On endings Day 19-24

So it been a week since I last wrote and I wanted to give an update on my 30-day challenges.

I am sad to report that I have been forced to end my 30-day yoga challenge due to the flu.  I am not amused.

Here I am in the home stretch and BAM!  The damn flu bug got me.  I have been taken my Master Tonic everyday.  I failed to take it one day and the next day I got sick.  Makes me feel like something was trying to get me all along.  Which is scary in and of itself.

I do not to take flu shots as I never had the flu.  And call me paranoid, but I am a little leery about what is in these flu shots.  Knowing the history of government "health" experiments, especially on people of color (see here, here, and here), I try not to take unnecessary inoculations or unnecessary medical interventions.  None the less, here I am.  Sick for three days and a failure.

Yes, a failure.

Now, I don't see a failure as a bad thing per se.  A failure (n)  is one who has not completed a stated goal or task.  It is what it is.  In our culture we all want to be winners and sometimes that isn't the case. Just as the sun doesn't shine everyday, we will not achieve all the goals we set for ourselves.  This can be due to our actions, inaction or no fault of our own, as in my case.

That being said I learned the following:

1-Doing hot yoga everyday can be very challenging mentally, physically and spiritually.  It can also be addictive.  Many a day I found myself fiending like a junkie to get to class.  Some days I wanted to do two classes but I knew that would be too much on my system.

2-In order for me to take on something like this, I have to have an external goal.  I have a decent amount of self-motivation but this challenge made me realize I stick to a goal better if I am not the one who sets it.  This isn't a good thing as I don't want to be a puppet.

3-Hot yoga is an awesome way to smooth cellulite. I assume all of the sweating and Utkatasana, Virabhadrasana I,II, and III and Bikram's Trikonasana helped.  I am not cellulite free but I do notice a difference in the texture of my skin. 

4-I am capable of so much more than I give myself credit for.  Actually, we all are.  Yoga allowed me to realize that I am limited by my mind and then pushed me beyond that.  As a spiritual eclectic, yoga helped me become more in tune with the divinity within.  Very much like prayer and meditation. Of course, working out in a 105 degree room will have you searching for The Higher Power.

Although I did not complete the 30-day challenge, I am pleased that I made the attempt.  A good number of my yoga pals failed to complete the challenge as well and we are planning to try again, on our own, in February.  As soon as I am better, I will be back on it.  Who knows what other insights may be revealed.

Love, BSW



PS-The vegan challenge is still on!  Having the flu lends itself very well to vegan food.  There is no way I could eat dairy or eggs right now.  Garlic, onions and ginger have become my healing trifecta.  My vegan challenge ends on Saturday.  I will give my take on that once it has ended.