Birkam 30 Day Challenge - Day 12 of 30

I'm almost halfway there...almost. Today was day 12 of my 30 day challenge. It was the hardest class to date. You may wonder how one class can be harder than the next when it's the same postures, in the same order, for the same amount of time each and every class, but trust me, it can be. I think a lot of it depends on the time of day (the later the class, the warmer the room gets), what I ate the night before, how much sleep I got, etc. And lately the asana room seems to be getting hotter and hotter. Don't get me wrong, the heat is good - it helps you get into the postures, stretch deeper, and I swear you sweat out the demons (a great detox).

Most of the time this class is mind over matter. The instructor even brought that up today (as she was watching us drop like flies). Physically, I know I can do this class (as in making it through 90 minutes while giving it my best go at all the postures).  But today, mentally, I knew I was checking out WAY too early - by Standing Head to Knee Pose, I was over it.  By the way, that's only the 5th posture - 21 postures and about 1 hour left to go! I kept focusing on how hot I felt, other people sitting out of postures, and even leaving the room. PROOF that it felt way too hot in there and I wasn't the only one feeling it. I couldn't let it go and mentally, I checked out. BUT... I used my "bulldog determination and Bengal tiger strength" and made it through 90 minutes and managed to do every single posture.

Tomorrow is a new day and it'll be a totally different class. Sure it'll be the same 26 postures, in the same order, for 90 minutes in a really hot room, but it will be different - it could feel harder, it could feel easier, but it will be different.

And now I know why it's called "Bikram's Torture Chamber!"

On a fun side note, I came outside the studio & there were a few girls standing around. No biggie until one of the guys from my class came out and they asked for his autograph and took several pictures with him. I just had to ask... Russell Martin of the LA Dodgers.

Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)

I KNOW this is the pose that is making my butt sore! My least favorite at the moment... (oh & HELL NO I'm not even close to looking like this!)

30 Days of Yoga

Bikram Yoga, of course.

Tomorrow, April 1st, I will begin a 30-day challenge - Bikram Yoga once a day, everyday, for 30 days. 

Expect updates on my progress. I'm not sure what my expectations are after 30 days of yoga. I'm not really sure I have any. I just want to go in there & do it. I feel great WHILE doing it (98% of the time) and I feel great when I leave (100% of the time)! What more is there? I know I'm improving my health... and this yoga isn't just about becoming flexible, although I can assure you I am much more flexible even now after 3 months than when I first began.

Honestly, I probably shouldn't have eaten all those Girl Scout cookies so close to the 30-day challenge... I should have concentrated on getting the junk out of my body, not adding to it. Oh well.

Bikram Yoga, once a day, for 30 days! Oh, & I get a fancy t-shirt and water bottle to commemorate the challenge!

Namaste. 

Bikram Yoga - 7 Day Challenge COMPLETE!

This is a little late because we went straight from day 7 of yoga to visit Rob's parents. (Note the beautiful picture below which was taken from the back porch & yes, it's right on the golf course!) They like to escape the cold winters of Colorado for the perfect weather the desert brings at this time of year. On a side note, we did go home & clean up first, of course. You sweat like no one's business, so that'd be pretty gross if we didn't. Anyway...

I finished the 7 day Bikram Yoga challenge on Wednesday! So far I do have a favorite instructor, and I went to her class three of the seven times. She pushes me. She says things like, "Amber, bring that hip down. More, more!" And whoa, I could and did, and got into a much deeper triangle pose. It felt so good! Also, for the first time, I was able to get mostly into toe stand pose but without my hands in prayer position. Maybe today? I'll keep trying. My point is, it's amazing to see your body do things and become stronger, more flexible, even in such a short amount of time.

My plan is go to Bikram at least 3 times a week. I'd even give up my gym membership for a monthly Bikram membership. Yes, I love it that much. Plus, I have free weights I can use at home. I also have a road bike (and a bike trainer) and I can run outside almost every single day. So really, why do I need a gym membership?

Bikram Yoga - Day 6 (Amber) & Day 2 (Rob)

Today was the hardest day of yoga for me, and harder for Rob than yesterday. I'm not sure what it was, but I felt lightheaded more often and hot! Well, duh, you're going to be hot because it's AT LEAST 105 degrees in there. But I swear it was 110 today. My face was red, Rob's face was red, we were drenched, and just couldn't drink enough water! It didn't help that the instructor told us, "wait for me to say when to drink water," which she only did ONCE! Maybe she forgot? You're not supposed to just gulp water just anytime you want. Since there's a flow to the class, ideally you'd drink water in between certain poses. For example, in between your savasanas, during the second half of the class. It seems ideal for a quick drink of water (I could be totally off here). And from the 6 days I've gone, they'll usually tell you to take a sip of water maybe twice the first half. Anyway... water or no water, it was a tough class.

