So, it's been a full week. Once again I have a new instructor. Luckily the moves never change like in a dance class or an aerobics class. It is actually a good thing to have a different instructor in Bikram. Each teacher has a style and certain things they say. Each teacher gives a different insight into what your reaching for with one common goal. I find that each class I hear something or pick up something I didn't get before. After 8 classes, you would think that would start to diminish - but it doesn't. There is always a way to improve and grow in your practice. Practice is what they call it. Seemed a bit odd to me at first too... but that's just what it is. I don't know that there is ever perfection in any posture or asana because you can always go deeper. What that means to me is we are all equal in the class. Where do you find that - true equality.
The class is always made up of all types of people. There is a very vast age range, so many different body types, different ethnicities. This may be the answer to world peace - what do you think? Throw everyone in a hot room to meditate and improve your body from the inside out. So, that is just a pipe dream - but for me - it's certainly taking my hostility towards minor things away.
I'll talk about last night specifically. Afterall, this blog is so I can look back and know how I progress, right? Yesterday I talked about my back bend during the half moon series. I was able to see the wall. Well, last night, the instructor after the first set (everything is done in 2 sets) stopped and asked my name and told me what a good practice I was doing! After a week, I got a compliment on a posture! Not that I had improved from before, because he had never seen that, but I was doing it right and good enough to take note. The rest of the class felt great! I still can't get into everything - but I still try and I am so close. By the end of the month I should be able to grab my foot for the standing head to knee posture. I have to make realistic goals, because I don't think my head is going to hit my knee just yet. If you don't know what posture I'm referring to - go back to my first blog second link. My goal for the end of the month is to perfect the first step of every posture and prepare for the second. A good foundation is essential in everything you do and Bikram is no exception. In fact, a good foundation is required.
What I can tell you is Bikram finds a way to put life into perspective. I have the luxury to take 90 minutes in a studio and work hard. I have this luxury because I put the bad habits to rest. I could not afford to do this if I was drinking and smoking and going out like I was. I assure you I don't make enough money to do both! So, life truly is about the choices we make and the future we desire. Every move leads to the next and in a perfect series life is like the 26 asanas of Bikram.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Link
Got a link for you... It's really a good article and a great student testimonial. http://www.purecalma.com/bikram_yoga.html
Amber - Challenge of Change
I want to begin this saying that Bikram, after only one week, has become a lifestyle. If I don't go in a day, which I've only done once, I feel like something is missing. It is a life changing lifestyle. I can't imagine smoking before class and getting through it. This makes it easier to quit. I definitely can't imagine drinking before class. I would probably pass out. I'm sure people do both - but can you really get the benefits? Ashley gave me one piece of advice. She said - listen to what your body craves. When your brain and your body have a conflict of cravings, go with your body. It will tell you what it needs. I don't think I've ever eaten healthier and I've been so satisfied. That's not to say the cake doesn't look good or that hot steaming loaf of bread with the oil and spices doesn't look good... but that's just it - my body wasn't craving those, just my brain.
I noticed washing my face has been a bit different. After I turn into a human water fountain for about 90 minutes, there really isn't anything dirty about me. I shower immediately when I get home. I wash my face in the shower. I get out and use an astringent just like I've always done. But now, the cotton is clean when I use the astringent. It used to remove that last bit of dirt still stuck in my face. I've been doing this for years so it's not like all of a sudden I have no more dirt. I've just released all of the physical toxins from my body in class. That is the one piece of hard proof I can offer you after only a week.
Those love handles in my back - well, they are certainly smoothing out! Pretty soon when they say "See your ribs in the mirror" - I may actually do that! I don't know if it's possible, but I think my neck is getting longer. I can only imagine it is possible with all of the spine stretching we do.
During class it is so quiet. No one talks. Everyone just concentrates. I was initially very self conscience coming to this class. The truth is, if you look at what someone else is doing and what they look like, you will mess up and lose balance. At times it feels as if you are the only one in that room. Just when you don't think you can't do any more - you do. I'm not sure it's always visible that I'm doing more - but I feel it.
Last night during the opening series of warm ups - in my opinion some of the most difficult to maintain - I was able to keep my arms up parallel to the ground the whole time. To do the math that is about 5 minutes. Maybe a bit more if you include the second set. The first few my shoulders burned so much I couldn't do it. I also noticed that in the half moon, my arms stayed at my ears and my palms did go together. Maybe I had achieved that in the last class - but I didn't notice. I'm not sure that I went any deeper into the posture, I just did it correctly. Oh and speaking of the half moon... When leaning back - I did see the back wall!
