Day 19 - Random Act of Kindness

Day 19 - Random Act of Kindness #yogagirlchallenge
Practice: Freeform
Length: 40 minutes
Meditation: 20 minutes

Today, for my random act of kindness I volunteered at the zoo even though I volunteered there yesterday and was not obligated to volunteer today. I was there from 10am to 1:30pm and simply did whatever I was asked to help out with. Volunteering is one act of kindness after another. Being kind to others is a magical experience. Every act increases your happiness as well as the happiness of the person you're helping.

Today, I went out of my way to say "hi" to every guest at the zoo and answered any questions they had. I volunteered for one of the less glamorous positions, so my fellow volunteers could have a better time, and I stayed a little late to help a costumer get money back from a broken machine. All in all, it was a great day at the zoo and I came home a little tired, but extremely happy.

Day 18 - Mother Nature

Day 18 - Mother Nature #yogagirlchallenge
Practice - DVD: Power Flow Yoga
Length - 1 hour 30 minutes
Meditation - 15 minutes on a large rock in the woods.

I try to honor nature every day. From using reusable bags at the grocery store to riding my bike through a forested trail, I love to surround myself with nature. In fact, my dream house would be a log cabin in the woods on a lake or by the ocean.

I grew up in a small house that was about a minute walk to the beach and had a large forest behind it. My brother, our friends, and I would spend endless days in the woods during the warmer months of the year. We were always exploring what the forest had to offer and I fell in love with the sound of the wind through the leafs, the endless forms of life to discover, and the feeling of freedom one can only find when wandering alone through the woods.

Today after volunteering at the zoo, I walked down my favorite near-by trail. The trail starts off through the forest and ends at a rocky beach. I love the transition from shaded forest to bright, rocky beach.  The smell of the woods transforms to the smell of salt.  Sounds start off as bird songs and frog choruses and changes to the sound of waves crashing along the beach.  The wind starts off mellow and ends strong.

Day 17 - I Love You

Day 17 – I Love You #yogagirlchallenge

Practice: Freeform outside (flow)

Length: 1 hour

Meditation: 14 minutes (guided)

Today’s challenge is all about telling people that you love them. I am not very good at expressing my emotions. I’m more of the type to keep them to myself. More because I think if I let them all go, no one would quite understand me. But that is just who I am.

I tell my husband I love him every day I see him. He knows I love him and he feels loved as I do in return. We have a wonderful relationship; a perfect balance between romance and friendship. We share many hobbies together but also have individual things we enjoy.

I love my parents and my brother. They helped shape me into who I am today and I am grateful for the life they’ve given me and the love they’ve shown me. I may not get to see them every week, but I am thankful that I get to see them as often as I do. We all currently live in the same state and I’m lucky to be so close (physically and mentally) to my family.

I love all of my friends and family. I may not express these emotions directly to you, but if you all knew what was inside of my head, you’d know that I appreciate our moments together. From those of you I only see once or twice a year to those of you I see on a weekly basis, I want you to know that you all bring much joy to my life and fill my heart with love and kindness.

Challenge Progress:

Yoga every damn day – I haven’t missed a session yet and I defiantly feel my poses getting much stronger than they’ve ever been.

Meditate – I haven’t missed a meditation session either. Though some days I only meditate for about 5 minutes, I have noticed an increase in calm.

Rise and Shine – Still getting up with the birds.

Get Rid of a Bad Habit – Still sugar free. Today was the real test though since someone brought in donuts to work, but I was able to avoid them and had a cup of tea instead.

Start a New Routine – I’ve written about 4 chapters for a book and my writing sessions seem to be getting longer each day.

Be Fearless – Still working towards a handstand. I think I may have to start doing pushups to get a bit more upper body strength.

Day 16 - The Altar

Day 16 - The Altar #yogagirlchallenge
Practice: DVD - Namaste Yoga Water Light Sequence
Length: 23 minutes
Meditation: 5 minutes

The altar I made has a number of items that are important to me. The pile of amethyst represents the earth element as well as my birth stone. The mason jar filled with water represents my love of nature and effort to recycle as well as the element water.  The glass beads in the heart container are shaped like elephants. I obtained these when I was about 10 years old and I always had this unexplainable connection to them. These glass beads represent the fire element and my connection to my childhood. The feather represents the element air and my connection to nature and respect for all living things.

