editor’s note: I had to edit this post and exclude all of the instagram posts because it slowed the website down incredibly much. go check out our instagram to find all posts and insights! xo, jo & grimm
day 30!
day 27 + 28 + 29
I just don’t want to post anymore right now
yeez if you have been following this blog you realized that my enthusiasm for posting daily quickly evaporated. at times I felt like it was 30 days of posting instead of 30 days of yoga. therefore, I let it go. I stopped trying to film everything and take pictures, as I not only felt really uninspired, but also wanted to focus on being more present. sorry (not sorry) guys! I hope you still found this blog entertaining! talk to you tomorrow on the final day!
day 20
two thirds done
private class day! | pranayama today: bhastrika! | silent meditation: 5min.
day 19
monday hit me hard…
classes scheduled today: 1. | feeling very: bleh (=emotional, fearful, unenlightened).
day 18
sundaze.
classes today: 2. | first morning of doing nothing in foreverrrrr.
day 17
uh oh! a cold is coming.
sneeze. | cough. | ugh.
day 16
emotional cleanse?
classes scheduled today: 2. | thoughts: 1 876 924 934/second.
day 15
happy halftime!
no classes today! | home practice: self practice! | thinking about:…
flow states
what are flow states: have you ever completely forgotten time during an activity? like you were just in your flow – not stressing, simply moving on your instincts? that is a flow state.
why they are important: they show us where our natural inclinations lie – where we have to flow to in order to be happy.
just a quick not on my self (yin) yoga practice: It’s funny how I always think „well I may just do 15min of nice movement and breathing“ and it ALWAYS ends up being 30min or more. i seriously just arrive in this flow state with myself – sometimes with a lot of thoughts on my busy mind, sometimes (if i am lucky) just barely aware of any thoughts at all.
day 14
V.i.t.a.l.s
yoga classes I teach today: 2. | stress-o-meter: elevated. | level of tiredness: sleeping beauty before the 100-year long nap…
who are you? do you know your true self?
as I have explained before, we are aiming to use these 30 days of yoga to discover previously unknown parts of ourselves. to find our true self in order to become our higher selves. How?
But what does that even mean? Continue reading 🙂
every part of today’s entry that’s written below here comes from an amazing article I found on psychologytoday.com written by Meg Selig.
V = Values
“Values“—such as “helping others,” “being creative,” “health,” “financial security,” and so on—are guides to decision-making and motivators for goals. Research shows that just thinking or writing about your values can make it more likely that you take healthy actions. The motivation provided by worthwhile values can also keep you going even when you are tired, as shown in many psychology experiments. If you want to self-motivate, know your values!
I = Interests
“Interests” include your passions, hobbies, and anything that draws your attention over a sustained period of time. To figure out your interests, ask yourself these questions: What do you pay attention to? What are you curious about? What concerns you? The focused mental state of being interested in something makes life vivid and may give you clues to your deepest passions.
T = Temperament
“Temperament” describes your inborn preferences. Do you restore your energy from being alone (introvert) or from being with people (extrovert)? Are you a planner or go-with-the-flow type of person? Do you make decisions more on the basis of feelings or thoughts and facts? Do you prefer details or big Ideas? Knowing the answers to temperament questions like these could help you gravitate toward situations in which you could flourish and avoid situations in which you could wilt.
A = Around-the-Clock Activities
The “around-the-clock” category refers to when you like to do things—your biorhythms. Are you a morning person or a night person, for example? At what time of day does your energy peak? If you schedule activities when you are at your best, you are respecting your innate biology.
L = Life Mission and Meaningful Goals
“What have been the most meaningful events of your life?” This was a question I liked to ask when students would see me for career counseling at the community college where I worked. One woman of about 40 years old got teary-eyed as she tried to answer. “Recently,” she told me, “I found it incredibly meaningful to care for my aging father as he declined and went into hospice. I was able to be there and hold his hand when he died.” As we talked about the difficulties and rewards of her father’s last days, she had an “aha” moment and realized she wanted to become a hospice nurse. (She accomplished her goal and was one of the leaders of her class.) Ask yourself the same question: “What have been the most meaningful events of your life?” You may discover clues to your hidden identity, to your career, and to life satisfaction.
