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30 Days of Yoga Challenge | Free Daily Yoga in August with Embracing Spirit Yoga

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Mindfulness in Motion: A Free 30 Days of Yoga Journey

What if just 15 minutes a day could help you feel stronger, calmer, more flexible, and more connected to yourself?

That’s exactly what the 30 Days of Yoga Challenge is all about.

Beginning August 1st, I’m inviting you to join me for a month of mindful movement, intentional breathing, and simple daily practices designed to meet you exactly where you are.

Whether you’ve practiced yoga for years or you’re stepping onto the mat—or sitting in a chair—for the very first time, this challenge was created with real life in mind.

Life gets busy.

Bodies change.

Schedules aren’t always perfect.

But wellness isn’t about perfection.

It’s about showing up.

Why “Mindfulness in Motion”?

Yoga is so much more than stretching.

Every practice is an opportunity to slow down, breathe deeply, notice what’s happening within, and reconnect with your body and mind.

Throughout August, we’ll explore how mindful movement can help us:

  • Reduce stress and anxiety
  • Improve balance and flexibility
  • Build gentle strength
  • Increase mobility
  • Support healthy aging
  • Calm the nervous system
  • Improve focus and concentration
  • Create healthy daily habits
  • Cultivate gratitude and self-compassion

Each practice is intentionally designed to help you carry mindfulness off the mat and into your everyday life.

What to Expect

During the month you’ll receive:

A brand-new yoga practice every day

Short, approachable sessions (approximately 15–30 minutes)

Chair yoga and traditional yoga options

Gentle breathing and mindfulness practices

Themes centered around movement, balance, strength, flexibility, and self-care

Encouragement to practice at your own pace

No complicated poses.

No pressure.

No keeping up.

Simply an invitation to return to yourself—one breath at a time.

Learn more here!

Yoga for Every Body

One of my favorite things about this challenge is that everyone is welcome.

You can practice:

  • In a chair
  • On a yoga mat
  • In your living room
  • Outside on your deck
  • During a lunch break
  • Before work
  • Before bed

Whether you’re recovering from injury, navigating physical limitations, brand new to yoga, or looking for a consistent wellness routine, these practices are designed to be adaptable and accessible.

As someone who has spent nearly two decades teaching adaptive yoga in assisted living communities and working with individuals of all abilities, I truly believe yoga should be available to everyone.

Remember…

There is no perfect pose.

There is no falling behind.

There is no “doing it wrong.”

There is only the practice of returning to yourself, again and again.

Some days you’ll feel energized.

Some days you’ll simply breathe.

Both are enough.

Progress isn’t measured by how flexible you become.

It’s measured by how often you choose to care for yourself.

Participate & Win!

To make this year’s challenge even more fun, everyone who participates will have an opportunity to win a Wellness Gift Basket filled with some of my favorite wellness goodies!

Here’s how to enter:

Subscribe to my YouTube channel

Complete as many daily practices as you can throughout August

Leave a comment saying “Done” or share your progress on each day’s video

The more you participate, the more opportunities you’ll have to earn entries into the giveaway!

Challenge Details

Begins: August 1

New Practice: Every day during August

Length: 15–30 minutes

Cost: Absolutely FREE

Location: YouTube (practice anytime that fits your schedule)

Perfect For: Beginners, experienced yogis, chair yoga students, adaptive yoga practitioners, older adults, busy professionals, caregivers, and anyone looking to create a consistent wellness routine.

I’d Love for You to Join Me

For the next 30 days, let’s choose presence over perfection.

Let’s move our bodies with kindness.

Let’s breathe a little deeper.

Let’s discover what happens when mindfulness becomes part of everyday life.

No matter where you’re starting from, there’s a place for you here.

I can’t wait to practice with you this August.

See you on the mat—or in the chair—on August 1st!

Join the Challenge

Subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss a single practice.

Invite a friend to join you for accountability and encouragement.

Share your journey using #MindfulnessInMotion and #30DaysOfYoga.

Together, let’s make August a month of movement, mindfulness, and meaningful self-care.