The Egyptian Ankh represents the deep mysteries I seek in my life. It also reminds me of my family;  we live an eternal life through those that love and remember us.

I made the yarn doll when I was a teenager with my closest friends. It reminds me of how important the friendships we form are and to be grateful that though I have very few friends, those that truly matter have stuck with me. The note is from a friend that knew me and saw me for what I truly was. I do not let many people in and to see that I was praised for being who I am, made me keep this note to remember that sharing is not always as scary as it seems.

The meditation beads represent my spirituality. Though I rarely use them when meditating, they are a symbol of balance and peace in my mind.

And lastly, the wand. The wand was a special gift and I have always treasured it. It represents the possibilities before me, my creativity, and a reminder that magic is real as long as you believe in it.

Day 15 - Sweat

Day 15 – Sweat #yogagirlchallenge

Practice: DVD – Ease into Ashtanga with Yoga Hawaii

Length: 1 hour 10 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes

For today’s challenge I went for an early morning hour-long bike ride followed by an hour of Yoga. I work out almost every day. I enjoy biking the most and this morning was lovely.  Along the bike path I was doing, I saw a family of eastern cotton tails, deer, and a lone frog that I stopped for so I wouldn’t run it over while it was crossing.

Day 14 - Clean Out!

Day 14 - Clean Out! #yogagirlchallenge
Practice: Ashtanga flow freeform outside in my back yard
Length: 1 hour 30 minutes
Meditation: 13 minutes

I've been meaning to organize and clean out the shelving unit in my bathroom for a while now and today seemed like the perfect day to do it. So, after my post-work workout I cleaned it out.  It actually did not take that long and encouraged me to do a bit more picking up. Hopefully, by the end of the week, my house will be much more organized and de-cluttered.

Day 13 - Be Fearless

Day 13 – Be Fearless of #yogagirlchallenge

Practice: DVD - Elements of Air and Water Flow with Tara Lee

Length: 1 hour 10 minutes

Meditation: 15 minutes

There are a lot of things I technically “fear”, but most of them are internal struggles with myself and my fear of not living up to my full potential or the potential other’s see in me.  I tend to give up too easily if I can't perfect something right away because I fear failure.

Part of this relates to my fear of certain inverted yoga poses, like the crow, headstand, and handstand poses.  So, each day for the rest of the challenge and beyond, I will be working towards crow pose then headstand pose, then arm stand pose. A lot of it has to do with self-confidence for me, which I hope to build up by realizing that these are things I can do. I also realize that I may have increase my upper body strength to pull this off but I am going to make myself go through with it and prove to myself that if I keep on trying, eventually I'll get it right.

Progress:

We only have 7 days left! So far I've been able to get in at least 20 minutes of yoga each day. It's actually helped with my running and cycling since it forces me to stretch out all my muscles.  I've also noticed I am able to do plank pose and downward dog poses with greater ease, which means I'm getting stronger! I've also continued to meditate every day after yoga and it has helped clear my mind and keep me at a more calm, peaceful state of mind.

I still get up early every day, which helps get me going in the morning. Having to be at work at 6:30am every day makes it a bit difficult to get a whole hour early, so I settled for 30 minutes.

My sugar kick is gone. I find I crave it far less after I gave it up over a week ago, which is nice.

For my "new routine" I commited to writing every day and have stuck with it. I've already written 3 and a half chapters for a story I'm working on.

Day 12 - Get Sh*t Done

Day 12 – Get Shit Done of the #yogagirlchallenge

Practice - Namaste Yoga (Firebird Sequence)

Length – 23 minutes

Meditation - 15 minutes

Sundays are typically very busy for me. Today I got up early for a run and then a quick yoga session. After that I went to the Zoo to volunteer. Then I grabbed a quick lunch and headed over to my friend’s game store to play Dungeons and Dragons with a group of friends.

So, for my “get shit done” challenge I am finally getting certified with some new animals.  I’m what they call an “Animal Handler” at the zoo, but before I can take any animal on program, I have to get certified with them. So, today I was certified in two animals (bearded dragon and amazon milk frog) I’ve been practicing with for a while now.  To get the certification I had to give a demonstration to my fellow volunteers on both animals as well as properly demonstrate how they are cared for and transported.  It’s really important to follow these guidelines, as we don’t want amphibians becoming too dry or replies becoming too cold. I'm not allowed to take pictures of the animals in the holding area, so instead I took a picture of a red panda that is always procrastinating (or napping) at the zoo :)

I also made a list of what I need to get done and plan on tackling each near-term thing as the week progresses. For example, I've been meaning to clean out the pantry for a while now since we keep on seeing those dreaded pantry moths and aren't entirely sure where they're coming from. So, Monday after work, I will clean up the pantry and get some bay leafs to deter future moths.

