Who made #HolidayLoveAndLights TOP POSTS?

Recently, I posted about the #HolidayLoveAndLights Yoga challenge that ran from December 15-24th. It was a super fun challenge that encouraged participants to include twinkles light and/ or candle light into their photos to honor the spirit of the season. While I didn't celebrate Christmas this year in the traditional sense I did utilize all of the festive sparkle of my environment.

Being in Hollywood it seems there was Christmas trees, color lights, glitter and glam everywhere I turned so when I saw the giant tree in the Highland Mall I knew that I had to pose in front of it for one of my photos. Lucky Day 7 was Anjaneyasna or low lunge and it was the perfect complement for the tree.

As much fun as it was making this picture perfect it was even more fun once I posted it to my instagram. (Follow me @yogibee8 to see all my Yoga Challenge photos) After each post I always search the hashtag so that I can like and comment on my fellow challengers photos. To my excitement, an hour or so after adding my Christmas Tree Lunge to the interwebs I noticed my photo in the "Top Posts" for the hashtag #HolidayLoveAndLights !! Now, I don't know exactly how Instagram determines this type of thing but it was super cool to see! So cool that I couldn't resist sharing it with everyone :)

Time Flies When You Yoga Challenge

Wowzer! I wrapped up the #YogEmojiChallenge on the 15th of this month and hopped onto the next one so fast I forgot to honor it with a blog! I discovered the #HolidayLoveAndLights challenge on the same day as the last one ended, new hosts (@robinmartinyoga and @rebeccaleann_) and new vibe but same general concept. The sponsor @MyInnerFire will be giving away some sort of fabulous prize to the randomly selected winner so cross your fingers for me :) Generally, I tend more towards challenges that last at least 20 day up to the entire month but December ended up working out great because I was able to complete two challenges Dec. 1-15 and Dec. 15-24 which I really enjoyed.

This challenge was particularly fun because of the incorporation of some festive twinkle, candle or sparkle lights into your pose and photo. While I'm not big into the celebration of consumerism, I do love the beauty of this time of year because of all the lights, so it has been really fun to dazzle out my photos.

The #HolidayLoveAndLights challenge included a lot of familiar poses and one pose that I had never attempted before which is always fun. With the foundation that I do have in my practice I find that I am usually get into most new poses for at least a breath or two. Granted my alignment won't always be perfectly on point but that's why it's a practice right. Try new things, create new pathways in your brain and become better, stronger and wiser. I look forward to adding Tittibhasna or firefly pose into my regular practice.

 This is a really tough pose, it requires a lot of core and arm strength plus wrist and hip flexibility!(Tittibhasna)

Day 9 was Pincha Mayuranasa or forearm stand, a pose that always intimidates me. I have had moments of feeling the sensation of balance in this pose after I am fully warmed up and done a bit of core strengthening but I've yet to grasp the full expression of the pose. Thank you #HolidayLoveAndLights challenge for encouraging me to face my fears. Just more practice and more trust. One of my favorite yoga quotes says "Falling out of a posture makes you human, getting back into that posture makes you a yogi" - Bikram. It's okay to fall. Just try again!

Never hurts to use a wall when you're learning! (Pincha Mayuranasa)

Stay tuned to watch my yoga challenge journey, I already can't wait to find January's. Sending you all much Holiday Love and Light. Blessings. 

Yoga Challenge Part Deux

As soon as #TheGratitudeChallenge from November was over I immediately began searching for the next opportunity. At first I couldn't find that many but the closer December got the more challenges began pouring into my feed. I decided to run with @kinoyoga and @beachyogagirl again and participate in the #YogEmojiChallenge celebrating the release of their YogEmoji app (even though its only on iphone...#LAME #AndroidsRule)

Anyway, it's 8 days into this challenge and I'm feeling very humbled. In November I felt like "hey I'm pretty good at this yoga stuff, my poses look alright!" There have been some really simple poses so far, ones that I do every single day, multiple times a day and don't think much of them. Postures like paschimottanasana (seated forward fold) from Day 2, chaturanga dandasana (bottom of a push-up) Day 4 and Day 5's adho mukha svanasana (downward facing dog) that have not reflected as flawlessly in photos as I had always thought I was performing them. 

 Paschimottanasana - Granted this was not one of my flexible days, my back should be straighter, and my head more relaxed, normally I am able to go deeper in this pose, but not today!

Chaturanga Dandasana - I feel stronger than ever in this pose and I know my alignment is better than ever too but it still needs work. Time to eliminate that dip in my lower back by using more core!!

Adho Mukha Svanasana - If I had taken a little bit longer stance, then the slight rounding in my mid-low back would disappear, downdog is a deeply complex and ever changing posture. Dende's on the other hand is flawless :)

 

Since I am not one who practices in mirrored studios regular it is interesting to see that the way my body feels in the asana is not synced with the way it looks and this is my first take away from this challenge. Just like anything else if you want to improve at something, watch yourself do it on camera. The camera doesn't lie and in this day's world truth can be hard to come by. So I am thankful that these photos have given me specific areas of focus to improve my alignment.