Day 24: Erin drops out

Haven't updated regularly two days in a row. Got busy with chores but here I am, writing at 4.30 in the morning while I drink my tea. I have to get going in a few so this will be another quick post. 
Erin hasn't been coming regularly for a few days. She tore a muscle a last week and it still hasn't healed. Yesterday she left a message saying she is taking a break for a few days to let the muscle heal completely and then she will start anew from next week. I hope she gets better soon. 

Day 23: weight loss and muscle mass

Today Jorina confirmed what some other girls told me in the locker room. My slight weight gain is due to muscle mass. She also told me not to obsess over t he fluctuations in the weighing scale but to concentrate on how I feel and how my clothes fit. And she is right, this yoga  does tone you and makes you lean. 
Now if I can only get my muffing top under control...

Day 22: closing in on the mini challenge

Another week begins. Once I am done with this week, I will have finished the mini challenge. This will be a tough week since the studio will be closed for four days and I will have to go to a sister studio, about 40 mins away. The good thing is it is a long weekend so I don't have to hurry back home. 
I am bracing myself to do at least two doubles so I can stay ahead of the curve. I think next weekend I may attempt to do one. 
On physical front, I feel a little cramp in my left thigh today. Hoping it will go away by the end of the day. More tomorrow.

Day 21: end of week 3

Today, it was as hot outside as it was inside the yoga room. I found a good spot in the front row and the temperature went up a few degrees higher. But, it was a good class and did not feel as hot and humid as yesterday. Minh's energy and enthusiasm also helped. 
It is three weeks since I started the challenge. Don't see a lot of changes in my body and if anything I may have put on a pound or two but I am being assured by fellow yoginis that it is muscle mass. Let's hope so. 
Today, I had a friend come in to try a free class. She had to sit through most of the standing series but she made it through the end of the class. Which is what counts, to stay in the room for the first class. She wants to come back and try the yoga for a month. I wish her all the best.

Day 20: three servings of fruit

As much as I like waking up two hours later on saturday, I still prefer the 5.30 class. I am home by the time my kid is just waking up and I have the whole day ahead of me. On Saturdays I come back home around 10.30 and before I know it, half a day is gone. Today was different though. He had to do an all nighter at work and so I had to do the 3.00 PM class. 
I swear, as the day goes by the heater works harder and harder. Even though I was by the door today, it was Hot in the room. Jorina opened the door once, something she rarely does and there were a bunch of people going in and out to the restroom, but I suspect they were just trying to escape the heat. 
We went to CM for dinner and I ended up eating the kids sweet potato fries. So much for not eating fries for a couple of weeks.  I did ate a peach as my second serving of fruit for the day.  Now I am off to eat some mango ice cream. Don't think it will count as a third serving of fruit. Oh well.

Day 19: curly fries and muffin top

The bow pose was much better and overall it was a good class. I still have difficulty holding the eagle pose for a long time but I am getting there. Jorina was teaching yesterday and every time she teaches I am reminded of my first class. I hope I wasn't trying to attempt all the poses that day like the first timers who come in. Most of them try to get in the pose rather than follow the directions and do it step by step. Then again, the heat, the sweat and the energy in the room can be a little disorienting for first timers. 
On the muffin top front, I don't see any significant changes but I just have to patient and try not to eat too much junk. Yesterday, I had quite a bit of curly fries at the museum.  I figure it is ok to indulge once in a while. No more fries for a couple of weeks though

Day 18: uneven bow

Totally forgot to update two days in a row, not that I was too busy or anything. Julie was teaching day before yesterday and it is always fun to take her class. I did attempt all the postures, even the two sets of airplanes! However, I realized during bow pulling pose that one of my legs was higher than the other. It had never happened before and I was surprised when the same thing happened in the second set. 
After the class I asked Julie why that would happen and she said it happens to her too once in a while.  Sometimes the body is more flexible on one side than the other. Or it could have been the way I slept at night and one side was tighter than the other. In any case, will be careful today and report back

Day 17: much better today

I was a little skeptical if I would be able to do the morning class after coming so soon off the last evening class. But the morning class was easier, may be because the memory of yesterday's torture was still fresh in my body. Whatever the reason, it reminded me why I like morning class. 
Yesterday, I reached almost an hour early to the evening class and got a chance to talk to Ethel, who sits at the front desk. It seems she reads my blog regularly (yay!) and is also doing the 60-day challenge. She has two more days before she finishes and she told me she will end up doing ten doubles in the 60 days she is required to finish the challenge. She has already done seven doubles and she does not recommend doing a lot of doubles so quickly. I can understand but I may well have to do at least two if not three doubles before the deadline is over.

