WHAT I LEARNED FROM 30 DAYS OF YOGA WITH ADRIENNE
Back in February of 2020, I decided to take the plunge a try a new series for my YouTube channel of trying 30-day fitness challenges. The first challenge that I tried for my channel was the Home: A 30 Day Yoga Journey. This challenge consisted of 30 days of yoga in which you learn the basics of specific poses and build a newfound sense of balance and strength.
In the beginning, I had very little knowledge of yoga and the practice itself. My only previous experiences that could possibly relate to this challenge consisted of five years of cheerleading and one lesson of yoga in my University 101 class. Although having the previous experience cheerleading and other sports definitely helped in regards to my flexibility for some poses, I also have been inactive and out of shape these past couples of years. This fact is partially what made me really excited to start this journey and try yoga for the first time. Regardless, I would like to address a few questions you may have about the program and then jump into the experience of my journey Home.
Who is Adriene Mishler?
Adriene Mishler is a youtuber and yoga enthusiast who posts free yoga programs on her YouTube channel Yoga with Adrienne. Her cute and quirky energy draws in viewers by the thousands due to her energetic videos, great content, and adorable dog Benji.
What is Home?
Home: A 30-Day Yoga Journey is a yoga program on YouTube hosted by Yoga with Adrienne’s Adriene Mishler. Mishler’s program consists of 31 videos that introduce you to the basics of yoga and how you can better your practice, while also experiencing the journey of centering yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Why Should You Try Home?
The great thing about this program is that it is a beginner-friendly course with “no experience necessary”. You really can try yoga for the first time with this program and end up loving it or feeling as though the program really did take you on a journey of self-discovery. The community surrounding the program and channel is also really supportive of everyone involved, so in my opinion, there isn’t a better time than now to try.
My Journey Home
January 30, 2020
“I’m excited to start my journey, just not for waking up tomorrow. I feel a bit out of shape but hopefully, I will feel better once we get started.”
The welcome video started us off right by welcoming us to the program and started us out with our first lesson in setting up the proper breathing and mindset. I decided to keep myself accountable and motivate by cataloging my journey on Instagram and vlogging the experience.
February 01, 2020
Day one was pretty good. I liked the momentum of the videos and exercises. They mad me feel good and gave me a workout without feeling stressed about the concepts of weight loss or working out from home.
February 03, 2020
On day three, I woke up and immediately jumped into my yoga clothes ready to start my next lesson. The energy I had was unreal and unmatched. I was officially obsessed with the program and how it made me feel. That energy pushed me until up to day five when I got sick and had to skip a day.
February 06, 2020
I got back into my routine but after being sick the day prior and skipping that day, I fell into a sluggish slump, losing all of my energy to continue. Completing the lesson for the day felt more like a chore than an enjoyable activity.
February 15, 2020
I started to get excited again around day fifteen when I could really start to see and feel the difference in my body and energy. My stomach was starting to feel harder and I could feel and see a small bit of weight loss. Unfortunately, directly after that, I got sick again. I lost my sense of motivation almost completely as I felt I was failing, not only myself but my viewers who were supporting me.
March 01–05, 2020
I calculated the few days I had missed due to being sick and finished out my journey Home for a full 30 days of yoga. Though my days were not consecutive, they were impactful and a memory I will not forget.
My End Results
I decided to not focus on weight loss and assigning numbers to my journey, as I felt I would become hung up on the idea of losing weight instead of the journey itself. Instead, I decided to take a side by side video a compare the two of before (day 0) and after (day 30). I started this journey with a very rounded stomach and no definition. By the end of my journey I felt alert and ready, more physically fit, and very calm. I began to see my V and the curve of my waist finally. I could also see a reduction in the size of my stomach overall.
In the end, my journey Home was amazing. I felt like I was calmer and had more control over my stress and really felt like I could do more and try harder challenges in the future. This challenge has since lead into a series on my channel where I try different challenges just to become more physically fit and active. I try to implement all that I have learned from this program into daily life and regularly try to implement yoga into my exercise routine.
