today a lady I just met hugged me so hard and said so many wonderful things to me for no reason. We ended up crying. Then she told me about one of the vortex –Sooo Today yoga done with a new excitement. Tomorrow Vortex here I am – if it isn’t crowded, yoga and meditation in the vortex or maybe just meditation. Soo excited I can’t sleep!! Sedona is a must see and feel magical place.
Well yesterday didn’t pan out. Vortex was not meant to be -however, I met a wonderful lady at the camp. I was just finishing my practice when she stopped by. She use to do yoga and asked if I (me?)would help her start again. She asked how to know what to do. Ha! I used the wise words of “my yoga teacher” and said “Your body tells you what it needs if you listen. ” We did a few slow stretches and some standing balances. She told me what she felt , I tried to show her what would feel good. It worked -I don’t like doing yoga in front of people -but this was awesome!! Magical!
Yesterday we did end up going back to the Airport vortex. I had my picture taken in side angle stretch but my foot started to slip. Try that again next day or two. Spent about an hour there. Amazing. It’s a personal voyage to each person who visits there. I will tell you this –one picture and my camera stopped working -once partway down the hill -it worked again. Came home to do a good side angle stretch, pigeon, plank, bow, sitting side twist, sun salutations and 3 leg down dog(just trying that) and the rest of my practice- kapalabhati, meditation, gratitude. And a full practice on today the 12th – We went to Bell Rock today – It’s all like a dream !! I don’t want to wake-up
Namaste
I haven’t posted for a few days -it seems like I am out here alone. I have been doing my practice each day. The last 2 have been shorter. Today I broke my practice up into two parts. I did kapalabhati, uddyana bandha then tried the warrior flow Kath mentioned. Added down dog and plank, incline plane and boat. Then we went to the Amitabha Stupa in Peace Park -there I made the circle of prayer and did 10mins of meditation. This was a very rewarding personal experience.
I can’t believe we are half way through the month.
Namaste
The 17th I did my practice out side -still staying with the full practice -my asana portion consisted of all 3 warriors, plank , incline plane, boat, 5 sun salutations each side and stretches.
On the 18th I did my practice in my room. same practice with forward folds and sitting side bends -
19th I did not do yoga -I have no excuse –although I have been looking at a picture taken of me in meditation and realized that when I use my zafu, I sit tall, my knees are down,my back is straight and I feel strong. In the picture I am setting on gravel and I look like a hunched over egg!!!! I hadn’t realized the difference using my zafu made. I need to work on sitting without it and doing it properly. Having visuals to see the reality of what is, compared to what I think it is. Has made me determined to be more aware of alignment in all my practice.
20th I am back on track but instead of doing more asanas I am slowing down and being fully aware of my breathing and alignment .
Rock on, sistah! You are amazing! And about the zafu? I can’t sit without some support or, like you, I go all “egg-y.” They sell blow up zafus for travel, you know about those? Yeah, put it right in your bag, blow it up, Bam!
Love, K.
First let me say, Thank you Kath -encouragement was needed at that point. Blow-up zafu? I will be getting one.
Now, yoga. Yes I have been doing at least 30-45 mins each day. We have been traveling for the last 4days. Which makes it sorta hard -but I am managing to get it in. I have been doing suns, plank, boat, vira 1,2,3 trying wide leg forward bend, pigeon (trying to raise my arms instead of using them to support myself) and my favorite– triangle. still being aware of position and breathing. Sad to say my meditation is down to 10mins. But I am sticking with this and learning a lot as I go. We are in Kansas now -heading towards Virgina. I saw your May listing –I so wish I was there, at least 3 classes I would love to join. Maybe in June when we get home.
Namaste, my teacher, my friend.
Thurs. we traveled again, it was a short day only 258 miles. I did a full hour of yoga and 20mins of meditation. Felt good. Friday the 27th we decided to stay over in Lawrence Kansas. The campground is nice and we are tired -But, another full practice, much of the same asanas. So I spent more time on the wide-leg standing forward bend. I would like to accomplish this so I could go on to arm and head stands. Maybe? I find this very uncomfortable-I even wondered how I would get back out of it alone. I did just fine.
I have been doing yoga at different times of day now that we are moving each day. Yesterday I was going to do my practice around 4pm once we got our running done. However, last night the 28th was bad! We had to pull the slides in on the RV. Thunderstorms , high winds (30-45mph gust) and tornado watch!! No asanas–but to help calm myself( I hate thunder and lightning-let alone tornadoes) I sat on my zafu on top of my bed and practiced Alternate nostril breathing, The Ujjayi breath, and Kapalabhati. I did 20mins med. and then I read my Yoga Journal again for May. That’s the one with the wide leg forward bend in it. Looking for tips that I might have missed.
29th. I didn’t get much sleep with the storms and waiting to hear the darn tornado warnings go off -WHICH THEY NEVER DID- THANK GOODNESS. Guess some areas around us got it worse than here and it was bad here.
I did my practice early today – started with my intention–kapalabhati 250– asanas – including wide-leg forward bend. It was a good workout. Finished with 20 min meditation. We decided to stay again today. They are calling for storms here and where we’re heading. At least right now the wind has died down and the rain let up so we can have the slides back out. Room to move is always good!!