Wow I can't believe this challenge has come and gone so quickly! 7 weeks is a fairly long challenge but it just flew by for me. This could perhaps be because I wasn't focusing on practicing yoga EVERYDAY which is fairly time consuming. Also, the challenges were all attainable, and knowing that I would be able to complete them probably helped the time go faster because I wasn't getting disappointed.
Week 7's challenge was the most difficult for me. Not because I talk too much or don't like to sit still and be silent, but because of life. We have been extremely busy the last few weeks, and this last week was no exception. Not only was Mike gone last weekend, but this past week/weekend we had a visitor from out west. Because they were out of the house in the evenings, I was with the dog, and it is very difficult to be silent when you have a puppy running around trying to eat everything in your house. A few days I did manage to get some silent time in, but it may not have been the full hour, and it was mostly in the evening when I could put the pup in his crate so he would settle down. All in all it was an ok week, but I think because I was so busy with other things I didn't focus on it as much.
This challenge was a really great 7 weeks for me. Although I didn't practice as much as I would have liked, I tried not to focus on that. I tried to instead focus on what the challenges could bring to my everyday life once they were completed. I am going to review the challenges now and give a little blurb about what I've learned or what I plan to carry into my life now.
Week 1
Be Healthy-No processed foods/toxins in your home.
This challenge wasn't very difficult for me because I had already been eating clean (mostly) for several months. This is something I feel very strongly about now that I have lived it, and I will continue to eat as clean as possible in the future. The benefits definitely outweigh the taste of fast food that is conveniently packaged.
Week 2
Be Accessible-Practice active communication with those around you.
This challenge was an eye opener for me. It is really amazing how much talking we do and how much of those words get lost, or lost in translation. I have made a point to really listen to people when they are talking to me, and then asking them questions before I jump to conclusions or race in with my own opinions. I will absolutely be taking this part of the challenge into my "normal" life.
Week 3
Live Green-Eat only vegetarian meals. I didn't have any trouble with eating no meat for a week. I actually enjoyed it! I don't think I will go vegetarian in the future but I have been including less meat in my own diet. Mike of course still requires it at every meal though! All the meals I made felt light in my stomach without the meat, and I didn't notice any loss of energy or anything.
Week 4
Sangha Support-Practice 1 random act of kindness each day. This was probably my favourite challenge week, because I love doing nice things for others. I had a lot of fun making cards, little treat packages, giving Mike some breaks here and there and sending little love notes in his lunch, and baking treats for coworkers. This is definitely a challenge that I am going to bring forward into my life always. Knowing that you can make someone's day, or even just making someone smile really makes a difference in my own life.
Week 5
Outreach-Volunteer for an hour. I wasn't able to find an organization to volunteer with during this week, but I did get a trade volunteer position at the Moksha Brampton studio where I practice. I am now about a month into my trade position and I am really enjoying being a part of the studio, and of course getting to practice for free. I am still looking to volunteer with the Victim Services of Peel but haven't heard anything back yet. Applications were only being accepted until June 1st I believe so they are probably reviewing them all now. I'm hoping to get a call for an interview. Fingers crossed! This week did teach me that being a part of the community is very important, and it actually feels good knowing that I'm giving up my own time to do something useful for someone else. They would never be able to keep the studio as clean as they do without all of the trades, and so this is an important part of their community.
Week 6
Live to Learn-Read 30 mins each day, and 2 hours each weekend day. LOVED this challenge, because it forced me to make the time to read. Although I didn't read many intellectual things during this week, I really enjoyed catching up on The Hunger Games series. I have already purchased 2 other books to start reading once the series is finished. I've always loved to read but life sometimes gets in the way. Our busy schedule hadn't really allowed much time for reading, but even now I look forward to those few minutes before bed that I give myself for reading.
Week 7
Be Peace-1 hour of silence each day. I had a hard time with this one, but I still recognize how important it is to have silence and peace in your life. Even if I can't fit in a full hour, I will still do my best to take at least a few minutes of silence each day.
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