Behind The Butter

40 days

I wasn’t going to write a whole post about this but I’ve received more than a few comments and emails asking me to not only explain the yoga program I’m doing, but also document my journey!

Well, between cooking, writing, blogging and chaturunga-ing, I doubt I’ll have time to document my daily thoughts about the program, but I plan to check in a few times with y’all and let you know how it’s going.

The program I’m doing is called 40 Days to Personal Revolution, and it’s a Baptiste program offered by most Baptiste affiliated studios.

The program officially started Monday and involves doing Baptiste yoga 6x a week, meditating twice a day, journaling daily and attending a weekly meeting at the studio. My studio offered the program twice before but I never was able to completely commit because of time constraints. When you think about it, doing yoga six times a week is a HUGE commitment! Sometimes I feel like I live between my kitchen and the studio. But that’s how I like it.

Already, on the second day, I can tell it’s going to a big challenge for me! I can handle the physicality of the yoga itself, but the meditation part is so difficult for me.

(It’s not like I’m a crazy type A or anything like that)

My strategy so far has been to combine my daily meditation time with my prayer time, but my mind always wanders into what’s for dinner or what I’ll be doing fifteen minutes from now. Reading the book helps and I just try to take one breath at a time. There’s no crazy diet that goes along with the program, but it’s recommended that you give something up while practicing. I chose to give up all alcohol just because I don’t need it. Plus, I thought it would save us a few bucks on our date nights.

So that’s about it so far! My arms are sore and my obliques are killing me. Practicing yoga so much definitely teaches you to listen to your body and gone are the days where I would power through a tough yoga class just to “do it”. Now, I take lots of rest and don’t hesitate before going down in child’s pose when I feel I need it. I also discovered you don’t have to do every single chaturunga! What an idea! Cobra is nice, as is just going down in child’s pose or straight back to downward facing dog. There’s no reward for the person with the strongest triceps or the person who is the most flexible.


Gosh, I could use a drink brownie.

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  • kellyO
    January 11, 2011 at 6:30 pm

    We don’t even have a yoga studio where I live…sad. Oh, I’ll have a brownie as well!

    • J-
      January 12, 2011 at 4:56 am

      I know. No yoga studios for me either. I’m horribly inflexible also.
      I try to just do 5 minutes of poses every now and then….maybe someday more, but right now I face that its something I can’t get myself “to do”.
      I admire you Jenna. Very much. I guess you might get that for free at your studio?

      Any time you want to switch places …let me know πŸ˜‰
      I’ll gladly split my days btw journalling, cooking, and yoga πŸ™‚

      And thanks for being open about the cardio thing…I assume you still just do an occasional walk? That’s all I’m physically able to do ..and with our snow, even that’s near impossible. It helps me relax to know I’m not the only other person that uses an occasional walk as sole “cardio” (if shuffling is “cardio”). But, yeah, thanks.

  • Jenn @ LiveWellFitNow
    January 11, 2011 at 7:03 pm

    Girl I am the worst at meditation for that reason alone. This mind of mine has NO off switch. But part of what helps me is to realize that my meditation practice looks different than what the books/videos/other blogs say. It’s my time and if my mind races every so often (or every sec) then so be it! πŸ™‚ Taking the pressure off helps.

  • Pam @ THC
    January 11, 2011 at 7:07 pm

    Wow sounds like a really great program. I have really been thinking about learning how to meditate, I think it’s a great practice to learn.
    Looking forward to reading updates.
    Glad you didn’t go crazy and give up dark chocolate, that would be too much sacrifice ;).

  • The Healthy Apple
    January 11, 2011 at 7:11 pm

    Sounds amazing, Jenna. Good luck; looking forward to hearing about it. I know you’re going to do great!

  • Michele @ Healthy Cultivations
    January 11, 2011 at 7:14 pm

    Sounds like you’re going into this with a very healthy attitude. Sometimes, it’s so easy to set up unattainable goals and standards for ourselves… then it’s our mood and perspective that loses in the end. Good attitude…

  • andi
    January 11, 2011 at 7:14 pm

    meditation is particularly tough for me, too. I can’t stop my mind from wandering. the new hot yoga studio in town is offering the 40 day revolution. I can’t fit it into my schedule right now, but I really hope to do it the next time. can’t wait to hear your thoughts about it!

  • stacey-healthylife
    January 11, 2011 at 7:15 pm

    Good for you.

  • mindy @ just a one girl revolution.
    January 11, 2011 at 7:15 pm

    My hot yoga studio is doing the 40 Days. I wanted to join but couldn’t cough up the $200 to join this time around.

