9 classes/7 days

It feels as if each of my limbs were tied to horses and those horses moved slowly forward inch by inch just short of tearing me apart.

Everything hurts. 

Even my head hurts. 

I could feel it last night when I got home, and I could feel it this morning when I woke up. Today was a day I would have skipped yoga if not for this challenge, but I made myself go. I thought the stretching would help. Bikram yoga is touted as the best medicine, but today I felt as if I were trying to put out a fire in my body with gasoline. Yes, the yoga made me feel worse! My body did not feel like my own in class -- I could barely stand.

And it hit me emotionally afterwards, which Bikram yoga has never done before. I wanted to be alone, and I felt cranky. 

All I could think about during class was going to the local health food store for a Kombucha and some Mexican salted almond chocolate, getting a manicure, and then going out for a lobster roll and french fries.

Luckily, my partner agreed to take me out to lunch and we had a pleasant time. I got all that I had wanted for myself post-yoga, and then I came home and slept for a few hours. The cravings and the sleep did not alleviate much pain, but I'm feeling better emotionally. 

And I believe that tomorrow will be a better day. 

Trying the right way (8 classes/6 days)

I know I should be bursting with energy, but I am quite wiped out after completing a morning and evening class! I feel as if lemmings are rebuilding all of the muscles in my legs, and I am looking forward to going to sleep in an air-conditioned room.

My morning class was great, and I owe a lot of that to an instructor who taught at Bikram Yoga Brewster for a couple of months this summer: Laurie.

Toward the end of her stay, Laurie spoke sternly to me after class one day. She said she sees my grimaces and she knows I am upset with myself when I am unable to do postures and instead rest out in savasana. She told me I need to try, even if I can't do it. One day I will be able to do it. Always try. Try the right way.

So I've been trying the right way. I can't touch my forehead to my knee in the compression postures. I can't reach both of my feet in bow. I can't grab my heels in rabbit unless my hips are between my heels. But when I can, I try.

And today I saw pay off. I usually skip locust pose, mostly because it makes me feel nauseous and that nausea ruins the next few postures for me. But today I tried it, and I was able to lift both of my feet off the ground at the same time! So I was super excited to do it again in the evening, but alas my nausea was back.

I have struggled with nausea since starting my Bikram yoga journey in 2009, and I know most of it is what and when I eat.

Part of trying the right way is eating the right way, and I'm trying that, too. I gave up dairy (milk and cheese, I occasionally have real butter with bread at restaurants) in June. I have also recently realized that as much as I love red meat (oh, I love it a lot), it does not love me back. Ideally, I'd like to eat a mostly plant-based diet with an occasional serving of fish for protein. Right now I can only cut back on red meat because we have so much of it in the house that it would be a waste for me not to partake. My parents sent me a huge cooler full of meat for my birthday in July, and there's no way I'm not eating those sirloin steaks! I know I will just suffer in Bikram the next day, and I will have to be okay with that. Or maybe I won't suffer at all. No expectations, right? That's such an important mantra of this yoga. As Andy, a Bikram Yoga Brewster instructor, said tonight: Sometimes you think you're going to have a bad class and you come and have a great class. Let go of expectations.

I'm working on letting go of my expectations. And I'm trying the right way!

6 classes/5 days

Good news! I'm going to start cleaning my yoga studio twice a week in exchange for free yoga! Maybe the money I'm saving can go toward new outfits ... and Kombucha ... and coconut water ... and burritos.

I went to class this morning and planned on going to a second class tonight but am feeling a bit sleepy. I'm aiming for a double tomorrow! 

I felt overly fatigued after camel in class today -- I think I need to work on my core strength to maintain stamina through each class. I'm hoping that I will gain that strength just by going to yoga more often. I can say that I will try some planks, and I might do planks occasionally, but between yoga and biking, I feel like I am already doing a lot of exercising. 

That's all I have to report today. I don't want to focus too much on my daily struggles in the hot box -- I'd rather leave it in there and walk into the next class with a clean slate. I'm looking forward, not backward! 

Just starting (5 classes/4 days)

A few days ago, the owner of the studio I go to posted a link to a website that describes the benefits of doing a 100-day Bikram yoga challenge.

As I am currently unemployed and new to Cape Cod, I decided to embark on a personal challenge: practice Bikram yoga every day for 100 days. That will bring me through to November 30. I already know there are a few days I will be unable to practice (whale-watching cruise in September and 10-year high school reunion in Maryland in October), so I will have to count the days on which I do double classes as replacing the days on which I cannot practice.

I also just purchased a Trek 7.2 bicycle and plan on riding as often as I can in addition to the yoga.

As of today, I have done 5 classes in 4 days.


Current concern: I am experiencing intense pain in my achilles during the warm-up postures. Ready for the pain to go away!

Something to be happy about: I love doing backbends!