Stretching My Limits: A Year of Yoga, One Day at a Time

I first discovered yoga at 18, while living in San Francisco. I was attending San Francisco State University working towards my BA in psychology and working part-time at a hipster shoe store on Haight Street called Villains. Just a few blocks away, nestled near the edge of Golden Gate Park, was Funky Door Yoga—a Bikram studio painted in bright red with orange cartoon flames, animals, and a devil on the outside (sadly now “permanently closed” according to Google).

At the time, Bikram hadn't yet faced accusations of sexual assault and had not been appropriately canceled. So, we all enthusiastically dove into his famous 26-posture series, chasing that post-yoga high in a 105-degree room with 40% humidity. Despite the later revelations about Bikram's abusive behavior, the studio's owner, Sarah, and the teachers were nothing short of amazing. Sure, there were some eclectic characters, but overall, it was a very positive and formative experience. It was my introduction to yoga.

Funky Door Yoga in San Francisco - my first yoga studio!

Yoga Across the Years

Since then, I've taken hundreds of yoga classes—across San Francisco, the South Bay (Los Altos, Cupertino, San Jose), Los Angeles, Colorado Springs, and even in the tiny town of 1,300 people in Kansas where I now live (shout-out to Heidi at Fresh Seven!). I’ve explored every type of yoga I could find: Hatha, Vinyasa, Bhakti, Yin, Tantric, Power Yoga... you name it. It's crazy to realize that I’ve been practicing for nearly 25 years now!

The 365-Day Challenge: A Daily Practice

This year, I decided to take it up a notch. I made the commitment to practice yoga every single day for a whole year. No excuses. I wanted to grow stronger, increase my flexibility, and deepen my understanding of yoga. But, more than that, I wanted to make it a priority and carve out time each day just for me—something that felt like an act of self-love. My daily 15-30 minute yoga practice was time I set aside for myself, no matter what else was going on.

Here are the five big things I discovered along the way:

1. I Had Been Doing Chaturanga Wrong for 24 Years

When I first started yoga, like many beginners, I had zero understanding of the poses. I just mimicked what I saw around me, hoping for the best. The 26-posture Bikram series didn’t include Chaturanga Dandasana, so I only encountered it when I started taking Vinyasa classes. I wrongly assumed it was easy, but it’s actually a very challenging pose. For years, I was doing a kind of swooping motion, with my elbows at a 45-degree angle—completely wrong. Turns out, the elbows should bend at 90 degrees, and that’s a huge difference! I'm lucky I didn’t injure myself along the way.

Lesson learned: Don’t assume any pose is “easy,” and don’t follow the person in front of you blindly. Always listen to your instructor’s cues, and if you're confused, ask questions or watch a tutorial like this one to make sure you're doing it safely.

Chaturanga Dandasana from This Fit Blonde: https://thisfitblonde.wordpress.com/

2. Consistency Is Everything (And People Will Support You)

I learned that if you make something a priority, you can do it—no matter the circumstances. I practiced yoga while on vacation in Mexico, outside on a camper deck in blinding Colorado sunlight, in my house during a remodel, in a hotel room without a mat, at work in between clients, at 6 a.m., 10:30 p.m., when I was sick, and on days when it was the last thing I wanted to do. It didn’t matter. And you know what? My friends and family got it. When you clearly communicate how important something is to you, people are incredibly supportive.

Lesson learned: You can do it.

3. Challenge Those Self-Limiting Beliefs

Downward dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana in Sanskrit) is a pose that is traditionally cued with heels pressed down toward the mat. For years, I never thought I’d be able to do it—my calves just wouldn’t allow it, and I also knew it was totally normal for ones heels to not reach the ground. So, I stopped even trying. But on day 324 of my practice, I finally tried for the first time in years to lower my heels and, guess what? My heels touched the mat! I realized I had been holding myself back with a self-limiting belief, thinking it was something I could never do. The truth? I just hadn’t been ready before, but with consistent practice, I finally was.

Lesson learned: Don’t assume you can’t do something just because you couldn’t do it in the past.

Downward Dog Pose - Adho Mukha Svanasana

4. Yoga Takes Strength

Yoga isn’t just about flexibility—it’s about strength, too. Some poses that look easy are actually incredibly challenging. I used to think I wasn’t “good” at poses like downward dog. Turns out, it’s all about arm, core, and glute strength—something I hadn’t fully developed until this year. With daily practice, my strength grew, and the poses clicked into place.

Lesson learned: Work on building strength as the foundation for better form.

5. Sobriety Has Made Yoga So Much More Enjoyable

In August 2022, I made the decision to stop drinking alcohol—and I’ve stayed sober since. I cannot overstate how much this decision has improved my yoga practice and overall health. For years, yoga was painful. I’d feel sore during and after class, and I dreaded certain poses. I will admit, in my early 20s, I even attended a few classes hungover. But now? Yoga feels like a true release. I feel a flow of energy down my spine, especially during my first downward dog of the day. That “ahhh” feeling? It’s real. And sobriety has played a huge role in making it possible.

Lesson learned: What you do off the mat impacts what happens on the mat.

What’s Next?

Now that I’ve completed my 365-day yoga challenge, what’s next? Well, I’m currently finishing up my 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training. Once I’ve completed that, I plan to integrate yoga into my work as a trauma therapist. My goal is to create experiences that blend movement, breath, music, and healing—much like some of the best yoga classes I’ve attended. Yoga isn’t just about exercise for me; it’s about transformative integration and self-discovery.

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