Back in the saddle :)

I am back!!
Today was my first class back after a 3 week hiatus due to injury.  I was walking in knowing I was under-hydrated, but I thought I'd see how it went.  First thing I noticed, there were WAY less people in the class.  Now I don't know if that has anything to do with the instructor, or maybe all the January-New Year Resolution-people were no longer there.  Nevertheless, it was a much nicer, more spacious situation.  However, despite the smaller class size, the classroom felt DAMN hot.  I guess I haven't been here in awhile...I don't remember it being so hot.
Anyway, I have a new instructor this time.  Her name is Rea.  She is a very nice, incredibly fit woman.  She is kind to me and several other beginners.  I definitely took it easy because I didn't want to get injured again.   As we first started, I could still feel a bit of my nagging injury, but I took care to flex my core as to not stress my back.  The move that I injured myself..."Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee Pose" or "Dandayamana-Bibhaktapada-Janushirasana"...I skipped altogether....I was still alive by the time we got half way...We were so close, but so far from the end.  I made it through most of the floor section....It was REALLY REALLY hot about 3/4 through. I wasn't sure if I would make it.  I couldn't grip anything (my knees, my feet) because my skin was just too wet and as a result, made for some difficult poses. A couple people left part way through and came back.  I am SOOOOO envious when this happens...I can just imagine the cool air hitting their face and entering their pores and am SOOOO jealous.  But I did say to myself from the very beginning of this challenge...I would stay in the room...no matter what.
Well, I made it through a very long 90 min.  I've decided to ease back in, and do 3 days this week.
Til Wednesday, Namaste.  :)

Darn that Dandayamana-Bibhaktapada-Janushirasana!!!

Day 5, Class 4

Friday's class is packed....the most packed I've ever seen....and it's HOT...noticably hotter than before.  My sweat is dripping  from my forehead 2 minutes into the class. Things are going along merrily until about 1/2 way through.
Right at the end of " Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee Pose" or "Dandayamana-Bibhaktapada-Janushirasana" (yeah, say that one 5 times fast)...right when I'm coming up from being bent...I feel a sharp pain in my right lower back....sort of a stabbing pain.  I'm thinking "uh oh!"  After I get to standing I realize I'm in big trouble.  I have just strained-pulled my lower back.  I can't bend anymore.  It's actually difficult to move around.  I'm not sure what to do.  I try sitting on my knees for awhile.  I can't do anymore poses.  My teacher asks me if I'm ok...I'm not ok, but I'm not sure what else to say.   There is still 45 minutes left in the class.  We are about to start the lying down series of poses.  I then lie on my stomach for awhile while everyone proceeds with the cobra and lotus poses.  I'm not sure what to do.  I'm in some pain, but think that the heat in the room might be beneficial to my current situation.  At the same time, every bone in my body is wanting to pick up my mat and drag my sorry butt out of the room.  I decide to stay in the room for the remainder of the class, even if that means I just sit there.  I do try to change my position, as painful as it is.  I try sitting on my bum, leaning against the wall, lying on my back, lying on my stomach, child's pose, etc....nothing is really helping.  Finally the class ends and I slowly manage to get up and get to the packed change room.  I then painfully proceed to slowly put my clothes on...and painfully walk back to my office.  (did I mention that I was in pain??)
After getting my stuff back to my office, calling Viv to come pick me up...I remember what my chiropractor said the day before...(see my previous post).  I was skeptical of her words...she said that she's heard of people overdoing it and injuring themselves.....To think that I thought I was smarter than a chiropractor!!!
I'm disappointed that this has happened.  I don't want this injury to stop me from my 30 day challenge.  I am still going to continue after this injury heals.  I think a week or two should be long enough for it to heal.  If anything, I think the yoga will help with the healing.  As of now, it's a bit to acute to try.   I just have to see if Bikram's will hold my membership for a week or two until I heal...No worries..in the words of the Terminator..."I'll be back".

