Class Challenges & Personal Realizations

This blog post is about our class challenges that we had every week and how I made some of my own personal realizations in the process.
Week 1 - Yoga

Challenge/Practice: 2 Rounds of Sun Salutation Daily with Journaling Each Day and at the End of the Week.

I really enjoyed this challenge I found it interesting and fun. I liked the way I felt afterwards with the exception of the pain in my wrists. I felt more flexible more relaxed it was just a nice way to end the day and then wake up feeling refreshed and not so groggy. I would like to continue this challenge in the future as well as to add new yoga poses to make it a little more challenging. 

Week 2 - Vegetarianism 

Challenge/Practice: Be a Yogic Vegetarian for a week (No meat, no eggs). Journaling Each Day and at the End of the Week. This challenge was only difficult because I didn't have the option of having chicken or turkey, but for the most part I live like this every day. I don’t eat eggs, beef, pork, or any type of seafood (I am allergic to seafood and shellfish) but I do eat a lot of chicken and turkey products. A few years ago I went full vegetarian for about a year and a half and that was extremely difficult and I was always tired and hungry even though I was taking iron and protein supplements. Towards the end of the challenge I started getting pretty sick and I have a feeling it was because my immune system was weaker due to the fact I was always tired and didn't have the proper balance of proteins in my system.

Week 3 - Meditation 

Challenge/Practice: Daily Meditation, Relaxation, Breathing, Sensory Awareness, Om and a Personal Mantra 3 times each. Usual Journaling. This and the yoga challenge were by far my favorites because I like the way they make me feel afterwards. Through meditation I felt more at peace with myself and strengthened my mantra which has significant meaning and importance in my life. I haven’t slept this well in a long time the only bad thing I think I have been sleeping more than I should and not really getting my work done.

Week 4 - Attachments

Challenge/Practice: Meditate on the attachments that are holding you back or stressing you. Give up one attachment that seems to be holding you back this week. It may be a possession, a habit, or an attitude. Usual Journaling. This challenge was by far the hardest it takes a lot of patience to reflect and realize your flaws, but it’s even harder to try to correct them. I had this same sort of reflection process last year when I went through a hard time and I took a long look at myself and my life and decided I needed to change some things. So since then I have been working on my flaws trying to improve my character and it has been a slow process but I have definitely seen progress.

Week 5 - Observation of Nature

Challenge: Three times this week, observe a natural living thing for at least five full minutes. Take a picture or draw it if you feel inclined. Write your observances of this natural living thing. Note: you may not use humans 

or "dead things" such as cut flowers. Write about how at least one of your natural living things you observed 

exemplifies the Tao. I loved this challenge because I love nature and especially cats they make me happy. Both Coco and Simba brighten up my day and I have grown extremely attached to them like they were my own cats. This was a great idea for a challenge and I will continue to observe their adorable, funny moments.