Taking on the 30-Day Yoga Challenge: A Weight Lifter's Surprising Journey to Strength and Serenity
- Jonna Royer
- Mar 30, 2024
- 5 min read
When I was 16, I fell in love. No, not with another person. With weightlifting. I met up with one of my best friends in the weight room after football practice to see if I could snag a ride home and, of course, this turned into a competition to see who could lift what - and I was hooked. There was such an adrenaline rush that came with lifting heavy iron, especially when it was something most women didn’t do. For over two decades, weightlifting was my sanctuary, my go-to ritual for sculpting muscles and finding mental clarity. But as the years passed, the repetitive grind began to wear me down, leaving me yearning for something … different.
Enter the 30-day yoga challenge. I had done yoga before but only a class here and there. I never took it seriously and I certainly didn’t do it more than once a week. My experiences were fine. It was fun to twist myself into crazy positions and there is a wonderful comradery that comes from doing a yoga class with others, but it's not something I thought would make a great daily workout. Taking on the 30-day challenge of doing yoga every day would derail my perception that it was all a bunch of languid stretching and transform my fitness journey in unexpected ways.
Embracing the Unknown
To say I was skeptical would be an understatement. Still, I jumped into the world of yoga, armed with little more than a sturdy mat and a fractional understanding of the names of all the poses. As a long-standing disciple of iron, I couldn't help but view yoga as a bit of a joke—a series of gentle stretches and tranquil breaths that couldn’t even be compared to the intensity of my usual workouts. Sure, it would make you more flexible and maybe more focused, but that was it, right? Little did I know, I was about to be proven wrong.
How to Start Your 30 Day Yoga Challenge
There are plenty of yoga studios where I live, but I didn't want to sign up for something if I was unsure whether I'd want to follow through on it. Plus, the 30 day yoga challenge is just that: doing yoga every day for 30 days straight, and the unlimited packages at many of my local studios were quite pricey, so I turned to YouTube.
Turning to Streaming to Complete the 30 Day Yoga Challenge
There are so many ways to stream a 30 day yoga challenge. There are entire apps and websites dedicated to it, in fact. But, at this point, I didn't really know where to start so I flipped through YouTube until I found an instructor whose voice didn't annoy me and who had a nice backdrop. (Obviously, the fitness portion of this challenge wasn't a high priority for me at first.) This is how I found Charlie Follows. She has a great, articulate way of speaking with a fun accent, her backdrops are always gorgeous, and she explains things in a way that I can easily follow. Plus, she has a playlist specifically dedicated to the 30 day yoga challenge. Perfect!
The Revelation of Strength
From the very first downward dog, where I absolutely could not keep my heels from popping up, to finally achieving crow pose, which lasted mere seconds before toppling over, I found each pose challenged not only my flexibility but also my raw strength. I quickly discovered that yoga was not about passively stretching but actively engaging muscles I never knew existed. Balancing in Warrior 3 pose required more than just physical stability—it demanded focus and mental fortitude. And, even then, you’re going to fall over several times before you can finally do it. As I struggled to master the wheel pose and navigate intricate flows, I found a newfound respect for the strength and grace required to master each movement.
Beyond the Physical: Mental Resilience
Yet, it wasn't just my body that underwent a transformation—it was my mind as well. I am the kind of person that wakes up rearing to go, my mind racing a million miles a minute, jittery with the prospect of doing something. And yet, yoga required me to hold a pose for 5 breaths, just concentrating on the rhythmic movement of air going in and out of my body. It slowed me down and forced me to find clarity. I still get anxious now and then. My class will often end with a pose called Shavasana, aka The Corpse Pose, in which you literally lie on your back with your eyes closed and do… nothing. Yes, absolutely nothing. Which I can do for a few minutes, but sometimes the instructor likes to stretch it out for much longer than that and that’s when the jitters find me. Evidently, 30 days is not enough to quiet my rabbit-like mind, but I’m working on it.
Fashionably Functional: Elevating Your Yoga Experience
Now, let's talk fashion—a realm often overlooked in the world of yoga, yet undeniably crucial for a fulfilling practice. As a weightlifter-turned-yogi, I quickly learned the importance of proper attire in enhancing both performance and comfort. You can’t work out in shorts because your legs won’t slide on the mat. Most people wear leggings like these, but I feel too restricted with that much fabric on my legs, so I wear these. I practice in the comfort of my own home, but if you are going to be in a heated studio, you definitely want moisture-wicking fabrics like these that will effortlessly move with your body. Sports bras with a lot of support like this one work fine, but you’ll be spending a lot of time upside down so you may want to opt for fuller coverage like this one.
Here are some other things you may want to invest in:
Yoga Mat: Your foundation for every pose, a high-quality yoga mat is essential for stability and support. I personally swear by this one.
Yoga Apparel: From breathable leggings to moisture-wicking tops, choosing the right yoga attire can make all the difference. Remember, cheaper is not always better when exercising this way. I love these capri leggings.
Accessories: Elevate your practice with accessories like grippy gloves, non-slip socks, support blocks, and knee cushions. Trust me, at 46 years old, knee cushions are a wonderful thing!
Conclusion: Embracing Balance
In the span of just 30 days, yoga rocked my world. What began as a simple challenge blossomed into a newfound passion. If I have to skip a session, my whole day feels off. I even did yoga on a towel in my hotel room when I was in the Bahamas. (That was before I learned about this travel mat. It’s not as good as my every day yoga mat at home, but it’s better than a towel.)
So, to all of you out there hesitant to dip your
toes into the world of yoga, I urge you to embrace the unknown, to take off your shoes and step onto the mat with an open heart and a willing spirit. You may be surprised by the strength you find.
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