Also, I noticed, there was a pregnant chick in front me. I cannot get on board with that. Yoga is great for pregnancy, I agree, but not this kind. I do not care who says what. That room is way too hot, you're on your back for some of it. Doctor's advise you not to get into hot tubs or saunas while pregnant. This doesn't seem any different. Why would you even want to risk it? Rant over.

I'm still very much looking forward to my 7th day of Bikram tomorrow! And I will probably buy a package of classes or just get the monthly withdrawal. Rob's not sure he wants to go tomorrow, but he wasn't sure about going today either. If there isn't surf in the morning, I'll bet he'll go. Either way, I feel so blessed to have a husband that also likes to try new things and challenge his body. We are a pair that likes to be active. And being active together, whether we're hiking, biking, running or doing yoga, is the best ever. Tomorrow my plan is to take an earlier class. Probably at 9:15, and I'm hoping tomorrow is better than today!

Bikram Yoga - Day 4

I am so hooked!! Even more hooked than I was on running when I was training for my marathon. I went to the first class of the morning - 8am. Not too unreasonable especially since on the weekdays they start as early as 5:30am! Ouch. Since it was the first class of the day, the studio did not feel as hot and I noticed that I didn't really start sweating until much later into the workout.

One thing I've learned is, before heading to yoga, wash your face and that's it. No toner, no moisturizer. Yesterday the moisturizer burned my eyes the first half of class. Today I left off the moisturizer, but still used a toner. No bueno. That also came seeping out of my pores as I began to sweat.

Another thing I've learned: don't sit beside a man**. They stink. They sweat A LOT & they smell gross when they do. Yes, I said it. Boys stink. And when it's 108 degrees in there with 40% humidity, and you HAVE TO breathe... ew.

Today I left feeling so refreshed, maybe more than the past 3 days and not quite as ready to take a nap immediately afterward. I walked down to Sloopy's to see the girls (only a block away!) and had a delicious egg white tofu scramble! The perfect post-Bikram workout. Tonight I start week 2 of P90X - Chest & Back, and Abs.

**Addendum to the "man rule." I really want Rob to come to class with me tomorrow & he definitely wants to check it out since I won't shut up about it. I know if the surf is good then I don't have a chance. However, if he does come to class, I will sit next to him.

P90X - Week 1 & Bikram Yoga

Today officially marked the end of week 1 on P90X. I have never been SO sore in my entire life.

Last Sunday I started with an hour of "Chest & Back" exercises followed by 15 minutes of Ab Ripper X. Obviously the chest workout involved a lot of pull-ups, which I can't do. So I used my toe on the edge of a chair for support. By the end of this, I WILL be able to do pull-ups unassisted. My abs were really sore the next few days which actually surprised me! I do ab workouts all the time & I always felt I was pushing myself. Obviously not as hard as with the Ab Ripper X!

Monday I did an hour of "Plyometrics," which I enjoyed. It's a lot of jumping lunges and squats and my heart rate stayed elevated throughout the hour.

Tuesday consisted of an hour of weight lifting targeting my "Shoulders & Arms" and the Ab Ripper X again. Ab Ripper X is a challenge and even more so when you're still sore from the previous ab workout. Since this program only consists of a few days of actual cardio, I have been running or going to the gym to use the elliptical to get in my heart rate up! This makes for very long days of exercise.

Wednesday was the worst, but best DVD that could have happened to me - Yoga. I hated it. It wasn't that I hated yoga, I just didn't like THIS yoga DVD. I was frustrated to the point that I didn't finish it. But this hatred inspired me to give Bikram Yoga a try, something I had considered doing for a long time. I am forever grateful, because I am addicted to Bikram Yoga. I've been 3 days in a row (I went Thursday morning) & decided to do a 7-day challenge. I.AM.ADDICTED.

On Thursday I did "Legs & Back" and "Ab Ripper X" and Bikram. I like doing weights concentrated on my legs. It's where I need the most help. I actually love doing lunges and squats. This DVD also consisted of a lot of pull-ups.

Friday's P90X was Kenpo X. I didn't really know what to expect, but it's a form of martial arts. I wasn't really into it & definitely not working up a sweat. Tony, the guy that leads all the videos, doesn't really explain the moves. He just does them & expects you to follow along at full speed. Well thank goodness for Billy Blanks and Tae Bo! I switched DVDs and did his "Celebrity Bootcamp" instead. Same type of moves, cardio intensive for 45 minutes. I did the first 15 minutes of Kenpo, so I still got my hour in. I also did my Bikram earlier in the day.

