Today marks the completion of three weeks of my 30-day self-challenge to practice yoga 6 days a week and eat vegetarian. (I said I would give myself one day off a week from the vegetarianism, but I haven’t needed a day off).

Earlier this week I felt briefly like I was struggling with the yoga with feelings of weakness, both physically and mentally, but I just kept going and today I feel fantastic. Last week I even felt the urge to quit, but this week I can’t believe there is only a week left of my challenge, and I don’t want it to end. I find myself feeling a little angry with myself for thinking, I can’t continue at this pace, it’s too expensive to go to yoga 6 times a week, or that I don’t have the time in my life for 6 days a week. In reality, it doesn’t have to be as extreme as 6 days a week. I have had to miss things to be able to practice 6 days a week. But it’s doing for me exactly what I had hoped, it’s making me appreciate what a regular, consistent yoga practice feels like. When the challenge is over, I plan to make more time in my weekly routine for yoga, and to continue to eat vegetarian as much as possible.

When I feel angry or anxiety rising inside me, I really try to take a deep breath, to think back to that wonderful feeling I get just after completing my practice. I try hard to swallow down that uncomfortable lump in my throat, to remember that bringing a smile to your face softens your whole body. Whenever I feel myself sucking in my tummy, in an unconscious effort to be smaller, skinner, I start belly breathing, just a bit, to remind myself that I don’t need to hold all that in. It’s ok. And it feels so good to let it all out with an audible sigh.