The #100DaysofYoga Challenge

Everyone likes a good challenge every now and again, right? A few times over the last year or so, I have shared stories of fitness, yoga and food challenges that I have undertaken. So far, they have all had one thing in common: someone else has set them. This time, I wanted to do something different; something that is personal and specific to me. I have been promising myself that I will do yoga more often for months now. Over summer, without access to my university gym, I definitely practiced more, and often for longer than I had done so previously. But with the return to lectures and evening commitments, I found my practice lacking again. So, when I read an article by a lady who had just celebrated hitting her mat for 1000 days straight, I was instantly inspired. It sat in my head for a a few weeks until I decided to bite the bullet and start my own challenge, albeit on a slightly smaller scale.

I am currently nine days into my challenge with yoga planned for this afternoon (I started on the 15th and just know that I am going to lose count at some point...) and am really enjoying it. I generally aim to do at least half an hour, but when I have a class or a bit of extra time I practice for longer. Other times, I'll find myself maybe just doing a few rounds of sun salutations, or even just sitting in meditation. I have to admit, I'm not very good at it yet so I either count things I'm grateful for using my mala bead necklace, or concentrate on my breath. It's good for the days where I don't stop until after bed time and gives me a few minutes just to pause and be present. Equally, the fact that I am on the mat more has enabled me to  practice the different styles that I love more frequently -vinyasa, ashtanga and yin.

Unlike most yoga challenges, I'm not setting poses for each day. What happens on the mat is up to me, and to you if you decide to take up a similar challenge. This challenge is about practicing self love, is about committing myself to my practice in whatever way is best for me on the day.There are no prizes or sponsorships and so, I hope, that any motivation isn't based on material gains or ego. If you would like to join me, I would really love to see your practice grow, and see if we can get a group of people committing themselves to that little bit of self love each day. Just use the hashtag #100DaysofYoga and if you'd like, tag me @eleanormay_c on Instagram.

I can't wait to see how my practice grows, and how yours does too!

21 Day Yoga Slim and Mindful March Challenges

If there's one thing I can't resist, it is a fitness or food-based challenge. I'm not sure why really, I guess the shake up routine, and the challenge of changing what I do appeals to me. I'm currently trying to avoid chocolate since I've been relying on it so much lately! However, I prefer community challenges over self-imposed rules. The tutorials and sense of support is so much better, especially when a challenge involves taking up something rather than giving up. This month it seems, I'll be taking up two challenges, which I thought to share with you today.

The first is the 21 day yoga body slim down challenge. Run by Julie Montagu of the Flexie Foodie for Grokker, this challenge mixes a vinyasa yoga timetable with lots of healthy recipes to compliment your practice. I am part way through my first week, and just about catch up on yesterday's yoga session. Julie is a Baptise power vinyasa yoga instructor and has a certificate in plant-based nutrition, so she knows what she is talking about when bringing together these two sides of healthy living. The plan gives a timetable of four classes a week out of a total of eight videos. There is also a wide variety of recipes, covering breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, some of which I have already tried or have lined up. I like how many of the recipes share some ingredients to make shopping more efficient and less wasteful. I can't wait to try the coconut smoothie bowl (featured in the almond butter porridge video) and really enjoyed the combination of lentils and quinoa cooked together. Julie's yoga classes themselves are 30 minutes long, and each have a specific focus on a body part. So far, I have really been enjoying the playful, flowing sequences. It takes 21 days on average to make a habit, so why not give this one a go and see where it takes you? You can find Julie Montagu's videos here, or visit the Flexie Foodie.

Secondly, Mala Collective is running a Mindful March challenge all throughout next week. From the 15th-21st, Mala Collective will be sending out guided meditations, mindfulness challenges and more every day. All you to do is to sign up to receive the emails with the Mindful March tutorials and get involved. Here's what Mala Collective have to say on the week:

"We have, on average, 60 thousand thoughts a day.

In our daily doings and with the thousands of things that stimulate our attention every day, there’s little space for us to stop and really listen to ourselves – unless we create the space for it.

Being mindful is paying attention, without judgement, to thoughts and feelings that arise on a daily basis. By cultivating awareness of these positive or negative thought patterns, we are able to change the story, and let go of what is not serving us."

There will also be opportunities to win prizes every day, so head over to Instagram and follow @malacollective to get involved!

