Weekly Yoga Update

Okay, I'm not gonna lie. It's been a bad week for yoga. I have been super busy doing fun (museum, Rockies game, sister time!) and not so fun (taxes, headache, doctor appointment) things. Oh well.
So I won't even be able to go until tomorrow since I have a little tax meeting with my Dad where I could turn out being minus a G or plus a G 1/2. I'm hoping it turns out in my favor! I haven't had the best luck with taxes for the past couple of years.

I really do want to be going to Yoga more, I have been bummed every day I miss a class but it's all good. I will post more exciting adventures once I upload some pictures to my computer so look out!

The most recent time I went though my balance was awesome! I was "like a lamp post" as they say. Here's one tricky pose that I nailed the other night.

Other than that I am going to try to go plenty going forward. It has been a lot of fun so far!

Weekly Yoga Update

Hey guys!

I bet you thought that I quit Bikram after my scary first experience but I actually have gone back and that... has made all the difference! haha

Anyway, I went the very next day and it was a little easier, then the next day, then the next and I've actually come to enjoy it quite a bit. What I heard in the beginning was exactly right. Once you get past those first two classes it really becomes A LOT easier.



So I decided to challenge myself. I heard a lot of the people who got the month long pass were doing "30 day challenges" so I decided to try it out. Since starting last Monday (03/21) I have only missed two classes. I'm going to try to make those up by going in the morning and evening on the weekend but if I don't make it, I'm not going to stress :) I don't want to miss more than four days total though. (That's one day of rest every week)

The instructors say that you improve rapidly the more you do it and I am already feeling some of the results. One of the main things that keeps me going back is the fact that it is helping to relieve my back pain. I have had back pain for several years now from my scoliosis and was actually seeing a Chiropractor for a while (spending WAY too much time and money on it!) I was also told to go to physical therapy by my physician but thought I would try this first (doctor's orders...pshhh). So long story short, back pain = nearly non-existant. After only one week. WIN!!!

That's not the only benefit though. I've also been sleeping better and feeling stronger. Not to mention the flexibility! I'm also thankful that it gives me a moment to meditate. I like to get to class early and get a good spot. I will lie in Savasana for about 10 minutes and try to focus on my breathing. I'm trying not to sound like a total hippie here but it really calms me down and getting there early helps my body acclamate to the heat.

Savasana: lol catz! haha

I also like when the instructors refer to this dude:

Bikram Choudhury!

haha! He has a lot of "phrases" for every pose that crack me up!

“you want the key to success in life? Lock the f****ing knee.”

Iyengar school [which uses props] looks like a Santa Monica sex shop.

The body is a temple, the finest machine in the world. It's so sensitive, but if you treat it nasty for too long, of course it will backfire.

quotes from an interview Choudhury did in 2004 with Chicago Tribune reporter Sara Olkon, who wrote this when she was with the Miami Herald.

This is the pose that I am struggling with the most right now:



I have no balance! I contstantly fall out of it!

The pose I have improved on the most is:



Just kidding! Maybe one day



This is what I've improved on most. It's shorter than the other poses but it gives you, as the instructors like to say "A mini heart attack... so you don't have to have a big one later" I was barely able to hold the pose at first and I looked like a broken umbrella :( When I looked at myself in the mirror last night while in the pose it looked pretty dang good! Feels good to see some improvement!

So there's an update for you! I even have another fitness challenge lined up for myself after my 30 days are up! But I'm keeping it a secret... mostly to mentally prepare lol.

Namaste!

105 Degrees

So here begins an exciting journey* for me. Since previously posting about my obsession with the daily deal sites, I have abstained except for one purchase: my unlimited month of Bikram Yoga. I have been wanting to get a yoga membership for about a year now but they run about $150/month so I figured I would hold off.... until a $40 month of yoga popped into my inbox. Yes please! I bought it instantly without really looking into what Bikram was.

So yesterday was my first class. My yoga in general is pretty rusty so I was nervous but luckily there was another girl who just started her coupon. She said she had done Bikram a few times but hadn't been to a class in a while so I figured she would stumble along with me.

Apparently the girl was a natural because not only could she do every pose with ease but she also didn't break a sweat. In a 105 degree room. (her hair also stayed straight and her skin wasn't beet red but yeah.)

I on the other hand was roasting like a Thanksgiving turkey. I was warned that the heat will get to you in the first one or two classes so you just sit and follow along by watching and enduring waves of nausea. They also ask that you really try not to leave the room. So I waited for about 5 minutes.

I really felt like fainting. My hands and feet started getting all tingly and I felt it coming but I stayed strong and sipped some water. It was at pose 4 when I actually got back up and joined the class. My balance was WAY off though, I bet people thought I was drunk. From then on it got easier but it didn't get any cooler. Everyone was sweating a lot, and it's pretty gross. Especially since there's carpet and the room is covered in mirrors so you feel like everyone is looking at you. But I bet everyone is just thinking about how damn hot the room is anyway so I stopped caring that I looked so icky. 

About halfway through the class I started thinking that I never wanted to set foot in that God forsaken place again. Screw the $40. I was over it.

I also didn't bring a full sized towel. The mat gets wet (I know, eeew). I only brought a hand towel and the instructor saw me sliding around like a baby seal so she let me borrow a full sized one.

I know you all probably think that I walked right out of there without looking back but I stuck it out! I made it through the class and I felt so proud of myself! I made it! Go me!

I don't know if it's the fact that I am so cheap I refused to let $40 go to waste or that I am so stubborn I wouldn't let myself walk out of the room but I finished the class. I even went to talk to the instructor afterwards and she told me she was a little worried about me in the beginning but she thinks that once I get used to the heat I have some potential. woop woop!

So there you have it. If you can't take the heat, get out of the studio. So bring it on! Class again tonight at 6:30 (and I'm trying to do 5 times a week at least for the month).

Any embarrasing group workout stories from anyone else? It would make me feel better to hear them :)

Namaste

*If you were wondering about the reference to the term "journey" you can ask my lovely friend, Stacie Salinas at her blog: http://officiallydifferent.blogspot.com/

Yoga month

So it's been quite some time since my last blog post but I wanted to let everyone know that I am still alive!!! I've been busy moving, working, and taking time to do some volunteer work. Now that the dust has settled a little bit I've wanted to get into a better routine and I thought yoga would help me be a little more 'zen'. So I'm trying to do yoga at least 5 times a week this month even if it's just for a little bit to get into a good groove and I'm starting to feel better already. Stella likes it too...

Downward facing dog! I've got her trained well! Anyway, I'm just writing this down so that I actually hold myself to it, that and I need to get this blog rollin' again!

I'm all about free stuff so instead of getting a membership somewhere, I'm doing YouTube videos. Tara Stiles has a yoga channel which I have been using. She has great some great quick videos, this is the one I'm doing tonight. I heard about her in a NYT article and I really like her laid back approach. I just cancelled my 24 hour fitness membership because I haven't used it in months so if you guys have any good, cheap, workout advice, let me know!

I'll post some pics of my new place once I get it cleaned up :)