40 Days of Yoga 1

Day 1:
Decided to start first thing – relinquished usual Monday sleep-in for yoga and almost felt resentful about getting on the mat, mostly because I felt like I had to, not because I wanted to. Didn’t get to do a full savasana, so felt a bit crabby all day. Couldn’t get breathing right; shoulders and back felt tight. The boys were a huge distraction

Day 2:
Waited until the boys were in bed, which worked out much better! Also, by the end of the day, was looking forward to getting on the mat! Focused on shoulders. Felt like sun salutations flowed much better, and breathing was more natural.

Day 3:
Late onto the mat – almost couldn’t be bothered (it was 8.30pm), so simply ran through a couple of sun salutations and some quick standing asana. Felt guilty, but still good that I hadn’t forgone it completely.

Day 4:
Managed about 50 minutes on the mat! Felt awesome!! Good mix of asana; felt shoulder stand was better than yesterday but still a bit wobbly. Enjoyed it though, and feeling quite positive about how I’m giving myself time and space to ease back into it.

Day 5:
Tried again when the boys were up, simply so I could enjoy pizza and a wine or two with my hubby – Pickle was a grouch so heavily distracted. No time for savasana, so very grumpy as felt like I hadn’t finished.

Day 6:
Really good, strong practise – lots of strong standing poses. Fell asleep during savasana!!

Day 7:
Short practise, but a good one. Distracted a bit by the sound of jumping in the lounge! Found the transition from downward dog to upward dog to chaturanga and back again much easier; had the rolling over my toes things sussed, yuss!

Day 8:
Keen to get on the mat tonight, good practise, strong. Not much else to say, really.

Day 9:
A bit distracted…didn’t want to be on the mat, so played around a bit (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing). Gave myself permission to have a less-than-ideal practise every once in a while, and to not take any guilt to the mat the next day.

Day 10:
Tired again, didn’t really feel present on the mat (Pickle hard to settle) so spent time in restorative poses mostly. Felt a bit irritable and not very focused. Sigh.

Day 11:
Thought it would be a crap time on the mat (rough night with Pickle), but a surprisingly strong, energised practise. Able to touch floor again in trikonasana and have heels flat on the floor in downward dog – didn’t take long! Trippy savasana, too.

Day 12:
Did not want to be on the mat tonight. Did it because I had to, when all I wanted to do was blob on the couch with a wine and my hubby. Managed a grand total of twenty minutes. Ugh.

Day 13:
Planned a big session for tonight while Tall was at the rubgy…and he left his ticket at work so he didn’t go. Still got on the mat, but felt out-of-sorts because I wasn’t doing it in a quiet house. Nevermind, still had an okay practise, just not perfect.

Day 14:
Another “don’t want to be here” session. Seem to be in a bit of a funk, or going through a resistant patch. Managed 30 minutes, so not bad, just not good either.

Day 15:
Worked on shoulders today, thanks to some good suggestions from a good friend. She also said that my feeling of resistance recently is probably because I know there’s no break coming up, and I reckon she’s right – I groaned inwardly when I realised there’s still 25 days to go. Gave myself a pep talk, and actually had a good session.

Day 16:
Not. In. The. Mood. Did a couple of sun salutations and some half-hearted standing poses, but I just didn’t want to be there today. Feel like I’m putting too much pressure on myself to be as flexible and strong as I was – which goes against what I said I’d do: be gentle and ease my way back in.

Day 17:
A good session – worked on the core mostly, which is an area I definitely need to strengthen. Did a handful of standing poses and my usual sun salutations too.

Day 18:
A really good session – strong poses and a good, goooood savasana. A nice change to the last couple of days where I’ve struggled to be really present on the mat. Ebbs and flows, ebbs and flows…

Day 19:
It was late. I was hungry. I saluted the sun a handful of times, did a couple of shoulder openers and then relaxed in child’s pose for a little bit. Still got on the mat, but definitely not really present!

Day 20:
Halfway already!! Felt really good to get on the mat after a busy day in the garden – needed to flex my back a little. So impressed with how quickly my hammies have stretched – standing forward bends are a breeze!