Veganuary: the Results

So it is now February which means that the month of Veganuary is over. As I started late, I still have a few more days to go, but I thought I would do a summary post in conduction with the challenge's official end.

So, how have I found it? Surprisingly, making vegan meals for a month really wasn't that difficult. For breakfasts, I only had to omit yoghurt and I recently discovered that my local health food shop sells coconut yoghurt, which makes a nice occasional treat. I have been avoiding using soy substitutes, so have been getting my protein this month from nuts, seeds and dark leafy veggies. Many of my staple dinners are vegan anyway, so I only had to switch the kind of pesto that I used, and hold the cheesy topping. I did find the few times that I ate out difficult as only having one option on the menu was a bit disappointing. There is a vegetarian cafe near me though and another local cafe caters for lots of different diets, so I do have those for future eating choices. I have also branched out on my snack options -who knew that you could buy lentil or quinoa crisps? I'll confess, I haven't actually said no to any offers of chocolate, but when buying for myself, I have become much more familiar with which dark chocolate brands to go for. Some are completely vegan; some are technically dairy free but may have milk traces and some have milk as an ingredient. So it was worth looking at and deciding where my boundaries of strictness were.

I am pretty pleased that I've managed to stay off the cheese when my chocolate avoidance somewhat failed! I did have cheesy pizza the one time as a friend bought a few boxes as a thank you for a group of us helping her to move. This means I did cheat, but I reduced my animal products an awful lot and only bought vegan food for myself. So although it was tempting to beat myself up about this, I have stepped back from that and still think I have made some really good progress.

I guess the next question is what is in store for my diet from now on. I'm really proud of what I have done this month, and as I really want to keep my carbon and ethical footprint right down, I will definitely continue to eat as little animal products as possible, especially from those linked to cattle. After next week I will start to have eggs again, as I buy locally sourced ones. To me, the unfertilised egg is a waste product from a chicken and so to take an egg from a chicken living in good, outdoor conditions is fine to me. Honey from sustainable sources I am also fine with as bee keeping is an important method to protecting the declining bee populations. Everything else I plan to reduce as much as possible, whilst still accepting that I am human and imperfect!

Source

Whether animal rights, environmental impact or health is your concern, moving to a more plant based diet will bring great benefits. I have been so inspired by the hosts of vegans out there, providing recipes, motivation and positivity so thank you to them! I am looking forward to living increasingly sustainably and my food basket has been such a good place to have a kickstart.

Have you changed your diet recently, or got involved with Veganuary? Let me know below!

Veganuary: Taking up the Challenge

Veganuary is a 30 day challenge where participants go vegan during January. This is the third year that the Veganuary has been running and it is more popular than ever. Although primarily focused on reducing animal cruelty, the campaign also focusses on how veganism positively benefits the environment and potentially your health. I had considered doing a vegan food challenge before, and as soon as I heard about Veganuary, I knew I had to get involved.

From the 10th of January to the 10th of February I will be attempting to eat vegan for a month. Although I don't plan on becoming vegan full-time, I do want to reduce my reliance on animal products, especially milk-based products, which often come from a very intensive industry. My main reason for wanting to cut back on animal produce is to reduce my environmental and carbon footprint, although reducing animal cruelty and improving my own health are also very important to me. I am hoping that by going vegan for a month, I will reduce my dependancy on animal products, especially chocolate and cheese (the usual suspects!). I'll do my best to avoid honey and eggs as well, although I personally don't have an issue with eating these products so long as I know where they have been sourced.

Source

Veganism can be pretty daunting in the kitchen department, but luckily, Veganuary has lots of recipes, all organised by region. You can also search by lifestyle including low-budget and weight loss, so you'll be sure to find plenty of recipes that suit you. I have been eating pretty much vegetarian whilst at university and didn't actually miss eating meat at all, so I am looking forward to seeing how I find cutting out dairy.

See my post on Aine Carlin's Buddha Bowls here

As diets diversify, it is getting even easier to find interesting vegan recipes. With bloggers like Aine Carlin from peasoupeats getting books published and instagram hashtags such as #veganfoodshare and #vegansofig new recipes are at your fingertips.