Day 11 - Random Act of Kindness

Day 10 - Random Act of Kindness of the #yogagirlchallenge
Practice - DVD - Elements of Air and Water Flow with Tara Lee
Length - 1 hour 10 minutes
Meditation - 15 minutes

Rachel asked us to "scream" today in honor of abused children who's voices are rarely heard. The video above is of my screaming at the top of my lungs.  For whatever reason, my Mac decided, after many attempts, that the sound would not work properly.  So, here is my silent scream.

Also, in the spirit of things, I donated money to the "Child Find of America" charity. I figured, every little bit counts and even the smallest donation may just save a child.

Day 10 - Get Creative

Day 10 – Get Creative of the #yogagirlchallenge

Practice: DVD - Elements of Yoga: Air and Water Flow with Tara Lee

Length: 1 hour 10 minutes

Meditation: 5 minutes

I absolutely love taking time out of my day to sit down and create something. Whether it be drawing something I’ve had in my head, writing something down on paper, or making jewelry.  Today I decided to try something new and made a wrap bracelet out of left-over thread I accumulated over the years for various cross-stitch projects.

I choose the seven colors of the Chakra for this bracelet since I plan on wearing it during my yoga sessions.  It’s nice and comfortable.  I also decorated the bracelet with an ohm sign. The wrap silk bracelet below the Chakra bracelet I made in about 2 minutes. They're very easy to make and much cheaper if you buy the materials and make them yourself. 

I also did a quick sketch of Toph from Avatar the Last Airbender while I was on hold at work.

Day 9 - True Forgiveness

Day 9 – True Forgiveness of the #yogagirlchallenge

Practice: DVD - Namaste Yoga

Length: 23 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes

Forgiveness has never been easy for me.  I tend to latch on to all things in life and it’s very difficult to let things go.  I’ve gotten better over the years, but I still have room for improvement.  Last year I actually talked to my Dad, asking him how he forgives people.  He told me he meditates on what is bothering him and sends those people who have hurt him love, focusing on their good points and eventually is able to forgive them.  I’ve tried this technique and it does work, but I do still find my mind being inhabited by those that I feel have wronged me in the past.

Forgiveness, I’ve found, is not about confronting the person, but more about letting go.  You can forgive someone without telling them you forgive them.  And in most cases, those you need to forgive do not realize they’ve hurt you.  And, in the end, what you dislike the most is more likely to be about you more than about the person who said/did whatever action that made you upset.  This is something I aim to remember today and all the days that follow.

For today’s theme, after my meditation I will picture those that I feel negatively towards, acknowledge the reason why those negative feelings exist, and the slowly let them go.  Alexander Pope said “To err is human; to forgive, divine.”  And it’s very true, once you let go of bad feelings, you feel free.

Day 8 - Manifest Dreams

Day 8: Manifest Dreams of the #yogagirlchallenge

Practice: DVD - Namaste Yoga (Exalted Warrior Sequence)

Length: 23 minutes

Meditation: 10 minutes

Progress:

            Yoga: 8 days in a row now!

            Meditation: I always end my yoga practices with a meditation period.

            Rise and Shine: Still getting up with the birds.

Bad Habitat: Still no sugar. I made sugar free vegan whole wheat banana blueberry muffins for breakfast and they are fantastic.

            New Routine: Finished writing a chapter of what’s turning into a book last night.

Personal Dream

I believe I am already ahead of the game a bit on manifesting my dream.  That dream is to finish writing a novel.  I’ve been writing stories on and off since college.  I’ve only ever managed to finish those that end up being “short stories” and I believe I’ve started and stopped writing about 3 different stories that I had envisioned being novels.  Now that I’ve made a commitment to write every day, I believe I will see this through and hopefully write the other stories I have running around in my mind as well. 

