30 Day Bikram Challenge

The whole concept of blogging seems strange to me and immediately brings to mind the KitKat commercial that stigmatizes people who blog..."I took you as a believer, someone who wanted to blog about their emotions!" BUT I figure it's a convenient way to keep in touch with massive amounts of people as I gallivant throughout the Southern hemisphere, so I'll do my best to overcome my predispositions of bloggers and attempt to do it as regularly as I can.

THIS IS A PRACTICE BLOG, it's not actually about Argentina, it's about yoga. Bikram yoga. If you've had any type of contact with me throughout winter break you've probably heard me mention it, badger you to come to a class with me, or caught a distinct whiff of eu de bikram perfume eminating from my backseat that's constantly filled with yogi paraphenalia. Anyways, Bikram yoga is a type of Hatha yoga with 26 postures performed in a 110 degree room that lasts 90 minutes. There's alot of debate about whether Bikram follows the traditional yoga principles because it is essentially a franchise that fosters intensity and competition as a pathway to self betterment rather than individuality and relaxtion. I've taken alot of other hot yoga classes, a couple of Ashtanga classes (BOGA taught by the fabulous Beau Blumberg), and a couple Iyengar and Vinyasa classes. Personally Bikram clicks with me far better than any of them because it is such a mental marathon in addition to being a physical challenge.

I began practicing about 4 times a week this summer and I can't describe the impact it had on me. Prior to entering a bikram studio I had never sweat so much in my entire life including summer 2 a days in the stuffy AHS gym for volleyball, gauntlets, sprints and long runs for lacrosse and sprints to get to WaWa before 12 when they stop selling alcohol...(Ok, yeah I've been out of shape since college...which is why I need this yoga to get back into shape before travelling). So this winter break I decided it was the ideal time to try the 30 day challenge offered by Bikram Yoga Charlottesville. The goal is to attend 30 classes within 30 days- you can miss 2 days if you make up for it by attending multiple classes one of the other 28 days. If you succeed you get the material prizes of a week of free yoga, 5 free guest passes, and 10% off your next purchase from the studio.

I hesitantly began my challenge December 23rd immediately after they fixed the heater in the studio. They have a HUGE and obvious chart right by the door to the hot room that lists peoples names as they sign up for the challenge and has grids where you write down the dates you attend to track your progress. Out of about 25 names written optimistically on the chart, most trickled off after about the 5 day mark and a mere two made it to the critical day 30. I STRUGGLED through that first class. I had to sit down during several postures to avoid passing out during the standing series and felt on the brink of vomitting during the majority of the floor series. I didn't even dare to try my personal nemesis of a posture- camel pose which is the deepest backbend of the series and activates the lower spine releasing all types of emotional and physiologically STRANGE sensations. One of the teachers, while we were laying in savasana after camel pose commented, "Don't be afraid of these feelings, people pay alot of money in night clubs to feel what you're feeling now" Anyways, I stared at myself in the unforgiving mirror that exposed every pizza bagel calorie popping out of my spandex and wondered how I was going to survive the rest of the class let alone 29 more in the next month.

Tomorrow is day 28! Today I had the best class of my practice so far and went two full sets of camel pose with my hands completely weightless on my heals and I could see further back on the wall than I ever imagined. Most days, I don't feel like going to class (especially when Will & Grace reruns are on during primetime yoga hour)but once I get there I am extremely happy that I gave myself the gift of focusing on my health and blocking out everything else for those 90 minutes. It's one of the BEST things I could have done with my break, and I feel way more in control of my body and mind than I have in a very long time.

Little life lessons I've learned from Bikram yoga:

Just Breathe. Oxygen is always all you really need. Your body can handle way more than you think it can.

Skinny and healthy are not synonymous. My vindictive side loves when stick thin girls in soffee cheerleading shorts come in and can't handle the class. Don't be distracted by how much you hate or love your reflection.

Everyone sweats, smells, has strange body hair and most people don't look flawless in spandex and sports bras. Also, more middle aged business professionls have interesting tattoos in random places you might only see in a bikram class.

Being present and engaged mentally is just as important as important as doing so physically.

You don't have to buy someone a drink to see them sweaty and half naked, just go to a bikram class...

WELL, I could clearly talk about Bikram all day because I love it, but I'll stop so as not to bore those of you who dislike the concept of yoga as much as I dislike the concept of blogging. If you have any questions or thoughts, post or email me I guess?
Namaste biddies,
KD