30 Day Yoga Challenge
Start date is Sunday, April 16, 2017
The idea of the Yoga Challenge is to explore commitment, consistency, curiosity, connection, and community while developing discipline and well-being through your yoga practice. Commit to one or more of the following three areas of yoga during the duration of the challenge and you become eligible for a prize.
You can pick one or two or all three of these to work on. The more you do, the greater the results in your own life. The three areas of practice that you can focus on are:
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1) Asana (poses) - attend as many classes as possible; when not at the studio, practice at home. The more you perform your poses, the more you will notice positive physical and physiological changes in the body. You will also feel better by staying consistent.
2) Dhyana (meditation) - sit quietly for a minimum of 5 minutes every day. This is probably the most important part of your practice. Increase to 10 or 20 minutes if you wish. This will bring peace of mind, solace, quiet.
3) Pranayama (breathing) - practice the deep yogic breath or Ujjayi breathing or Nadi Shodanan (Alternate Nostril Breathing). If you do not know these, ask your teacher. This will vastly improve your health.
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We are also suggesting that you do a cleanse during the Challenge. Call (716.632.5802), see or email Michael (Michael@RisingSunYoga) for more information.
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Here are some suggestions for the Yoga Challenge. Pick one to work on every day.
1) Get 6-8 hours of sleep each night
2) In the morning, drink very warm water and a pinch of cayenne pepper with 1/2 fresh squeezed lemon
3) Drink 4-8 ounces of fresh organic celery juice (replenishes the hydrochloric acid and pepsin in the stomach) every day
4) During the day, drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of non-alcoholic liquid
5) Eat 1 cup of wild blueberries every day!
6) Listen to your body, do not push too hard in class, and consider giving yourself a gift... a massage half way through the challenge
7) Tell 10 positive people about your yoga challenge so you have lot's of support
8) Only play positive or spiritually, uplifting music, watch inspiring movies, and read empowering books
9) Stop watching the news!
10) Associate only with uplifting people
11) Write a note to yourself and post it on your fridge that says: "Congratulations on being successful in completing the yoga challenge." Do this now before it starts!
12) Immerse your self in uplifting thoughts by Wayne Dyer or Dr. David Hawkins or Louise Haye or any number of others
13) Take time to be alone in nature
14) Refuse to be around others who are low energy or drag you down. Be nice to them, but do not hang around them. Surround yourself with positive, high energy, empowering people
15) Monitor your Inner Dialogue. Every thought is a prayer and every prayer is answered, so be mindful of your thoughts. That is, be careful what you ask for
16) Meditate at least 5 minutes every single day. You owe it to yourself to find peace within. Take time to be silent
17) Be kind. Treat yourself and others with kindness when you eat, exercise, play, work, love and anything else
18) Be at peace with everyone. It's so easy to be a jerk. Stop being like everyone else. You can only be in conflict if you participate in the argument. No one is capable of making you upset without your consent
Foods to Avoid during the 30 days:
Alcohol, Dairy (unless it is raw, organic and fermented!), Wheat/Yeast, Caffeine, Sugar. Anything that Didn't Exist 100 Years Ago!
Power Foods to Eat over the 30 days:
If you can, all foods organic and non-GMO... Chard, Almond Butter, Pumpkin Seeds, Plain Goat Yogurt, Wild Blueberries, Broccoli, Carrots, Cayenne Pepper, Ground Hemp Seeds, Spinach, Blackberries, Mushrooms, Tomatoes, Collard Greens, Asparagus, Papaya, Pineapple, Kiwi, Mangoes, Kale, Apricots, Raspberries, Ground Flax Seeds, Flax Oil, Garlic, Ginger, Beans, Ancient Grains, Oats, Yogic Recipes. Make juices and smoothies with organic healthy foods.
Take a cold shower and boost your immune system! Hydrotherapy is one step that is mind over ego and one of the best things that can be done for overall health. Before stepping into a hot shower, you'll want to oil your body with a little sesame oil. You may also add essential oils of your choice to the oil to bring about a desired effect. This is also the time to perform a daily massage.
Learn how to use a Neti pot to cleanse out the sinuses. Jala Neti – nose cleaning. In this practice, one cleans the nostrils using warm Celtic salt water from a special container or neti pot.
Get ready to fully transform... your body, your mind, your self!
Practice your yoga as often as you can and see how powerful your practice can become. Meet requirements noted below and the benefits will be amazing!
During this challenge, a lot can change -- with yoga those changes might include getting stronger, gaining flexibility, improving your sleep and digestive patterns, uplifting your mood and more! Perhaps just making a commitment and keeping it could be the big change! Whatever you think might happen, after the Yoga Challenge, you will be surprised to learn a lot... about yourself!
Q & A
What information will I need to help me with the challenge?
Read all of the information in this Document.
Can I go to any class?
Yes, you can go to any class at Rising Sun. We love home practice and meditation but THIS yoga challenge is about coming to class and being with your community. You can take any Yoga class or Qigong (when offered at RSY).
What if I go out of town?
Go to another yoga studio in that town and get a receipt.
Can I take more than one class in a day?
The idea of the Challenge is to develop commitment, consistency and curiosity, so to meet the Challenge your requirement is to take one class daily. It's not about taking 50 classes, it's about developing discipline and consistency in your life. Attending class, meditating, and pranayama practice regularly are what this is all about.
Rules, Regulations, & Prizes:
Participants must complete, within 30 days of the above start date, at least 12 yoga classes to qualify for the asana category, a minimum of 20 five-minute meditation sessions, or a minimum of 20 five-minute breathing sessions (with actual breathing techniques employed).
We need a minimum of 10 participants for this to work. There will be 3 prizes awarded. If you qualify, you become eligible for one of 3 prizes:
1) a Chiropractic adjustment
2) a 5 Class Pass
3) a 10 Class Pass
If there is a tie in any category, a drawing will be held.
Only the following exceptions will be permitted: if out of town, a student may practice in a studio other than Rising Sun Yoga...verification of payment by receipt is required.
Participants must let Michael or your teacher know that you are accepting the Challenge. Pre-register prior to the day the Challenge begins. We will monitor the classes you attend. You will monitor your meditation and breath practice. Sign-in as normal on the Touch Screen and mark the sign-in sheet displayed on the wall.