Spoiler alert: My downward dog is still more like a hungover goat but, hey, progress is progress.
The opening stretch
This past month, I made a more intentional effort to bring yoga into my evenings – not every night, but enough that I started noticing a shift. When I take the time to do a little stretching before bed, I sleep better, and swap doom scrolling for reading.
However, the big downside to yoga-ing in the evening is that I forget to take photographic evidence of the activity. Le sigh.
Winter mornings continue to defeat my willpower. The cold hits different when your doona feels like a warm hug from the universe. Morning yoga? (Or, even, morning anything?) Not this month, sunshine.
Pose progress
I’ve been gently chipping away at my forward bends, trying to convince the backs of my legs to loosen their vice grip. They’re resistant, but I think I’m winning them over — slowly. It’s still more “hinged door” than “folding gracefully,” but the movement is there.
Downward dog? Still a disaster. I’ve accepted that mine may always look like I’m trying to push a stalled car with my hips too high and a confused look on my face. Growth.
Milestones and micro-victories
- I did a couple of meditation sessions that didn’t devolve into mental grocery lists — a win.
- I’m getting better at noticing the benefits of the practice rather than just ticking a box.
- And most importantly: on yoga nights, I’ve been sleeping like an off-duty toddler. That alone feels worth the mat time.
May challenges, poses and the plan for June
Honestly? The biggest challenge is still just showing up. Cold weather, warm blankets, and general “can’t be arsed”-ness are real hurdles. Also, still no closer to understanding how downward dog is supposed to be a resting pose. For who? Flexible spider-people?
No particular pose stole the show this month, so let’s just give the whole ensemble cast a slow clap. Everyone did their best. Even those hamstrings that refuse to cooperate.
June’s goal is to simply keep showing up. I’ll be keeping it casual, keeping it kind, and keeping on. No grand ambitions, just more consistency and maybe a few more meditations to keep the head gremlins in check.
Final bow
If yoga’s taught me anything this month, it’s this: sometimes the biggest progress is just feeling the shift — in your sleep, your mood, your clarity — even if your poses still look like interpretive dance tributes to discomfort. That counts.
Your Turn!
Doing yoga? Thinking about it? Avoiding it entirely and calling it “active rest”? Let me know how your body and brain are moving these days — drop your favourite pose or biggest struggle in the comments!