Share This Post

If you know someone who has been wanting to begin yoga but didn’t know where to start, please share this post with them. Sometimes all it takes is a gentle invitation to begin.


Enjoying this content? My book 52 Weeks of Wisdom & Wellness goes deeper — find it here.

The 8 Limbs of Yoga: Living Yoga Beyond the Mat

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Yoga is far more than stretching, flexibility, or mastering complicated poses.

In today’s world, yoga is often portrayed as a physical practice—a workout focused on strength, balance, and mobility. While movement is certainly one part of yoga, it is only one piece of a much larger system designed to help us live with greater awareness, purpose, and inner peace.

The ancient sage Patanjali outlined what is known as the Eight Limbs of Yoga in the Yoga Sutras over 2,000 years ago. These eight interconnected practices provide a roadmap for living a meaningful, balanced, and mindful life.

Whether you practice in a studio, on a chair, in your living room, or simply through your daily actions, these teachings remind us that yoga extends far beyond the mat.

What Are the Eight Limbs of Yoga?

Think of the Eight Limbs as branches of a tree. Each supports the others, helping us cultivate physical health, emotional resilience, ethical living, self-awareness, and spiritual connection.

1. Yama: How We Treat Others

The Yamas are ethical guidelines that encourage us to live harmoniously with those around us.

The five Yamas are:

  • Ahimsa (Non-Harming): Practicing kindness and compassion toward ourselves and others.
  • Satya (Truthfulness): Speaking and living authentically.
  • Asteya (Non-Stealing): Respecting the time, energy, and belongings of others.
  • Brahmacharya (Moderation): Using our energy wisely.
  • Aparigraha (Non-Attachment): Letting go of excessive grasping and comparison.

In modern life, practicing Ahimsa might mean speaking kindly to yourself instead of engaging in harsh self-criticism. Aparigraha may involve releasing the pressure to keep up with everyone else’s highlight reel on social media.

2. Niyama: How We Treat Ourselves

The Niyamas are personal practices that help us cultivate self-awareness and inner growth.

The five Niyamas are:

  • Saucha (Purity): Creating clarity in our environment, body, and mind.
  • Santosha (Contentment): Finding gratitude in the present moment.
  • Tapas (Discipline): Showing up consistently for what matters.
  • Svadhyaya (Self-Study): Reflecting on our thoughts, behaviors, and beliefs.
  • Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender): Trusting something greater than ourselves.

For many of us, Santosha may be one of the most challenging practices. We often believe happiness lies in the next achievement, purchase, or milestone. Yoga invites us to discover contentment right where we are.

3. Asana: The Physical Practice

This is the limb most people recognize.

Asana refers to the physical postures practiced in yoga classes. However, the original purpose of Asana was not fitness or flexibility. It was to prepare the body to sit comfortably for meditation and self-reflection.

The goal is not to force ourselves into advanced poses. Instead, Asana teaches us to connect breath, body, and awareness.

Whether you practice standing poses, gentle stretching, adaptive yoga, or chair yoga, you are participating in this limb.

Yoga is not about touching your toes.

It’s about what you learn on the way down.

4. Pranayama: The Practice of Breath

Pranayama involves conscious breathing techniques that help regulate energy, focus, and emotional balance.

Our breath is one of the few bodily functions we can consciously control, making it a powerful tool for managing stress and cultivating presence.

Simple practices such as:

  • Deep belly breathing
  • Three-part breath
  • Alternate nostril breathing
  • Lengthening the exhale

can help calm the nervous system and create a sense of steadiness in challenging moments.

The breath serves as a bridge between the body and mind.

5. Pratyahara: Turning Inward

We live in a world filled with constant stimulation.

Notifications.
News alerts.
Emails.
Social media feeds.

Pratyahara invites us to occasionally step away from external distractions and reconnect with ourselves.

This doesn’t mean withdrawing from life. It means creating intentional moments of quiet where we can listen inwardly.

Examples include:

  • Taking a mindful walk without your phone
  • Sitting quietly with a cup of tea
  • Spending time in nature
  • Practicing meditation

In many ways, Pratyahara is the art of protecting your peace.

