If you use Instagram, you might be aware of the popularity of yoga challenges. They vary from one week to two weeks or sometimes month-long program, where participants attempt a pose or an exercise and post their results.
I participated in a month-long yoga challenge back in 2014. I found it a lot of work to be taking a photo every day. Sometimes I’d try to two or three in one shot, just to get it over with. I didn’t the challenge I participated in because it focused on a new asana everyday. When I learn a new pose, I often spent a lot of time, watching about a dozen YouTube videos and reading webpages about how to approach the pose before I even attempt it. I feel that it is not a smart choice for beginner yogis to jump into a challenge with too many new poses. It increases the risk of injuries and rushing to “get the perfect Instagram shot” is not necessarily productive to one’s yoga practice.
Now that I am more experienced, I feel more confident taking on challenges again. Not ones that are focused on poses, but I prefer challenges that are mini exercises. I’m starting on an 8-day challenge with my Dharma yoga wheel, since I still don’t really know how to fully utilize the super expensive PVC ring very well. Here is Day 1 of the challenge:
Incidentally, I started another challenge called #HardCoreChallenge4 that focuses on core work. I didn’t intend on doing two, but I got tricked into it by a fellow Cody athlete that I connect with and sometimes email. And I have to admit, I really enjoyed the exercise from this morning, which was a fusion of plank work and baby crow.