Practiced today. I didn't feel very flexible, but I felt pretty strong. No ice in my water today... and this shouldn't be a surprise, but I didn't want to drink as much after Eagle because it wasn't cold, frosty and delicious. Did every posture. Is it because the thought of sitting out a posture without icy cold water waiting on the floor for me just isn't as tempting?
I think further testing is in order, but I think there definitely could be something to this...
After class, I went to the new Trader Joes in Ballard. It's so spacious! I picked up almond butter and some other healthy-ish food that I've been reading about on The Hungry Yogini. Trying to get more into cooking healthy food. Supposedly it can be fun and tasty?
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Water
Haven't managed to get back on the mat as much as I wanted to, but summer is difficult because hot days mean the yoga room is funkier and it's harder to stay hydrated outside of class. Speaking of water...
I met a boy a few weeks ago and we went out this week. He has many good qualities - one being that he listened to me babble about Bikram yoga for a while :) I was telling him about the controversy over water in class. Some people, like the legendary Mary Jarvis, suggest no water during class. Lots of us students enjoy water with ice (me!), but that is supposedly harder on the body than drinking room temperature water. The boy suggested that ice water might have the added benefit of lowering core temperature a bit which could help the body in the hot room. I don't really know what the "right" answer is on the water question, but I hadn't considered the core temperature idea. All of the yoga blogs I've read have been negative towards ice water from both a physical and mental perspective so this was an interesting perspective. I suppose that could be an added physical benefit of cold water although I am still unsure whether my feelings toward water are more physical or mental. I suppose I should try a water-free class and then I would have a better idea about how I use water.
Hope this late night water rambling was semi-coherent...
I met a boy a few weeks ago and we went out this week. He has many good qualities - one being that he listened to me babble about Bikram yoga for a while :) I was telling him about the controversy over water in class. Some people, like the legendary Mary Jarvis, suggest no water during class. Lots of us students enjoy water with ice (me!), but that is supposedly harder on the body than drinking room temperature water. The boy suggested that ice water might have the added benefit of lowering core temperature a bit which could help the body in the hot room. I don't really know what the "right" answer is on the water question, but I hadn't considered the core temperature idea. All of the yoga blogs I've read have been negative towards ice water from both a physical and mental perspective so this was an interesting perspective. I suppose that could be an added physical benefit of cold water although I am still unsure whether my feelings toward water are more physical or mental. I suppose I should try a water-free class and then I would have a better idea about how I use water.
Hope this late night water rambling was semi-coherent...
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Second day back..
Went to class again this evening. The instructor told me that my floor bow was "wonderful." :) I know that corrections are really more useful than compliments but that comment really helped me power through the rest of class.
Today was an incredibly stressful, disappointing day but I feel stronger and less stressed after class. Yay for Bikram yoga!
Today was an incredibly stressful, disappointing day but I feel stronger and less stressed after class. Yay for Bikram yoga!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Off the mat...
I've been spending far more days off the mat than on the mat. And I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that I've been feeling much more stressed, having trouble sleeping, etc. Yes, the things I'm worried about are real and they are important, but I truly believe that Bikram (or other intense physical activity) has a way of helping to balance things out.
I'm listening to the audiobook of Haruki Murakami's "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running" and so much of what he says could be applied to Bikram yoga and a lot of it actually is in line with the way that Bikram himself talks about the yoga.
I'll leave you with this thought from Murakami's book (I can't remember who Murakami credits it to and since I'm listening to the audiobook, it's not convenient to go back and find it!) -- Pain is inevitable but suffering is a choice.
So true!
I'm listening to the audiobook of Haruki Murakami's "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running" and so much of what he says could be applied to Bikram yoga and a lot of it actually is in line with the way that Bikram himself talks about the yoga.
I'll leave you with this thought from Murakami's book (I can't remember who Murakami credits it to and since I'm listening to the audiobook, it's not convenient to go back and find it!) -- Pain is inevitable but suffering is a choice.