Veganury is currently up and running so why not make a difference and get involved? You might be surprised

Sweaty Betty: the 30 Day Sweat Challenge

If you know me, you'll know that I love a good fitness challenge. And, with the start of a new month, comes the start of another challenge from Sweaty Betty. The 30 Day Sweat Challenge, run in association with Hiitgirl, aims to push your limits in fast-paced sessions. Since September marks the end of summer, this new challenge is perfect for fitting in with getting back to work and school routines, as none of the activities last longer than thirty minutes. Three times a week, the challenge asks you to join in with a half hour HIIT session with Hiitgirl. If you're lucky enough to have a local Sweaty Betty, you can join in to an in-store class. If not, head over here to follow the online workout.

As well as getting you covered in sweat, Sweaty Betty have filled the schedule with mindfulness, nutrition and extra challenges, to keep you completely healthy and motivated all month. With SB Ambassadors and campaign partners such as the Detox Kitchen and Neom Organics, the whole months looks set to be a fun challenge!

So what is HIIT? HIIT stands for high intensity interval training. It involves alternating high and medium intensity circuits to push your body and raise your heart rate to the max, in a fat-burning, muscle sculpting session. Hiitgirl is an initiative founded by Susan Dyson aimed at working every part of the modern woman's body, to create a strong physique in a workout that fits in with our busy days.

I'll be getting involved this month, so I challenge you to come and play, and take up the challenge with me. And remember... it's cool to sweat.

What to do Without Any Internet

Your screen goes blank. Failure to upload messages start flashing. It's every blogger's nightmare. The internet is down. In a generation where the need to be constantly connected to the online world is starting to hamper our real life relations, we are all starting to get used to campaigns telling us to Turn the Gadgets Off!! But as bloggers and people accustomed to staying in touch and on the pulse, saying bye bye to the WiFi is, well, a scary thought.

Now, it's easy to go offline on days when you're out and about with friends and family, doing things and enjoying yourself. But, what about the times when you're -gulp -alone? What the hell did we used to do with our down time? Last week, I lost access to broadband, the landline, and nearly my mobile, all at once. And it kinda sucked. But it also gave me time to catch up on things that I had wanted to do and hadn't been able to, because the lure of social media had got in the way. It has inspired me to take an evening or so off the internet each week. I have compiled a low-cost list of things to do without internet to help you do the same.

Scrapbooks and Photo Albums
When was the last time that you actually printed a photo? You remember that one,hidden in the depths of facebook that made you smile so much? When was the last time you actually looked through those online albums to look at it? It is all so easy to lose precious memories by not making a physical note of them. I like to use scrapbooks from Paperchase to stick in photos and the odd memo. I hadn't updated my albums in ages, and to look through them all again, and add another couple of years of memories was lovely. Photographs are so cheap and easy to print out, and it is a lovely way to spend a few hours.

Pursue a Hobby
So my mum has really been bitten by the Great British Sewing Bee bug recently. She spends her evenings off making home furnishings, tops and dresses, and is now receiving requests from colleagues to make more tops for them (to my somewhat annoyance since it means that my items get pushed down that waiting list....)
On the other hand, I like to jot down ideas for stories, get into the kitchen, and practice yoga. Whatever it is that you are passionate about, make more time for it, and for yourself.

Connect
Okay this one is a slight cheat unless you write a letter or pick up the landline (both perfectly acceptable; remember when it was the only way to communicate from afar). Instead of sending the daily flurry of 160 character messages with people that you know, have a proper conversation. Even if you have to go online to do it, shut off any distractions and only focus on the person for a while. Its important to catch up properly with friends, or to start to know people that you've met over Twitter.

Get to Know Your Camera
Play around with settings. Read through the manual properly. Don't worry if your shots are worthy of posting, just have fun!

Schedule Posts
If you're a blogger worried about losing blogging momentum by not being online, make Buffer your friend. Get your posts for the week written up and scheduled, and the use the Buffer app to schedule tweets advertising your blog. While live tweets are more authentic, having a few scheduled posts fitted in for when you're not around will help to keep the blog traffic running smoothly.

Go Outside
Instead of jumping onto missed notifications as soon as you're home, think about taking a late afternoon or early even walk around your home. It is a good way to disengage from work and relax, as well as practising Mindfullness. And it goes without saying, but if you do have a sedentary work life, every bit of movement afterwards will do you a world of good.

Now, I challenge you to switch off for one evening a week. Have fun...