December Yoga Challenges

Social media has its pros and cons - yes, it can distract us from living in the present moment, but it can also offer inspiration, support, and a sense of community.

I've never done any sort of yoga or fitness challenge before, but I'm love the concept of it - by doing a challenge on Instagram (with the yoga community), you have a whole group of people supporting you and helping you along the way. Plus, you're held accountable by the social aspect of it.

So this month, I'm doing TWO Instagram challenges: The #JustBePresent monthly challenge, and the #YogaWithTFM 10-day balance challenge.

The #JustBePresent challenge is 24 days of yoga poses ranging from easy to hard. I can already foresee that I'll have trouble with some of them... I still can't do a headstand, and I certainly can't do a split yet. But that's not the point - the point (almost redundantly) is about challenging yourself. It doesn't matter if you can't do something perfectly; you just have to go in with a positive intention, and try your best. 

In a way, this is also a challenge for accepting and loving yourself. Think about it this way - if you were in a yoga class, and you saw someone trying their hardest to do bow pose but not quite making it, would you judge them? Would you really judge them if they were giving their honest, earnest effort? I'm guessing you wouldn't. So why would you judge yourself for the same thing? If you come into your practice with genuine effort, that's all that is required of you. It all starts in the heart. Love yourself, and love your journey of progress.

The second challenge is the #YogaWithTFM 10-day balance challenge. I'm really excited for this one because the poses are challenging but within my range of ability (I think)! This challenge will be a great test of my abilities!

Check out my progress on Instagram:

#JustBePresent challenge - @sarahaldie

#YogaWithTFM - @thesunshineyogi