The YAS Studio Yoga Challange: Complete 14 classes in the 31 day month of August and win a yoga mat and instructional video. 

Easy peasy. Ha no.

Prior to this August, despite being an avid spinner, the most yoga I’d ever squeezed into a month was 4 classes. Tops.

So here’s 16 things I learned from substituting and squeezing in 14 yoga classes into one month (but the benefits were endless ya feel me):

1. I learned that I’ve been doing Upward Dog wrong. This whole time. Yikes.

2. But when I do it right, yoga is an incredible body strengthener – for both joints and muscles.

3. Which means it strengthens and consequentially prevents my knees from extensive runner damage

4. But I’m not down for a workout routine consisting of solely yoga. I prefer my boobs tiny (thank you extensive cardio).

5. However, yoga does make the girls perky AF

6. I confirmed that my yoga practice is at its absolute best after spin class … i.e. when I’m all warmed up

7. That stretching is a way to dote on my muscles as well as my mind. 

8. I’m a lot stronger and more coordinated than I thought (Finally can handle that Side Arm Balance like a boss! Whoop whoop!)

9. I’m also naturally extra-flexible (I always thought I could bend at the waiste and touch the floor with my palms because I had a long torso and short legs.. Maybe not so much!). Which means I tend to hyper extend. Explains how I messed up the alignment in my neck. And how to not do that again. Good Lordy.

10. But I also confirmed that I have horrible lung capacity for some inexplicable reason, and focusing on my breathing is a struuu-gulll. I prefer to focus on fantasies of me and hot men. Judge me.

 11. Yoga is not a competition. The goal is to be more connected with your own body not those around you.

12. There are a lot of great teachers out there and I’m doing myself a disservice by always going to the same one.

13. When a teacher teaches differently than I’m used to it pushes me out of my comfort zone. I don’t always like it.. but I inevitably end up having a better workout.

14. My ass is killin’ it. Turns out it’s totally yoga that’s tightening and lifting. Namaste ya bish.

15. That every time they say “namaste” I’m always going to think “nah I’ma stay in bed” (Will this ever change? Will I ever grow up? These are some of the great questions I ask myself whilst in Downward Dog).

16. At the end of the day I’m so grateful for my body and all that it can do. It’s simultaneously mine and an individual that wants to act of its own accord.

I.e not letting me turn my neck all the way to the left.

Having Celiac means that if I’m not extra-super-crazy careful, my body is my enemy.

I can’t tell you how grateful I am to be able to think and remember. That I don’t feel like sleeping all day long. That there isn’t a constant migrane getting in the way of simple, everyday tasks. As a result, I just want to dote on this body of mine in every way possible.

Which means not just yoga but running, and spin, and eating organic, fresh foods that don’t put me in a food coma.

Namaste ya beezys.