Reflection: 30 Days of Yoga + Your Tea

Back in November I took on a 30 day challenge. For the entire month I aimed to practice yoga every day and drink a cup of Your Tea's Tiny Tea Teatox before every meal. Although life happens and I wasn't 100% consistent, I do still have some thoughts to share about both of these activities.

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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Tiny Teatox

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.

Never Give Up

"Never underestimate what you can do when you believe in yourself." - Arthur



For the longest time I have believed that everyone can do yoga but yoga is not for everyone. And although I still kind of believe that, I have changed my definition of the "type" of people that can do yoga. I firmly believe that people that have the desire to make healthy changes in their life, can do yoga. After watching the above video (which has made me cry multiple times), the fact that anyone, no matter your age, athletic ability, weight, strength, etc, can do yoga has really been driven home for me. Arthur is living proof of this. If a man that had two knee braces, a back brace, two canes and 140lbs of extra weight can transform his life with yoga, anyone can do it. You just need the drive and the will power to keep at it, even when it's tough. Yoga will transform your body, your mind, your life.

Something else the video brought up for me was how "mainstream" yoga has become now. There are so many elitist yogis out there that think "my yoga is the best yoga" or that yoga becoming mainstream/popular has degraded the authenticity, history or spiritual aspect of yoga. I have to disagree with them. There is no right or wrong when it comes to yoga. As long as you're being safe and not hurting yourself then it doesn't matter what style you practice.. I believe yoga is flexible in this manner.

Which is why I want to show support to DDP Yoga. Yes, Diamond Dallas Page the wrestler now has his own yoga video. And I think it's GREAT. It has expanded the demographic of people that yoga can touch and for this I am greatly thankful that Dallas decided to create his own yoga video.

Things I have learned during 30 days of yoga

For the month of November I participated in the Moksha Yoga Dartmouth's 30 day challenge. The rules are pretty simple: practice yoga every day for 30 days. That's it. The purpose is to make your practice a habit. It is said that it takes 21 days of repetition to build a habit that is 60% likely to stick. Or something along those lines.

So I committed myself to 30 days of yoga. There were some ups and downs throughout the month but I stuck to being true to myself and my practice and learned a lot. Here is some of what I learned.

1. You don't actually have to do yoga every day. A lot of people that participated in the challenge will disagree with me on this one but hear me out. In our Western society, our schedules (for the most part) are dictated by our jobs. Mine being a Monday to Friday 9-5 type job, it does put restrictions on when I can actually practice yoga. There were a handful of days over the past month where after having a crappy night of sleep and a long day at work all my body wanted to do was sleep when I got home. And so that's what I did. I slept for 12+ hours. No joke. Straight through the night. I confess... I skipped yoga class and I didn't roll out my mat at home. Instead I listened to my body and my body told me to crawl into bed and close my eyes for an unknown amount of time. This is yoga. Listening to our bodies and knowing what is right for us in this moment. Whether that is not going to class or not going up into headstand when everyone else is. Be present in your life.

2. My body wants to be healthy. I have always been a relatively healthy person. Sure I have my days where I can wake up and have ice cream for breakfast. But for the most part those days are few and far between. When I am practicing almost daily though I find my body craves healthy foods. I no longer crave sweets or greasy foods. My body wants vegetables and fruits and real food. Our bodies are smart machines and if we listen closely enough they will tell us exactly what they need.

3. The ego is powerful. This one I feel is pretty obvious. For the first week of my challenge I was constantly looking around at other people in class. I couldn't help but compare myself to others. "Her heels are touching the ground in down dog" or "his upper body strength makes bakasana look so easy", etc. I found it so discouraging and distracting when I was comparing my practice to them. I recognized this at the end of the first week and made an effort to keep my eyes on myself, the wall or my mat for the next week. Of course my eyes would still wander but when I realized what I was doing I just brought my attention back to myself. Everyone gets that competitive feeling in class (even instructors) and that's ok. When it comes up for you just try to acknowledge the feeling and bring yourself back to your own mat. Don't be discouraged by it.

4. Yogis are not perfect. A lot of times yogis are labeled as being peace lovers, hippies, never get angry, zenned-out, vegan, etc. But we really are just regular people. Most of us make a conscious effort to practice things like ahimsa but we're not perfect. For me this is particularly obvious when I'm driving to yoga class. I try to have patience with other drivers but sometimes that just isn't possible. And that's ok. If you do 30 days of yoga in a studio like I did sometimes you might feel left out when other yogis talk about their vegan diet, their hemp clothes, etc. Remember that they are not perfect and some of them probably even rush home to sink their teeth into a big, juicy burger. Don't let their "yogi" persona bother you.

