The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › General Hot Yoga Discussion › Weight Loss and Hot Yoga › March 30-day challenge
The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › General Hot Yoga Discussion › Weight Loss and Hot Yoga › March 30-day challenge
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Done week two and still feeling FAB. Not dragged out, tired sore, or ANYTHING.. I can not tell you how excited I am about this! I have been feeling SO good. I went to my physio and he was BLOWN w/ my range in my hip. Before I broke it (right hip) my left side was my strong side and right weak so breaking it was…. frustrating because obviously it now even WEAKER and further out in comparison. now .. LOL my right is actually my strong side! Too funny.
Amy, I’m SO GLAD to hear you are progressing well. This yoga is amazing, isn’t it? It let’s us see how amazing WE can be and how far we can go!!
I finished Day 42 last night and it was wonderful. I am actually feeling some opening in my shoulders/pecs. I didn’t even know they were tight – ha! I mean, after all these years, I had just accepted that’s how my body was. But I can actually now get my arms behind my ears in Half Moon, which I never would have dreamed of trying before. It’s an amazing feeling. Now in Camel I can send my chest skyward somewhat, which is completely new for me. I think I used to have quite a straight back in Camel – well, in any backbends, I guess.
I still hate Rabbit, can’t do it how Gabrielle suggests at all. If I leave my feet lax, I can’t feel anything happening anywhere. I’m thinking of actually getting the instructor to take a picture, so I can try and find out what the heck is going on.
But the rest of the postures rock – well, almost. Triangle is still to be mastered and I haven’t got my head to my knee in Standing Head to Knee, but the postures feel awfully good. I look forward to most of them, besides Rabbit.
We’ll keep on truckin’, Amy, and keep on trying, pushing where we can, backing off where we need to.
Happy Easter to all!! It’s pouring buckets here today in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Home of the 2010 Olympics!!)
it is BLOWNG my mind how good i feel! I am not tired or dragged out, drained ect. not sore. sleeping well and FULL of energy. I have DEFIANTLY had to start eating more, LOL but hey who would complain about that? i also have lost another good half inch almost inch on my waist! (w/o my weight going down WHEW) just amazes me very class every posture what I am capable of doing!
and…. all w/ such ease and calmness. I almost laugh at myself some times!!I’ve been losing weight too, soon I’m going to need smaller yoga shorts or perhaps face a potentially embarrassing situation!
Today I finished Day 50 and had a fabulous class. Enjoyed all the postures except for one. I’m getting stronger and more fit by the day. It’s quite amazing!
Oh my gosh – 50 days in a row! Hurray for you! Which posture was not enjoyable? I am challenged by Cobra and Half Moon these days. It’s odd because I used to think that these two were so easy. Interestingly enough, once I find out the RIGHT way to do the poses, they become more challenging.
Isn’t it funner, Yogalifer, how one month you love one posture, the next month … well, it’s a challenge? Bodies they are a’changin’, I guess, is the explanation – or maybe it’s the mind, or maybe it’s both. Whatever, I have never had a boring class in eight years. Sometimes I totally leave my brain at the door, though, and I’m then surprised, oh, wow, we’re already at Head to Knee with Stretching pose?! How did that happen??!
My current challenging pose is Rabbit, I just cannot figure that one out at all. A tweak here, a tweak there, I still feel like I’m jammed up and not sure what I’m supposed to be doing.
Oh, well, I’ve got another 20 years at least of doing this yoga, so I’ll figure it out somewhere along the line, I’m sure.
PS, Yogalifer, with Cobra, I’ve found if I follow Gabrielle’s instructions exactly it’s a lot easier. When they tell me to keep my legs together and tighten my butt, at that point I tighten and lift my legs off the floor, ready to go, and then just before they tell you to “lift up and fly” I tighten my arms and back, just an instant before actually lifting, so that everything’s tight before you “fly,” it’s a lot easier to get up there and maintain your lift. Then, once up, I try to relax my trapezius muscles, just at the base of my neck and look higher, and then arch my back. “Bikram Air, flying high…”
Go fly, girl!
It’s funny that you say you’ve got another 20 years to learn this yoga. I always say, I have the rest of my life to learn this yoga. Since we have two men in class who are in their 80’s (one is certified to teach), I feel that it is proof that we can keep doing this for as long as we want to.
Hi Bonnie and Cindy
Thanks for the vote of confidence Bonnie. Yes the challenges do evolve. It’s part of learning how to let go!
(I think the pose that bonmar is referring to is full locust or poorna salabhasana and possibly not cobra!)
Oh, good lord, you’re right, Gab, of course! Here I’m blathering on about the wrong pose. Sorry, Yogalifer!
Yeah, I agree, Cobra’s a tough one.
well here I am at day 23 and … STILL feeling fab!! My hip is doing AWESOME (barely feel the pins anymore!) and it is like it never happened almost. can’t believe how this has changed my life!
Amy, are the pins a permanent fixture?
up tp me… after a about 1 year we can take the out if they bother me
Yesterday, Wed, May 29th, was Day 60 for me! I reached it and it wasn’t anywhere near as exciting as I thought it would be, mainly because I hurt my back at aerobics on Saturday and it’s been tweaking quite a bit at yoga, so I haven’t been able to stretch and enjoy and work as hard as I usually do. 🙁
I am still considering whether to continue through a 90-day challenge, going through till the end of May. The reason I’d like to continue is up until Saturday I was seeing steady, if tiny, improvement each time I went and I’d like to see how far I can take it – how flexible I can get …
I certainly don’t feel that I’ve reached the peak of my flexibility – does anyone ever? Hm, now there’s a question. I wonder if others feel they’ve reached the peak of their flexibility? Does it ever stop??? I’ve never considered that question before. My guess would be it never stops! There’s always more to be had …
I did do a double one day, at Day 55. I did a morning and an evening class. I was a little disappointed in the evening class, I thought I’d be super flexible, but it was just a ho-hum, ordinary class, just like the earlier one had been. However, the next day’s class was amazing! THEN I was super flexible! Very interesting and unexpected.
