namaste.

my friends and cousins are obsessed with bikram yoga. i've been "practicing" bikram for about 3 years, but i use the term practicing very loosely. i probably would go once every 6 months. i recently quit my job and have been going through a lot of changes in my personal life, and i figured that this would be the best time to try and heal myself.

i am trying to do the 30 day bikram challenge, but unfortunately i am traveling to the west coast at the end of this week, interrupting my days. doing bikram every day in california is not realistic for me, so even though i have some time in venice beach scheduled, i needed a way around it. today, while at lunch with my cousin i figured out the solution...DOUBLES!

obviously the idea of taking two bikram classes in one day scared the crap out of me. i like to do the accelerated 60 minute yoga. this is high intensity with no breaks. you are just going pose into pose into pose. i love this because it doesn't give your mind time to wander and you really are strong and focused. however, one is rough enough. as i stepped into the 105 degree room at 430 this afternoon my initial reaction was to run to the door. once the door is shut at my studio though, it's shut. so i had this internal conversation of, "you can either lay here in the front row the entire time or you can get your butt up and do it." i did it. and it was a lot easier than i thought. and i feel amazing.

what worked for me: 

       not going right after my first class.
              my first class was at 930 am and my second at 430 pm. this gave my body enough time to rest, hydrate and refuel

       WATER
              just do it. a lot of it. a lot of people say to not drink water right before the next class. i drank it until i had to put it down to begin. i used the bathroom right before the class began and i was completely fine. your mind is really in an alternate state so you're not focused on bodily discomforts as much. you're also sweating. a lot.
 
      switch up the studio/instructor
              i decided to go to two different studios today. mainly just because i wanted to go with my cousin to the second one and she goes to a different one than i do. switching locations makes you feel like you are doing something new and exciting, even if it's the same poses and heat. plus, each teacher brings something different to the table. today i learned a move that would help me deepen my stretch and make me more aligned that was completely missed in my first class. 

    go with a friend to the second class
               it just makes it easier. you're really motivated and someone is helping you through the initial anxiety. my cousin was a huge support system for me today!





i'm by no means very experienced at yoga, but it is something that takes complete body and mind control and really can heal your body and your soul. i finally felt that i was in the right place in my life to take the challenge. it shifts how you spend your day, how you think, what you put into your body...basically how you're living your life. you cannot expect to do bikram for 30 days without altering your lifestyle, you just have to be in the right mindset to do it.