This time last year Moksha Yoga introduced the Living Your Moksha Challenge to the yoga world. Me, being a trade at Moksha Downtown, saw the posters and wondered, “How can anyone do yoga for 7 weeks straight?” 30 days seemed hard enough. 7 weeks is beyond crazy.

Mind you, this was fresh off my very unsuccessful first attempt at a 30 day challenge (the unplanned 30 days was successful attempt number two), so my perception of this particular challenge was a little skewed. I completely boycotted the idea of any yoga challenge — yes, I do tend to be a tad extreme when I don’t complete something after the first time trying it — I didn’t want to be a failure again, and so I didn’t pay any attention to this living your yoga business.

No, you do not do yoga for 7 weeks straight. I found this out a year later. A few weeks ago to be exact when an email was sent out to all the Downtown trades about the upcoming challenge. Erin (not our Erin, but Erin my studio manager) outlined the 7 pillars behind the challenge and explained what the challenge actually was. I felt rather silly after this.

Here’s a quick video about LYM, the real deal:

 

 

So think of this as a yoga challenge off your mat. Taking the feelings yoga gives you, the foundation you build on in class, and the idea of inner peace to your everyday life. Sounds easy, right? It is April after all, a time for spring cleaning and new beginnings. I feel as though a major change needs to happen in my life and I’m ready to commit myself to this. That or it’s Costa Rica withdrawal. I need that post yoga retreat high on life and zen outlook to everything, I want to eat insanely well again and fell great. I want this all again! And I wouldn’t mind both the sun and surfers too, while I’m at it.

So here I go. Starting May 1st, I accepted this Living Your Moksha challenge. It could very well be just what I need to rethink and refuel for summer. I have a horrible feeling parts are going to be terrible, as I’m starting a 10 day detoxifying cleanse as part of the “Be Healthy” pillar lead by Dr. Allison Creech. You may remember her from the voice that puts me to sleep, the Costa Rica voice of reason. But hopefully the community behind LYM and my fellow yogis at Downtown will be there to help me when I’m ready to punch something because I can’t have my morning coffee. Hey, I can do anything now! I climbed the CN Tower!

As a tease, here is some pillars you can expect to see in the 7 weeks;

1. Be Healthy: Practice yoga daily for one week (piece of cake, I did 30 in a row!)
2. Live Green: Green your plate – 7 days of vegetarian/vegan delicious food eating (I’m already a vegetarian, easy!)
3. Be Peace: Extra long savasana each day (I pass out during every savasana, is this really on the list?!)
4. Sign up now and you can join me in this crazy yoga challenge!

Maybe this whole challenge thing won’t be as bad as I think.

We shall see.