Yoga Challenge Day 12 ~ Have a Plan

I’ve realized over the last few weeks of daily yoga practice that my time on the mat is much more effective if I have a practice plan in mind when I begin.  That’s probably the largest difference between my current yoga challenge and the one I completed last year.  Last year I seemed to have more of an idea what my daily yoga routine would consist of; this year, not so much, which means I sort of just improvise for a while on the mat before I decide to call it a day.  Although my desire and commitment to practice is strong, I really don’t have the same kind of personal time as I did last year, and heading off to yoga class on a regular basis just isn’t really my thing.

I’m definitely all about the home yoga practice, but like most things in life, unless we plan ahead (or even have some goals), we tend to slip away from our idealistic intentions.  And, some of us just need a little more direction than others…

That’s why I’m totally pumped that a few days ago I received an e-mail invite from Gaiam Yoga Club to try out their 12 week yoga program taught by Rodney Yee and Colleen Saidman.  The home practice course includes guided instruction from Rodney and Colleen where they focus on a different category of yoga posture each week.  One week studying standing poses, another week focusing on sun salutations, then a week on backbends, then twists…you get the picture.  I just enjoyed viewing a video blog post from Rodney and Colleen about the importance of maintaining correct posture and ways to mindfully improve this crucial, but oft-neglected aspect of our daily lives.  As I watched the video and poked around some of the resources on the site, I felt excited to get involved in the community and get started with the program.

I now have a plan. I’m starting tomorrow.  I’ll let you know how it goes.