A warrior lunge on the deck. A handstand on the beach. A forward bend in The Rockies.
These are just a few of the yoga poses that may have crept onto your Facebook feed this summer.
In all likelihood, the images you’ve seen are part of a local social media event called the Summer Yoga Challenge, in which participants attempt a new yoga pose every day in July and August and share the visuals on social media.
“I thought that the Summer Yoga Challenge would be a great way for people to keep doing their yoga while not in class,” explains Shannon Smadella, owner and lead instructor at Flin Flon Yoga, who initiated the project.
Smadella tried a similar challenge last April, posting daily poses for her yoga students to work on while she was out of town.
The response was “amazing,” she says, with over 600 photos posted on the Facebook page that month. So far, over 1,000 photos have been posted on the page for the summer challenge.
Anna Jardine, a music teacher with the Flin Flon School Division, is a dedicated participant in the challenge.
“I wanted to take more time for meaningful yoga practice,” she explains. “The challenge helped keep me accountable to this goal and connected me to a community of people on the same journey.”
Jardine noted that the photos she has taken of her yoga positions have been helpful; she is able to check her alignment in order to improve her practice.
In addition to the physical benefits of yoga, for many participants the challenge was a fun way to showcase their summer experiences.
Alex Etienne posted her warrior pose while afloat on a stand-up paddleboard. Others shared pics of poses in their gardens, at roadside attractions or beachside.
Emma Lees posted a particularly memorable shot – a camel pose in the aisle of The Grub Box grocery store in The Pas.
“People are doing their yoga everywhere – and that’s how it should be,” says Smadella.
While the challenge has undoubtedly served a commercial purpose, helping Smadella to communicate with clients and build a community around her business, she also welcomed other local instructors to join the challenge.
“Yoga is non-competitive,” she says. “We work together to build yoga as a community and that is exactly what this challenge aims to do.”
Local yoga instructors Alex Etienne, Kristen Imrie, Katie Kozak, Kali Whyte and Jelisa Wiegers have been active participants in the challenge.
“I was excited to join and help create a positive community of yogis on their wellness journey,” said Wiegers, owner of Zenergee Wellness, a fitness studio in Creighton. “Most of us need support to stay on track, and this challenge is another fun way to do so.”
Skim through the submitted pictures on the event page for the Summer Yoga Challenge on Facebook and you’ll see people of all ages, body types and skill levels practicing yoga, including a number of young children.
“It’s great to see the growing love of yoga in the North,” Smadella says. “Challengers are getting their spouses, children, parents and friends involved. My little guy asks every day what the pose is!”
Learn more about the yoga challenge at www.ffyoga.ca/summeryogachallenge/ or search #ffsummeryogachallenge.