6. Dharana: Concentration

Dharana is the practice of focused attention.

In a world that encourages multitasking, concentration has become a valuable skill.

Dharana may involve focusing on:

  • The breath
  • A mantra
  • A candle flame
  • A prayer
  • A single task

Every time your mind wanders and you gently return your attention, you strengthen your capacity for presence.

7. Dhyana: Meditation

As concentration deepens, it naturally evolves into meditation.

Dhyana is not about forcing the mind to be empty. Rather, it is an uninterrupted flow of awareness.

Meditation allows us to observe thoughts, emotions, and experiences without becoming consumed by them.

Over time, meditation can help cultivate:

  • Greater emotional resilience
  • Improved self-awareness
  • Inner calm
  • Compassion
  • Clarity

It is less about escaping life and more about fully meeting it.

8. Samadhi: Connection and Unity

The final limb is often described as a state of profound peace, connection, and unity.

Samadhi is not something we achieve through effort alone. It is a glimpse of what becomes possible when we feel deeply connected to ourselves, others, nature, and the present moment.

While ancient texts describe Samadhi as spiritual enlightenment, many people experience moments of it in everyday life:

  • Watching a sunset
  • Holding a newborn child
  • Sitting quietly in nature
  • Feeling completely present during meditation
  • Experiencing deep gratitude

These moments remind us that we are part of something larger than ourselves.

Why the Eight Limbs Matter Today

The Eight Limbs of Yoga offer something our modern world desperately needs.

They remind us that yoga isn’t just about how we move our bodies.

It’s about:

  • How we treat others.
  • How we care for ourselves.
  • How we manage stress.
  • How we respond to challenges.
  • How we cultivate presence.
  • How we find meaning and connection.

You don’t have to master all eight limbs.

In fact, yoga was never meant to be perfected.

It was meant to be practiced.

Every mindful breath, kind action, moment of gratitude, and act of self-awareness is yoga.

Every day offers another opportunity to begin again.

Reflection Questions

Consider journaling on one or more of these prompts:

  • Which of the Eight Limbs feels most present in my life right now?
  • Which limb could use more attention?
  • How can I bring yoga off the mat and into my daily routine?
  • What does living my yoga look like today?

Final Thoughts

The beauty of yoga is that it meets us exactly where we are.

Whether you’re practicing chair yoga, meditation, mindful breathing, or simply choosing compassion in a difficult moment, you are living yoga.

The poses may strengthen the body, but the deeper teachings of yoga have the power to transform the way we live.

And that is where the real practice begins.


Enjoying this content? My book 52 Weeks of Wisdom & Wellness goes deeper — find it here.

The Most Beautiful Adaptive Yoga Class I’ve Ever Experienced

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Teaching adaptive yoga has changed me in ways I never expected.

Over the years, I’ve worked with people navigating brain injuries, neurological conditions, chronic illness, grief, loss, resilience, and profound change. Somewhere along the way, the people I came to teach also became some of my greatest teachers.

Today reminded me of that in the deepest possible way.

I walked into assisted living to teach a group of residents living with brain injuries and neurological challenges. But this was not a normal class.

Earlier, the residents had witnessed a terrible tragedy. One of their fellow residents had choked while eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. They watched helplessly as it unfolded.

As we sat together in a circle, they described what they saw.

“He turned blue.”

“His eyes looked scared.”

There was shock in the room. Fear. Sadness. Helplessness.

I had never met many of these individuals before, yet there we were together, sitting honestly inside something painful and human.

So instead of beginning with movement, we began with presence.

Everyone named what they were feeling.

And I simply sat with them.

No rushing to fix it. No pretending everything was okay. No forcing positivity.

Just human beings allowing space for grief, fear, tenderness, and care.

Then together, we practiced Metta.

We filled our hearts with loving-kindness for the resident who passed, for his family, and for one another.

That was our yoga.

And it was the most beautiful class I have ever been part of.

At one point, one of the young men in the group began to weep. Due to his injury, he cannot move his arms.

The tears quietly rolled down his face.