5. Finding teachers you like is key. I think anyone that is comfortable to stand in front of people and teach them how to move their bodies is brave. I have the utmost respect for all yoga teachers. But that doesn't mean I like all of them for my own practice. I have been to some classes that I find the teachers voice or demeanor is so distracting that I can't focus on my practice. Everyone has a personal preference when it comes to the "type" of yoga instructor they like. It is important to find instructors that you feel a connection with and stick with their classes.

6. Drink a lot of water. For the first ~two weeks of the month I'm pretty sure I was dehydrated. I drank the normal amount of water I have always drank. Instead I really should have increased my consumption. So for the last two weeks I increased my water intake and felt a lot better; more energized, aware and alive. My 30 days was in a hot room (for the most part) so I sweat a lot but even if yours is not in a hot room, drink as much water as you can handle. The water will not only keep your body hydrated but it will help your digestive system work more efficiently and flush out the toxins your organs sometimes hold on to. If you do sweat a lot in your practice make sure to also replenish your electrolytes. Some easy ways to do this is to drink lemon water (full lemon worth), coconut water (no sugar added) or eat a piece of fruit right after your practice.

7. Your body will get strong. I can only comment on my own experience but the difference in the over all strength of my body from Nov 1st to Nov. 30th is remarkable. I can now keep my legs straight when I lift up into headstand! Before I always had to bend them into my chest and extend from there. I know everyone progresses at their own pace but I have found that in one month my flexiblity and strength has improved faster than it has during any other period of time in my yoga practice. When you are practicing every single day you become very aware of your body. You will start to notice the subtlest of changes. Like maybe chaturanga isn't as hard as it normally is. Or warrior 2 doesn't burn until the 3rd time you do it instead of the 1st. Whatever the change is, it'll happen and it feels marvelous.

8. Emotions will come up. I can't speak for everyone but I found that after doing certain poses over and over again over the course of 4 weeks I would find certain emotions would arise every time. Towards the end of the month I found myself in a downward facing dog almost in tears. For some reason this particular down dog made me whole body overflow with emotions. Fear, doubt, joy, sadness, anxiety, hope, faith. All of it came out in the 5 breaths I spent in this pose. Thankfully it was a hot class so the tears were mixed in with the beads of sweat. I haven't had this happen to this extreme before but I have found that I will be peaceful and present in a pose when all of a sudden an emotion washes over me. My best piece of advice is to ride it out. Let it take it's course in your body/mind. Experience it fully and then let it go. Remember that nothing is permanent and you will get past that feeling.

9. Find your yoga vibe. One of the biggest things I learned this month is that a daily practice is just not for me. I missed 4 days in 4 weeks. Hence a 6 day a week practice is more suited for my life and body. I find if I miss more than one day in a row I am craving yoga, but I do feel like I need at least one day of rest a week. I think this will fluctuate for the next few months depending on what is going on in my life but for the most part it will be a 6 days a week practice for me. I have also discovered that I like certain styles of yoga more than others; I tend to enjoy Baptiste and Ashtanga style classes the most. There is no "best" yoga style though. There is only what is "best" for you. So find what style you like and stick with it. :)

10. Last but not least, yoga can actually help you through major events in your life. This month my grandmother passed away. Specifically, she passed away at 2:20am Monday, November 14th. Nan had been diagnosed with colon cancer in June of 2010. We knew that it would be terminal but had no idea how long we had left with her. She started chemo treatments around Christmas time of last year but by August 2011 there was nothing more they could do for her. I think her death didn't hit me as hard as it could have because I have been preparing for it since August when all of her treatments stopped (or I am in denial). When her treatments ended I started to dedicate every moment I spent on the yoga mat to her. This was my way of dealing with what was going to happen. To honor her I actually went to yoga class that Monday. It's funny how the universe works because Monday classes are with my favorite instructor in Halifax, Stefanie Winters. As usual her class was awesome and I'm so proud to have been able to dedicate it to my Nan.

The overall experience was fantastic. I can't wait to do the challenge again next year. I highly recommend trying this out if you want to deepen your yoga practice. Remember, it doesn't have to be in a yoga studio. Even committing to doing it at home will benefit you in so many ways.

