39 Day Yoga Progress Project: Yoga By Candace

I am participating in the 39 day yoga progress project hosted by one of my favorite bloggers, Candace at Yoga By Candace (YBC). The purpose of this challenge is to focus on one pose that you working on gaining more flexibility in and track your progress through the next 39 days.

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From the YBC site here are the guidelines:

The Plan

If you choose to participate, here’s how it’ll go down:

1. Pick a pose, any pose!
2. Snap a pic of your pose and if you’re not feeling shy, share on instagram with the hashtag  #YBCprogress so you can instantly connect with others who are participating. Continue sharing your photos over the course of the project, every time you practice, or whenever you’re up to it!
3. Plan a schedule for when you’ll practice. Aim for 4-5 practices per week, 20-60 minutes each practice. But! If you need to do less, or want to do more, that’s totally fine. Above all, honor your body.

Candace also provides an excellent schedule for practices during the 39 days and links to videos to access.

It took me awhile to choose which pose I wanted to focus on. My first thought was crow, since I have been working on holding that pose longer and longer. However, this would be more about working strength then flexibility.

All the poses that kept coming to my head were strength based poses. I realized I prefer working on my strength, rather than flexibility.

If I am really being honest here; I am probably the least flexible yoga teacher.

I struggle A LOT with my flexibility and it was one of the things that brought me to yoga in the first place. Often, when people hear I am a yoga teacher, they ask if I am really flexible.

Errr….I guess compared to how stiff I used to be, I am really flexible, but not as much as you would think, for someone who teaches. I guess this is where my work needs to be.

I thought about which flexibility pose I dread the most and immediately Standing Split came to mind.

I loathe this pose and find myself wishing it was over as soon as I begin. I hate when I hear it cued and I realize I rarely teach it in my own class.

This pose is more difficult for me on my left, than on the right and I am sure that is due to my slight case of scoliosis and the left curvature of my spine (most of my injuries-knee, ankle, etc. have been on my left side).

I generally need to use blocks to support myself in this pose, though not always.

Below are Day 1 pictures on both right and left sides, with and without the block.

….and, my power yoga outfit because MICHAEL JACKSON.

I am looking forward to see if I make any progress with this pose and if I can work on my relationship with it, and flexibility in general. I would like to have a more positive attitude about flexibility poses and not dread them as much as I have been.

Want to join me in this challenge? Head over to YBC for all the details!