He looked at me.

I asked softly, “Can I wipe your tears?”

And in that moment, something inside me felt so profoundly aligned.

Not because I had the perfect words. Not because I taught the perfect class. But because I was reminded what yoga truly is.

Presence. Compassion. Connection. Witnessing. Love.

I keep seeing his face.

I return tomorrow to sit with them again, and honestly, this experience has become one of the most meaningful moments of my professional life.

For so long, adaptive yoga has shaped me not only as a teacher, but as a human being.

It has taught me that strength does not always look the way the world tells us it should. That adapting is not weakness. That healing is not always about fixing. That sometimes the most sacred thing we can offer another person is simply our presence.

My heart felt fully alive today.

And I am deeply grateful for the reminder that even in moments of sorrow, we still carry tools that can help people feel seen, supported, and less alone.

That is yoga too.

And I will never forget it.


Enjoying this content? My book 52 Weeks of Wisdom & Wellness goes deeper — find it here.

Unconditional Love: A Valentine’s Day Gift to Ourselves and Others

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Valentine’s Day often brings thoughts of romantic love—chocolates, flowers, and expressions of devotion. But beneath the surface of this holiday lies a deeper opportunity: to embrace unconditional love—both for ourselves and those around us.

True love is not just about how we feel toward others when things are easy. It is also about how we show up when things are challenging, how we extend grace, and how we honor the journey that has shaped us into who we are today. This Valentine’s Day, let’s shift our focus from external validation to the profound practice of unconditional love—a love that embraces growth, imperfections, and the beauty of being human.

Honoring Your Journey: The Path to Love

Before we can truly offer unconditional love, we must first acknowledge and honor our own path. Life’s experiences—both joyful and painful—have shaped our capacity to love. Every heartache, every challenge, every lesson has deepened our understanding of what it means to care for others and ourselves.

Rather than looking back with regret or resentment, we can choose to see our past as a teacher. What if we thanked our journey for expanding our hearts? What if we recognized that even the hardest moments have brought us closer to the love we seek?

Reflection:
Take a moment to consider: How has your past shaped the way you give and receive love today? What lessons has your heart learned along the way?

The Practice of Giving Unconditional Love

Unconditional love is love without expectations, without the need for anything in return. It is choosing love even when it’s hard. It’s showing up for someone on their worst day or offering patience when you’re frustrated. It’s giving kindness even when it’s not reciprocated.

Here are some ways to practice unconditional love daily:

  • Listen with your whole heart – Let someone feel truly heard without the need to fix or advise.
  • Offer grace – Remember that everyone is doing the best they can with what they know.
  • Be kind to those who challenge you – Love does not mean condoning harmful behavior, but it does mean releasing resentment and choosing peace.
  • Celebrate others without comparison – Love is abundant, and another’s light does not dim your own.

Self-Love as the Foundation

We cannot pour from an empty cup. If we do not first offer unconditional love to ourselves, how can we extend it fully to others?

This means letting go of self-judgment, embracing our imperfections, and treating ourselves with the same kindness we give our loved ones.

Ways to Cultivate Self-Love:

  • Speak to yourself with compassion instead of criticism.
  • Take time to do things that nourish your soul—yoga, journaling, time in nature.
  • Set healthy boundaries to protect your peace.
  • Forgive yourself for past mistakes.

A Heart-Opening Practice for Love

To close, here’s a simple mindfulness practice to open your heart and cultivate love:

  1. Find a comfortable seat and close your eyes. Place one hand over your heart.
  2. Breathe deeply. With each inhale, imagine love filling your heart. With each exhale, release any judgment or resistance.
  3. Repeat silently: “I am worthy of love. I give love freely. I receive love openly.”
  4. After a few minutes, bring to mind someone you wish to send love to. Picture them surrounded by light, and silently offer, “May you be happy, may you be at peace, may you feel loved.”
  5. Open your eyes and carry this love with you throughout your day.

For a lovely chair yoga practice to compliment unconditional love, visit my new video.

