21 Day Challenge to a Happier and Healthier You!

Tomorrow begins the 21 day challenge to a happier and healthier you! Before we begin, let’s go over some of the basics. First and foremost, let’s recognize that you will get out of this what you put in to it! We will provide you with a small challenge or task each day to help guide you to a healthier and happier you. If you miss a day, do not worry… just jump back in when you can! Along with our daily challenges, I would like you to consider the following: your eating habits, hydration, sleeping patterns, activity levels, and making time to reflect. These five things are crucial factors.

Eating:

First things first – we are by no means doctors or nutritionists, and these pieces of advice are simply recommendations we have found from personal experience and which we believe work best. Here at Indigo Yoga, we believe that what you eat can be a very personal thing. Different beliefs, cultures, and traditions come in to play here… along with plain old science. At Indigo Yoga, we vow not to judge you and persuade you to follow “our” diet so if you insist on being vegan, vegetarian, meat-eater, etc. that is fine with us! What we will say and we think that we can all agree on is that everything in moderation is key. Cut out added sugar, limit your dairy and gluten intake. Read the ingredients of everything you eat… if you don’t know what an ingredient is because it is a very sciency name of some sort of chemical… that certainly means it is not a natural food. Look for better quality foods: whole foods, grass-fed, free range, all natural foods. We strongly recommend LOTS of vegetables. One idea when shopping for groceries: limit yourself to the outside perimeter of the store and avoid all of the processed canned and boxed foods in the center aisles. Take over your will-power and do not give in to the temptation of desserts and candy! You can find other healthy options that taste great too (and we will give you some ideas along the way over the next 21 days!)

Hydration:

Your body is nearly 80% water. Every day you lose water through perspiration, urine, bowel movements, and your breath. For you body to be healthiest and function properly, you need to replenish your water supply. There have been tons of studies to find the ideal water intake. We recommend that men drink roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of water each day and women about 2.2 liters (about 9 cups).  First thing in the morning, drink a cool/room temperature cup of water (maybe with a lime or lemon to aid in digestion) and to kick start your metabolism for the day.

Sleep Patterns:

After reading different studies on number of hours of sleep and being aware of how I personally feel testing different sleep patterns, I believe that there is no magic number of hours of sleep, but I do believe when there is consistency in a sleep pattern, I generally feel better and more energized the following day. I firmly believe that anywhere from 7 to 9 hours is sufficient for a good night sleep, but try to be consistent with yourself. If you normally can only get 7 hours of sleep, try to stay consistent with that. More importantly, try to get good quality rest. Some additional tips for a better quality night sleep- find a moderately cool temperature (don’t blast your heat and don’t blast the AC) and make the room as dark as possible (close your curtains, turn off all lights, power off all electronics and cover up all lights coming from your cable box and clocks).

Activity Levels:

This is plain and simple – make time for yourself to move your body every single day. Any form of movement is beneficial, whether you go to a yoga class, take a walk, take a jog around the neighborhood, take a CrossFit class, or play a sport.

Reflection:

First thing every morning, focus on your breathing, set an intention or goal for the day, and take 5-20 minutes to meditate and clear your mind. Throughout the day, keep a journal. It is entirely up to you whether you want to record everything you are eating, drinking, how you are sleeping, amount of activity, and each challenge you complete… but we highly recommend keeping a journal, or send us an email or Facebook message or post a reply on our website on that day's challenge page letting us know how you feel. At the end of the day, take 5-10 minutes to reflect on the day and record this into your journal. Notice how you feel emotionally, mentally, and physically and write that down honestly. This is the best way to find a pattern in when you are feeling better or worse and making any adjustments for self-improvement along the way.

If you have any questions or concerns throughout the next 21 days, feel free to email us at info@indigoyogastudios.com, reply into the comments section on our website on that day's challenge, or reply to our Instagram and Facebook posts. We are here to help!

Namaste :)

- The Indigo Yoga Team