Core of Gratitude Yoga Challenge

This month’s challenge benefits Odanadi, an organization that helps rescue and rehabilitate sexually exploited and trafficked women and children. If there are 50k posts (counted by hashtags), $1000 will be donated, and if we make it to 100k posts, $2000 will be donated. The challenge itself focuses on core strength and flexibility, and as always is geared towards everyone, from complete beginners to the more advanced. There will also be three people who will win a Liforme Yoga Mat. The challenge is hosted by @beachyogagirl and @kinoyoga. Make sure you post every day, tag the hosts. and use the hashtag #coreOfGratitude.

My Thoughts on Participating in Future Yoga Challenges

At the end of last month. I was debating whether or not to continue to participate in Instagram yoga challenges. I’ve been doing them for about a year and a half now, and they’ve been incredibly helpful for kicking my butt into gear and getting more serious about yoga. Yet, I found myself not posting pictures for a few days and having to catch up, which has happened in the past when really busy or traveling, but I didn’t have that excuse this time. I still practice just about every day, but it’s kind of a pain to set up the tripod sometimes and try to get a good picture. It’s getting too cold in the sun room, which has the best light, and the living room has weird shadows depending on what time it is. Sometimes I only have half an hour in the AM or in the afternoon, so I do a quick practice, but then have to take my picture at night before bed. I’m also getting bad about posting them, I usually take a video and then check it/post it later, and sometimes I forget completely. Basically, I love to practice daily, but sometimes it feels like a chore to take a good photo and post it to social media.

I decided I wanted to participate in this month’s challenge because the number of total posts raises money for a charity. Posting a photo is a pretty easy thing to do every day and it could help someone. It’s also really encouraging to be able to look back at my photos and see what progress I’ve made, especially during challenges that work on one specific skill (the back bends, arm balances, and splits challenges all helped me make a lot of progress). The challenges force me to practice things I wouldn’t normally practice some days as well. Lately, I’ve been trying to work on the Ashtanga Primary Series, and I’ve been going slow, and only working to a certain point. I’m trying to master and internalize the practice, but that means I might not make it to handstands or Urdhva Dhanurasana (Wheel Pose). The challenges force me to practice those poses anyway, which is a good thing. My last reason for wanting to continue the challenges is because they have really helped me, and I would love to inspire someone to practice.

What do you think? Do you participate in social media yoga challenges?

Related Links:

October Yoga Challenge – October Yoga Spice