The 60 Day Challenge Begins…

So I started taking Bikram Yoga at Bikram Yoga of Richmond September 15, 2010. Something called me to the yoga and it was love at first ‘sweat’ for me. For most it can be a daunting, nauseating, one time event. For me it was like I was home. For those of you that do not know what Bikram Yoga is, it is the crazy hot yoga where the room is heated to around 105 degrees with 40-50% humidity where you are locked in for 90 minutes to go through a series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises. I know it sounds like some crazy torture chamber, well ok it is. But the end result is what makes me come back for more. 

According to my dear hubby, I am calmer, more pleasant to be around when I do the yoga regularly – meaning if I don’t skip more than one day of Bikram Yoga. It is almost like nothing can get to me when I practice regularly and usually everything gets to me. I am your typical type A stressball that is always worrying about worrying too much.

So a few weeks back our studio, Bikram Yoga of Richmond, posted they were starting the 30 or 60 Day Challenge to start on Oct 1 to run through Nov 30th. (it is doing 30 classes in 30 days or 60 classes in 60 days) The name of it is “The Rajashree Challenge” in honor of raising more awareness for USA Yoga. Rajashree is Bikram’s wife and they are trying to get more people to join USA Yoga in hopes to get Yoga into the Olympics as an official sport. Apparently they need to show a certain amount of members to qualify or something. (OK I still have to register myself. I will post when that happens.)

Anyways, I was encouraging a fellow Yogini, Laura, to sign up for the Challenge. I had completed a shortened version of it last year and was telling her it wasn’t so bad. So a few days pass and Laura announced she signed up and was looking forward to doing the Challenge WITH me… Uh Oh…I was called out…NOW I HAD to sign up. My whole excuse of “I am traveling and will be too busy” wasn’t going to hold up. So I told myself, “Self, you can do this… pull yourself together and just do it.” Now anyone that knows me knows that if I sign up to doing something, I get it done and I will get it done right. So I signed up for the 60 classes in 60 days to start Oct. 1st.

I made a conscious effort to take the two days before the challenge off from Bikram Yoga, so to give my body a little rest to prepare for this daunting task ahead of me. I think I was just more mentally anxious thinking of the whole 60 classes, and also knowing that I would have to take 2 classes in one day several times during the challenge to make up for times I would be traveling.

I remember having discussions with fellow yogis in class that have done numerous “doubles” and them saying no problem you can do it! Inside I was thinking ” CRAP!! I can barely get through one class sometimes .. how will I ever get through 2 classes in one day”  Then the other voice inside of me… the more sensible one said — “You can do this and you will do this”

So the night before the Challenge I decided to make the first day a day that I would do the double class and get it over with – the mountain would be climbed and then I would feel more confident about getting through the 60 days. I chose to take the 12pm and 2pm at the West End Studio in Richmond, VA. I posted that I would be doing this on Facebook and thankfully my fellow yogini, Lisa, said she would also be doing a double class at those times – I had a partner to get through this. Surely now I would be ok. Just having that support made all the difference for me.

OK the morning of Day #1 of the Challenge… I was excited and nervous because I knew I would be at the studio from 11:30ish till 4pm. I had a decent breakfast of egg whites, Ezekial Toast with almond butter and some grapes. Of course my coffee and I had my E3Live supplement ( Live Blue Green Algae – awesome stuff!) and Chia seeds with Naked Green Machine Juice. I ate that around 8am and figured it would hold me through the first class at least. I packed extra towels and extra frozen Smartwater and yoga clothes. My plan was to eat a banana in between the 12pm and 2pm to get me through (that was good thinking).

I got to the studio and it was buzzing with people coming out from the 10am class. I was so happy to see Briah as the teacher and then I found Lisa and made sure to put my mat next to hers. I always set my mat on the front row when I can. I prefer to be right up to the mirror so I can ensure my view in the mirror. I tend to have the concentration of a fly and need to see myself in order to focus in the class.

The first class went great. I felt strong and sweat like a beast. It almost seemed more humid than hot in that class for me personally. It was strange though. During the class I kept thinking ok I will be doing this again after the  second set was done of a posture. I made sure to give it a 100% and not slack off even though I knew I was staying for a second class. I did feel like I drank more water than usual. I think I was trying to make sure I wouldn’t get too dehydrated since I was repeating the class.

After the class, I showered off and changed clothes and my towel to do it again. To my pleasant suprise I saw that it was Briah again teaching. She is very gentle and the perfect teacher to have as a first time double yoga class. I felt strong in class but started to feel the lactic acid building as the class went along. I also started to get really hungry despite eating the banana. Thank God I brought the banana. I was ecstatic that I went further in my postures the second class. It is true! You are more stretchy and bendy the second time around. I felt exhilirated and so accomplished when it was done. I was also  suprised that I didn’t sweat nearly as much the second time around. Maybe it’s because I didn’t have anything else to sweat out.  The end of class Lisa and I high fived – it was DONE. Woo Hoo!

Oddly enough I thought I would want to eat a whole pizza after the two classes but I went straight to Whole Foods and got their salad bar and had a healthy meal. I slept like a baby anticipating day two of the challenge.

Namaste my peeps!