21 Days of Yoga

Ever since I was young I was addicted to movement, anything to get my heart pumping, to get the sweat dripping and anything that achieved that 'feel good' high.  I can remember when I found running and I was old enough to run on my own to a near by lake, it's as if the weight of the world was lifted and I could breathe again.  I would go back there anytime I needed it, which as an acne faced teenager was very often.  Like many teenage girls I danced, ballet was my favorite, something about the movement, so graceful and exact.  The best ballerinas making it look so effortless, as if they were feathers precisely floating around the stage.  When in all actuality, it took enormous amounts of strength and balance.  I will always have running, as it is easy to do anywhere I might be, ballet quite different since 'Adult' ballet classes are usually only found in cities, where I am usually rarely found. Thus, yoga.

Burke Lake, Virginia

I did the odd yoga classes through our dance studio growing up, then a few in college but it was only in Hawaii that I found for myself how madly beneficial yoga was for me.  It was as if it combined my teenage ballet classes with my lake runs, yet the movements were done in a small standing space and the lake was in my mind's eye.  Since then yoga and I have had a relationship, on and off, hard and soft, in classes and on my own.

It was 21 days ago that I found myself feeling flat, no even as if the weight of the world was upon me, but almost more like a misty day that wouldn't clear. So there I was, lost in the fog dedicating myself to 21 days of at least 1 hour of yoga per day.  Now after these glorious 21 days I can say I feel fresh like a white cotton sheet whom just finished Sun drying on a warm summer's day. Crisp and unwilted, I was lifted from the grey mist within the first days of my journey and as I am an addicted personalty type, each day seemed to keep on lifting me higher and higher and higher.  People even noticed my high, "You're always so yoga stoned!"

Getting zen-ed out everyday did more than get me high.  Here is a list of the other changes I noticed on my 21 Days of Yoga:

1. Eating:  My useless snacking became limited to obsolete, I found myself eating when I was truly hungry, rather than just eating to eat or eating our of boredom or depression.
2. Hydration:  I drank more water, I even started planning out all my glass water bottles for the day with different infusions, mint, blueberry, lemon, cucumber, heaven! 
3. Skin Health:  My skin noticeably became softer and firmer, nothing like I have had before, forget skin creams just do yoga!
4. Mental Health:  2 out of the 21 days I felt depressed or snappy, and 1 of the days I made a switched and chose happiness with eventual ease. This was an improvement for me!  I was simply feeling more content with well, everything.  
5. Sexual Health:  More love making than usual and more guru positioning and breathing.  Big bonus!  LOL!
6. Weight Loss:  I am not into scales, since my yoga practice builds muscle so I opted to take some measurements instead, just so I could scientifically see if there would be a difference. Overall, I lost 1 Inch on my waist, 1 Inch on my hips and and 1/2 an Inch on each thigh.  I usually simply gage how my skinny jeans are feeling, everyone has them, one pair of pants you know are usual a bit tight, now fit with ease. 
7. Improved Posture:  I feel like I stand, cook, clean, walk, work with a real purpose now!  More upright and proud, which not only feels good but looks much nicer too.    
8. Deep and Dreamy Sleeps:  I am not sure how dreams are linked to yoga, but I am sure there is a connection because I found that I was having more detailed, lengthy dreams during my sleeps.  I also felt much more awake in the mornings, ready to take on the day!
9. Connection to Breath:  I carried the breathing over from my mat to my day, this equated to less stress and more ease in my day to day interactions.  

There's probably many more things that altered inside of me that I am unaware of, the benefits just seem to be endless and outpouring like Marilyn Monroe's champagne. No matter where you are in life, no matter your age, your gender, your flexibility, your strength, even if you are recovering from an injury or depression or whatever, YOU CAN DO YOGA.  This thing that is yoga is just so absolutely beautiful that literally anyone can do it.  And I also like that similar to running you really don't need too much to do it, just a small space, a comfy outfit and you're in yoga business.  Of course, classes, instructions, YouTube tutorials, and books help, especially if you want to improve and learn new postures and spice it up.  This is another beauty of yoga, there's a kind of yoga for everyone, whether you are into fast or slow, Vinyasa or Yin, and everything in between, you will only find out what suits you best if you give it a yoga-go.

Oddly enough, I kept telling myself I was going to rest on the 22nd day but you know what?!  I'm going to class, my big heart already breaks at the thought of tomorrow with out it.

Happy Yoga-ing

Lots of Love,

Trish