S = Strengths
„Strengths“ can include not only abilities, skills, and talents, but also character strengths such as loyalty, respect for others, love of learning, emotional intelligence, fairness, and more. (See here for a list of character strengths). Knowing your strengths is one of the foundations of self-confidence; not being able to acknowledge your own superpowers could put you on the path to low self-esteem. Become a person who “takes in the good,” listening for compliments and noticing skills that could be clues to your strengths. Here’s an example: An acquaintance tells you that she loves the soothing sound of your voice. What could you do with that knowledge? Likewise, knowing your weaknesses can help you be honest with yourself and others about what you are not good at. You might decide either to work on those weaknesses or try to make them a smaller part of your personal or professional life.
Again, for more, see this cool article on psychologytoday.com written by Meg Selig.
amazing right? have fun writing down your thoughts on your v.i.t.a.l.s.! As for our yoga practice today:
what we did: #yogalab class! handstand kickups.
What it felt like: definitely had to slow down as I feel a head cold coming on!
day 13
twisting it out / from another perspective
osteopath: 1; josefine: 0 | stress-o-meter: unsustainably throwing energy out of the window. | today: special class on the „revolved series“ with the challenge participants!
what we did: kapalabhati + 50min of technical yoga practice for twists, revolved triangle etc + kapalabhati round 2 + 4min of silent mediation.
What it felt like: after having my cervical spine reset by my osteopath I felt oddly immobile and sore in the vertebrae – I needed this check-up badly it seems! It felt ridiculously good to tuck in and release my belly during the „fire breathing“. probably because this finally shook out my still-a-little-sore abs.
day 12
energy flows where attention goes.
woke up at: 5:53 am (?) | sore-o-meter: 4 out of 5. | yoga classes I teach today: 1 wonderful slow flow.
day 11
rest & relax
yoga classes to teach later today: 2 (asking myself „how“ every time I move because…. | sore? yup. SORE SORe (6 out of 5). | to-do today: walkies, walkies & walkies, and snuggle the puppy, and daydream.
day 10
yoga festival time!
From 11am until 6pm: at YEZ yoga festival in stuttgart! | YEZ yoga classes I took today: 3! what a treat! | yoga classes taught: 1 | sore-o–meter: 6 out of 5 (feeling it creep in already before going to bed…
for the rest of my day’s resumé: check this post. #lazy. and #sore. #eventypinghurts
day 9
all hail the weekend!
yoga classes taught: 2 | sore-o–meter: 0.3 out of 5 (feeling surprisingly good!) | that’s all.
day 8
simplify!
no classes today – wohooo | time for personal yoga practice! | much happy. | very gratitude. | wow.
the question „what can I do to simplify my life“ has been a very fruitful one to ask myself from time to time. when I am practically drowning in responsibilities, to-dos and stress I oftentimes forget that, me being a central european middle class white woman (she, her), I have the (white hetero cis) privilege to choose what I burden myself with in most of the cases. too little sleep? boho! what’s stopping me, a healthy 28yo, from going to bed earlier? don’t like to have too many appointments after work? well then maybe just choose to not set any?
what is troubeling you? is there an easy way to relieve the weight, to simplify? do you have to let go of unattainable goals, of friendships that are simply too much work, of a hobby that feels like a chore? take today to take action!
day 7
another year, another meh (?)
yoga lessons today: 1. | sore-o-meter: 1.5 out of 5. | grinch-o-meter: 3.5 out of 5.
ok officially back at the old office life – and already it’s draining my energy. Thus, no wonder I felt a little insecure and grumpy today, with lots of positve energy seeping from me the moment I leave my puppy at home to go to work. anyways.
a source of energy today: handstand playtime with my yogis at the studio *face lights up*. That and planning 3 yoga retreats for 2020. stay tuned!
day 6
Tuesdays are for going beyond
yoga lessons today: 1. | a bad thing that happened today: first day back at work. | two good things that happened today: I saw my work colleagues again after xmas break(1)! I had pancakes for breakfast (2). | videos now successfully uploaded: 3 out of 4.
what we did: a private class of sorts for the powerwomen who joined the challenge at the studio. see the following instagram post for more insights!
