Friday, April 30, 2010

31 in 31 Challenge- Really!

Good morning. Even though it's Friday, I started my morning like it's a weekend, with some mango and banana pancakes! These were inspired by a combination of a random cafe menu I was looking up yesterday (that had mango banana pancakes) and Madeline , who made me realize, wait a second I can make my own mango banana pancakes!




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I used Kath's recipe for an oatmeal pancake, including: 1/3 cup of oats (I used old fashioned, it seemed to work fine), 1/3 cup of egg whites, 1/2 tsp of baking powder, 1/2 tsp of vanilla, 1/2 banana mashed, and a little bit of cinnamon. For some reason this cooked a lot faster than I was expecting, so if you try it just be careful. On top I sliced up the other half of my banana and on the side I microwaved some frozen mango chunks from Trader Joe's for dipping :) It was delicious. Depending on how well it holds me over, I may be recreating this very very soon. Like tomorrow? Speaking of tomorrow...


Tomorrow begins May, and in May I will not set the usual goals for myself, though I do want to throw away a LOT (especially in my classroom) and read more books. Instead in May I will take on one giant goal...


Complete 31 yoga classes at Prana Power Yoga in 31 days.


Why?


1. It's fun to do physical challenges. A lot of people run races or do triathlons, but my knee will not allow those physical challenges. So instead I will do a yoga challenge, which will hopefully be more beneficial than harmful as far as my knee (and hopefully my whole body) is concerned.


2. I love Prana. I've honestly never found another yoga class I truly enjoyed until I found this place. Yet of course, like everything, there are always excuses not to go consistently. It's expensive. The times of classes don't work with my schedule. Etc. I want to put all excuses aside for one month. Since the 31 in 31 challenge is hosted by Prana themselves, it is only $4 per class if I make it to all 31 classes. In fact, if I don't make it to 31 classes I have to upgrade to a monthly pass which is $20 more, so I'll LOSE money if I don't go to yoga. Excuse over. Also, I will MAKE my schedule work with the classes. Excuse #2 over.


3. May and June are very stressful months at my job. Transitioning kids on to the next grade is harder work than it looks and includes placement into next year's classes (aka nightmare), report cards, making memory books, planning fun activities, finishing up everything we haven't done yet (oops), making a slideshow of pictures and loading them onto DVDs (obviously with technology problems because why would it be easy?) and probably about 100 other things I haven't thought of yet. Add that to the fact that I have 2 weddings in one weekend later this month, my own wedding to plan and all those wedding related events. Let's just say I might be a little insane in May and June. I know it seems like yoga is adding yet another thing for me to do, but I think it promises at least an hour a day, sometimes and hour and a half that is time to relax and breathe. If I get enough reminders to breathe during a difficult pose in yoga, maybe I'll start breathing during difficult moments in life. Maybe.


4. I talked to a girl at my studio who has done the 31 in 31 challenge before. She told me that I am going to need to remember two things, one: drink water and two: take breaks frequently. This is going to be hard for me. I usually only go to child's pose once at the absolute most during my practice, but when I am going EVERY day I am going to have to become very good friends with child's pose. I'm hoping if I learn to put my pride aside and take breaks during yoga class, I might get a little better at it in life. Yoga = life right?


5. I want to build a bit of flexibility in my body. This has never been my strong suit. When I was in elementary school I use to rock the fitness testing EXCEPT for sit in reach, where I would be in the 20th percentile or something...and I don't think I've actually improved since then. I know how important flexibility is in preventing injuries so, let's get flexible.


Have you ever tried a yoga class? What did you think? What is the hardest physical and/or mental challenge you have ever completed? If I can finish this it will probably be the hardest physical challenge, but my hardest mental challenge was my first year teaching- I hope next time I hit a hard mental challenge I can manage it with a bit more grace :) Happy Friday everyone!



19 comments:

  1. What a fun challenge!! I think I need to come up with a June challenge, and stick with "fixing the house" as my May challenge. For June maybe I will get back on the yoga bandwagon, as I've totally slipped. I was doing it twice a week but currently it's been almost a month since I did it last. I'll use you as good motivation!! Good luck :)
    Oh, and that pancake looks AMAZING!

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  2. I am so impressed that you are doing this! Doing something for 31 days straight is hard, so good for you. It's good that you have a financial incentive, though, to go every day so you don't have to pay extra.