Well, I see there’s play-off hockey on tonight, so I’ll be off to a yoga class. Ha!
Congratulations! Did you do 60 days in a row or did you do 60 days with a break one day per week? I just started a 60 day challenge with a break once per week. When I did a 30 day challenge in February, I found that there was always one day each week when it was very nearly impossible to get to the class. I think that having that one day when doing a challenge during busy summer months will help me meet the goal.
How often do you go to aerobics on top of the yoga classes? You must have amazing stamina. I walk about 3 miles every weekday morning with a neighbor, but we’ve done that for about 15 years and it doesn’t really feel like exercise.
Thanks for the reminder to tighten everything up before lifting into full locust. I had kind of forgotten that step and was basically raising up with my arms relaxed and then tightening up. After you reminded me, I went back to the right way and have had great improvements in this one. I have also been really tightening up my butt while doing cobra and it helps a lot. The more I do this yoga, the more I am thinking that it is all about the butt. :cheese: The stronger mine gets, the easier the poses get. Not to mention the fabulous yoga butt that comes from doing this yoga.
I did 60 days in a row (and still counting, actually). But I think you’re probably right, one day off a week would be a good thing for some people. I am semi-retired, so I have the extra time to make it work for me. I wouldn’t even attempt a challenge if I was working full-time.
I am doing the aerobics Mon/Wed nights and Saturday mornings, although I understand in the summer they cut out the Saturday class. I also walk every day with my dogs, about a 35-40 minute brisk walk, I don’t know how far it is though. I also will be golfing probably five days a week now, so I don’t have time for work!
Yeah, the yoga is all about the butt – and the core/abs! The other thing I tighten in Full Locust is the core and abs, that really helps with the lift too!
Now, here’s an interesting thing: Michael Harris, one of Bikram’s teachers, was here in Vancouver giving a seminar last weekend, and now the teachers are telling us all the stuff they learned from him, and one of the comments is that you don’t have to tighten your butt in Camel. Now they’re saying whichever works better for you, tight butt or not, just push your hips forward. I find it’s way easier to arch back with a relaxed butt.
almost done my third week when…. a huge problem came up (related to other health issues) and I ended up in the hospital overnight. I went to my Mom and Dads and had to take almost two weeks off to just let things settle. I am back in the hot room now (Mon was my first day) and feeling GREAT! I am back to my 6x week practice and will keep you posted
Yikes, Amy! Glad to hear you are back on your feet and okay!
keeping on trucking and feeling AWESOME!!!!! got all my levels checked on Friday and all was spot on perfect!! I am getting to REALLY love my sauna over the studio though which is funny. I do love the people and the event of going however… I find the instructors repetitive, the studio conditions unreliable (sometimes way too cold or hot), and on Monday someone moved the towel off my mat and placed their hand on my brand new sticky mat!!!!! ( a HUGE pool of not my sweat on my NEW mat!!! ) LOL
any way it’s all good and I do like the change of pace. I’ll keep you all posted and yes feeling SO much better.Yesterday was Day 90! I have thoroughly enjoyed the journey to Day 90. I have never been as strong, nor as flexible. I still have a ways to go, though….. Do we ever reach a spot in Bikram’s that is the “finish line”? I think not.
Now I sit here contemplating whether to go tonight or not…
Awesome Bonnie!
*Applause for your dedication & passion*
Namaste,
Robert
Well, today I finished Day 100. I am MAKING myself stop tomorrow. I WILL NOT GO TO YOGA TOMORROW, I WILL NOT GO TO YOGA TOMORROW, I WILL NOT GO TO YOGA TOMORROW…..
I had a fabulous class today, felt fit and VERY strong. All that ab work is making the yoga much easier. And, lo and behold, it’s even made my nemesis, Rabbit, easier. Instead of rolling forward like a wheel, I’m sucking in lower and upper and sending my butt to the ceiling. I can ALMOST feel what it should be like. Funny. After all this time.
Yesterday I was lamenting that I’ll never have the yoga perfect, be able to stretch this part, suck this in, hold tight here, let loose there, achhhh, I’m still struggling. Then, after class, a lady commented on how flexible I am and that I must surely have been doing this yoga a long time. I almost looked over my shoulder to see who she was talking to. Didn’t think it could be me. Ha! It’s certainly all relative, isn’t it?
I have a big golf match tomorrow, perhaps that will occupy my mind long enough for the day to pass.
LOl I know what you mean!! It is hard to stop and frankly I always say… if it feels good, and is good for you DO IT !
Of course we do need a break now and then (hence the AND IF IT IS GOOD FOR YOU)
I’m glad you are doing well thoughI am thinking about doing a 30-day challenge, but it looks like most of my classes will be at 6:00 AM due to my work schedule. I definitely cannot drink enough (or ANY) water beforehand—thoughts?
Hi Jeffrey
I know it is hard to fit in enough water in the morning. It is possibly unrealistic to say one can’t fit ANY in. For me it is a question of habit. For example, I place a very large cup of water on my bedside table. In the morning it is the first thing that I have upon waking. Then on the way to your class you can have a one liter bottle that you aim to drink some of. You may find for morning classes that you drink a little more than normal during class than you would for a class later on in the day. The body dehydrates over night quite significantly. So don’t see it as some kind of test that you shouldn’t drink. Use water judiciously before, sparingly during class as needed and then of course after class.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂 -
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