Day 16: a bit of drama and a lot of heat

I woke up this morning to torrential rain, a looming thunder storm and lightning.  By the time I left the house, it was raining hard. Half a mile out of the housing community, I couldn't see ten feet in front of me. As I turned around to head back home, he called on the cell phone to suggest maybe I should come back. Talk about unseen connections!
We decided I should do the evening 6.30 class. Which is exactly what I did. Oh boy, was I in for a shock. It seems, in the mornings the new heater is just warming up. By 6.30 in the PM, it is roaring and shooting out flames. It was so hot in the torture chamber, it is a miracle i did not pass out. I had to sit through some of the postures and lie down for some.  For once, I was glad the class was over. 
Tomorrow, I go to the 5.30AM class again. I will take waking up at 4 in the morning any day

Day 15: slacking off

Keeping with my resolve to change places, today I moved a little bit more to the left in the front row. I think it will give me something different to look forward to in an otherwise unpredictable routine. I took a nap yesterday afternoon and didn't go to bed till one hour short of midnight. Was up again at 4.00 and at the studio by 5.20AM.  Maybe it was the five hours of sleep because of which I didn't do one set of garudasana or eagle pose and kept my head down for purnashaval asana or airplane wings. But it was just for today. I will try to hold every pose as long as I can tomorrow. Till then, namaste.

Day 14: Two weeks down

Yes! I made it to the end of two weeks. Nine more weeks to go, 16 more days to finish the mini challenge (30 days) and 46 more days to finish the challenge. Seems so far away but I will focus on taking it one day at a time. 
Start of week 3 tomorrow. 

Day 13: A friend tries Bikram

Yesterday, Julie gave out passes for a free class for friends. I posted on fb about it and two friends said they would like to try. Liz decided to do it today so I picked her up from her home. Liz is in good shape, she exercises regularly and lifts weight. She seemed to be doing good in the beginning but towards the middle of balancing series, she started looking exhausted and took a knee for the whole separate leg series. She signaled to me that she wanted to leave but Stacy convinced her to stay in the room.  Thankfully, she recovered quickly and resumed to do all of the floor series. 
After the class, she said she liked the exercise but did not care for the heat much. It is tough to explain to someone why after a while one craves the heat. 
But I was glad I introduced yoga to another friend. Now, it is up to her to adopt or reject it. 
Later tomorrow

Day 12: Changing spots

It is a good thing I am writing this diary because it helps reinforce my resolution and reminds me of habits I need to break. I am proud to say I did not lounge in the bed for more than a few minutes after the alarm went off. Reached a full 12 minutes before the class was about to start. It was good to see Julie's pretty face when I entered the studio.
They replaced the whole heater unit the day before and everyone expected the room to get hotter. Yesterday, positioned in the third row, right in front of the door, it didn't feel too hot (yes, the body craves the heat once you get used to it!). So today, I went up to the front of the room, second left from the instructor's perch. This placement was new to me but I am going to try and practice in different parts of the room in these 60 days. 
The reason: I have come to realize how every student gets in a routine and have their favorite place to set up the mat. We all come in, looking to find our spot and setting up our mats, covering chilled water bottles and stretching. I am no exception and today was the day when practicing form a new spot did not feel strange. Tomorrow, I'll have to find another fresh spot. 
Catch you later. 

Day 11: counting minutes

Today, I reached just as Suzann was about to lock the doors. Phew! I have to stop checking fb on my phone while I am still in bed, trying to wake up. Not that I am addicted to it. Checking my wall wakes me up from my drowsy mode.  The only problem is I am at it for almost ten minutes before I am out of the bedroom. Need to count those minutes to be able to reach on time. 
On the yoga front, I did do both sets of airplane pose today. Still not my favorite pose but i think it helps me with the bow pose that follows. Overall, it was a good class. Very tired now and need to catch my z's so I can wake up on time tomorrow. Namaste for now. 

Day 10: Nothing hanging, nothing lose

Fifty more days to go and hopefully by the end of it, I will have get rid of my muffin top, because that is one of my goals besides completing the challenge. If I can get rid of that tier of fat around my belly in the next 60 days, I will be a happy girl.  After all, it is all right for the instructor to say " nothing hanging, nothing lose" when they don't have any jiggly bits on their frames.  Hopefully, by the end of 60 days I too may be able to say the same about my frame. 
Erin wasn't feeling  well today so she opted out. Haven't checked with her if she went for an evening class. Will call tomorrow to find out. 
Oh, and it was Jorina who taught both days.  

