14 days Yoga Challenge

I enrolled for the 14 days free yoga challenge this year with Kamya Yoga and Wellness. 14 days of consistently joining the youtube live session at 5pm which lasted for 40-45 mins, starting with yoga prayer, learning new yoga poses, giving up on a few ones, closing with breathing and Om chanting, completing task for the day, enjoying some bonus sessions. Here is the gist of the 14 days:

Day 1: Gentle Yoga Flow

The warm up practice included: necks, shoulders, elbows, ankles rotations. Animal poses included cat-cow (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana) for spine mobilization, cobra (Bhujangasana) for stimulating adrenal and thyroid glands and downward facing dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) for the spine and legs. Post the Mountain pose (Tadasana) that improves posture and balance, we did waist rotation (Kati chakrasana) and twisting to improve spinal flexibility and lunges that stretches the hips, low lunge (Anjaneyasana) and high lunge. The session ended with the resting yoga child pose (Balasana), wind relieving pose (Pavanamuktasana) and corpse pose (Shavasana). 

Task: Sit in diamond pose (Vajrasana) post meals, it was difficult to hold the pose.

Day 2: Upper Body & Laughter Yoga

The warm up practice included: neck, shoulders, elbows, hands, ankles, feet rotations, seated-side twisting for spinal mobility. Poses included only cat-cow, followed by ground/wall pushups (Chaturanga dandasana) for building strength. Laughter yoga included seated posture and laughing with increasing intensity (haha, hahaha, hahahaha, hahahahaha), clap & laugh and laughing at our problems.

Task: One seasonal fruit, I ate banana.

Day 3: Lower Body & Dance

The warm up practice was freestyle dancing, doing any exercise jumping jacks, knee bends, etc for 15 mins. Then the regular poses from the previous two days. New poses included donkey kick, a table-top leg raise for the glutes and stretched lunges and bridge pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana) for strengthening of glutes and core. We performed variations of butterfly pose (Baddha Konasana), seated pose for opening hips and reclining pose for restoration, concluding with corpse pose (Shavasana). 

Task: Massage feet gently with oil, it felt cool.

Bonus: Face Yoga, I missed it.

Day 4: Stress Relief & Better Sleep 

The warm up practices and poses were as the previous days. There were a lot of stretches and twisting and rotations and spot jogging and breathing.

Task: Take sunlight everyday for 15-20 minutes, early morning walk in my garden.

Day 5: 7 Surya Namaskar challenge

The warm up session started with bhastrika and exercises. A lot of hand movements were done. The challenge of 12 poses surya namaskar included:

Step 1. Pranamasana (Prayer pose)

Step 2. Hastauttanasana (Raised arms pose)

Step 3. Hastapadasana (Standing forward bend)

Step 4. Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian pose)

Step 5. Dandasana (Stick pose)

Step 6. Ashtanga Namaskara (Salute with eight points)

Step 7. Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)

Step 8. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward facing dog pose)

Step 9. Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian pose)

Step 10. Hastapadasana (Standing forward bend)

Step 11. Hastauttanasana (Raised arms pose)

Step 12. Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

I was exhausted at 4th attempt and so I rested till the 7th round.

Bonus: Sound Healing, I missed it due to family function.

Task: Drink at least 2-3 litres of water, managed with 2 litres.

Day 6: Zumba & Yoga Flow

The session started with Zumba for 20 mins. Body felt energetic and sweaty. Post zumba, we performed standing exercises like jumping jacks, side twisting, forward bending, etc. The session ended with Anulom-vilom breathing.

Task: Bedtime yoga before sleep, did the reclining butterfly, leg twisting, diamond pose, wind relieving pose and corpse pose.

