5 Tips I Learned During 30-Day Yoga Challenge

I’ve been sidetracked by many things, but I’m here to update you all: I completed the 30 day yoga challenge on July 1 and didn’t miss a single day! Here are some highlights and what I learned:

1. The yoga challenge strengthened my pelvic floor even more! Before I completed this challenge, I did another 30-day program to address my pelvic floor and postpartum incontinence issues. I’m glad I did that first program because it set the foundation for me to get back to movement and exercise. In addition to being great for my body and mind, this yoga program definitely strengthened my pelvic floor even more!  
2. You can do movement no matter what. There were a lot of ups and downs for me this month. Beginning potty training for my 3-year-old, the soul-sucking nature of job searching, and dealing with issues at my current job. There were so many times I would throw myself a pity party and tell myself “I’ll just do this tomorrow” but I never skipped. I tried to do my yoga practice first thing in the morning, but many times, it was at 8 or 9 p.m., when I was winding down, and the last thing I wanted to be doing was moving my body. But I did it, and know I can keep doing it!
3. Journal your progress to keep at it! I kept a journal to stay apprised of my progress, and also what was going on in my day, and it helped me so much to see week to week all of the progress I was making. I struggled a lot with downward dogs, planks, and balance issues, and I grew in leaps and bounds in all of those movements. Losing weight was never the goal (and if it was, I know I never would have committed) but simply feeling how good it feels to move and how it enriches my day-to-day. 
4. Taking care of me, enabled me to be a better mother and wife. Focusing on my yoga practice was super nourishing and a huge way for me to practice self-care. It also eased my stress, gave me a channel for my anxiety, and led to me being in a better mood with my kids and my hubby. In fact, I stopped the challenge well over a week ago and I think I’ll need to jump into something else!
5. It feels amazing to set a goal…and complete it! Being a mama makes me feel as though I have no time for taking care of myself. I was nervous to do this challenge because it was a half-hour every day, and I didn’t think I had time for it. But indeed I did! Sometimes I would do my yoga class with my kids crawling all over me or would have to stop to help my toddler or put out some other fire. I would press pause but I’d always go back. And my 3-year-old started saying “mommy exercise” because he knew it was that time. Being able to complete the challenge, in 30 consecutive days, was a huge win for me.

I now realize how integral movement is for me to feel my optimal self. I will be looking for my next challenge and will let you all know what that will be!