So true!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Class + outside of class
Yesterday I went to a great class taught by Jenn. She puts so much energy into class and really tries to keep everyone motivated. Yesterday she emphasized stillness between postures. I find that really hard because I'm one of those people who will futz with my hair or pull down my tank top or whatever. At one point during class, Jenn said something like, "A. - stop fixing your hair. It looks fine." Ah yes, a reminder that no one cares what my hair looks like in Bikram class :) I do try to push myself in class no matter what, but a well-timed correction from a caring instructor really does help!
I've been reading some yogi blogs today and it kind of makes me wish I had more yogi friends, but I suppose I can just read blogs to obsess over yoga and nutrition and do other things in my "real life."
I've been reading some yogi blogs today and it kind of makes me wish I had more yogi friends, but I suppose I can just read blogs to obsess over yoga and nutrition and do other things in my "real life."
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Back on the mat
Dragged myself back onto my yoga mat today for the first time in a while. I did feel a little stiff and not super hydrated, but it was good to sweat a little.
Last night, I was browsing Netflix's Watch Instantly and found a documentary called Ashtanga NY. It covers Sri K. Pattabhi Jois' visit to NYC which happened to coincide with 9/11. Gwyneth Paltrow and Willem Dafoe are in it along with lots of non-famous yogis. I've been more interested in Ashtanga after reading an Ashtanga blog which was written by a former coworker's wife. I know that Bikram yoga faces a lot of criticism as being very restrictive but to me, Ashtanga seems so much more strict. I've never practiced Ashtanga so I'm definitely coming at it from Bikram yoga. Anyway, the documentary isn't the best thing I've ever seen but it's less than an hour long and if you have nothing else to watch, you might want to check it out.
Last night, I was browsing Netflix's Watch Instantly and found a documentary called Ashtanga NY. It covers Sri K. Pattabhi Jois' visit to NYC which happened to coincide with 9/11. Gwyneth Paltrow and Willem Dafoe are in it along with lots of non-famous yogis. I've been more interested in Ashtanga after reading an Ashtanga blog which was written by a former coworker's wife. I know that Bikram yoga faces a lot of criticism as being very restrictive but to me, Ashtanga seems so much more strict. I've never practiced Ashtanga so I'm definitely coming at it from Bikram yoga. Anyway, the documentary isn't the best thing I've ever seen but it's less than an hour long and if you have nothing else to watch, you might want to check it out.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Thoughts on the challenges of my challenge
Now that I'm done with my challenge, I can reflect back on the experience. I've put together thoughts on a few of the difficulties I experienced during my challenge and have categorized them as mental, physical or logistical challenges.
Challenge: mental: Getting to class EVERY DAMN DAY
I read a post on the blog On Common Ground which jokingly suggested to quit your job before starting a 30 day challenge! I'm unemployed at the moment so having plenty of time on my hands definitely helped me get through the challenge. But obviously I would never recommend that people do that. However for me, even though I have time on my hands and experience following a training schedule, going to class EVERY DAMN DAY was still a bit hard to get used to. Last year I trained for a half marathon which meant I ran or worked out with my trainer Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday after work + early (7am-ish) on Saturday mornings. Sundays I ran on my own. The training schedule was intense, but I had Mondays and Fridays off and that was always something I could look forward to. So for me, getting past the mental block of getting to class every day was definitely a challenge.
Challenge: mental: Loving my practice
Yes, I practiced for 30 days in a row, but my practice is not pretty. I have a couple of postures that are respectable, but overall, I am not a Bikram posture superstar. I get hot and tired in class and I sit out postures. Sometimes I get angry when I get hot and tired. Some of my postures still suck! To keep on going with the challenge, I had to accept that for me, it wasn't about having pretty postures. It was about getting myself through class.
