4 things I learned from yoga & David Good.

Sometimes, opening up my inbox or looking at my calendar promotes anxiety. I’ll confess, I have A LOT on my plate generally and I get overwhelmed easily. The air begins to thin, I become stressed and perspective **poof!** disappears like a row of cookies.  So I decided something had to be done and I felt that putting myself in compromising, possibly suggestive positions to make me sweat and grunt would be just the thing.

Yes, I put myself on a 30-day yoga challenge.

Insane right?

You see this became the inspiration for my pay-what-you-can Stress Detox. And while the Stress Detox isn’t a yoga challenge (although it incorporates it) nor is it for 30 days (it’s for 14), it still taught me a heck of a lot. In fact, it even was the catalyst to my new friendship with yoga rockstar, David Good, who exudes a cool-factor (I’m a sucker for tattoos). He infuses strength, poise, balance and humor in his practice and provides a light-hearted and loving approach to simply reset.

Now while the Stress Detox, a 14-day challenge infuses other experts like Kim Anami (sex expert) and Stephan Gardner (emotional specialist), I wanted to tell you what I learned from the challenge that inspired me:

Scheduling is key

Seriously, if it isn’t written down, it doesn’t exist. I would always SAY that I was going to yoga, maybe for a run, or I’d take time to meditate. But that soon turned into a meeting that went over, work that had to be done and a snooze button that became more attractive than meditation. By scheduling myself, suddenly I made myself a priority. I’m not going to lie doing this for 30 days was tough. Sometimes it was hard to wiggle in, but it was a lesson in actually taking yourself seriously.

Discipline is tough but it rocks

30 days was not easy which is why I made the Stress Detox only 14-days. However any challenge will promote discipline. There were mornings I’d try to argue with myself not to go but once I got on my mat I was happy I did.  Discipline I quickly learned actually helps to indirectly boost confidence and promotes empowerment. I did it, I’m almost there, I’m getting results and hot damn I rock.

Focus on internal shit not on the external

Okay, I’m not going to lie, after about a week or two, I would flex my new-found muscles like an 18-year old boy would in the mirror. But that aside, I realized that taking on a challenge allowed me to really focus on the internal dirt. I became more clear and calm for the day ahead and not sweating the small stuff was much easier to really put into practice.

It doesn’t always have to be balls to the wall

I’m all about make me sweat and work me until I almost fall over. Yep, I’m a total A-type and I soon realized that restorative yoga was the most challenging. I fidgeted and even reached for my cell phone to check the time. Just laying there in a stretched out pose drove me insane. It had a remarkably detoxing effect however after one day I quietly cried in practice because buried mental shit came up. I soon realized that restorative was just as powerful as any other form of sweaty, grunty yoga.

So while I’m not suggesting you take on 30-days of yoga (although you could), I am suggesting that you put yourself first. Most of us are back burner-type people and the stress alone creates weight gain and a host of other physical issues.

Too often we’re asked to detox an organ rather than detoxing the emotions and thought patterns that contribute to the health of that organ. You can drink all the green sludge you want, but without detoxing the emotions that contribute to the problem, it has little effect.

So here is where I turn the table and ask you…what stressful aspect would YOU like to resolve in 14-days? Leave your comment here on the Sexy Food Therapy Facebook fan page.

And if you haven’t checked out the 14-day Stress Detox, don’t miss out. Doors close on March 24.