Day of Rest...

Today is day 4 of the 30 days, but I am taking this day off.  It was nice to take a day off.  I went to the chiropractor instead.  She said that she thought doing Bikram's every day, or even more than 2-3 days a week was too intense.  She's heard of people overdoing it, over stretching and getting injured.  I'm not sure about this, but she's right about one thing...it is intense.  But I see it as a challenge, and an opportunity to get better, and see yourself get better.  I will try my 4th class tomorrow, with Danny again.  Til then.... :)

Breathe, and Breathe....and breathe...

Day 3

I wasn't sure what to expect today.  I went into the class dehydrated (I definitely didn't drink anywhere near 3.7 litres of water today) and a little sore from the last 2 classes.  Today was going to be a new instructor, Danny.  Danny is a co-owner of this particular studio. He came in...a little, energetic, skinny man.  Such a great instructor.  So supportive of myself and the other beginners in the class.  He talked so fast during the poses...I could hardly understand him.  But also told stories through the class, that definitely lightened the mood.
As for myself, about 1/2 way through I was feeling quite well.  I didn't feel nearly as hot as I did the past 2 classes.  I'm thinking, "wow..this is ok..I'll be fine"  There was a girl 2 mats away from me that looked like she was going to vomit about 20 minutes in.  At that point, I was feeling quite confident....However, about 3/4 of the class in...the boiling feeling came back.  The end of the class was quite hot, but I breathed my way through and survived.  I do feel like I'm getting used to the heat.  I try not to think about it too much.  As for the poses...the are getting a little bit better I think.  The locking the knee is difficult, especially my left leg.  My right leg is definitely stronger than my right.
I'm taking tomorrow off.  I have a chiropractor appointment after work, so I thought this would be a good day to take a day off.  My goal was to try to do 3 classes in a row in my first week.  I will go back on Friday.  I'm glad to see the instructor on Friday is Danny again!  :)

Boiling from the inside...but in a good way...

Day 2
2nd class, and it turns out, same teacher as class 1...AND as it turns out..almost exactly the same.  I think that is the nice thing about Bikrams.  The same 26 postures, the same intense heat.  Some may think it's boring, but I find it motivating.  Motivating in that I can see and feel myself do things that I may not have been able to do the class before.  For example, the pose "Salabhasana" or "Locust pose" requires you put your hands under your body with your palms down.  Now yesterday, there was no way I was doing this.  Now this could be because I had my hands twisted the wrong way...but nevertheless, I could not do it yesterday.  And today...I could.  :)  Also, I could feel that I was able to hold the pose "Dandayamana Dhanurasana" or "Standing bow pulling pose" longer than I could yesterday.  It also felt a TINY bit  LESS hot today...(did that make sense?)...but you know what I mean.  I mean, I still felt a bit dizzy toward the end, my feet totally hurt during the standing set (by the way, when does this end), and my body is still boiling from the inside...but I feel better afterwards....sweaty and a bit sore, but better. Day 3 tomorrow, then I will take Thursday off.
Til then...Namaste. 

Stay in the room, stay in the room....

Day 1
I arrive at Bikram's ready for my first class.  The staff are friendly, almost empathetic to the fact that it's my first class.  The words, "You'll have so much fun..." were resonating in my ears as I walked to the dressing room.  The dressing room was crowded...full of women with tiny shorts and tops...all rushing around getting ready.  I finally manage to find a spot to get dressed.  Mental note...bring less luggage.