"This practice becomes firmly rooted when it is cultivated skillfully and continuously for a long time." - The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali 1:14

Day 17: Letting go of life

I'm not talking literally, don't get freaked out here. I feel like I need to admit that I have been slacking on the 24 day cleanse. I have done a lot but in the past weekish I have been side tracked. My Grandmother was put into palliative car last week so the cleanse took the back burner.I signed up for Moksha's 30 day challenge for the month of November and even though I may not be able to do the cleanse again every day for the whole month, I do plan on continuing the challenge into November. We'll see.

Yesterday's "item" was very unintentional. Every few months I get one amazing yoga practice. I know as a yogi you are not supposed to attach good or bad emotions to certain postures/practices but during these rare experiences I can't help it. Stefanie is one of the best instructors I have ever practiced with so it didn't surprise me that I would have this experience at one of her classes. She normally starts of class reminding us to be present. To let go of all our stresses, our worries, etc. Stop thinking about work, your family, what you have to do after class, your to do list. Focus on being present in this moment and allowing yourself the opportunity to just practice. For some reason last night this really resonated with me. I didn't look around the class at all to see what other people were doing. I was consciously aware of my breath at all times. I stopped thinking about Nan being in the hospital or about my need for closure with my ex. I stopped thinking about work and my to do list and books. Instead I focused on my body and my breath. The pauses in between your inhales and exhales. The burn in my quads in warrior 2. The strength in my arms in chaturanga. And it was what I needed. These rare euphoric classes leave me feeling re-energized.. almost high. I cherish these times on my mat. They are what feeds my soul and keeps me coming back to my mat day after day.

Lesson? There are times when we have to have our thinking caps on. When we are problem solvers and are caught up in the stories of our lives. But be open to those moments when life just drops by the side and you can just be completely present in the here and now. These are the moments that feed our souls.

Yin Practice

I figured this would be an appropriate post after my last one since I struggle a lot with Yin.

Here is a bit of a background on yin yoga for those who are not familiar. Regular asana practice focuses on our muscles. On the strength and flexibility of these muscles. It isn't always but it can be a demanding practice. Poses like chaturanga and utkatasana focus on building strength. Whereas poses like uttanasana and prasarita padottanasana focus on building flexibility in the muscles. This is called our yang practice. Our active practice. Yin on the other hand is more of a passive practice. Yin yoga focuses on stretching our connective tissues, specifically our ligaments and tendons. It does this by holding postures for longer periods of time (anywhere from 2-8 minutes). When holding postures for this amount of time it forces us to become passive, to not use our muscles. When our muscles are no longer active we can get a stretch in our joints and spine. (To find our more about yin yoga go here) As with the rest of our life, yoga requires balance. Balance between our muscles and our connective tissues. Most asana classes will have a yin section at the very end but the poses are not held as long as in a yin class.

As much as I love how open and relaxed my body always feels after a yin practice, the practice itself, the whole 75 minutes is always a really hard struggle for me. One of the many reasons I love yang yoga is that you don't hold the poses for very long. Therefore my mind always has something new to focus on. On average a yin pose is held for about 5 minutes. This gives my mind time to a-wander or b-focus on how much I don't want to be in the pose. I'm not sure if everyone else feels this way during a yin practice but I know that I'm in the pose properly when it starts to feel like I'm old and I don't know how I'm going to get out of the pose. Which starts the ball rolling into a mini panic. I start to fidget and sweat a lot. I find myself saying "get out of this pose now, now, NOW!".

I want to clarify that I am never in pain in yin, you should never be in pain in any yoga practice. I just find it to be the hardest practice I can do mentally. I really hope this doesn't intimidate readers to try this out. Like I said above, I reap amazing benefits from my yin practice. I just wanted to throw my mental struggles with yin out there so that someone else will realize they are not alone if they have a hard time with yin as well.

And since I haven't posted any photos for a long time I thought I would show you some of the regular yin asanas.Anahatasana (image source) stimulates the meridian lines that run along the spine (urinary bladder lines) and along the arms. It especially helps to open our chests (heart and lungs). (source)

Dragons (image source) stimulates the stomach, spleen, gall bladder, liver, kidney and urinary bladder meridian lines. (source)

Saddle (image source) stimulates the stomach, spleen, urinary bladder and kidney meridian lines. (source)