#24sevenyoga Challenge: Take Your Practice Off the Mat

At the Yoga and Body Image Coalition, we advocate yoga as an essential tool in personal transformation, from the inside out, and work to expand our vision of what a yogi (and what doing yoga) looks like. Yoga is so much more than what you experience physically in a yoga class. Yoga is a lifestyle!

Taking your practice off the mat is an incredibly powerful tool for making positive and healthy changes in your life. Have you ever remained calm and present through a challenging posture? You can face any challenge at work with the same equanimity. Felt anger or sadness creep up in savasana and remained grounded as the emotion passed by your awareness? You can cultivate the same equanimity when you feel triggered in traffic. What works on the mat transforms our lives off the mat. Struggle less and savor more by staying present in your life 24/7 and practicing yoga all day.

We want to see your yoga practice off the mat—all day long, not just the one hour in the yoga studio. Join our challenge (hosted by me, Carly Stong) and share images of your #24sevenyoga.

The challenge runs from October 10-17.

To Enter:

1. Follow @carlystong, @ybicoalition, and @yoga_international

2. Share your photos on Instagram using the hashtag #24sevenyoga

Additional hashtag suggestions (but not necessary):

#whatyogalookslike #whatayogilookslike #ybicoalition #yogabodyimage #ybic #everybodyisayogabody #smashingstereotypes #accessibleyoga #everybodyisayogabody

3. Tag three friends.

Daily ways to practice #24sevenyoga (Share your photos of what these look like for you!):

Monday: Love yourself—maybe that means taking a yoga class, but maybe it means having a spa day, sleeping in, or saying “no” to people or commitments that sap your energy.

Tuesday: Spend time in nature—improve your mental wellness, boost your immunity and creativity, and get your daily dose of Vitamin D and fresh air.

Wednesday: Find balance—find peace amid chaos. Show us your progress pics or a picture of you falling out of a yoga posture, share a photo of you being productive in a messy space, etc.

Thursday: Meditate—move your awareness inward in any form, from stargazing to starting a journal to sitting in stillness.

Friday: Give back—practice the art of blessed action (seva): selfless service done for the good of others.  

Saturday: Connect—spend time with friends/family, write a letter, meet someone new, etc

Sunday: Nourish yourself—share your favorite recipe and a photo of the end result!

Three winners will be chosen at random and announced on October 19th.  Each winner will receive access to a course of their choice from , and a 60-minute Functional Yoga sessions in-person or via Skype with Carly.