Halfway Update: Feeling stronger already; seeing and feeling muscle returning which is awesome. Energy levels – even on days when I’ve had a rubbish sleep – are better, and mentally, I feel more settled, more like myself. Hoping the next 20 days are easier and that the occasional resistance becomes less and less.

Day 21:
More shoulder opening poses tonight; feeling looser and definitely less sore which is awesome (and one of my goals). Got Tall to adjust my shoulder stand to completely vertical, and was pleasantly surprised at how close I already was.

Day 22:
Started with earth salutations instead of sun salutations; hello, tight achilles!! Surprised that my knees coped with the poses though, and didn’t ache afterwards. Strong warrior poses tonight.

Day 23:
Focussed on shoulder and abs; finding myself in a little routine which is kinda good, but also a bit boring – need to challenge myself a bit more now.

Day 24:
Practised while Pickle slept and Tiny was at kindy, knowing that I wouldn’t get a chance tonight. Practised in the sun, for an hour, and it was blissful. Might have to do it at this time more often, if the baby sleeps long enough!

Day 25:
A good, strong standing-pose session. Feeling strooooong.

Day 26:
Shoulder stands – love them. Really feeling like I’m nailing them, and enjoying them. My shoulders are so much looser and less sore. Good session.

Day 27:
Tired. Sore back. Gurgly tummy. Baby unsettled. Not in the mood. Did a couple of sun salutations and trikonasana, then lay (?) in child’s pose for a while. Sigh.

Day 28:
Late to the mat, and didn’t want to be there. Again. Managed an earth salutation and a few standing poses, then chilled in a shoulder stand for a bit. Ended up doing savasana in bed, which sent me right off to sleep – bliss!

Day 29:
Unsettled baby = interrupted practise. Incredibly sore shoulders and neck so focussed on opening these up and treated myself gently.

Day 30:
Made the most of a sleeping baby and a poorly big boy laying on the couch, and got onto the mat during the afternoon. Had a good session – strong warriors and shoulder stand – and felt refreshed and centred.

Day 31:
Bit of a sore back today after a full night in the spare bed with a grizzly (and now poorly) baby, so took it easy on the mat with some shoulder work, and gentle bends.

Day 32:
Another night in the spare bed = sore hips. Gentle standing poses today, and a nice long shoulder stand. Feeling so stable, straight and strong in the pose now. Loving it!

Day 33:
Felt a bit of mat resistance tonight…but once there, it was good. Really noticing how quickly I slide into the right position now; I’m not peering at my reflection in the TV so much anymore!!

Day 34:
Quick session on the mat tonight – I was hungry and tired, and the baby was unsettled (again!), plus it was cold and I just wanted to eat my dinner and have a glass of wine and snuggle on the couch with my husband. But I still did it, which is the main thing.

Day 35:
Yoga-ed while baby slept and hubby took the big boy out to watch football – strong session; fell asleep during savasana!! Felt energised afterwards.

Day 36:
So stuffed up with a cold – going upside down hurts! Gentle sun salutations today and a nice savasana. All I felt up to.

Day 37:
Sinuses still hurting so had another gentle session tonight. Sun salutations and shoulder openers. Finding rolling over my toes during sun salutations is a bit of a no-brainer now, I don’t even think about it anymore, I just do it.

Day 38:
A good session, but I was tired so took it easy again. Had a fun play with shoulder stands and am pretty confident in getting them right first time now. Amazing how quickly that confidence has come.

Day 39:
Found it very hard to concentrate after finding out we’ve bought a new house – should have utilised kindy/nap time, but thought I’d be waiting to hear the whether our offer had been accepted or not,so having the distraction of yoga would be a good idea. Oh well. Not present on the mat at all, really, but for a very good reason 🙂

Day 40:
Yeehaaaaaa! Done! 40 days of yoga in a row! Tonight’s session was slightly more focussed than last night’s, but my mind was still buzzing. I tried so hard to be 100% present on the mat, but if I’m honest, I think it was more like 75%. It was a good session to end the 40 days – strong and mostly stable.

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