I was having dinner with a friend of mine last night when the subject inevitably turned to "Why are you doing 30 days of Yoga?" Apparently even my friends are not reading my daily blog. So I figure that today, on Day 24, is a good a day as any to address that subject again.
Obviously, or maybe not so to you, I am not doing this Challenge as a physical thing. I teach classes 6 days a week. 25 classes a week to be exact. I'm a runner as well, although I have had to put that aside for the duration of this Challenge. I don't need or really want to do more "exercising". I am not trying to promote Bikram Yoga. I do believe that it is not a practice for everyone. You have to do the research and find a Yoga that speaks to who are individually.
From an exercise physiology perspective, I have some major issues with some of their verbiage. Every time an instructor says "lock your knees," I cringe. Locking's one knees is an invitation to ongoing knees issues and hamstring issues. I think that what they really mean is to engage your quads and inner thighs but Bikram dialogue doesn't really explain that. Another major pet peeve is "go beyond your flexibility. Push. Push. Push." This is ridiculous as well as dangerous. In a 105 degree room, you will automatically be more flexible than you should be and should never, ever, go beyond your flexibility. If anything, especially for newer practitioners, a little conservatism is called for.
Those things aside, I find it to be a good practice for me. I have been practicing on and off since 2004 and have been an athlete most of my life, so doing 30 days of daily yoga is something that my body can handle. I also did The Challenge in '04 so this is my second time around as I mentioned in my Day 1 blog.. I do not recommend that anyone without the proper foundation and yoga base should attempt a 30 Day Challenge.
So back to what my friend asked me. "Why?" The why can be found in my daily blogs over the last 24 days in detail. But in a nutshell, I'm doing this as a way to connect to my inner self and spirituality. A way to deepen my own Yoga practice. A way to take care of myself and my body on a daily basis. After the Challenge is over, I will go to a practice of 3-4 classes a week.
My point really is this. This 30 Day Challenge is about me and nothing else. It is my hope that in my daily blog posts, you will find something that is useful to you. You don't need to do Yoga or anything daily. Hopefully, you will see the larger picture of what I'm doing. Connection to self and to whom we really are is paramount. Whatever avenue you choose to maintain that connection is up to you.
That wraps it upon Day 24 on the mat. Looking forward to Day 25!
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