What it felt like: peaceful.
day 5
slow flowinnnnn
yoga lessons today: 1. | videos I re-filmed after I hated the quality of the first draft: 2. | best thing that happened to me today: my beautiful goofball of a dog.
what we did: long yogic walks (i.e. very mindful and aware of the beauty of our frozen surroundings). than a 60min slow flow with pranayama (nadi shodhana) and 10min of meditation. our topic today: intuition.
What it felt like: yum.
day 4
the holidays are almost over
yoga lessons today: 2. | wanted to get up at: 8:30 am | got up at: 10:00 am (now #grumpy) | Harry Potter movies watched: 1 (childlike happy state). | Sunday strolls: 70min (unsatisfying).
23:59 – sluggish day, powerful classes; sore
felt really sluggish today and definitely feeling the anxiety of having to get back to work on Tuesday rising. my answer: yoga. smiles. snuggles. attainable goals that energize me.
*scribbles on vision board hugging the dog.*
what we did: 45min of core work and arm balances + 60min of yummy yin yang flow – the latter with a definite restorative component as many of the challengers as well as myself are a little bit sore.
What it felt like: very joy-filling and happiness inducing. also: extra long shavasana.
*heart pounding with delight.*
day 3
hip openers
yoga lessons taught today:2. | hangriness moments: 1. | journaling? yes. | walkies? yes! | doing absolutely nothing for the rest of the day? YES!!!!
15:00 – checking in after a beautiful yoga morning at the studio.
all of the challengers showed up for themselves today, participating in one of the two classes – WELL DONE!!!!
what we did: a 60min class of gentle vinyasa flowing + 60min of active stretching, mainly hip openers. note: lot’s of strength and mobility excercises for the hips! I hate doing only hip stretching. this was definitely me today:
What it felt like: my hips felt really truly relieved for the first time after the holidays. my hip flexor allowed me to bend deeply today, though I sense tight hamstrings. brace yourself for a hamstring activation class, ladies and gentlemen…
today, I have a little task for you. check this instagram post (in German, sorry!) to start diving deeper into your higher self.
day 2
january 3rd: easing into it… or not.
yoga lessons today: 2. #teacherlife | personal yoga practice minutes – plan: 30. | slept: 7.5 hours on & off (=meh). | hours spent uploading/video rendering: roughly 5 (and still going… whyyyyy).
9:00 – good morning from the yoga side of life!
haha just kidding – I just woke up and I feel as if a truck ran me over. I am pretty sure that is not the way the yogic life is supposed to feel…? I stayed up way too late last night, finishing up the first of three yoga-flow videos I am providing for the challenge, for home practice. sigh. for me, a big part of this challenge is establishing a healthy routine that I can keep up through the busy days of life. let’s see how we go. look what arrived in the mail today!
22:00 – wonderful yoga classes today!
what we did: a 60min prenatal yoga class + 60min vinyasa flow for core stability. both had lots of twist using only your muscle strength, so no pulling yourself deeper if your abdominal muscles won’t support this.
What it felt like: flowy! I felt like they were fun, round classes to teach. sadly there was no time for my personal savanna. will do that now. but at least I got to snuggle the pup.
here are some more musings and a little video of me teaching for today:
day 1
january 2nd: let’s go!
walkie count: 2. | hours spent in front of laptop to (over-)plan 30-day-challenge: 2… or 4. | yoga lessons today: 1. | personal yoga practice minutes: 0 (as of 18:00). | woke up at: 13:00 #restforthewicked
dear readers,
today is the day! we are embarking on a 30 day journey to the self, through the self – … ok I definitely borrowed this saying. because – surprise – 30 days of yoga is about more than just 30 days of getting rid of winter rolls and Christmas fluff. This January, we will look into establishing a yogic routine on the pillars of…
- asana practice
- breathwork
- meditation
- letting go/detachment
- the Yamas -a code of conduct (non-violence, non stealing, non-excess, non-possessiveness, truthfulness)
- the niyamas – looking inside yourself and your actions (see picture below)
- bonus: an Ayurvedic daily routine consisting f. e. of a vegetarian Ayurvedic diet, a daily schedule aligned with the elements.
at 6pm we had our Official kick-off yogaclass at the studio.
what we did: a 75min yin yang flow focussed on looking at our foundation – feet, pada bhanda, knees, thigh rotation.
What it felt like: a good thorough start. deliberately easing into it.
xo for today, Josie
