Things you should know before reading this blog:

Things you should know before reading this blog:
Bikram yoga is hard. I know I'm weakling and whine about everything but this is seriously not some girly cop-out excuse for exercising. Its not for the faint of heart! Bikram yoga, commonly known as hot yoga, earned it's name. Over the course of 90 minutes there are 26 postures (each is done twice) that are practiced in 105-110 degree studios with speaking instruction from a certified Bikram teacher. If you weigh yourself before and after a class, you're likely to see a 3-5 pound difference. Granted, its just water weight, but still that's a lot of sweat. By the end of class, you'll look like you just took a shower. Not only is it extremely hot in the room but the postures themselves are hard. When I begin my first class, there will probably only be 5 or 6 postures I can hold correctly without taking "beginners shortcuts" (bent knees, unlocked elbows, shortened stretches, etc). It takes so much strength, endurance, and patience to do things like kick your foot over your head and hold it there for thirty seconds without falling & knocking everyone in the room down like a domino. I'll get there... hopefully. In the meantime I'll be the tall brunette laying flat on the mat like a dead man, sweating my ass off.

So what's a 30 day challenge?
A 30 day challenge is the Iron Man of Bikram. Basically it entails daily practice, every single day, consecutively, for thirty days. By agreeing to a 30 day, you're agreeing to never miss a class. Ever. Now, the yoga community is pretty understanding that maybe there might be something during your 30 days that comes between you and your yoga class. Miss a class? Fine. Take 2 the next day to make up for the one you missed. Good luck with that. My 30 day starts Jan 31 and ends on Mar 1.

Why am I documenting this?
Well I wanted a way to see how much progress I'll make by the end. I dont think my fellow yoga do-ers would appreciate me bringing a friend into yoga to take pictures for me... Nor do I particularly want my picture taken in the hot room (talk about unflattering) so I'll keep track of everything via this blog. But of course its also just so you, my lovely family and friends, can follow me through the ups, downs, bends, and twists of my very own 30 day challenge. Really, I'm so excited to watch my own personal progress through improving the postures and gain all the health benefits that Bikram is so famous for. Yes I'm somewhat forced to keep record of this so I can present my results in June but I'll try my best and keep it interesting despite all the whining and moaning that's bound to happen. Good, bad, and ugly.. What's the worst that can happen in 30 days??

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Day 5 and 6

Not even a week in and I'm already getting lazy about this... Ok so yesterday I did the 4:30 class so I went straight from the school to the gym for about an hour (don't be fooled I really only went to go tanning.. sorry mom) but I did some resistance and weight stuff and then I got to the studio a half hour before class. I was one of the first mats down so naturally I got prime real estate next to the window which is the "coldest" spot in the room. And by cold I mean its 104 degrees rather than 105. Its really funny because at the beginning of class they ask who is a first timer and when they raise their hands they are always all congregated in the middle/back row. Anyone who has ever been in class before knows that they are right under the heater and just don't know any better hahaha. I always feel bad when people come in wearing yoga pants and t shirts.... They are definitely in for a surprise. If I had to do yoga in pants and a shirt I think I would pass out or vomit. Mindy taught class yesterday and overall it went well. She knows about my project so she always tries to help me perfect all the postures, so that's nice.

Today I did a 3:00. Afternoon classes on the weekdays are literally so dead because most everyone is still at work. Not having to be packed in the hot room like sardines makes things a little more bearable. I can finally balance (barely) in balancing stick but still a no-go on standing head to knee and triangle. I dont want to talk about triangle. I dont want to ever see a triangle. I hate triangle. ANYWAY I got to class early again so in total I spend about 2 hours in the hot room and have really gotten used to the heat. It obviously still feels horrifically hot but its not like "I need to get out of here I cant breathe I'm going to pass out" hot. It's "I'm fine... I've done this before.. Nothings gonna happen" hot. And I think once you figure that out it opens up a lot of doors in Bikram because it truly starts with controlling the mind. Part one is assuring yourself that you're not going to die or vomit or pass out. I shouldn't say that I'm sure people have vomitted or passed out but I've never seen it... Part two is convincing yourself that if you push beyond your limit, your body is not going to snap in half. Like you are capable of so much more than you think. When you see someone doing the most ridiculous back bends and your like "nope no way I can not bend like that" but in actuality you really can you just have to train your body and mind. The biggest one that I had to convince myself I was able to do is camel. Its a really deep back bend during the floor series and there were times when I thought my head was going to fall clear off my shoulders or I imagine myself falling back flat on my head and breaking my neck. If you tell yourself you can't do something, you're right, and you won't do it.

Ustrasana - Camel
Hmmmm, seems legit.

The word trikonasana gives me anxiety. 
I dont even want to look at this lady's dumb perfect triangle pose. 
I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate trikonasana.

Tomorrow marks Day 7 and one thing I've noticed is that I can now list the poses in order, like I know what's coming next before I do it. This is really helpful when your wanting to die during Trikonasana but you can remind yourself your just a Dandayamana-Bibhaktapada-Janushirasana, Tadasana, and Padangustasana away from Savasana! (In other words, a standing separate leg head to knee, tree pose, and toe stand away from laying like a dead log on the floor and thinking about all the ways you could escape the hot room before the floor series. Just kidding. Nobody leaves the hot room. Have I mentioned that before? Leaving is a biiiig no-no.)

BTW, I'm looking for some boys to come with me as a start my second week so I can use you in my project and talk about how yoga made you better at sports. (COUGH James Brian Dylan & Dave!!). But really anyone who's willing is more than welcome I love seeing people from school in class! :)



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