The one major thing I can't seem to get past is near the end of the standing series my ankles kill. I hope this will improve with strength. I know I'm not swollen. If anything I've lost weight in my feet because the heels I wore yesterday, normally cut into the top of my foot - but they were comfortable ALL day!
This may sound minor to you the reader... but every little improvement I make only leads to greater physical improvement, greater mental improvement, and an overall better quality of life. Change takes time. It takes dedication. I can not expect to be that girl I was when I was 18 in a week. I can expect to see the changes starting to happen. I believe that I will be better than that 18 year old I once was. I will be more healthy. I will have a greater outlook on life. I will have done it on my own and faced the challenge of change.
I noticed washing my face has been a bit different. After I turn into a human water fountain for about 90 minutes, there really isn't anything dirty about me. I shower immediately when I get home. I wash my face in the shower. I get out and use an astringent just like I've always done. But now, the cotton is clean when I use the astringent. It used to remove that last bit of dirt still stuck in my face. I've been doing this for years so it's not like all of a sudden I have no more dirt. I've just released all of the physical toxins from my body in class. That is the one piece of hard proof I can offer you after only a week.
Those love handles in my back - well, they are certainly smoothing out! Pretty soon when they say "See your ribs in the mirror" - I may actually do that! I don't know if it's possible, but I think my neck is getting longer. I can only imagine it is possible with all of the spine stretching we do.
During class it is so quiet. No one talks. Everyone just concentrates. I was initially very self conscience coming to this class. The truth is, if you look at what someone else is doing and what they look like, you will mess up and lose balance. At times it feels as if you are the only one in that room. Just when you don't think you can't do any more - you do. I'm not sure it's always visible that I'm doing more - but I feel it.
Last night during the opening series of warm ups - in my opinion some of the most difficult to maintain - I was able to keep my arms up parallel to the ground the whole time. To do the math that is about 5 minutes. Maybe a bit more if you include the second set. The first few my shoulders burned so much I couldn't do it. I also noticed that in the half moon, my arms stayed at my ears and my palms did go together. Maybe I had achieved that in the last class - but I didn't notice. I'm not sure that I went any deeper into the posture, I just did it correctly. Oh and speaking of the half moon... When leaning back - I did see the back wall!
The one major thing I can't seem to get past is near the end of the standing series my ankles kill. I hope this will improve with strength. I know I'm not swollen. If anything I've lost weight in my feet because the heels I wore yesterday, normally cut into the top of my foot - but they were comfortable ALL day!
This may sound minor to you the reader... but every little improvement I make only leads to greater physical improvement, greater mental improvement, and an overall better quality of life. Change takes time. It takes dedication. I can not expect to be that girl I was when I was 18 in a week. I can expect to see the changes starting to happen. I believe that I will be better than that 18 year old I once was. I will be more healthy. I will have a greater outlook on life. I will have done it on my own and faced the challenge of change.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Amber - The first week...
It's amazing what a doctor's visit, a drive to lose weight, and a 30th birthday approaching can do to a person. A Biggest Loser Challenge at work helped a bit too! I am a pretty competitive person and I always have been.
For some reason, at the ripe age of 18 I thought it was a good idea to take Depo-Provera. Depo, for short, is a birth control that is injected every 3 months. Well, I suffered some severe side effects. At 18 years old I weighed under 120 lbs and was in the prime of my life. After my second injection, I gained 40 lbs in that 3 months. I couldn't control it. I couldn't stop it. I couldn't quit taking a pill because it was in my system. Now, I am a pretty vain person to say the least, so a 40 lb weight gain was a bit depressing. So depressing that I continued to gain until I doubled my weight over the last 11 years.
So about two months ago, I had made the decision to lose 30 lbs by my 30th birthday which falls on June 30th. Made sense to me and it is an achievable goal. I just couldn't get motivated until we decided at work to team up and race for the weight loss! This was great! So I started on a low-carb diet which I knew so well after doing Atkins several years ago. I modified it a bit to add in more veggies and cut fat. I wanted to make this as healthy as possible and successful. Well, I can say that 3 weeks later I'm still going strong on it and I don't even miss the stuff I gave up. I also gave up beer and soda for Lent. So that left me with martini's and iced tea to drink - or so I thought.
Last Tuesday, I went to the doctor and discovered I have a fatty liver. After some research, I learned there are two main causes for a fatty liver - drinking and obesity. Well, I was a drinker and at 241 lbs (before I started) I am obese. So - gone is the drinking!
I had also started taking Chantix about 3 weeks ago - so gone is the smoking!
The doctor said I needed to start being more active. After hearing about Bikram Yoga for several years from my little brother's ex-girlfriend Ashley. Then hearing about it again from my friend Molly. Then hearing what the doc had to say - it was time to research Bikram. Everyone needs to research Bikram... I'll help - start here. Then go here to learn about each position and where it targets.