    I have only tried yoga at my Y and I didn't really care for it... I think I need to go to an actual studio some time and give it a try. There is one Y instructor that I really like but I can never get to her classes. But it is a humbling, humbling work out. I always think I am in such great shape from all of my running, but when I go to Yoga, I am like oh wow, Self, we are not as in shape as we think we are!

    Happy Friday!

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  3. Very cool! Yoga is one of those things I want to try but haven't--when I move into the city next month, I want to take advantage of some of the free yoga classes and see how it goes. Good luck. :)

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  4. The hard part about yoga for me is that I find it tricky to watch what the instructor is doing and do the poses myself at the same time (not all poses but ones that require you to shift your body upside down or look upwards or something). I also had a teacher who just verbally said the poses and instructions and didn't actually do them which is why I hated her class and stopped doing yoga because I NEED a visual!

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  5. I've actually never taken a yoga class! I always think that I have this excess of energy that pairs well with running and since I don't have the time for yoga and running in one day, I'd stick with the cardio - but I think it's time to switch this up a bit! Can't wait to hear how the challenge goes!

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  6. I love yoga! Last semester I was going once a week to use up my fitness class pass and it was wonderful. Now I can't go because a) the times conflict with my schedule and b) I can't afford it. I'm definitely a more sane person when practicing yoga.
    I'm interested to hear how your challenge turns out!

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  7. I am so inspired by your breakfast creations!

    Good luck with the yoga challenge!

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  8. Wishing you luck with this! I'm excited to hear how it all works out. I really enjoy yoga but I don't do it often because when working out I try to burn as many calories as fast as possible and think I can do this by doing cardio..which may not be fully true!

    The only yoga classes I've been to were ones held at my college. I probably went four or five times but then due to scheduling conflicts stopped going. I really want to find a yoga studio where I can afford and fit into my schedule. Someday!

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  9. Good luck with your challenge! You actually inspired me to do my own challenge and I'm doing The 30-Day Shred challenge for the month of May. (Yes, a 30-day challenge in a 31-day month. Ha!)

    And I was awful at sit-and-reach, too, in elementary school. I would dreaded fitness tests because of that one station.

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  10. I think this is a great challenge! I love yoga. I don't think I've ever practiced prana, though. I'll have to look it up. I am excited to read about your results!

    My biggest mental challenge was probably studying for the bar. Two months of 10-12 hours studying. No bueno!

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  11. very fun! I'll be following along with it since I don't know much about yoga! Im naturally flexible so I'm sure I'd enjoy it!

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  12. Whoop whoop! So excited to see you do this. I honestly think it will help you. By the end of the month you are going to be the most zen, calm person ever haha. Guaranteeing an hour a day to be with yourself, no distractions and reflect and all that sounds awesome and perfect right before your wedding! I will be joining you for some of these. I just need to get out of the whole school thing...
    Ironically, I performed the worst in sit and reach too and I consider myself to be pretty flexible (or at least was then), seriously sit and reach like sucks.

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  13. The only yoga class I have ever been to was a Bikram hot yoga and I LOVED it!

    Good luck with the challenge! I look forward to reading all about it and how rewarding it is for you!

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  14. I probably already told you this, but when I worked in Waltham, I went to the Prana in Newton 3 days a week at 6:15 am. It was amazing. Sadly, it started getting really crowded, and I spent more time annoyed at people touching my mat and less on the yoga! Still, I miss it, especially the savasana part in the toasty studio on a cold winter morning. Ommmmm.

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  15. Mango banana pancakes sound fabulous! Good luck with your challenge this month :)

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  16. our last day of school is the 28th of this month. started the memory books this last week.. got some photos uploaded to our school's website.. doing an abc countdown and so we have special projects with that.. testing.. and trying to think of anything else that NEEDS to be taught before these kiddos are let loose into kindergarten.. but i am soooo proud of them and i know they are going to rock in kindergarten!

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  17. I really wish I could do that but I suck at doing challenges:( I think I could do my own little version of just doing like 10 minutes of yoga and if I actually kept up with THAT I would be amazed... good luck though!!!

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  18. I'm excited for you!! You are going to rock it. After 7 days I wasn't sick of yoga at all and if I could have kept going I would have!!

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  19. I am also a Kindergarten teacher who has completed 3 Ironman races. I was training for my 4th and got injured so I started going to Bikram hot yoga classes. Try it!! Amazing, challenging workout that improves strength, flexibility and overall fitness. I feel awesome!! I know these workouts will help me in my upcoming triathlon season. Hopefully will decrease injuries too!! :)

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