Keep the momentum !
July is here and the 30 Day Challenge has kicked off to a great start in both our Ilkley and Leeds studios, we are loving seeing you practising every day :)
It's an inspiration to our newer students and brings an amazing energy and sense of community to the studio when there is a challenge on; we love it!!
There's still plenty of time to join in on the challenge, it's open to anyone and you have until the end of July to begin; challenging yourself to complete 30 classes in 30 days.
Whether you’re on the 30 Day Challenge or not, we would like to ask all students to book classes in advance. This is helpful to both us and you and here’s why…
To ensure you get a spot in class. Often our peak time classes get fully booked and we do not always have space for walk-ins. Avoid disappointment by booking ahead.
On the other hand; some of our quieter classes have lower numbers and if we do not have enough booked to meet our minimum capacity to run a class we may have to cancel a class which 5/6 people may have actually planned to come to later on; but because they didn't book ahead, we didn't know. Booking ahead gives both you and us security in class numbers.
Pre-planning your yoga classes in advance and booking them in helps you to hold yourself accountable to make it to class, and we all know more yoga is a good thing!
Did you know there are numerous benefits to pre-planning your week to schedule in your yoga/fitness/wellbeing time?
If you’re on the challenge you will understand the importance of this as a key to success, but it's also really important for those of you struggling to find time for your yoga practice (and yourself!)
Just some of the awesome benefits of scheduling your yoga practice:
It's easier to find motivation – A workout/practice schedule helps you integrate movement into your daily life, minimising the risk of procrastination. Soon it will be something you can’t live without, rather than something you need to talk yourself into.
By scheduling your yoga practice you are scheduling YOU time! Carving out specific time to take care of yourself is a really important act of self-care which you deserve.
Progress is easier to track when it's consistent. At THYC we recommend a minimum of 2 classes per week for maintenance and 2 + classes per week if you really want to see progress and development in your practice.
Fitness becomes more holistic – Scheduling your yoga practice and any other exercise makes it easier to find a balance of endurance, flexibility, and strength training every week. This ensures you don’t focus too much on only one type of movement, eventually hitting a fitness plateau or getting injured.
Rest days are not necessary with a regular yoga practice as it is actually designed to be done every day – however overdoing anything is never a good idea, potentially leading to fatigue or injury. If you plan to do a lot of HIIT and powerful Original Hot Yoga classes throughout the week then our Sunday classes offer the perfect alternative to a ‘rest day’, where you can practise something more restorative such as Rest & Restore or Yin & Yoga Nidra instead of a more physically demanding style and give your muscles a deeper, longer stretch and your mind a real wind down. Planning your classes throughout the week ensures your practice schedule is balanced and complete.
You have more time to do other things – Scheduling classes makes you more organised. If you know you’ll be committing specific days to practise, you’ll be better able to manage your schedule around that.
It is an act of ‘Tapas’.
Tapas is one of the five niyamas (personal observances) in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.
In yoga philosophy these guidelines help us to live healthier and more content, fulfilling lives. Tapas refers to the practice of self-discipline, self-control, perseverance, and austerity and is a powerful and ancient yoga tool that can help us achieve personal transformation by pushing ourselves beyond our perceived limitations.
In this context it could be understood that being disciplined in your yoga practice schedule could be a way of practising Tapas.
By developing inner-strength and perseverance through this type of yogic willpower, we can overcome obstacles, push through challenges, and cultivate the inner fire that fuels our practice of yoga. Practising tapas can empower us to make positive changes, deepen our spiritual practice, and help us achieve our goals.
We hope this inspires you to begin forward planning your yoga practice time (if you don't already!) so that you can feel the maximum benefits of this amazingly powerful practice!
Challengers - keep the momentum going! You’re off to a great start… The first week is always challenging as your body adjusts to the increased practice, but after that you will start to feel the amazing benefits of daily practice and soon you won't even want to take a day off!
Make sure you’re on top of hydration, nutrition and replenishing electrolytes to help your body feel its best throughout your challenge.
