How Take The Leap Helped Me FLY!

At the beginning of February, I was chosen as a leader for the #TakeTheLeap yoga challenge on Instagram.  I was a little nervous, as I knew most of the challenge leaders were likely to be very experienced, incredibly flexible yogis, and I am very much a stiff beginner.  But I stepped up to the challenge, and for the past thirty days I have made time every day to practice yoga poses.  I have to say, making that commitment (and sticking to it) has produced surprising results!

Early in the month, I was choosing conservative, simple poses that didn't require crazy flexibility - at least for what I was posting as my daily photo.  But I also spent time each day practicing some of the intermediate poses that I felt were attainable, hoping to push my boundaries a little more by the end of the challenge.  Then the #BringingYogaBack mini-challenge started, which focused on a set of 12 daily poses, each pre-determined.  Some of these poses were NOT very beginner-friendly, nor would I even consider some of them intermediate-friendly.  Just the same, I tried every pose, every day, and worked on the ones with which I struggled.  I didn't always get the pose right, but I started to remind myself that "practice makes perfect," and kept trying.

Yeah, that's not quite there yet...

By the end of the month, I had gotten flexible enough to bend forehead to floor in pigeon pose, had found the courage and strength to try an inversion, and had even finally managed the arm balance of crow pose!  Practice doesn't always make perfect, but it certainly make better and stronger!  I'm proud of my progress in just thirty days, and plan to continue working yoga into my daily life.  My dedication has paid off, and I am excited to see what the next month brings if I practice the same patience and devotion!

Did you participate in the challenge this month?  How has yoga influenced your journey?  If you haven't tried yoga yet, what are your reservations?