What About Me 11°

meditating and keeping a challenge

Author

Micael Balioni
February 12, 2024

Micael

meeting spot is downward facing dog

My fascination with yoga truly took shape during my time in Australia, where I ventured into my first hot yoga classes. To be honest, at the time the experience didn't capture my heart.

hot yoga unfolds in a warm, humid room, with temperatures soaring between 32°C and 40°C. The practice is a variant of hatha yoga, and involves a sequence of postures demanding more intensity than traditional settings, promising enhanced physical strength and deeper relaxation.

Fast forward to 2024, while curating links for "Tanamesa," I stumbled upon the opportunity that reignited my interest in the practice. Embarking on a thirty-day challenge is never a decision taken lightly, or it shouldn’t be - if you really expect to fulfill it. Indeed, many of my friends who started the journey with me stopped in the middle. Despite the temptation to skip a session, particularly when doing it meant losing sleeping time, the thought of personal accountability kept me going. As discussed in the previous edition, discipline is fundamentally about showing up for oneself. And I really glad that I did.

The most profound lesson from this experience was the newfound appreciation for the simple act of breathing. It's remarkable how much we underestimate the power of breath and its ability to concentrate our energy on specific areas of our body and mind. I can swear to you guys, that this awareness has even permeated other aspects of my life, like when I am at the gym or performing tasks demanding significant mental focus - bringing noticeable improvements in both my physical and mental well-being.

Fun fact: Interestingly, last year in January I stopped drinking for a month - a big contrast to this year's challenge. Funny how so many things can change over just one year.

I'm really grateful for the companionship of those who joined me in this challenge. It served as a really nice intro to the universe of yoga, a topic I'm eager to keep exploring in the future.

With love,

Micael.