Yoga Challenge?

Since it's January, the month where we all decide it's time to get in shape, I've noticed a lot of yoga challenges out there. The word yoga and challenge seem to contradict each other. Yoga is a lifestyle, it's about making subtle changes. Sure you challenge yourself along your journey, but it's a lifetime practice, not one to be limited to 21 days.

Yoga studio's, like all fitness facilities, need to grab onto new students any way they can. They do have bills to pay and competition is fierce. January is a particularly sensitive time for those that don't have a regular fitness routine so they're more susceptible to fitness pressure. They're feeling the diet and exercise pressure that is so intense this time of year. But is yoga contradicting its own traditions by turning yoga into a challenge? I think so.

I think it's great that studio's are trying to lure in more students. It's also great that they're trying to get people to practice daily. However, I think that by challenging them to do it, they're a little off base. When someone fails at a challenge, they feel awful. If they fail at the yoga challenge, yoga is likely to get tossed on the pile of diets and other exercise fads that they never followed through on. Yoga may never enter their lives again.

My solution to this, don't have a 21 day continuous challenge, but have them practice twice a week for a month. Or if it's a daily practice, have it vary throughout the week so they aren't doing a vigorous practice every day. You can't expect someone who doesn't have a regular practice to suddenly start doing yoga everyday, your setting them up for failure. It's like trying to climb a mountain when you can barely make it up the stairs in your house.

Whether or not you're a beginner or an advanced student, there are some precautions you need to take with practicing everyday. This mostly applies to the more vigorous practices such as power and vinyasa flow. I love these practices, but they are harder on your joints. Depending on your daily practice, you could set yourself up for developing tendonitis. Pain caused by your practice is another thing that could cause you to fail at this challenge. When people enter into yoga they think it can't hurt you, but like any exercise, you do have the potential to hurt yourself.

Yoga isn't a competitive sport. Challenging someone to do something is competitive. Yoga is about learning to let go of your expectations and paying attention to what your mind, soul and body really need. You wipe away all the crap and find your true self underneath. Making it a competition to do so isn't a wholesome path to doing that.

Everyone's path to yoga is unique. If you are in the midst of a yoga challenge, or are considering doing one, please be kind to yourself. If there is a day that you don't feel like practicing, don't. If you have pain, modify or take a day or two off. In place of your daily practice, meditate or do a few simple stretches. All challenges are set up different. Some are a week, some are up to a month. All generally require a daily physical practice. Find one that fits your goals and fitness level. You truly will succeed at a yoga challenge if it makes yoga a life long part of your life, not if you do yoga everyday for 21 days. Don't consider it a challenge, but a goal. If you neglect to practice one day, don't be hard on yourself. Letting go of beating up on yourself is a yoga practice in itself.

My challenge to you...let go of stressing yourself out about challenges. Set goals and enjoy the journey. It's amazing the stuff you can learn along the way when you don't have the pressure of failing.