30 Days of Yoga
As I mentioned in the original post, I did my 30 days of yoga with a local studio, Shanti Hot Yoga. This studio has pretty much felt like a second family over the years. Everyone is so friendly there, including other students. I have a tendency to find a teacher I like and always try to go to their classes. But that is nearly impossible to do when you are practicing every single day. So this challenge got me exposed to different teachers and some of whom I have fallen in love with their teaching style and now move my schedule around to go to their classes.
As for what I learned this month, the overall theme seemed to be ahimsa. Ahimsa is the practice of non-injury or non-harm to yourself and to everyone around you. I tend to let my ego get the best of me during my yoga practice but this month I really had to back down a bit due to an injury. I have yet to get an official diagnosis but my right wrist has been bothering me immensely. Therefore, for the first two weeks of November I didn't do anything that would strain my wrist too much. This included poses like chaturanga from my toes, arm balances, side plank (modified to my forearm) and handstand.
Practicing ahimsa every day in my yoga practice has probably been the best way for me to release my ego. When you listen to your body while practicing yoga you let go of all preconceptions, all competitive tendencies and just do what feels good for you because it feels good in your body. And at the end of the day, that is all that matters.
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This was the first cleanse I have tried from Your Tea and it will not be the last.
I have always been hesitant about trends in the dieting world. Things like green coffee bean pills and the atkins diet. I have always felt there is no substitute for hard work and a smart eating plan. I have also felt like more traditional style medicines like chinese herbal medicine and naturopathic practices are the way to go. When I heard about this tea using chinese herbal medicine to help your body, it really peaked my curiosity. I would love love love to take a course in chinese herbal medicine because for me, it goes back to using the earth to heal our body.
After reading some reviews, ingredient lists and finding out that there are no laxatives in Your Tea, unlike many "diet teas", I decided to give it a go. It did take me a while to get used to the taste but now it doesn't bother me at all. The hardest part for me about drinking this tea before eating a meal was the timing. I work full time during the day and don't always get the opportunity to go get my tea an hour before my lunch hour (I have to let it cool for half an hour before drinking it). Therefore, there were times throughout the month that I may have missed the tea with a particular meal or I didn't drink it at the recommended time (half hour before).
That being said, I did feel amazing after the first couple of days. The first couple of days your body is going through a pretty extreme detox, getting rid of nastyness in your body. Because of that people have gotten headaches, body aches and acne during the first week. My initial reaction wasn't too negative, just a bit of a sore head and more acne than the norm. But it did clear up after the first 4-5 days. And after that I felt like I was floating for the rest of the month! The biggest benefit I experienced was pretty much no more bloating or gas at the end of the day. Like none at all! I didn't see a ton of weight loss (I don't own a scale so this is based on how my clothes fit) but boy did I feel better. My abdomen felt a little tighter than normal too.
The only thing I don't like about this tea is that it isn't cheap. With shipping it cost me almost $70 for 28 days worth of tea (3 cups/day). They say on the website that you could do back to back cleanses but my wallet just can't swing that. I think I will try to do it 3-4 times a year. Sort of as a digestive reboot. I might even try some of the other teas too. They have a couple that look interesting.
All in all, it was a great month! I learned a lot about myself and have made some positive changes in my life since then because of what I learned.
If you are interested in learning more about Shanti Hot Yoga or about Your Tea teatox please check out their websites HERE and HERE respectively.
I tried my hand at yoga a few weeks before Christmas. I talked with my trainer at the gym and she suggest I sub out a day of weights for a day of yoga each week, so this Thursday I am going to give a weekly yoga class a try. I am looking forward to it.
ReplyDeleteWhat did you think when you tried it before Christmas? I hope the class you go to is a good one and you end up liking it. It is a fantastic practice to compliment your regular training. The strength you build is completely different compared to weight lifting and increased flexibility is something everyone can benefit from.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed it for the most part. I felt a little awkward at times, and I was the only guy there. At least one gal, who I would say was a pretty hard core yoga person seemed unhappy with me being there. Other than that it was good. I hurt sooo much the next day which was a big surprise, since my body had not protested that much during yoga, and I had not been sore doing the weights for the past few months.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about trying the Tint Tea Tox! It'g good to hear from someone who has tried it in real life. It does sound pretty expensive, but I'm thinking it sounds like it could be worth it!
ReplyDeleteYou should definitely try it! It is expensive but I feel like it's worth it.
ReplyDeleteWow. Sorry to hear that someone made you feel that way in the class. Really, the only people anyone should be paying attention to is themselves and the instructor. I'm glad you got a good workout though! If your weight training hasn't been making you sore at all you should try switching up your routine. Sounds like you may have plateaued.
ReplyDelete