Challenge: logistical: Lots of sweaty clothes/towels
Bikram classes create laundry galore. I'm lucky in that I have a washer/dryer "in unit" (sorry - I've been looking at lots of rental listings lately because I'm moving soon) so I didn't have to go to a laundry room or laundromat to do laundry but even so, it was kind of a pain in the ass to have so much sweaty stuff around all the time. I know that some studios have reasonably priced towel rentals, but that's not done at my studio so I just got used to doing laundry all the time. And I had to switch laundry detergents. And I started filling my washer with hot water when I was washing my Bikram stuff and then switching the washer to warm water for the rest of the wash. But yeah, I worked it out.
Challenge: logistical/mental: Food/weight
I'll be honest, I had some crazy food cravings during my 30 day challenge. I pretty much ate whatever I wanted which is not what I normally do. Did I lose weight during my 30 days? No, I did not. Did I eat an insane amount of food and not gain weight? Yes, I did. I tried to eat healthy but for me, I think 90 minutes in the yoga room every day just made my body freak out. I find that if I practice 4-5 times a week, I can eat "normally" but the every day practice just did not work with my body as far as having any restraint re: food. I wouldn't recommend a 30 day challenge as a way to lose weight, but that's just my personal opinion.
Challenge: mental: Explaining what you're doing to friends/family
For me, this is one place where this blog and the online Bikram community provided so much support. My friends and family are great but they didn't really "get" my 30 day challenge. So to be accountable here and on Twitter was so helpful for me. To keep records and see progress really helped me keep going and suceed.
---
I feel like there must be lots of things I've missed in this post, but I just want to get it up there now that I'm almost one month out from finishing my challenge. EDIT: Just realized I didn't touch on the physical challenges. To be honest, I had some aches and pains, but the physical stuff wasn't as tough as the mental stuff for me!
Challenge: mental: Getting to class EVERY DAMN DAY
I read a post on the blog On Common Ground which jokingly suggested to quit your job before starting a 30 day challenge! I'm unemployed at the moment so having plenty of time on my hands definitely helped me get through the challenge. But obviously I would never recommend that people do that. However for me, even though I have time on my hands and experience following a training schedule, going to class EVERY DAMN DAY was still a bit hard to get used to. Last year I trained for a half marathon which meant I ran or worked out with my trainer Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday after work + early (7am-ish) on Saturday mornings. Sundays I ran on my own. The training schedule was intense, but I had Mondays and Fridays off and that was always something I could look forward to. So for me, getting past the mental block of getting to class every day was definitely a challenge.
Challenge: mental: Loving my practice
Yes, I practiced for 30 days in a row, but my practice is not pretty. I have a couple of postures that are respectable, but overall, I am not a Bikram posture superstar. I get hot and tired in class and I sit out postures. Sometimes I get angry when I get hot and tired. Some of my postures still suck! To keep on going with the challenge, I had to accept that for me, it wasn't about having pretty postures. It was about getting myself through class.
Challenge: logistical: Lots of sweaty clothes/towels
Bikram classes create laundry galore. I'm lucky in that I have a washer/dryer "in unit" (sorry - I've been looking at lots of rental listings lately because I'm moving soon) so I didn't have to go to a laundry room or laundromat to do laundry but even so, it was kind of a pain in the ass to have so much sweaty stuff around all the time. I know that some studios have reasonably priced towel rentals, but that's not done at my studio so I just got used to doing laundry all the time. And I had to switch laundry detergents. And I started filling my washer with hot water when I was washing my Bikram stuff and then switching the washer to warm water for the rest of the wash. But yeah, I worked it out.
Challenge: logistical/mental: Food/weight
I'll be honest, I had some crazy food cravings during my 30 day challenge. I pretty much ate whatever I wanted which is not what I normally do. Did I lose weight during my 30 days? No, I did not. Did I eat an insane amount of food and not gain weight? Yes, I did. I tried to eat healthy but for me, I think 90 minutes in the yoga room every day just made my body freak out. I find that if I practice 4-5 times a week, I can eat "normally" but the every day practice just did not work with my body as far as having any restraint re: food. I wouldn't recommend a 30 day challenge as a way to lose weight, but that's just my personal opinion.