Now, you've hopefully read a bit about it and you are probably saying - well, the benefits look great but you have to be insane to be in a room that is heated to 105 degrees at 40% humidity for 90 minutes. What kind of workout is that? It can't be cardiovascular - you are just stretching. Well, to those of you who think it isn't cardiovascular - I challenge you to take one class and tell me about your heart rate.
I signed up for my first class last Wednesday. One week ago today. The first class was eye-opening. I didn't quite know what to expect. I also couldn't imagine what 105 degrees felt like. Thank GOD I had a great instructor. She went around to each new student and asked our names. She never forgot them - impressive because there were about 8 newbies that night. Then she said we had one goal for that class - to stay in the room for all 90 minutes. That was quite the relief, because if I was expected to get into half the stuff those people were doing - well - it wasn't going to happen. I tried everything. That's all I could do was try. Some postures I couldn't even grab my foot to start the posture. So she would tell us what to do as a modification to eventually get it right. Karen and I got through the whole class and we were drenched! Karen turned to me and said - this was harder than spinning! I was scared to death of spinning but I did this! I felt great! I felt like I had just got the gold medal or made a sale or well... let's just say amazing. I don't know that I will ever be able to explain the feeling of accomplishment when you get through that class. But, I was hooked and committed, which is good because I had signed up for a month!
I took the next day off because I was having a whole bunch of blood drawn for lab tests. I was scared I may pass out in class. I returned promptly on Friday. Rima was my instructor again. She noticed I could grab my foot this time. It was just my second class and I was already doing better. I got through that class and well - I felt even more accomplished because I could already to more! That room was still HOT!
The third class I took was Saturday morning. They recommend that you go every day at the beginning to consistently improve your flexibility and strength. Well, I realized at the end of class that I was so focused on balance, and posture, and determination - that the heat became secondary. I still sweat. I still looked like I jumped in a pool. I just was more focused than I was before and because of that - I improved yet again!
Sunday, I didn't feel like it. I really really didn't feel like it. So I went. I went to the noon class. I am so glad I did. I probably would have laid around ALL day if I hadn't. Well, this instructor saw me struggle with a position that she knew I had so she assisted me into it. WOW - it was awesome! I did two things that day that I couldn't get before. So in addition to the workout, and the sweating, and how I was already feeling - now I could actually see real progression and it had only been FOUR classes!
Monday morning, I said - what the hell - it's time to weigh myself! So after 3 weeks of dieting and 4 classes of insane yoga, I've lost 13 lbs. I am nearly half way to my 6 month goal. I think I've got this one in the bag! Not to mention... our little contest. Do you know what else I've noticed... As a singer, my breath control is drastically improving! Do you know what else I've noticed? My hips are getting smaller and I can feel that bone around your neck... you know the one, right? I call it the thin bone. It's how I know I'm losing weight!
Well, Monday night came around. I couldn't make the 6 pm class like I was taking so I went to the 8. Working out past my bedtime is no fun. I won't lie, I was mentally in a bad place and getting frustrated. I wanted to cry. I wanted to leave. I didn't do either - but I felt like I went backward. I was so discouraged... I made this commitment though to me and a team of people so this couldn't be the end. I sucked it up and went back last night. It was hotter in there than ever before because of the amount of people that were there. I felt like my body was a water fountain. I had to wipe off my face and arms about 35 times. You know what though... I got through it.
This morning, while I sit here and start this blog for everyone and me, I feel great. I feel energized. For the first time, I'm not sore - I've worked through that. I've signed up for my classes through Sunday. I can't wait to share my story because I don't know where it's going to go... Only time can tell, but I want to look back on this in 6 months and know how hard I worked to get to where I will be and to know that I did it.
For some reason, at the ripe age of 18 I thought it was a good idea to take Depo-Provera. Depo, for short, is a birth control that is injected every 3 months. Well, I suffered some severe side effects. At 18 years old I weighed under 120 lbs and was in the prime of my life. After my second injection, I gained 40 lbs in that 3 months. I couldn't control it. I couldn't stop it. I couldn't quit taking a pill because it was in my system. Now, I am a pretty vain person to say the least, so a 40 lb weight gain was a bit depressing. So depressing that I continued to gain until I doubled my weight over the last 11 years.
