Week 5 represents turning the corner on the Whole Life Challenge. Initial questions about all the habits still arise, but I am more active in my choices across all habits rather than choosing by default, or laziness, or sadness, or hunger. That feels good. I can honestly say the changes I am beginning to experience are more mental than physical. I have not lost a ton of weight. I am not the picture of health. Yet. Rather, I am hopeful and not depressed. I am positive that if I keep the Challenge habits in mind for the next 3 weeks and beyond, only good things will come. This is the first week I truly see a livable path forward toward mindfulness. A livable path is the biggest gift of the last 5 weeks. I can see light where once the darkness of deprivation and isolation loomed.

What are a few lessons from week 5 of the Challenge?

Loneliness

Loneliness has been a topic I have seen and heard discussed in several places this week. Morning shows. Nightly news. NPR. It is interesting to consider the Challenge’s impact on loneliness, and by extension, relationships. The Challenge has given my husband and I a framework from which to consider our habits and choices. Going forward, that framework will continue to be a helpful guide as we seek to make the Challenge habits, real life habits. I have grown to appreciate the virtual support provided within the Challenge by my team and the overall Challenge community. That has defintely made the experience less lonely. Learning from and contributing to the wisdom of the Challenge community is something I will do more of during that next few weeks.

The Challenge of Meditation

Getting in the swing of meditating has been tough. I have never really meditated. Perhaps I have never meditated because I tell myself I struggle with meditation. I have tried many times over the years, even with the help of Deepak and Oprah, and not adopted a meditation practice. I have had more success meditating when I am practicing yoga. That makes sense to me. I did not meditate on Saturday and Sunday of this week. (We were not home and I just did not do it.) After falling asleep when simply breathing and guiding my thoughts on Monday, I downloaded a meditation app on Tuesday and have used it twice. My yoga practice this week has helped me meditate. I need to find a meditation rhythm. I need to decide when it works best for me. My thought is it will work best to continue my gratitude practice in the morning and meditate at night, right before I go to sleep.

Building A Mysore Practice

I completed three Mysore classes (and one Yin class) this week. Mysore yoga is rooted in Ashtanga yoga. In Mysore, an individual practice builds under the careful guidance of a teacher. It is different than a yoga class in which a teacher leads a group through a series of poses. Poses are added by a teacher as a student is ready. Poses are practiced by a student, adjusted by a teacher when necessary, and committed to memory. A student’s practice develops gradually. The Mysore classes in which I have participated over the last two weeks have involved practicing alongside incredibly strong and powerful yogis. I have welcomed slowing down and learning to breathe in their inspirational midst. I have added two or three poses a class. Thirteen years in to my yoga journey, it is timely and humbling to return to the foundation of my breath and remember why I go to my mat.

I Love To Cook

The Challenge has taught me that I love to cook. I am not good at cooking. (I have not done a lot of it over the years.) I love finding a recipe, buying great ingredients, and taking the time to create a beautiful dish. That being said, I haven’t made my kitchen my friend over the years, so this is new to me. I cooked a beautiful dish this week, eggplant and mushroom tahcheen. I felt so accomplished that it turned out to be truly tasty. It took a long time but was worth every minute. I had to slow down in order to create. The cooking process reinforced the value of mindfulness in eating. I have to build a plan to take that kind of care on a regular basis.

Kicking It Up A Notch

My coach asked our team how we would kick it up a notch during the last half of the Challenge at the beginning of the week. I have thought about my answer. Kicking it up a notch for the second half of the Challenge involves several things: I will keep my word with my workout schedule (4 runs and three yoga classes). No questions asked. I will continue the daily lifestyle practices that have been wonderful to embrace in the Challenge. I will continue to improve my nutrition habits, raising my nutrition scores week-by-week.