  • Genie
    January 11, 2011 at 7:16 pm

    I absolutely love this post. I have recently re-fallen in love with yoga. It sounds like you are doing fabulous!

  • Doc (The Healthy PhD)
    January 11, 2011 at 7:18 pm

    I wish I could find that inner peace that would allow me to meditate, and I totally respect your endeavor! Good luck, and when it’s over, I hope you enjoy a well deserved drink!

  • Bethany @Bridezilla Bakes
    January 11, 2011 at 7:19 pm

    I love this: “There’s no reward for the person with the strongest triceps or the person who is the most flexible.”

    There really isn’t, is there? And that’s not at all what it’s about πŸ™‚ So why do we act like it is, and get all competitive and weird about it?

  • Jenna @ Eating Green, Staying Lean
    January 11, 2011 at 7:19 pm

    This sounds like such an empowering thing to do! I’ve barely dived into the world of yoga, but from what I have done I can’t imagine it would be easy to do 6 days a week! Good luck with it!

    And as far as the brownie goes…with something that looks as yummy as that, it would be harder for me to give up chocolate :-p

  • Amanda (Eating Up)
    January 11, 2011 at 7:21 pm

    I’ve been cutting back my alcohol intake too. I still have one semester left in college so it’s a bit hard since it’s all around me, but I really don’t need it either! And I’m not even doing a yoga challenge!

  • Tracey @ I'm Not Superhuman
    January 11, 2011 at 7:26 pm

    All I read was yoga, blah blah blah BROWNIE. Sorry, but those s’mores brownies make turn my brain to mush.

    • J-
      January 12, 2011 at 4:58 am

      πŸ™‚

  • Blog is the New Black
    January 11, 2011 at 7:32 pm

    Good for you! But, I’ll take a brownie. πŸ˜‰

  • Joelle (The Pancake Girl)
    January 11, 2011 at 7:32 pm

    I REALLY want to do a hot yoga challenge, but i can’t seem to find a place nearby that I can coordinate w my work schedule… I’m going to keep looking, but office work totally puts a dent in my yoga-ing. πŸ˜‰

  • Stacy @ Every Little Thing
    January 11, 2011 at 7:35 pm

    Sounds like a great program to kind of …clear your mind I guess. Good for you!

  • notyet100
    January 11, 2011 at 7:47 pm

    wow,..enjoy,..:-)

  • Nora@LifeLifeEatRight
    January 11, 2011 at 7:51 pm

    I can’t wait to hear about your journey! My yoga studio offered this program as well. Although, I didn’t sign up to do the complete program this year I want to try to do the classes! I too always felt like I was powering through class. One of the things my instructor said recently that has really resonated with me is the notion of being present…TRULY being present. I spend so much time thinking about what is next and don’t take the time to experience what is happening right then and there. Yoga is a beautiful thing for me—aka the constant planner. It gives me such clarity and awareness of things I neglect on a daily basis. I wish you the best of luck with the program!! Three cheers for yoga :).

  • Sana
    January 11, 2011 at 8:05 pm

    Sounds so fun!

  • Cathy B. @ Bright Bakes
    January 11, 2011 at 8:18 pm

    thanks for sharing your thoughts…I am *guilty* of trying to “do every pose no matter how tough” when it comes to yoga…and I’ve been realizing the same thing lately…there is a lot of good things that come with child’s pose!
    cheers,
    cathy b. @ brightbakes

  • Stephanie
    January 11, 2011 at 8:18 pm

    How bout both!

  • Jil @ Big City, Lil Kitchen
    January 11, 2011 at 8:24 pm

    Love this – and that program sounds amazing – challenging – but amazing.

  • Stephanie @ Living and Loving
    January 11, 2011 at 8:31 pm

    I’m glad you wrote about your 40 days experience and I’m looking forward to hearing more about it as time goes on. Right now, I can only do 1 yoga class a week due to working full time and other workout classes I am attending everyday but I wish I could do even 2 classes a week. I might just have to fit it in. I really enjoy it a lot! It really stretches me out, relaxes me and gets my mind in the right place. Can’t wait for the next 40 days post!

  • Mama Pea
    January 11, 2011 at 8:41 pm

    I haven’t set a goal like you, but I’ve done yoga or Pilates every day in 2011 and haven’t touched my treadmill once. Running is so 2010.

  • Kathryn
    January 11, 2011 at 10:06 pm

    40 days is amazing. I did it at my studio. Changed my life. Meditation is so hard but it is a good thing. I like to count my breaths 1-10 then 10-1 till the timer goes off. A good tip-cucumbers, avocados, and tomatoes are fruits. Super excited for you!