Day 9: a day longer than Erin

Yesterday, Erin did some math and realized she will be done a day earlier than me. Which is not a big deal and who knows, I might just do a double one day and catch up to her. For those of you who don't know, a double is when you do two classes in a day, preferably back to back. It is hard and very tough and if I ever have to do that, I think I will sleep the rest of the day. So let's hope I don't have to do it. 
Today, I did pretty good compared to yesterday. Did most of the poses except purnashavalasana or airplane pose. Lifting your upper and lower body against gravity, while lying on one's stomach and hip bones is tough. I stayed down for the first set and attempted the second. I still have a long way to go on standing head to knee pose but at least I am going at it the right way, one step at a time, unlike some people who try to do it all the way and come up huffing and puffing. 
That is all for now. Another update tomorrow.

Day 8: tough Monday

I have a sneaking feeling that Monday mornings are going to be tough  for me. After doing a 3PM class yesterday, I was exhausted. Went to bed at around 10.30, an hour later then usual and woke up at 4.00. I was on five and a half hours of sleep, not fully rested when I walked in to the hot room. It was tough going and I had to sit through most of the class.  Whatever little poses I did, Suzann kept correcting me for most of them. Even though I was mentally present in class, physically I was a long way off. Need to get enough shut eye on Sun nights from now on. 
That is all the update for now. More tomorrow. 

Day 7: End of week1

Phew! So I made it through one whole week without missing a beat.  I thought it might get a little monotonous and tiring to wake up every morning at 4AM and go off to do the same routine all over again.  I could not have been more wrong.  I think, sleeping early in the morning helped, as did the knowledge that Erin was going to be there too.  The fact that I could wake up two hours late on Sat and Sun was an added bonus. 

I feel great, the need for naps in the afternoon is not as much and I can already feel improvement in my asanas.  I realize I prefer the front row, in spite of the heat and the proximity to the mirror. And, I can see some muscles and I didn’t even have to lift any weights!

So far, one week down, 8 more weeks to go. Wish me luck.

Day 6: Minh says bye, kind of

Not that anyone is reading, but if you happen to come back later and check, I want to clarify that I did make it to Bikram yesterday. It being a Saturday and all, I had a busy day and never got around to updating the space.
Today, Minh was in charge of the class. He makes the class so much fun and always manages to push one or the other of my pose a little bit deeper than I think I can. This time it was the sitting head to knee. He made me flex my toes and I could feel the burn down my thighs. Thanks Minh.
At the end of the class, he announced he won't be taking too many classes since he got a new job. It was a sad and at the same time happy day for all of us. We all wish him the best.
Today, I will be doing the 3.00 PM class because T goes to the Hindu Temple yoga in the morning. Will try to update by the end of the day.

Day 5: Drifting off

So far, It looks like I may be able to do the first 30 days without a hitch. I have been getting up at the stroke of 4AM for a couple of days now and so far there is no urge to hit the snooze button. 
Itwas Jorina's turn to coach today and she was her usual competent self.  I drifted off into my dream world at some point during floor series and blocked out her voice. If I am in the second or third row, it doesn't matter because I have students in front of me for visual guidance. But being in the front row (yes, I seem to like it) makes you the visual guide. 
I snapped out of my reverie when Jorina reminded me we were doing cobra pose and not locust. I have done this sort of thing before and it is an indication for me to stay more present in class and less in my mind. 
I have a ton of chores to finish today, so I will log off for now. Catch you later. 

Day 4: Student to teacher with a smiling, happy face

Last night, I decided to get up at 4AM and hoped my body will respond to the alarm. I am happy to say, it did. I was up by 4.03 and ready and on the road with five minutes to five o clock. I reached with enough time to spare.
Set up my mat at the top of the class (surprised myself) and went out to use the restroom. Ran into Erin and decided to chat with her for a few minutes. We haven't had a chance to talk since we started. She is already on class when I reach and she has to leave immediately after class. Erin has been feeling sore and drowsy during the day. She doesn't have the luxury to take a nap in the day like I do. But she is not ready to give up yet and I promise to keep up with the wake-up call in the morning.
Today Julie greeted me at the front desk. She was the coach for the class. I feel a special connection to Julie. The two of us started Bikram about the same time. Then I took a medical break for four months and when I came back Julie was an instructor! She is as good an instructor as she was a student. As always she led a great class and I left feeling full of energy.
Yesterday, a discussion on fb left me feeling assured that I was not the only one who took an hour and a half of naps. Today's goal will be to cut the napmdown to an hour and may be eat less of the candied pinnaple.

