This week’s yoga sessions have seemed loads easier than week one.
So, my question is, am I really getting into this or have I lulled myself into a false sense of security?
I think I am just becoming better at simply showing up. I don’t want to give anything too much false credit. It has only been two weeks after all.
And this is enough, for now.
Stop wasting time
All week after each daily practice, I have been writing in my journal and I wasn’t picking up my phone to scroll as soon as I wake up. I know this is a bad habit, that I had broken myself of previously by going to the gym. The math was quite easy, the more time I spent scrolling the less time I had in a desolate gym during a pandemic. However, during this last lockdown I let my guard down and began scrolling again. Even as I was doing it, I felt dirty. It just wastes so much time.
This math still applies. The sooner I get up, the sooner I can get to my daily practice and then on to other goals. It sounds easy enough, but I think, for a lot of people, they have to decide to make this commitment to themselves because it is incredibly easy to simply scroll on their devices.
Normally, as a young adult through to full-fledged adulthood, I have been the type of person to jump out of bed as soon as I am awake, or if I am with company, you know, actively stay in bed. However, laying in bed scrolling mindlessly is not sexy, or fun. I find it also ends up zapping my motivation to get important things done, or anything else for that matter.
What I have noticed this week though is the desire to click through to other videos on YouTube after my session with YWA is completed. This also means the desire to click on another yoga video, which I will only let myself do on the weekends when time is a bit more fluid and flexible. My son started joining me when he woke up, also wanting to do ‘his’ yoga (Cosmic Kids Yoga). This has helped to stop scrolling for additional videos on YouTube since my son and I have very different yoga preferences.
#Goals
On Sunday I wrote in my calendar that my goal for the week was to ‘get more done’. I knew that was too vague. Plus, I know I already do a hell of a lot of stuff anyway. Therefore, as soon as I declared it, I knew I meant to modify it. My modification is ‘to get more done, with purpose’. I watched an interview with Tiffany Dufu, the author of ‘Drop the Ball’ and in it she said something great about intention and busy work. She trained herself to ask a simple question: Does this fit into my overall goal of X.
Dufu is very clear about her purpose, advancing women and girls. Knowing this about herself, she is able to set much clearer boundaries and intentions throughout her day. Having this purpose, it is much easier for her to say no when the situation, action, or intention doesn’t fit for her.
‘Getting more done with purpose’ is still pretty vague, but it is better than ‘get more done’. I then I had to think to myself what does ‘purpose’ for me actually mean? Well, right now I guess it means committing to time for myself, for yoga, writing, and reflection.
I suppose my question right now is: Does this activity fit into my overall goal of living with intention and to better myself or my family?
As an obliger, I purposefully put myself first here because I understand that by taking the time for myself, I will have more time for my family. I know this, I just have to do it. It is far too easy for me to put others ahead of myself. I am accountable to you, remember.
It’s the dead of winter here and we’re neck deep into a pandemic lockdown, so I have a lot of time to ponder this question.
What is happening thus far, is that my mind is awake, like I’ve drunk tons of coffee kind of awake, without the vibrations that come with too much caffeine.
Now, if I had to choose two beverages to drink the rest of my life I would choose coffee and water. They’re both just that delicious to me. That said, for the last year I have been guzzling decaf ninety-nine percent of the time. I like to drink a lot of both coffee and water. Yet, feeling like I am resonating like sonar off the walls because of countless cups of coffee while trying to sit calmly and teach others for hours on end during a pandemic is not neat.
Now, if I have a cup of coffee it really revs me up, but I have them so seldom now. So, believe me when I say this new mental energy is amazing. I think it comes from actually watching less television or films and, at least reading more.
I am not a scientist, though, so I don’t really know.
Also, audiobooking counts if you are trying to read more.
I think my goal for this year is to read audiobook one book a week. I think that is doable. In 2019 I finished 141 mostly wonderful books. That is a new book about every two and a half days. Allowing myself the space of a week seems kind. I don’t need to read 141 every year. This way, I think, I can do a little every day and get more done in the end, while hopefully maintaining some level of mental energy.
Hopefully.
Yoga on my mind
This intentional habit of yoga feels like it is leading to other inspirations, which is incredibly exciting. I just want to be careful that I don’t get ahead of myself and then either lose interest or burn out on this goal or any other endeavors.
The last couple of days especially, I have really had to hold myself back from doing a second yoga practice or video. I did some stretches last night that really helped me be more comfortable, but if I remember from way back when, when I first began my yoga journey, I remember feeling like yoga founds more yoga. I think that is where I am at the end of week two.
One reason I think I also return to YWA when I want to practice yoga is that I like her speed. The way I have always enjoyed yoga is as a basic participant or general beginner. Every class I have ever participated in that I have returned to has encouraged really breathing into the poses with minimal, or at least a slower flow. As an adult I am not as flexible as I was as an older teen or young adult, so I feel this stylistic preference is even more important. I generally begin the practice rather stiff, but am able to leave feeling longer, calmer, and more energized. While I somehow skipped a day last week, I didn’t this week. I am super pumped about my consistency and the type of yoga we are collectively doing in this ‘challenge’.
Which type of yoga do you prefer, if you have a favorite? Are you also completing the 2021 30 days of yoga ‘challenge’ with Yoga with Adriene, how has this week gone for you? What is helping you stay sane and centered this week? What goals did you set out for yourself this week? Were you successful? Let me know in the comments as I would love to be inspired by you.
See you next week, ya’ll. Be kind to yourself and to each other. 💜
Thirty Days to life 