Challenge: mental: Explaining what you're doing to friends/family
For me, this is one place where this blog and the online Bikram community provided so much support. My friends and family are great but they didn't really "get" my 30 day challenge. So to be accountable here and on Twitter was so helpful for me. To keep records and see progress really helped me keep going and suceed.
---
I feel like there must be lots of things I've missed in this post, but I just want to get it up there now that I'm almost one month out from finishing my challenge. EDIT: Just realized I didn't touch on the physical challenges. To be honest, I had some aches and pains, but the physical stuff wasn't as tough as the mental stuff for me!
Saturday, May 23, 2009
A week off
I haven't been to class since last Sunday. Last Sunday was one of those classes. One of those classes you hate. Or rather, one of those classes that I hate because I am not spiritually evolved enough to not hate classes. It was one of those classes that made me wonder why I would choose to be in a hot, skanky room with a bunch of strangers (and a friend from knitting.) My friend came to class with me. It was her third Bikram class. After class, I asked her about the class and whether she would have ever gone to another Bikram class if that had been her first one. She said probably not. That's how bad it was. And it's been such nice weather in Seattle this week. I just could not drag myself into the yoga room.
But I will get back. I'm struggling with a lot of non-yoga things in my life and doing more yoga would probably help me deal with them. And I read a funny Bikram quote on thedancingj's blog which cheered me up a bit. "Or as Bikram (definitely!) says: If you feeling great and everything is perfect in your life, you'd better watch out, something bad it coming. But if things are going terrible and you feel like shit, be happy!! Good things are going to come soon!"
I guess it's time to start being happy about feeling like shit.
But I will get back. I'm struggling with a lot of non-yoga things in my life and doing more yoga would probably help me deal with them. And I read a funny Bikram quote on thedancingj's blog which cheered me up a bit. "Or as Bikram (definitely!) says: If you feeling great and everything is perfect in your life, you'd better watch out, something bad it coming. But if things are going terrible and you feel like shit, be happy!! Good things are going to come soon!"
I guess it's time to start being happy about feeling like shit.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Yesterday + today + today
Yesterday
Drove to class yesterday. Signed in. Said hi to the instructor. Went into the changing room. And realized I didn't have my shorts with me. Le sigh. Went to get lunch instead. Couldn't make it to class in the evening so I didn't practice yesterday.
This morning
Went to class up north with my mom. It was hot, but not as hot as last time. Not much to report.
This afternoon
Went to class at my regular studio wtih my friend who came to her first class over the weekend. I think she may be hooked - she's coming to class on Sunday as well. WOO HOO!
So yeah, two classes in one day. It took up loads of my time, but other than that, it was fairly uneventful. I mean, the second class wasn't especially hard or exceptionally awesome - it was just a middle of the road class. But I'm happy that I've done it!
Drove to class yesterday. Signed in. Said hi to the instructor. Went into the changing room. And realized I didn't have my shorts with me. Le sigh. Went to get lunch instead. Couldn't make it to class in the evening so I didn't practice yesterday.
This morning
Went to class up north with my mom. It was hot, but not as hot as last time. Not much to report.
This afternoon
Went to class at my regular studio wtih my friend who came to her first class over the weekend. I think she may be hooked - she's coming to class on Sunday as well. WOO HOO!
So yeah, two classes in one day. It took up loads of my time, but other than that, it was fairly uneventful. I mean, the second class wasn't especially hard or exceptionally awesome - it was just a middle of the road class. But I'm happy that I've done it!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Class this morning
It was hot in the room today and the instructor was not generous with fans or cold air! But I just tried to remind myself that I don't go to class to enjoy the experience of class - I go to feel better in the rest of my life outside of class. If I happen to enjoy parts of class, that's just a bonus. And hey - it wasn't as bad as last night!
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