New Year’s Resolution: Yoga Challenge
Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana
My 2010 New Year’s resolution was to practice yoga 5-7 times a week for the month of January. I have been practicing yoga for ten or so years, and there was a time in my life where I was practicing about 5 times a week. Then through three years of graduate school, and three years of 3+ jobs at a time, my practice waned to two times, sometimes even once, a week.
I wanted to amp it up, so that by the time February came, 5 weekly practices would seem do-able. To keep track of my progress, I kept a log on Facebook.
Although I fell short of the 5-7 practices per week, I did average about 6 a week overall – I did 25 practices in 31 days. Below you’ll find my day-to-day snapshots of my practice.
Day: 1
Teacher: Ambika
Location: Oakland
Summary: Deceptively sweaty vinyasa class where I strategically placed myself away from the mirror, which meant I was in full focus by the window.
Lesson: Sometime’s you’re just trapped between Scylla and Charibdis.
Day: 2
Teacher: Charles
Location: Oakland
Summary: Charles’ New-Year-new-slate attitude made him quite vinyasa-happy, and I kept up the best I could.
Lesson: My “good student” persona is tenacious, even if someone tells me to do the impossible.
Day: 3
Teacher: Jonothon
Location: Berkeley
Summary: The grounded home base of Jonothon’s class… I went in sore and achy, but class felt so surprisingly good. Jonothon was on fire and so are my arms.
Lesson: Sometimes repetitive discomfort becomes comfortable.
Day: 4
Teacher: Jonothon
Location: Berkeley
Summary: Today’s class was pretty much an encore presentation of last night’s class, except it was after I spent a whole day with 7-year-olds… running on empty. If I thought I couldn’t be more sore than I was this morning, I didn’t give much consideration to tomorrow morning’s experience.
Lesson: It’s all a matter of perspective. 
Day: 5
Teacher: Ashley
Location: Berkeley
Summary: 35 students in class, packed like sardines! I felt inferior to everyone in the class, until I realized I was resting in dolphin pose.
Lesson: My mind says things that come easily don’t count, and things that are difficult count for twice as much. Fuzzy math.
Day: 6 Rest
Summary: As Jonothon says, “Even a train must come to a stop.”
Day: 7
Teacher: Sam
Location: Berkeley
Summary: It’s been awhile since I’ve taken a traditional Ashtanga class. It seemed Spartan – no music, going through the regimen pose by pose… Sam, shirtless and ponytailed, was iffy, but he did massage my butt, so ultimately got my thumbs up.
Lesson: If someone’s willing to massage your butt, let them.
Day: 8
Teacher: Jonothon
Location: Berkeley
Summary: My muscles were like Jell-o from yesterday’s Ashtanga class, so my anger at my weakness came to the surface.
Lesson: Being in class felt hard, but the fact that I went feels great.
Day: 9
Teacher: Charles
Location: Oakland
Summary: Still feeling weak, but the group energy of class was propelling.
Lesson: Nothing beats the encouragement of others.
Day: 10
Teacher: Jonothon
Location: Berkeley
Summary: A large chorus of “halleluyahs” rang through my head after class. I made it through another one.
Lesson: The anticipation of class is way worse than the actual class, except in the case of Jonothon’s.
Day: 11
Teacher: Jonothon
Location: Berkeley
Summary: I reluctantly went to class (thanks to Pica for the encouragement), and actually experienced some delicious poses.
Lesson: Things are not always as you imagine them to be.
Day: 12 Rest
Summary: My yoga day off, as I had my first Foundations class at the spiritual center. I suppose that’s a form of mental/spiritual yoga!
Day: 13
Teacher: Bryan Kest
Location: Home
Summary: I arrived at Namaste for Naushon’s 11 am class, but found out they started at 10 am – the nerve! Came home and did the yoga video.
Lesson: Sometimes you have to make lemonade out of lemons… or whatever that expression is.
Day: 14
Teacher: Bryan Kest
Location: Home
Summary: I couldn’t find a class I really wanted to go to tonight, so I did Bryan’s video again, which, FYI, is a good sweat!
Lesson: The yoga wardrobe malfunctions are a non-issue at home. 
Day: 15
Teacher: Jonothon
Location: Berkeley
Summary: A really different class tonight – long holds and a lesson on hamstrings. I’m halfway through and starting to feel stronger.
Lesson: Practice is another word for perseverance.
Day: 16
Teacher: Charles
Location: Oakland
Summary: Lots ofenergy released.
Lesson: It’s compelling to see what others are doing, but the real lesson comes from inside.
Day: 17
Teacher: Jonothon
Location: Berkeley
Summary: I’m over half way through my New Year’s resolution (5-7 yoga classes a week) – still on track.
Lesson: The journey might not be pretty, but it’s okay to pat yourself on the back.
Day: 18
Teacher: Jonothon
Location: Berkeley
Summary: Jonothon’s mid-class thought summed it all up, “This pose should get better the longer you hold it… unless it gets worse.”
Lesson: I’m mindful that we each experience the same thing in different ways.
Day: 19 REST
Day: 20
Teacher: Bryan Kest
Location: Home
Summary: I didn’t feel like going out in the storm this morning, so I did yoga at home. Sometimes yoga has a tendency to expose our weaknesses.
Lesson: Practice being calm in the face of discomfort.
Day: 21
Teacher: Bryan Kest
Location: Home
Summary: I did my practice at home again today, and felt that it wasn’t “enough.” A familiar feeling.
Lesson: Something is better than nothing.
Day: 22
Teacher: Jonothon
Location: Berkeley
Summary: Pica’s birthday class – she wanted lots of abs work. I didn’t. Ow.
Lesson: Sometimes you have to indulge someone else’s wishes… and then just fake participation. Just kidding – my abs are now “officially” sore.
Day: 23
Teacher: Charles
Location: Oakland
Summary: 20 classes in 23 days – feeling better, a little stronger, a little crazy. Laundry is piling up.
Lesson: Doing yoga 6 times a week is like a 4th job!
Day: 24
Teacher: Jonothon
Location: Berkeley
Summary: The woman next to me was driving me NUTS – she’d move her mat back, her body forward, her mat forward her body back – she kept getting in my way. My impatience was not very yogic.
Lesson: It’s easy to be calm in a calm enviroment. REALLY hard to stay calm when you’re irritated and annoyed.
Day: 25 Rest
Summary: I didn’t make it to yoga tonight – and feel horribly guilty. A bad night of insomnia and a full day with kids left my eyelids super heavy. Instead, I took a nap.
Day: 26 Rest
Day: 27
Teacher: Bryan Kest
Location: Home
Summary: Did an abridged home practice after 2 days off – it felt great! And to think I had insomnia last night about when/where I would practice yoga today.
Lesson: The most important thing is to get back on the mat – no matter how much time and energy you can put in.
Day: 28 Rest
Day: 29
Teacher: Jonothon
Location: Berkeley
Summary: I had such a great, strong and flow-like class. Reward was dinner with Cara and Pica.
Lesson: Perseverance has its rewards.
Day: 30
Teacher: Charles
Location: Oakland
Summary: Charles is jealous that I’m always writing about Jonothon’s class… must be a guy thing. Just kidding Charles, you’re a great yoga teacher.
Lesson: Give credit where credit’s due.
Day: 31
Teacher: Jonothon
Location: Berkeley
Summary: I did it! 25 yoga practices in 31 days. I don’t feel any more enlightened than I did when I started, but I do feel more grounded and centered overall.
Lesson: Faith is about taking the baby steps and knowing that over time, they’ll add up. My journey has just begun…
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