  • Jaclyn
    January 11, 2011 at 10:31 pm

    My hot yoga studio is offering a thirty day challenge, which I signed on to do Saturday. Already this week, I have done two double classes… yes, a challenge indeed. It is making me feel good, strong and energized though. I just love hot yoga πŸ™‚
    Good for you, looking forward to hearing more.

    Oh, and I am totally with you on living between the kitchen and the studio, and not having it any other way! πŸ˜‰

  • Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga)
    January 11, 2011 at 10:49 pm

    I am soooo happy for you, Jenna! And thank you for sharing this!

    Way back in 2001 (10 yrs ago!) I got my 1st 200 Hour Yoga Teaching credential and I did the program as a 5 week intensive in Costa Rica. To say that doing yoga every day is taxing to the body, all day every day, in a new place and surroundings and I was young πŸ™‚ and just had nooooo idea what to expect!

    But it changed me, changed my life, and changed who I am today. On every level…from what I eat, to how I communicate with others and with myself and my spouse, to how I parent and how I choose to live. It was THAT profound.

    And then last year I finished up my 500 Hours and am registered at that level with Yoga Alliance. It was a decade in the making for me…and a lifetime to continue learning and growing.

    Please keep sharing with us. This is a beautiful journey you’re on! Om shanti, baby! πŸ™‚

  • Amy @ForDGRedial
    January 12, 2011 at 12:22 am

    Hi Jenna,

    Don’t often comment but I just wanted to say how exciting this program sounds. Imagine you will get a lot of personal and spiritual growth, look forward to the updates.

    Amy x

    ps I’m sure you’ve read eat, pray, love – maybe think about how she ‘tackle’ getting better at meditation. For me prayer is an active conversation with God so meditation needs to be seperate – I find a mantra helps, but my mantra varies depending on what life is looking like that day.

  • Heather (Heather's Dish)
    January 12, 2011 at 5:06 am

    i’m so glad you shared! this sounds like a really great challenge…and also a relaxing one (not that yoga is relaxing, but just learning to breathe and rest). the only thing i would add is something our yoga teacher always says: SMILE πŸ™‚

  • leslie
    January 12, 2011 at 5:20 am

    amen to your last paragraph. really. this is something i’ve been thinking about a lot recently – i feel like i’m sort of at a standstill with my yoga practice because while i have the endurance to make it through a challenging 90 minute class and nail every chaturanga, i am struggling so much with more advanced poses (even just headstand has suddenly gone back to eluding me). i see people in class who take rests or skip a few vinyasas, and all of a sudden they’re nearly up in forearm stand while my shoulders are burning in dolphin. there must be some correlation between the two. i’m working on being kinder to myself – it’s not about “doing” the class as much as it’s about being in your own practice. it’s hard to get out of that exercise mentality, but it’s definitely a goal of mine. i will be thinking of this in class tonight. πŸ™‚

    also, i don’t know how you’re surviving 40 days without wine (in california!). i will drink your honor.

  • Karen
    January 12, 2011 at 5:26 am

    Thanks for the update, Jenna! This sounds like a perfect growth and renewal experience for the new year. For me too the “just be in the moment” component of yoga and meditation has always represented the big challenge. Yet, when I experience flashes of success in that area, it fuels me to continue striving. I admire that you are discovering new insights so early in the program. Don’t you just love that yoga somehow has a way of bringing out the best in us? (Good luck with sitting meditation – an ever elusive habit for me.)

  • ashmastandrea
    January 12, 2011 at 6:10 am

    I’m so happy for you! This is going to be an amazing journey I’m sure.

    Thank you for sharing your insight.

    “I also discovered you don’t have to do every single chaturunga! What an idea! Cobra is nice, as is just going down in child’s pose or straight back to downward facing dog. There’s no reward for the person with the strongest triceps or the person who is the most flexible.”

    Each practice is perfect!

  • TC
    January 12, 2011 at 6:39 am

    So glad you’re going to be writing about this journey! My local Baptiste studio offers this program, and I’m excited to hear your thoughts on it. Thanks!

  • Shannon
    January 12, 2011 at 7:11 am

    Sounds like a marvelous practice! I will have to look at his book. I wish you the best for the 40 days!

