Reflect/Resolve

It's been just over 2 months since I started getting back into bikram and I thought now would be a good time to reflect on how it's been going.

I did take about a week off over Christmas—there's no studio in my parents' town and between visits and dinners and everything I really just didn't have the time. So this week (Tuesday and today so far) has been a lot harder than usual. I sort of gave myself permission to take it easier-than-usual (if there is a way to take bikram "easy," aside from taking an hour & a half nap in a hot room) and I've been feeling like I'm coming down with a cold, so it's been a rough couple of classes. Hopefully tomorrow and next week will be easier.

Aside from forced breaks, I've gone to class 4-5 times per week every week since the end of October. Usually I feel good, before, during, and after class, and my body is noticeably more toned.

For 2012, my yoga resolution is to keep up a minimum of 4 classes per week. While I'm still working on the dissertation it should be easily doable. If I get full time work in the fall it might be a bit harder, but I'll reevaluate when that becomes an actual issue!!

weekend warriors

I tend not to go to yoga on the weekend often... I'm averaging 4-5 times a week now, so the weekend is a good time to break and get some stuff done. I know most people have the opposite schedule, though, where they are so busy during the week and the weekend is the only time they can get in. Doesn't really matter, as long as you're doing it at some point, right?

Anyway, this coming week I'll be heading home for the holidays, and there isn't a bikram studio in my hometown so I wanted to try and get in at least the once, today. I'll try to go to hot yoga (there are 2 moksha studios and a few other varieties of hot yoga, just no bikram) at least a couple of times, but there are definite differences.

If I don't post again before Christmas/New Year's, namaste and happy holidays!

getting back to it

Last week was a "light" bikram week for me... I was away, visiting my old town, where I'm still a student and have the occasional necessary meeting with my thesis advisor, etc. I did, fortunately, also get to visit my first bikram studio, Bikram Yoga Hampden. Unfortunately, I only got in twice, but luckily once was to take one of the final classes of the dancing J (final classes there, of course, she's moving on to another studio) as well as a class of one of the newest bikram graduates, who I knew as a fellow student at BYH. Both classes were awesome, in their own ways, I just wish I had had more time to get in and take even MORE classes!

Now I'm a little stiff and today will be my 3rd day back in a row to the studio here. Next week will be interrupted again as I go home to visit with family (yay!) but I'm hoping to get into the hot yoga studio there, which, while heated, isn't Bikram. But still good and good for me!

Double Duty

After 4 days off (for thanksgiving/christmas with the inlaws) I got back in the hot room today and did a double. That's right, 2 bikram classes, back to back (9am and noon). The first one was difficult because I was so stiff from 4 straight days of no class, and the second was also hard, but mostly because I was so exhausted, physically, from the first one. The first half of the second class was the hardest, once we were on the floor and into the home stretch it didn't seem so bad.

I'd write more but I kind of just want to nap right now...

Still at it!

Although I haven't found the time to post much lately, I'm keeping up with Bikram the best I can! I originally wanted to go 5 times a week but some weeks (like this one) it just isn't possible. Last week I made it to 4 classes (had to skip Friday to clean furiously before some guests arrived for the weekend) and this week I plan to do the same (I went to a Sunday night class, as well as Monday AM and will go later today as well as tomorrow morning...), all before the big Turkey day. We're traveling for Thanksgiving and won't be anywhere near a hot room, so I've got to get in as much as possible beforehand.

A couple of the regulars at the studio here were talking about doing a double on the Monday after thanksgiving and I'm thinking about joining in... it'll be my first ever double, so I'm excited but also a little apprehensive!!

Days Sixteen & Seventeen: Not-so-Fixed, Not-so-Firm

I'm really concentrating on my Fixed Firm posture these days... it took a very long time for me to be able to get all the way down onto the floor and now I'm trying to alleviate some of the compression and pain in my lower back when I do so. Any suggestions (except don't tell me to open my knees wider... they're pretty much at the max already!) would be greatly appreciated!

Day Fifteen: I got a new attitude!

I bought myself some new yoga gear this morning, and I gotta say, it totally made me feel better. I looked better (no more semi-saggy bra-top) and it fit better (see previous aside). Just made me feel more positive all-round!

Other good news: in the "notable changes" category I could put down the following: after the first week of this new regimen I took some measurements... I'm not going to tell you what they were, but I will tell you that as of today I have lost 1 inch all-over (literally speaking: 1-inch smaller in the chest, waist, and hips each!) I was especially worried about my waist-line, which seemed to be rapidly increasing and close to entering the danger zone (35" and up, according to the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation). I was still below that, but not much. I'll keep you all updated of any more major changes!!

Favorite Posture: Standing Head to Knee. Although I may never get my head on my knee, I was able to keep my legs locked for the entire posture today, which is a first!

Least Favorite: Balancing Stick. There was nothing balanced about it today.