Saturday (today) was a "Rest or X Stretch" day. I used the Bikram class as my stretching because I cannot imagine anything else giving me a better stretch than that class.

Week 1 summary? P90X is not easy (duh), but it feels good. I'm sore, so I feel like I'm really working muscles that I have neglected. I've never been one for just weight lifting - I usually do it in the form of circuit training.

Also since Thursday, I've been going to Bikram Yoga classes. Everyday. I can't explain it. It's such a challenge, the room is so hot & I've been constantly amazed at the amount of sweat coming out of my body for 90 minutes. But damn does it feel good. Quite honestly, nothing I've done compares to this. I leave class feeling focused, calm, and my mind is clear. I leave feeling like I just got the best workout of my life. I just feel so good. I find myself researching Bikram online. I want to learn about it - the history, the postures, what they do. I mean, what is the Standing Bow Pose really supposed to look like? Because I sure as hell don't look like this...



If you're really interested, I found this website - it's a Bikram studio in San Jose. It goes through all 26 postures with great pictures & gives detailed explanations of what each posture does for your body. Amazing!

Can You Transform Your Whole Life in 60 Days?

Today I met a girl at Bikram; it was her first day. I told her it was only my 2nd, so we're in the same boat! She told me that she had read and been inspired by an article in January's issue of O, The Oprah Magazine. It's about a woman (Paige Williams) on a 60-day Bikram yoga challenge. The woman in the article was at her breaking point - "she's 80 pounds overweight, divorced, out of work, and deeply in debt. She needs a physical and spiritual overhaul."

Anyway, it is inspiring and I recommend reading it!



Paige Williams' 60 Day Makeover by Paige Williams

7-Day Bikram Yoga Challenge

(picture from http://joe-bikramyoga.blogspot.com)

Yesterday when woke up I was still a little perturbed that I didn't finish the P90X Yoga workout. One thing about me that Rob definitely knows, is when I start something, I am bound & determined to finish it. That's the main reason why I was able to train for various races & a marathon. So the fact that I was totally bored & didn't finish the P90X Yoga DVD really actually bothered me to the point that when I woke up yesterday, I was still thinking about it. I've never seriously tried yoga. When I work out, I like to move quickly, get the heart rate up, sweat, actually feel like I am doing something. (I know you are with yoga, but I get bored). Then I thought about Bikram. I have so many friends that do it & rave about it. I decided yesterday, that I wanted to do Bikram and I was going to do it that day. There's a studio a few minutes from where we live. I talked to a few friends who gave me pointers on what to wear (practically nothing), what to bring (towels, water), be well hydrated before class, make sure you don't eat a few hours before, etc. I ended up renting a mat from the studio for $1 because like I said, I've never done yoga, therefore did not have a mat. That will change today. I'm hoping to continue with Bikram and get Rob to a class with me. He really wants to and I know he'll be great since he's already way more flexible than myself.

Bikram Yoga was founded by Bikram Choudhury & is a specific form of yoga where the classes are 90 minutes each. You go through the same 26 poses/breathing exercises, twice. Oh, and the room is usually set to around 105 degrees. However the website of the studio I went to say they usually keep it around 108 degrees.

Our instructor was amazing. I loved her. She walked around the room & told us what we needed to change ("turn your foot out more," "your palms need to be facing up," "stop breathing so loudly! breath through your nose!") To be a Bikram instructor, they go through intense training (500 hours) and are trained by Bikram himself. To even apply you have to have 6 months of continuous training, have a "teacher recommendation," be able to do two full classes daily (um, I can't even imagine at this point), and lots of other things. So yeah, it's not easy becoming an instructor.

The awesome thing is that the class is for all levels. You go at your pace, do what you can do. No one cares if you're off balance or whatever. I have never sweat so much in my life - it was the equivalent to hopping out of a pool. It really did feel very cleansing. Surprisingly, I adjusted to the heat & didn't really think about much after I got going. The gal at the front desk said to me, "your goal today is to not leave the room." I did not feel the need to leave the room and tried to go through all the poses. I was definitely off balance on a few moves & didn't go as deep on the some, but I finished the class. It was intense and amazing. And I can't wait to do it again today. As a matter of fact, since I'm a new student, I got 7 days for $30 special. To just drop-in to one class is $20. So that's a big drawback - it's not a cheap habit. But I'm on the side of, if it's for your health and well-being, you can't put a price on it.

I figured I better take advantage of the 7 days I paid for & will be embarking on a 7-day Bikram Yoga challenge. Today is day 2. (Yes, I am still doing P90X as well). The studio is actually doing a 30-day challenge starting today, but since we're leaving for Fiji... My goal is to do the 30-day challenge in April, the next time they do it!