Way to go, Christy!

Christy Traylor

Talk about being disciplined.

It’s one thing venturing out to a new yoga studio not knowing a soul and telling yourself you’ll ease into a practice – maybe going to class 2-3 times a week. It’s another when you’re a beginner Yogi and commit yourself to doing 30 days of Yoga straight, driving 40 minutes each way to get to a studio.

That’s 44-year-old Christy Traylor, an insurance agent and a mother of 2 who just finished her own personal 30-day challenge at YAM.

“In January, I wanted to make a conscious decision to get involved with something dedicated to my personal well-being,” says Christy, who lives down the mountain in Columbus.  “Several major stresses and injuries and illnesses had kept me preoccupied and, little by little, my previous passions had begun to fall by the wayside.”

A few years back, she tried some Yoga classes at the Y, but at the time was more interested in other activities – horseback riding, running and hiking, just to name a few.

With winter weather setting in, now seemed the right time for Yoga again – especially in the warm YAM studio, says Christy.

“One of my main concerns was ‘how was I going to motivate myself to really learning and getting the exposure from watching others more advanced than myself?”

A 30-day personal challenge seemed to fit the bill. A good friend inspired Christy to take the plunge, having herself just completed running 365 days in a row outdoors.

“So taking baby steps, I loved the fact that YAM was open seven days a week and decided to devote 30 days in a row to yoga,” says Christy, who has tried a variety of classes at YAM. “As far as the 30-day challenge, I look at it as a way of caring for myself … It definitely encourages me to make more positive choices in other areas of my life as well.”

Christy admits some days were tough. She was tired and not feeling well, but she persevered and rested when she needed to. “Just getting in the door pays off because every time I wasn’t feeling well, I eventually felt better than I did going in.

“I remember feeling so much relief when Chelsea (an instructor) said we may not be able to get into every pose and that there are different variations of poses and to just listen to your body and take a break when needed,” Christy says.

You never stop learning about yourself in a Yoga practice, which is what Christy loves about it. And she loves the variety of classes at YAM. Christy’s goal for March is to attend some of those 6 a.m. Hot 26 classes, leaving her house at 5:15 a.m. to make it to the studio.

“I think setting goals works for me and this would be a challenge for sure!” she says.