30 Reasons To Do A 30-Day Yoga Challenge
A 30-Day Challenge is an amazing way to kickstart your health, mind, body, and being. Completing 30 yoga classes in 30 days can (read: will) won’t be easy, which is why we’re giving you a reason to go to class for every day you’re in the thick of it.
Use this list to get—and stay—motivated during what could be your best month yet! (Pssst. There’s a special gift if you make it all the way to the bottom).
Daily practice puts your health and life into day-by-day perspective.
A dedicated challenge forces you to make your physical and mental health a priority.
Setting a significant amount of time to dedicate to your long-term and overall health allows you to set a clear intention for your goals and own your outcomes.
Yoga has been found to lower blood sugar in people with diabetes. It does this in several ways: by lowering cortisol and adrenalin levels, helping the body find its natural weight, and improving insulin sensitivity.
Regular yoga practice has been shown not only to improve your posture, but also hormone levels, cholesterol, and blood pressure.
Reduced stress. Hot yoga has a way of melting more than just your make-up. You’ll find with regular practice that the stress you carry (and the cortisol that comes with it) doesn’t often have the stamina for a 90-minute session. And you can leave it right on the floor as you leave.
Studies also show that regular yoga reduces chronic inflammation—the primary contributor to conditions like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and more.
As you continue to practice, you’ll learn new ways to tap into your body’s signals. When it tells you to slow down, listen. When it tells you it can handle more, believe it!
Better all-over muscle tone (thanks, Awkward Pose).
Accountability through pure nostalgia.
Regularly committing to your yoga practice will create additional awareness and openings in your life for healthier choices. Since hot yoga requires lighter meals for better practice, you’ll find yourself choosing healthier options to prepare for class.
Use this time to cut down on your caffeine intake so that your body can show you just how energized it can be on its own!
Two weeks into your challenge and you’ll find something new—more space in your lungs. Continued connection to your breath your constant reminder that you have more control–and power—over your responses than you originally may have believed.
Increased flexibility is a bit of a given with 30 days of yoga practice, but what you may not realize is that flexibility does more than help you bend to tie your shoes—it also prevents injury, reduce pain, and extend your mobility longer into life.
Improved balance is another win for regular yoga practice. You’ll become more spatially aware (and less accident-prone).
Stronger relationships are born from stronger self-love, which is what you give yourself with every pose.
Heightened self-awareness and self-acceptance helps you positively align with the people in your life by cultivating compassion and friendship.
You’ll also burn a bazillion calories. Not that we’re counting (at least not with real numbers, anyway! :)
You can’t do 30 days of yoga without picking up a few cues from your instructors that will carry over into your life (and your posture!) off the mat. Listen carefully and use generously.
Attending 30 yoga classes means 30 different ways to meet someone new!
Speaking of which, packing all this yoga into 30 days gives you an amazing opportunity shake up your routine with new classes and new times.
And new teachers! Every one of our instructors offers something unique to our studio. Try them all!
Reduced stress. Can’t stress this one enough!.
Think about how much value your unlimited membership is giving you. Way to “stretch” that dollar!
Use this time to share your journey and share your progress with your friends and family. Whether you post on social media or invite them to the occasional (or regular!) class, yoga offers several ways to connect with those you love.
Regular yoga practice offers a natural way to relieve anxiety and depression symptoms.
Endorphins. Lots of them.
Get better sleep. Yoga not only increases relaxation, it can also physically wipe you out, allowing your body to more readily accept sleep at night.
Those suffering from osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel, and other chronic pain can improve their function and comfort with careful yoga practice.
The ability to say you did it—and that you’d do it all over again!
While our Thrive community frequently and happily (?!) does a 30-Day challenge together at least once a year, there’s no reason you couldn’t do a 30-Day (or 60 or 90) day challenge any time of year.