Day 3: Reaching on time

Last night, I set the alarm for 4.10 instead of 4.15. Don't think it helped me leave the house by 5.00. But, on his suggestion I took the highway instead of the straight road and going at 70miles an hour certainly helped me reach the class five minutes earlier. Got a good spot, even though it was right at the front. As a beginner, I had to be in the front once and I hated it. It was hot, I could see the whole room and I couldn't concentrate. I kept seeing people falling off, making mistakes and that made me loose my  balance.
 A year into Bikram, I am able to concentrate better if I have to take the first row but I still prefer my middle of the room, second or third row position. That is the best place to be if one of the instructors takes pity on the sweating, panting class and decides to open the door for a few seconds. The cold air that rushes in the hot room is relief for a sore body. There is no relief when you are up front.
Today, we had a first time student in the class and she was right behind me. It is especially hard for me to concentrate with a new student in class. I keep checking on them, trying to smile an encouraging smile or sneak in an occasional thumbs up. I remember my first day at Bikram and how nice everyone was to me afterwards. I like to pass it on.
Apart from seeking an occasional glance at the newbie, I managed to concentrate. I still need working on a few poses and I need to be able to stay longer in some of the poses or go deeper in others.
I will talk about some of it in the days to come. Right now, I am tired and need a nap. It is just my body, detoxifying and needing a rest. Catch you tomorrow.

PS: Oh, the instructor today was Stacy who not only teaches but owns two Bikram studio in our city. Her boundless energy and smiling, happy face in the morning is enough to brighten your day. The yoga is the added bonus.

Day 2: Almost on time and two pregnant ladies

Yesterday was a little tiring with the kids' activities and running errands but I survived. Managed to go to bed by 10PM and wake up on time at the alarm. But I left just a couple of minutes after 5.05 and that made me drive a little faster than  I should have. I almost jumped a red light in order to reach on time. Not good. I have to wake up at 4.00AM from tomorrow.
I reached just in time and the class was full. I hate reaching at the last minute and rushing in to set up the mat, taking off my finger rings and wrapping my water bottle in a hand towel. A quick trip to the bathroom and by the time I came back Suzann was already in the room, getting everybody ready for Pranayama breathing.
My husband T, also a Bikram yogi, has suggested taking the highway rather than the road to be able to reach early. I am going to try it tomorrow and see if it helps me get to class early.
There are two pregnant ladies in my class and one of them is scheduled to go into labor today. I am in awe of both of them. They look amazingly fit for full term pregnancies and attempt most of the postures with a few variations on some of the asanas.
Suzann without fail managed to correct one of my flaws. This time, it was in the sit ups during floor exercises. My hands and elbows were a little bit higher than they should have been. Lowering them made my situp so much better. Love you Suzann.
My partner in crime, Erin has been there both days. I hope she is there with me all the way.  Will update Day 3 and Day 4 tomorrow. Namsate.

Day 1: Here we go...

As I zip through the deserted roads at five in the morning I feel exhilarated. I am on my way to a 5.30AM Bikram yoga class. I have been practicing Bikram for over a year now, with a four month break in between due to medical reasons.
Ever since I started Bikram, I have always wanted to do a 60-day challenge. A typical Bikram routine involves doing 26 Hatha yoga postures and two breathing exercises for an hour and a half, in 104 degree heat, everyday for 60 days. It is an intense, head to toe body workout which targets each and every joint, muscle and internal organ of the body.
I have been hooked on it since day one. But try as I may, I have not been able to do it for even ten days straight. Sixty days seem so far away.
Last week, when my preschooler finished his last day at preschool, it seemed I would have to postpone practicing Bikram for another three months. Thanks to social media, I found out a friend was checking herself in at 5.30AM at the gym every morning. I hadn't thought about doing the very early morning class at Bikram because I have never been an early riser. To do the 5.30AM class, I would have to get up at least at 4.15 and leave the house by 5.00 in order to reach ten minutes before the class.
Was I really up to taking on not one but two challenges at the same time? Well, as Bikram says, "You are never too late, it's never too bad, and you're never too old or too sick to start from scratch once again".
So, here I am this Monday morning, driving through green lights and empty streets to a Bikram studio closest to me.
It helps that my friend Erin has agreed to do the challenge with me. I am supposed to give her a wake up call everyday at 4.30 because it takes her just 10 mins to reach the studio and she can afford to wake up late.
Today, I leave at 5.05 and reach a few minutes before the class is about to start. It is crowded and I get a place right in front of the instructor's platform. Jorina, who incidentally was also my instructor the  day I started Bikram, is coaching today. I hope this is a lucky omen or a good sign that I just may be able to complete the challenge. Wish me luck!