Love Without Limits

This Valentine’s Day, let love be more than just a fleeting celebration—it can be a lifelong practice. By honoring our own journey, offering love without conditions, and embracing self-compassion, we create a world where love is abundant, healing, and infinite.

The greatest gift we can give—to ourselves and others—is love without limits. ??

Principles of Yoga

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In order to grow we must first remove what it is in the way.

The Eight Limbs of Yoga–the Niyamas

Patanjali, creator of the Yoga Sutra, wrote about how the practice of Yoga contains 8 “limbs”. These principles of Yoga have become the map for which we direct our lives. The Yamas and the Niyamas are the first two limbs and help guide us to being the best version of ourselves. The yamas are guidelines for how to operate in society, while the niyamas show how to elevate our inner being.

The principle Suacha is the second Niyama. It is loosely defined as cleanliness or purity. I believe this is a time more than ever for Suacha. The post pandemic opinions that run rampant AND it being a presidential election year this may be a LOUD cry for a radical practice of Suacha, (that may be a little dramatic…). Sometimes we get so clouded by the opinions of others and the internal response that it gives us, that we struggle to remember what is our own truth because it becomes so muddied with clutter and then uncertainty.

What is the principle called Suacha?

Suacha is a principle in which we literally clean up our lives, and I believe this all starts with our thoughts. If our inner landscape is a mess, it is likely the rest of life follows suit. Relationships are probably splintered, and our general happiness may be clouded if our inner world is cluttered. This principle encourages us to watch the unclean thoughts that enter into our mind–fear, worries, competition, anger and more.

Of course this also can mean making time for cleaning up our environment. When our living space is orderly and tidy, it is likely we will feel more grounded and clear. The level of tidiness in our outer world can also make a substantial difference in how you feel. When your rooms are tidy, it has an influence on your unconscious. I love to think about a garden this time of year. We might see the beginnings of green shoots but we also see all of last years growth laying on top and around the attempt of new growth. In order for the green stuff to grow into amazing beauty, we must first pull out and throw away all of the old material that is in the way. Imagine if we got rid of the old stuff in our and heads and hearts? Feelings like bitterness, old hurts, regrets, shame and even the past. Without all that “stuff” in the way, it is likely you may have some amazing growth!

This is a pivotal time in our own responsibility to ask ourselves hard questions. 

Ask your self this:

What is seeking to be released or cleansed from the very essence of our beings? What mental and emotional patterns are no longer serving us? Is there something seeking to be cleansed on a micro (individual) and macro (global) level? How can we get curious about this deeper meaning?

Here are some tips to allow the principle of Suacha to become part of your practice for living your best life:

  • To cleanse the mind, meditate, pray and/or journal for 10–20 minutes each day
  • To purify the body, Practice yoga for 30+ minutes few times a week
  • Sweat out those toxins–go for a hike, ride your bicycle, MOVE
  • Doodle in a journal and let your creative side process your feelings
  • Clean your entire home at least once a week
  • Burn incense, lay your crystals out in the moon, diffuse oils
  • Acknowledge all your emotions, positive and negative write them down, then tear the paper and release it.
  • Trust your intuition, it will guide you on what are the best Suacha practices for YOU

The principle suacha invites each of us to look at practicing a deep, soul cleansing. This is a time to ask ourselves what is bringing clutter into our hearts and minds. Is it the media? The gossiping and negativity? The division we witness in our current world is evident as an apparent onslaught of emotions that clog the veins that lead to our spiritual self. And in turn we have become hardened, angry, tarnished souls with little compassion for each other.

This is not a one time thing or even a springtime thing. Suacha, like Yoga, is a way of being.

About Stacie

With over sixteen years experience, Stacie Wyatt is an experienced 500 hour Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance, Certified Brain Injury Specialist, Certified Trauma Informed Coach, Life Wellness Coach, Senior YogaFit Instructor, Mind/Body Personal trainer, Stress Reduction and Meditation Instructor, Pilates Instructor, and Barre Instructor. Stacie is also certified in Integrative Movement Therapy™and is also a believer in the power and application of essential oils for health and wellness and proudly shares doTERRA essential oils.