Day 7: Chakra Healing Flow

Today's session was dedicated to the 7 chakras poses and chanting:

Root chakra (Lam): Tadasana (mountain pose), Malasana (garland pose) for hip opening and ankle stretch, Hastapadasana (standing forward bend)

Sacral chakra (Vam): Utkata Konasana (goddess pose) for lower body strength, Baddha konasana(butterfly pose), Parsva Sukhasana (seated side bend)

Solar plexus chakra (Ram): Deep breathing, Navakasana (boat rowing pose), Kumbhakasana (high plank pose) for arm balancing

Heart chakra (Yam): Uttana Shishosana (puppy pose) to open shoulders, Bhujangasana (cobra pose), Gomukhasana (cow face pose) for stretching triceps.

Throat chakra (Ham): Neck stretching, Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (bridge pose), Ardha Bhujangasana (baby cobra pose)

Third eye chakra (Aum): Balasana (child pose), Paschimottanasana (seated forward bend) for stretching hamstrings, Marjaryasana-Bitilasana (cat-cow pose)

Crown chakra (Om): Shavasana (corpse pose)

Bonus: Dance & Zumba, not keen of dancing so skipped it.

Day 8: Healthy Digestion & Laughter Yoga

The session started with spot jumping, standing wind relieving pose (Tadasana Pavanmuktasana) for leg strength and focus, cross bending. Seated yoga included garland pose, superman pose (Viparita Shalabhasana) for core, cat-cow pose, side bend, forward bend and churning the mill pose (Chakki Chalanasana). Laughter yoga started with standing forward to back bend and laughing, shaking the whole body and laughing, laughing at our problems.

Task: What motivates you to stay healthy, being able to keep my body younger than my age.

Day 9: Core strength & meditation

The session started with standing exercises: spot jogging, jumping jacks, high knee tap, high knee clap, calf raises, cross knee to elbow touch, dand baithak (deep squat push ups). It was exhausting and sweaty. Seated yoga included boat pose, hand to toe touch, crunches, reclining crunches, side crunches, bridge pose, table-top leg raises. The session ended with deep breathing (25 count) Shavasana.  

Task: Detox day once a week, every morning with a glass of lemon water.

Day 10: Strength & Flexibility Flow

The session started with warm up exercises: neck, shoulder, wrist rotations, clockwise & anticlockwise. We performed a lot of leg exercises and waist rotations followed by 3 surya namaskar. I did the chair version. Three sets of squats and tadasana walking, three sets of wall pushups, high plank and garland pose. Animal poses included: donkey kick, cat-cow, downward facing dog and butterfly pose. The session concluded with Nadi-shodhana pranayama.

Bonus: Face Yoga, I missed it.

Task: 15-20 mins walk, evening walk in my garden.

Day 11: Light yoga and breathwork

The warm up session included exercises as mentioned in earlier days. New poses learnt were Frog pose (Mandukasana) to stimulate internal organs and cow & eagle pose (Gomukhasana Garudasana) for stretching hip & shoulders. Breath exercises include count breathing, mouth breathing, candle blow, etc.

Task: 2 mins deep breathing before sleep

Day 12: All in One Class

Two rounds of spot jumping, jogging, jumping jacks, followed by 6 surya namaskar (I did 3). Seated exercises included side twisting, stretching, mill churning, boat, cobra, child pose, monkey pose (Markatasana). It concluded with high plank. Breathing exercises included bhastrika and anulom vilom. Then eye exercises, body tapping and sound healing.

Task: Self care habit, I will start with skincare and haircare daily.

Day 13: 14 Surya Namaskar Challenge

The most exhausting day, due to surya namaskar. It started with warm up exercises, 14 surya namaskar, seated exercises and breathwork.

Task: 6 Surya Namaskar everyday, next to impossible for me, so I will start with one per day.

Day 14: Master Class of 14 days Yoga challenge

The last day of challenge started with mountain pose and standing exercises like side bending, stretching, twisting, waist rotation, standing cat-cow and 5 surya namaskar. Seated exercises included neck, shoulder, side bending, butterfly variations, cat-cow, cobra, churning mill, bridge, etc. 2 minutes eye exercises, followed by laughter (hahaha heeheehee huhuhu) and concluding with bhramari pranayama.