30 Day Yoga Challenge - Thoughts and Observations

I just completed a 30-Day Yoga Challenge for the month of March and felt like sharing my thoughts on how this practice has helped me immensely and why I think anyone dealing with concussion/post-concussion issues should be taking up yoga.

Practice Name: Yoga with Adriene

Website: https://yogawithadriene.com/

Challenge: Breath - A 30 Day Yoga Challenge

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpWa4LtKe4c&list=PLui6Eyny-UzzJ4NSTesh4xRWg4ZWNz5s4&ab_channel=YogaWithAdriene

Notes:

-This was the second time I had tried yoga in my life, the first was back in 2019 when I was recovering from my 4th concussion. I actually took a yoga class specific for people recovering from concussions but unfortunately at the time my symptoms were too difficult for me to give it 100% and even though I learned a lot from the practice, it was hard to sink my teeth into

-Doing yoga in the comfort of your own home and your own speed/pace is fantastic and makes it easy to get into a routine

-The easiest part was committing to doing the 30 days from the beginning. There was never any wavering, doubt, or wanted to skip a day

-Setting a specific time to practice (ideally first thing in the morning) is instrumental. I found myself being more productive and also less brain fog first thing in the morning after practicing yoga

-On the productive note, the month I started this challenge I also increased my average reading capacity. As an avid reader, I normally read about 5-6 books a month, and I read 10 books this March

-Doing yoga eliminates a lot of my post-concussion symptoms that I used to struggle with first thing in the morning: migraines, stiff neck/back, lack of energy, brain fog

-The great part about the 30-day challenge was each day was different and provided new challenges/obstacles while also re-enforcing things already learnt

-After the 30-day challenge I'm feeling as good physically as I have in 5+ years since my major (3rd) concussion in 2016. Specifically strength in my quads and arms/shoulders, as well as my general flexibility, are the biggest areas of improvement

-The two most important things I learned from the challenge were the importance of training/timing your breath and how proper posture is crucial

-I have continued my journey by starting another 30-day challenge for April

For anyone out there that has wanted to try yoga but always hesitated, I've been there and I sympathize. But I really encourage anyone in this position to push your boundaries and give it a try, especially if you are dealing with symptoms from concussions

Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff