YogaWithAdriene's YogaCamp!

I have been a big fan of YogaWithAdriene for over a year now. I love her positive messages, and how she encourages you to "find what feels good," which always reminds me to stay on my own mat, and consider what my body is telling me. I now feel like am more in control of my yoga practice, and feel confident taking whichever modifications I need to in class or in my home practice. I strongly recommend trying out her videos!

Last January I completed her 30 Days of Yoga challenge, and was excited to see that this year she is running Yoga Camp. She calls it a 30 day yoga bootcamp, but don't be scared: it serves all levels. You can sign up to receive daily emails, which are great reminder, or just check out the playlist on YouTube.

This year, her bootcamp is including a different mantra every day. This can be scary for some people, so ease into it. A mantra is a repeated phrase, usually associated with meditation. As a non-Catholic Christian, I used to be wary of repetitive phrases, since that's not part of my liturgy. However, I've come to realize that yoga (and other physical activity) is a prayer with my body. Every time I do something with it, and am mindful of that, I am thanking my God for creating me, and giving me the ability to do what I can. Therefore, using the mantra suggestions given by Adriene, I am able to bring even more awareness into my practice.

Here are some examples of the mantras, plus how I finished those sentences:
I accept my body's limitations, its voice, and my dream for strength.
I create beauty with my body.
I embrace what I perceive as imperfections.
I awaken my frozen back and my breath.
No, the mantras are not perfect, but they reminded me at the time about what was necessary. With my back injury, I'm lacking a lot of strength that I believe I should have. I've also eaten a bit too much birthday cake and Christmas treats, so I've added some padding to my thighs which has made me feel uncomfortable in my body. I also had a tight back after going for a run, so I needed to remind myself to let it relax, and not hurt it more.

I encourage you to try out her yoga camp, and also subscribe to her channel.
Stay tuned for my post about how to have a home yoga practice.