So about two months ago, I had made the decision to lose 30 lbs by my 30th birthday which falls on June 30th. Made sense to me and it is an achievable goal. I just couldn't get motivated until we decided at work to team up and race for the weight loss! This was great! So I started on a low-carb diet which I knew so well after doing Atkins several years ago. I modified it a bit to add in more veggies and cut fat. I wanted to make this as healthy as possible and successful. Well, I can say that 3 weeks later I'm still going strong on it and I don't even miss the stuff I gave up. I also gave up beer and soda for Lent. So that left me with martini's and iced tea to drink - or so I thought.
Last Tuesday, I went to the doctor and discovered I have a fatty liver. After some research, I learned there are two main causes for a fatty liver - drinking and obesity. Well, I was a drinker and at 241 lbs (before I started) I am obese. So - gone is the drinking!
I had also started taking Chantix about 3 weeks ago - so gone is the smoking!
The doctor said I needed to start being more active. After hearing about Bikram Yoga for several years from my little brother's ex-girlfriend Ashley. Then hearing about it again from my friend Molly. Then hearing what the doc had to say - it was time to research Bikram. Everyone needs to research Bikram... I'll help - start here. Then go here to learn about each position and where it targets.
Now, you've hopefully read a bit about it and you are probably saying - well, the benefits look great but you have to be insane to be in a room that is heated to 105 degrees at 40% humidity for 90 minutes. What kind of workout is that? It can't be cardiovascular - you are just stretching. Well, to those of you who think it isn't cardiovascular - I challenge you to take one class and tell me about your heart rate.
I signed up for my first class last Wednesday. One week ago today. The first class was eye-opening. I didn't quite know what to expect. I also couldn't imagine what 105 degrees felt like. Thank GOD I had a great instructor. She went around to each new student and asked our names. She never forgot them - impressive because there were about 8 newbies that night. Then she said we had one goal for that class - to stay in the room for all 90 minutes. That was quite the relief, because if I was expected to get into half the stuff those people were doing - well - it wasn't going to happen. I tried everything. That's all I could do was try. Some postures I couldn't even grab my foot to start the posture. So she would tell us what to do as a modification to eventually get it right. Karen and I got through the whole class and we were drenched! Karen turned to me and said - this was harder than spinning! I was scared to death of spinning but I did this! I felt great! I felt like I had just got the gold medal or made a sale or well... let's just say amazing. I don't know that I will ever be able to explain the feeling of accomplishment when you get through that class. But, I was hooked and committed, which is good because I had signed up for a month!
I took the next day off because I was having a whole bunch of blood drawn for lab tests. I was scared I may pass out in class. I returned promptly on Friday. Rima was my instructor again. She noticed I could grab my foot this time. It was just my second class and I was already doing better. I got through that class and well - I felt even more accomplished because I could already to more! That room was still HOT!
The third class I took was Saturday morning. They recommend that you go every day at the beginning to consistently improve your flexibility and strength. Well, I realized at the end of class that I was so focused on balance, and posture, and determination - that the heat became secondary. I still sweat. I still looked like I jumped in a pool. I just was more focused than I was before and because of that - I improved yet again!
Sunday, I didn't feel like it. I really really didn't feel like it. So I went. I went to the noon class. I am so glad I did. I probably would have laid around ALL day if I hadn't. Well, this instructor saw me struggle with a position that she knew I had so she assisted me into it. WOW - it was awesome! I did two things that day that I couldn't get before. So in addition to the workout, and the sweating, and how I was already feeling - now I could actually see real progression and it had only been FOUR classes!
Monday morning, I said - what the hell - it's time to weigh myself! So after 3 weeks of dieting and 4 classes of insane yoga, I've lost 13 lbs. I am nearly half way to my 6 month goal. I think I've got this one in the bag! Not to mention... our little contest. Do you know what else I've noticed... As a singer, my breath control is drastically improving! Do you know what else I've noticed? My hips are getting smaller and I can feel that bone around your neck... you know the one, right? I call it the thin bone. It's how I know I'm losing weight!
Well, Monday night came around. I couldn't make the 6 pm class like I was taking so I went to the 8. Working out past my bedtime is no fun. I won't lie, I was mentally in a bad place and getting frustrated. I wanted to cry. I wanted to leave. I didn't do either - but I felt like I went backward. I was so discouraged... I made this commitment though to me and a team of people so this couldn't be the end. I sucked it up and went back last night. It was hotter in there than ever before because of the amount of people that were there. I felt like my body was a water fountain. I had to wipe off my face and arms about 35 times. You know what though... I got through it.
This morning, while I sit here and start this blog for everyone and me, I feel great. I feel energized. For the first time, I'm not sore - I've worked through that. I've signed up for my classes through Sunday. I can't wait to share my story because I don't know where it's going to go... Only time can tell, but I want to look back on this in 6 months and know how hard I worked to get to where I will be and to know that I did it.
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