Day 30 – Yoga Challenge

 art by Banksy

Struggles of the Challenge,  by Simone:

“Whatever you set out to achieve ensure you question any obstacle. Work out a way to overcome it. Reflect on what you have done so far. Where there is a will there is always a way to move past the wall and learn from it.”

Simone continues:

The Yoga 40 Day Challenge is called a challenge for a reason. All the yogi’s have learned valuable things about lifestyle, and have managed to change habits, creating positive new habits. However, the Challenge also presented me a struggle I needed to work through.

They saying ‘hitting the wall’ means facing an obstacle that is overwhelming.

As a tramper/hiker I have had many challenges on 3-4 day trips. For example: I’ve hit brick walls on day two of a hike wondering how far away the hut is, and if will I make it. I’ll stop and want a break because my legs are feeling sore and my energy is low. But if I stop for too long my body will cool down and it will be harder to get going again. Friends will tell me to just keep going. If I keep putting “one foot in front of the other” I eventually get to the hut and achieve what I set out to do. Also, it means the rest of the group have lit the fire and boiled water for a hot drink by the time I arrive.

Similarly, when we were about halfway through this Challenge, I struggled with an obstacle that could have made me give up. Yet, I also recognised that a struggle can be a physical or mental. So I had to decide if the wall physically existed (meaning it was almost impossible to continue), or if it was more of a mental state (where we think “I just can’t manage this”). For me it was a mental state.

On this particular occasion, after a long day’s work, I felt mentally exhausted (I am an IT help desk person, taking numerous phone calls to help solve customers’ issues). I hadn’t broken a leg. Instead, I had started thinking “I’m just too exhausted … I just want to rest and not carry on …”

Because, I had successfully completed all the aspects of the Challenge during the first two weeks, I had to stop and think, “do I really want to give up everything I have achieved  up until this point?” “What has made me suddenly hit this wall or obstacle?”

I realised my obstacle was all excuses: “I’m too tired to do yoga today, I don’t have any energy, I just want to do my knitting, I’ll write in the diary tomorrow, I didn’t get enough sleep. I’m just going to go bed and not bother about continuing.” This is how I realised the ‘brick wall’ didn’t actually exist.

If I wanted to complete this Challenge I needed to walk right through these non-existent mental obstacles and do all these great things that have being improving my wellbeing. All I needed to do was put one foot in front of the other, pick up my diary, and set aside time in my routine for completing it. A big part of this Challenge is maintaining motivation. I have all my fellow yogis doing the Challenge along side me, and also my fiancé does not want me to give up. If I gave up I wouldn’t be able to say I achieved it. Would that feel right? Within the week, my renewed motivation and positive mind frame kept me on track.

I certainly do not want to become lazy after this Challenge. I still want to do yoga every day and eat well for my health. I want to display the qualities that the Challenge is teaching us.