    Shannon

  • Lacey @ Lake Life
    January 12, 2011 at 7:41 am

    I admire your dedication! There’s no way I would be able to sign up for such a time-consuming challenge. Good luck on your journey, I can’t wait to read about it πŸ™‚

  • Ashley
    January 12, 2011 at 8:22 am

    Jenna- I love reading your blog- I wish I read your blog when I was living in Rohnert Park! (Moved to RP from Texas for an internship and didn’t know anyone–but I am back in Texas)
    I would have had so many food/things-to-do ideas πŸ™‚ The yoga plan sounds great!! I went to a Bikram studio in Cotati and they had a great student rate… so if you ever try that..it is intense but awesome!
    I hope you have an insightful 40 days! Best of luck!

  • Lauren
    January 12, 2011 at 8:55 am

    I’ve been to classes where I swear there’s a chataranga between EVERY pose. Good luck on your 40 day challenge, I’m excited to hear more!

  • Jaime Ramsay
    January 12, 2011 at 9:48 am

    Sounds awesome πŸ™‚ And those brownies…my, they look goood.

  • Nicole
    January 12, 2011 at 10:09 am

    Good for you, Jenna! I wish you the best of luck, but something tells me you’ll be completely fine. And you are so right on about taking child’s pose when you need it. I think it’s the more practiced and more experienced yogini that knows when to listen to herself and to just take a break. But getting to this point is the journey and where we can learn the most about ourselves. NamastΓ©, Nicole

  • Marci
    January 12, 2011 at 12:07 pm

    I am very familiar with the 40 Days program and Baptiste style (my hands down favorite). Are you going to do the fruit fast? Isn’t that part of the program? And on some days, you don’t have to go to the studio, you could do your own shorter practice at home, right? It is very intensive and time-consuming, but I’m sure you will feel refreshed at the end. I think the daily meditation would get old for me faster than the yoga. I tend to wander my mind too.

    • jenna
      January 12, 2011 at 12:24 pm

      I probably won’t do the fruit fast…it’s optional. And yep, you can practice at home too!

  • rhonda
    January 12, 2011 at 4:16 pm

    Hi Jenna,

    Can you recommend excellent yoga or pilates dvds please? My laptop computer runs on limited time, so online programs are not manageable. Please help!
    In addition to your recommendations for that, can you suggest options for a person who is a non-runner, but cannot afford a gym membership?
    My job is at home. I find myself sitting from morning until midnight! Walking outside is impossible since I live in a state being hit hard with winter and cold. I also cannot do jumping things because of troubled knees, so aerobics or big movements are out of the question. Thoughts? Please!

    • jenna
      January 12, 2011 at 4:41 pm

      I actually don’t really do any DVDs because I don’t have a tv. If I practice at home, I do a podcast online such as Dave Farmar (search for him in itunes).

      • R.
        January 12, 2011 at 7:10 pm

        I don’t know what itunes is…I don’t have any extra equipment or downloads or computer or tv gear stuff…so…
        I wish i knew. Any suggestions re cardio? I assume your apartment complex has treadmill for walking or other things you might enjoy at times. That would be nice.
        I guess I’m stumped. I’ll keep looking.

    • Kerry
      January 13, 2011 at 1:12 pm

      I have been doing yoga now for almost nine years, eight of them at home doing dvds. For a beginner, Rodney Yee makes some very good dvds.
      Take a look at:
      Power Yoga-Stamina
      Power Yoga-Strength
      Yoga Burn
      You can find them on amazon.

  • Sally
    January 13, 2011 at 10:57 pm

    Wow this is a huge commitment. Good luck with it though.

  • beachbody
    January 14, 2011 at 1:46 am

    Wow, that indeed is a huge commitment. Me on the other hand just has a three-day water fast. I am not supposed to brag about it by my, I really want to do it again because I never prayed like that before. And the good thing about fasting is, not only will you hear God clearly, you are also doing good things in your body by eliminating toxins. I also struggled to meditate during the first day since my stomach wasn’t still grumbling. But I finally had it on the 2nd and 3rd day.

    I too have considered yoga. I hope someday a studio will open in our area. Good luck! way to go girl…

  • Gina (Yogattude)
    June 7, 2011 at 4:21 pm

    Amen on not doing every single chaturanga! I just finished the 200 hour teacher training program at a Baptiste Studio here in Seattle. It was life-changing! They also offer the 40 days programs here. I just signed up for their cleanse….I can TOTALLY relate to the brownie comment!

  • feelin’ fruity β€” Eat, Live, Run
    June 20, 2011 at 1:00 pm

    […] part of Baron Baptiste’s 40 Days Program. Though I’ve completed the program before, I was always too scared to do the fruit feast at the end. It was daunting and scary and above all […]