I walk into the room..the lights are dim..everyone is lying down..it's warm, but not scorching.  I think to myself, this should be ok.  I set up my mat in the back row, in the corner.  Close enough to the door that I can run away if I have to, and near the wall, to keep me from falling over.   The instructor walks in and turns the lights on full...the room is bright.  She is wearing a wireless mic.  The first breathing excercises start and things are good.  Then the standing poses begin.  The instructor sounds like an auctioneer.  I wasn't expecting the constant talking.  It's not annoying, just different.  Towards the end of the standing set (which I'm guessing is about 1/2 way)...I am hot.  I was trying to explain the heat to Viv (my husband).  He asked me, "Is it hot like a super hot day in Malaysia?"  The heat is less like being in a hot sunny place, because that heat burns you from the outside.  The heat of Bikram's is like the opposite...this intense heat that's trying to exit your body through your skin.  It's like a fire that you can't put out.  The heat was more difficult to tolerate than the sweat to be honest.  Toward the end, I was feeling a bit dizzy.  I think I was probably dehydrated.  I only drank about 1 litre of water today in total.  According to the Bikram's site, I should be drinking about 3.7 L for my weight.  There were some parts of the class that I just stayed on my mat and lay down.  I kept saying to myself, "Just stay in the room, stay in the room..."  This was difficult as I saw 3 different people leave the room at 3 different times.  I thought you weren't allowed to leave, but I guess you can't force people to stay if they have to leave. 
When I finally made it to the end of class, it was strangely satisfying.  The very nice girl on the mat beside me gave me a thumbs up...which was nice encouragement.
Although it was hellishly hot, I'm actually looking forward to the experience tomorrow.

Starting from scratch...

Welcome to my newest blog!  I don't know exactly why I decided to create a blog again, seeing as I rarely get past 2 posts without completely failing...but here's to a New year and a New Blog!  

I've titled this one "My Bikram Challenge" because that is what it will be about.  Now since I've became a mom, and now a working mom, finding time to workout has been a challenge for me.  I've tried going to the gym before work at 6am...that worked for awhile, but those who know me know that I'm not a great morning person.  After I get home from work, for most parents, is a gong show, so getting to go workout after work is usually a fail for me..and to be perfectly honest...once I'm home, I like to stay home.
Now I've tried yoga and hot yoga before....I do like it, but I suck at it....and the reason I suck at it is probably because I haven't really committed myself to it totally....and the reason I haven't committed to it totally is because I suck at it.  You can see the dilemma here...:(

So, as it is a new year, and I've decided to have a new outlook on fitness and yoga, this is my attempt to start over and try to commit to something for at least 30 days.

Here are the reasons I've chosen Bikrams yoga for my new exercise of choice:

• It is a Low impact exercise: because I hate running!
• A new Bikram's yoga studio opened in the building I work it.  I literally work right above the studio.
• I have several friends who love it, and I have read several blogs and other articles about people whose lives have really been transformed by it.

Here is one example of an article I read that was particularly good. Now she did it for 60 days, but I will try to be more realistic and try for 30 days first:

http://www.oprah.com/health/Paige-Williams-60-Day-Makeover

One more reason I chose Bikram's....I was surfing on the Bikram Yoga Vancouver website http://www.bikramyogavancouver.com/ and there was a quote by the founder, Bikram Choudhury, that struck a chord with me:

"You are never too late, never too old, never too bad, never too sick, to start from scratch and begin again."


This quote was particularly meaningful for me.  I appreciated the optimistic spirit in this quote, which I'm hoping will keep my inner procrastinator in check.


I decided sometime ago that I would try this, but I wanted to wait for my kids birthdays, Christmas and all other distractions (=excuses) to be minimal before I attempt the challenge.  Now, I'm not planning on going for 30 days straight.  I will go 4 days a week for a month and try to document my progression in this blog.
My day 1 will be Monday, January 16.  My first class is free, because Bikram Yoga Vancouver offers new students a free introductory class for local residents.  In briefly speaking to one of the co-owners, 3-4 days a week is really what is necessary to benefit from Bikram's yoga.  I will take her word for it....


I'm not scared of the heat...but I am definitely intimidated by the yoga.  I am hoping that this will be not only a 30 day challenge but will turn into a lifestyle change for me.  Please comment if you have tried Bikram's, are currently practicing, or are interested...or have any thoughts about it.  I'm happy to hear what you have to say about it.