I just have to remind myself that these stories, in no way, need to be perfect. I’m writing them for myself with no aspirations of having them published.  I went to college to become a biologist and I am a biologist, but I’ve always loved creative writing.  I remember taking a literature class my last year as an undergraduate student and each day in class we had to write a creative analysis of the story we had read for homework.  I’m a rather quiet person in class, but I always get into the literature discussions and perhaps even respond to questions a bit too much.  Anyway, one day, towards the end of the class, my teacher had asked me to stay behind.  He told me I was an excellent writer and had a talent for it.  He told me if I hadn’t decided on a major yet, I should consider language arts.  Obviously he didn’t realize I was a senior at the time and I told him “As much as I love this, I’m a biology major and this is my senior year.”  Looking back on it, he was the first person who read my writing and encouraged me down the path I had always dreamed of.  So, whenever I feel discouraged by my writing, I think back on that moment and try to remind myself that there is at least one person out there that likes my writing style.

A Dream for a Different World

I also dream about changing the world into one that is far more environmentally friendly than the one we currently live in.  I do my best to live by example and educate people on the importance of conservation. It's not just about saving money, it's about making the world we live in a better place.  One of the most challenging things to do is convince people that they are part of the ecosystem, not separate from it and the choices they make every day can impact the world around them.  

I always use reusable grocery bags. I keep them in my car and have one that forms into a little ball attached to my purse just incase I forget them.  For my lunches, I use sealed containers and reusable snack bags made from recycled fabric.  I made more than one person ask me where I got them and have encouraged others to purchase and use them.

My car gets really good gas mileage and my next one will be a hybrid. I only drive when I need to and either walk or ride my bike to quick errands like a stop at the library.  

Lastly, I volunteer at a zoo every weekend and teach the public about conservation efforts and how they can make a difference by just changing one small thing about their daily lives.  For example, drying your clothes on a line instead of a drier. 

Day 7 - Thank You

 

Day 7: Thank You of the #yogagirlchallenge

Practice: DVD - Elements of Yoga: Air and Water Flow with Tara Lee

Length:1 hour 1- minutes

Meditation: about 15 minutes

Progress: I’ve been getting up a little earlier in the mornings but not a whole hour as I was already getting up at 5:30am.  I’ve continued to do yoga every day followed by meditation.  Last night I wrote 4 pages for a creative story I started working on. And I haven’t had any sugar…which is super hard but from past experiences I know if I make it two weeks, I won’t crave it anymore.

I am thankful for many things in my life.

I am thankful for my husband who is my best friend and trusted companion in everything I do.

I am thankful for my family who I love unconditionally and get the same love in return.

I am thankful for my friends who understand me and who I can find meaningful connections with.

I am thankful for all the animals I’ve had or still have in my life who remind me that a simply pat on the head can be the best of gifts.

I am thankful for my job as a wildlife biologist that allows me to fight the good fight.

I am thankful for my volunteer position at Roger Williams Park Zoo that allows me learn something new every day and play with the most bazar and cute animals.  This year, since I had volunteered there for over two years, I was able to train to be an “Animal Handler”.  As an Animal Handler, I get to educate the public by introducing them to live animals such as tenrecs (picture), bearded dragons, armadillos, tortoises, and on and on.  It’s an amazing experience as the people I get to talk to our so curious and friendly. So, I get to spread happiness and also educate people about these animals and why conservation efforts are so important for their continued existence.

Most of all, I am thankful for my life. 

Day 6 - Start a New Routine

Day 6: Start a New Routine for #yogagirlchallenge

Practice: DVD: Namaste Yoga (Half-Moon Sequence)

Length: 23 minutes

Meditation: 15 minutes

I really love today’s theme and decided the best thing to add to my current routine is writing, since I love it but always seem to think I don’t have time for it.  Everyone’s life is busy and between work, daily workouts (cycling, running, yoga, strength training…), and learning a new instrument (mandolin) this summer, writing has taken a back seat in my life.  Creative writing is one of my favorite passions.  It only makes sense that writing every day will increase my happiness.

So, for this challenge, I will be writing every day after dinner.  At first I was going to give myself a set timeframe in which I would write, but then I realized that I’d be less likely to do it if I had to write say, from 7 to 8pm every day. 

Day 4 and 5 - Random Act of Kindness and Get Rid of a Bad Habit

Day 4: Random Act of Kindness for #yogagirlchallenge

Practice: Ashtanga style freeform

Length: 1 hour

Meditation: Out on the dock overlooking a beautiful lake.

