The Year of the Dragon and the Yoga Project

2012 is the year of the Dragon.  I consider this good luck if only because I’m dating a Dragon.  I mean, a human born in the year of the dragon and not an actual dragon because that would be strange and possibly delusional but I digress.

I’d like to take a moment to do something that I feel I don’t do nearly enough which is allow myself some pride in my accomplishments of 2011.

As I began 2011 I was in a very different place than I am now.  I was very depressed, uncertain about my path and full of self doubt.  My health suffered as a result.  The year proved to be challenging and transformative. 

This year I found myself again after having lost myself.  I completed the extremely challenging goal of fasting for 40 days which required tremendous discipline and self control.  I regained my confidence.  I helped nonprofit organizations raise thousands of dollars for causes near and dear to my heart.  I backpacked through southern Mexico, had some great family time in California, lost forty pounds, started a new job, grew up a little bit more, became more honest to myself and finally, I found love again.

Despite these great strides I’ve made in the span of only one year, I understand that I am merely a work in progress. To reach one’s potential, one must never be fooled into thinking that she is done learning all she can learn.  I gained more from fasting for forty days then I’ve been able to convey here.  Benefits have included a healthier diet, emotional clarity and much self confidence. If I can do that through challenging myself to a consistent behavior for a period of time, what else can I do?   This has brought a new challenge to the forefront.

Having complete control over my body was great during fasting, I now desire more control over my mind.  I’ve decided to commit myself for the next 30 days to a daily yoga practice.  I plan on documenting my experience through this blog.

The reasons I’ve chosen yoga are trifold:

1. The challenge: It will be hard.  The purpose of challenging yourself is to actually do something difficult. Sadly, I've never done ANY exercise consistently for 30 days.  This will be demanding on my body, mind and schedule.
2. Nourishment of self as habit: daily yoga allows me the opportunity to pursue nourishment for my body, soul and mind.  Yoga is a rigorous practice that demands meditation, movement and time.  Making time for myself in this way is a constant statement in my psyche telling me that I’m worth it.
3. The benefits: I’m only human and that vegan chocolate cake I baked for New Year’s was fantastic!  My hope is that I become stronger, gain more energy,  lose some pounds, gain more clarity and maintain a regular practice when I am done.

For the next 30 days I will:

• Attend a yoga class DAILY (classes are generally 1.5 hours each)
• Blog about my experience on a regular basis
• Neglect my family and friends for yoga (sorry guys, but this is likely)

Happy New Year and Namaste!