First week into the “Challenge.”

            It’s Tuesday, January 8^th. 2013 and we are one week into Pura Vida’s Hot Yoga Challenge.  The first week is usually combined with excitement and simply working out the kinks.  The excitement may come from participating in something important to you with a group of people and for many of us the excitement may be coming from starting our New Year’s resolution.  By the way, did you know that some 90 percent of the people who start a New Year’s resolution usually fall off within the first two weeks?  Others don’t even bother starting a New Year’s resolution anymore because of fear of failure.  What I mean by “simply working out the kinks” is that during the first week you may feel sore, a bit unsure about your commitment and of course working out your schedule with work and life in general.

            While we transition through our “Challenge” it is really important to stay focused on some key factors.  How you’re going to feel when you get to your last day of the challenge.  What will it represent for you?  Why you’re doing it in the first place.  How it will change your life or improve upon it.  Why is it important to you?  In other words, this process has to have meaning to you.  Remember that you’re taking time out of your day and investing it into yourself, your health.  We can always recover whatever money we spend, but we never get time back.  Therefore, staying focused through the duration of your challenge is imperative.

 

            In the next few weeks, we will all feel some soreness and at times very tired.  Life will show up and want to take us off track.  We’ll be invited somewhere or we’ll want to simply go straight home after a long day at work instead coming to the studio.  This is where you’ll need to stay focused.  As many of you know, I’ve done a few cleanses in the past year and it always feels the same.  The first few days are the hardest.  The same will happen with the challenge.  And then much like the cleanse, your body starts to gain momentum and you’ll begin to feel more energized.  You’ll start to feel more alive, more awake.  This is called progress.  And this progress will make you feel the happiest you’ve been in a long time.  You’ll feel a natural high.  And it comes from all the yoga exercise you’re doing and that sense of accomplishment.  So mentally you begin to enjoy the progression.  And the moment you start to feel lighter, more energy, more focused and everything begins to come together.  You gain clarity.

 

            In closing, I want to congratulate you on finishing your first week.  We still have work to do, but we’ll break this process into different parts so we’re not getting overwhelmed.  One week at a time, one day at time and one class at a time.  Happy New Year everyone!

To your health & success,

Marco Gamez