I went to Maine to visit my friend Chris for the weekend and did not have reliable internet access to write my daily blog post.  A bunch of us went together, so Chris had 7 guests staying in his rather large cabin-like lake-side house.  That’s a lot of people making a lot of messes, so I took it upon myself to clean up after people.  I figured it was the least I could do to show my appreciation for Chris putting all of us up for the weekend.

I ended up doing my daily yoga on the dock that overlooked the large lake by Chris’s house.  I got up early to do my practice and I’m glad I did.  Each morning, while doing yoga, I saw or heard many different birds and dragonflies.  You really could not ask for a more peaceful and appropriate setting for yoga. 

After my morning practice, I enjoyed a hike with my friends.  Later on, I had some alone time on the lake with a kayak.  All in all, I’m just thinking how much one more day on that lake would have been glorious.

Day 5: Get Rid of a Bad Habit for #yogagirlchallenge

Practice: Ashtanga style freeform

Length: 1 hour

Meditation: Out on the dock overlooking a beautiful lake.

It was a hard yet obvious choice for me on what I should give up.  I do not have too many “bad habits”, but I defiantly have a sweet tooth; a very strong “must eat all the cookies” type of sweat tooth.  So, I decided to give up all non-natural sugar.  I’ve done this before a number of times and even have gone months without any non-natural sugar, but I always seem to have a day where I go back into the addiction cycle.  I hope I make it through the 21 days and then stick to it, for every time I have given up sugar, I’ve felt much better.

Day 3 - Rise and Shine

Day 2: Rise and Shine #yogagirlchallenge

Practice: DVD: Namaste Yoga - Sun-Moon Sequence

Length: 23 minutes

Meditation: Plan on doing this when I get the Maine - outside on a lake seems like the perfect spot :)

Woke up this morning and went for an early morning bike ride from my house and down through my favorite bike path.  The bike path is surrounded by trees and I always see lots of songbirds and dragon flies while peddling along.  I stopped at the half way point and took this picture of the coastline. 

Bike rides in the morning are quite beautiful and peaceful. I ran into less people than I would in the afternoon.  A deer was spooked by my riding and ran beside me for a little while along the path. Let's just say she scared me too.

Since I don't have to work today, I also did my yoga practice and meditation this morning. Now I am ready for a long car drive up to Maine for a weekend filled with friends and nature.

Day 2 - Meditate

Day 2: Meditate of the #yogagirlchallenge

Practice: DVD – Namaste Yoga (Firebird Sequence)

Length: 23 minutes

Meditation: Roughly 10 minutes.

I’ve been meditating a little bit longer than I have been practicing Yoga.  My parents taught me how when I was a teenager and I really enjoyed it.  As an introverted person, I live a lot of my life inside my own head and meditation helps me clear up all the jumbled mess up there.  Focusing on breath and acknowledging thoughts as they drift by but being able to let them go has made such a difference in my life.  Some thoughts can be very toxic and if we hold on to them it can cause us harm.  By meditating and practicing letting go of thoughts as they pass through your mind, you can find a peaceful balance in your life.  At least, that’s what I’ve experienced.

I prefer meditating in my house when there is no one else home or outside beneath a tree.  Today, however, I had a friend. My cat Logan decided to  walk up and lick my hand just as I started to meditate. 

But my favorite form of meditation and letting go of everything is obtained when I run.  Running is very rhythmic and once you reach a certain point in your run its just you, your feet propelling your body forward, the wonderful feel of the wind flowing around you, and music in your ears.  This is why, like I did today, I always do yoga after I run.  My mind is already at the perfect, carefree place and it brings a nice balance to my yoga practice.

Day 1 - Yoga Every Damn Day

Day 1 of the #yogagirlchallenge
Practice: DVD - Elements of Yoga: Air and Water Flow with Tara Lee
Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

I've been practicing yoga on and off since I was 18 years old; that's 14 years, but who's counting? I just started taking my yoga practice more seriously this year after I developed severe tendinitis in my right arm from playing the violin. It's a common ailment for musicians and I was frightened it'd never completely heal. I still have bad days, but ever since I started practicing yoga 4 to 5 times a week, I've seen a rapid improvement. I hope to be able to play my violin again someday, but for now I'm just glad I can open jars, ride my bike, and play my mandolin again without intense pain running up my arm.