Common Yoga Poses and Benefits

Yogi Badge, Step 1

The benefits of yoga poses are many. Regular practice benefits yogis both physically and mentally. This “feel good” result keeps bringing people (us included!) back to the mat to engage in this ancient practice.

Interested in learning more about the ancient practice of yoga? Our last post covered the history and types of yoga and yoga terminology.

In today’s post, we discuss the benefits of yoga and the common postures associated with the practice.

Yoga History, Types, and Terminology

Yogi Badge, Step 1

As winter sets in we naturally slow down, take inventory, and reflect on life. Some associate this time of year with increased focus on self-improvement and better health. Yoga practice provides an excellent opportunity to cover all of these bases.

We have been yogi’s (that is, someone who practices yoga) for many years. I still fondly remember my first yoga classes at the library of our local public school. The dim lights, soft music, and refreshing stretches were just what a frazzled mom needed. I was hooked. Although I love the yoga classes of today, learning about yoga’s very long and rich history for our Yogi Badge felt like an overwhelming task. But I did it! And I boiled it down to the good stuff for you. Join us as we stretch and dip our toes into the ocean of yoga history, different types of yoga practiced today, and commonly used yoga terminology.

Yogi Badge

Just in time for a fresh start in a new year, our next badge is all about yoga! Join us as we earn the Yogi Badge over the next couple weeks. We’ll cover the timeline, types, and terminology of yoga. We’ll explore the many benefits of yoga and learn some beginner and basic poses. Then, we’ll take a 30-day yoga challenge and let you know how it goes, how we feel, and what we learned. Finally, we’ll create custom and easy-to-make yoga mat bags and design and set up dedicated yoga space in our homes.

Highlights from 6 Months of Earning Badges

The past 6 months have been a blast. We earned 11 badges on topics ranging from travel to wine tasting to cookie decorating. To celebrate, we put together a video recapping our experiences earning badges over the past half-year. We describe what stuck with us from each badge, the highlights of each badge, and even a badge fail or two! Scroll down to watch the video or click on any of the badge icons below to learn more about the topic.

Earning these 11 badges has taught us a ton. What badges do you think we should complete over the next 6 months? We would love to hear your ideas. Comment below, send us a message, or reach out on Facebook or Instagram!

Tracking Yearly Goals in a Bullet Journal

Journaling Badge, Step 3

Katie and I have been setting a whole mess of yearly goals for the past three years. We’ve been diligently tracking our progress toward those goals in our Bullet Journals, which I truly believe has increased our ability to achieve them. In this post, we’ll share how we are tracking our 20 goals for 2020, give you some ideas for yearly goals in case you haven’t set any yet or just are curious about our goals, and recap our success in achieving 2019’s goals.

Gift Idea: Give the Gift of Journaling

Journaling Badge, Step 3

My favorite gifts to give are things I love and use myself. After reflecting on all the journals we keep, and the many benefits of journaling, we thought it would be nice to give the gift of journaling to others.

To complete Step 3 of the Journaling Badge , we decided to gift a few journals to some very special people. We visited a local bookstore to peruse the many journal options available. We found a few perfect journals that felt right for our friends. Then, we created a card to send along with the journals to make the gift of journaling personal.

Hand Lettering and Bullet Journaling Class

Journaling Badge, Step 2

Looking at beautiful hand lettering pieces brings me such joy, so when we were looking for a class to “learn from others” about journaling, we thought a Bullet Journal or hand lettering class would be perfect. In Chicago, the land of many classes, we were able to find one that allowed us to do both! With a little water color painting lesson thrown in to boot.

Benefits of Journaling and Types of Journals

Journaling Badge, Step 1 Part 2

So far we’ve learned the difference between a diary and a journal, about famous journal keepers like Darwin, and about the history of journaling. Today we will be discussing the benefits of journaling for adults and students and the many different types of journals. We also take a trip to our local bookshop to check out their journal selection.

The benefits of practicing journaling on a regular basis are numerous. Read on to find out what they are and be sure to watch our video below to learn how journaling has benefitted us personally.

The History of Journaling and Famous Journals

Journaling Badge, Step 1

This week we are excited to learn all about the long history of journaling, the many benefits journaling provides, different types of journals, and some very famous journals that have been turned into books and movies! Later we will be taking a lettering class to incorporate some new skills into our bullet journaling repertoire. To finish off the Journaling Badge, we will select the perfect journal to gift to some very special people!

We have been journaling in one form or another for many years. Recently, we have been obsessed with Bullet Journaling and its creative and flexible format. A recent trip to our local bookshop introduced us to the many different types of journals available today. There seems to be a journal for every personality type out there! This post will cover the history of journaling, famous journal keepers, and books and movies inspired by journals.

Journaling Badge

Our next badge was inspired by our desire to dig deeper into a practice we already enjoy: journaling. Doing the research for our Journaling Badge taught us about different types of journals people keep, the benefits of daily journaling, and the history of when humans started keeping journals. We learn about a few famous journal-keepers and the first published journals.

Join us over the next two weeks as we learn about the benefits and history of journaling, take a hand lettering class in Chicago, and give the gift of journaling to a few loved ones. We’ll share with you our favorite types of journals to keep and take you along on our hand lettering class.