March 30-day challenge

Hi Jeffrey

You should be able to get by drinking about a pint or so before. 😉

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Congrat Boonie. What do you mean by “another year has passed”?

I can’t wait to go back to class but I am not 100% yet..

I am on Day 10 of a 30-day challenge, posting this just before class at 11am. I have some random thoughts about the challenge that I wanted to put down somewhere
1. I am putting more salt on my food, which I guess is replacing what I lose in class by going every day
2. My practice is getting so much better with going every day – the main reason I decided to do the challenge was to improve in a way that just wasn’t possible with going three times a week
3. I normally would, with something like this, constantly think about the end, but I am trying and for the most part succeeding in taking it one day at a time and I have deliberately not even calculated when the 30 is up
4. My knees are a bit sore – I did a lot of biking on Friday as well as yoga, just travelling around for work and appointments and I think it may have done something. I am going to go to early class before work on Monday and after work on Tuesday and see if that gives some time to heal
5. I am getting very frustrated with my left leg in the standing series – I do try and in the last few days am trying really hard to lock out my leg, and engage the quadricep not lock out my knee
6. Since starting bikram yoga it has had a huge impact on my breathing – even when I do cardio at the gym now, which I have suspended for the challenge, I can control my breath even when my heart is beating really fast – it is still a strange sensation to me.
7. I am doing the challenge out of vanity really and need to be more mindful of what I am eating – I don’t want to have a great bikram body under a layer of fat!

Gabrielle

Thank you for your generosity in offering to answer any questions. I have just found your video about breathing and pranayana , which is what I struggle with most, and will watch the video this evening. I have trouble with the instruction to relax my shoulders and my shoulders and neck become tense for half moon pose.

Today is Day 12 of the 30 days and I feel good. I did an early class yesterday and my knees do feel better for having a rest for about 36 hours, although still not completely right. I cannot decide whether they are being rebellious and I should make them do the poses which challenge them, and subdue them, or whether to go easy in those poses and hope they recover completely.

I do not however want to get into a mindset where I am not trying in any pose – the thing I like about Bikram is that the circumstances and the way in which it is done mean that trying really hard to improve is the default position and one has to make a conscious effort not to try.. hope that makes sense.

Thanks again.

I don’t thankfully have flat feet or anything wrong generally with my knees or ankles. They do seem to be inflexible though and I have been working on improving the flexibility bit by bit over the last few months; in the first pose after the spine-strengthening series, when the pose involves keeping the knees on the ground and going back (don’t know the name) I have just worked in each class on getting my sit bones on the ground as my knees are resistant; I am getting infinitesmally better at it with each week that goes past!

The class last night was great and I could feel a real improvement in my knees from the short rest, as well as better alignment in several poses; I had had a really good night’s sleep and I think that always makes everything better.

Will post again soon

Hi Una

How did you go? Can’t wait to hear.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Today is day 3 of my 30 day challange… A lady from work and myself are attempting to complete 1 class a day for 30 days. We have mapped out what classes we will go to and what times etc and are motivating each other which is great.

I have a few injuries both old and new that limit my practise, but this mornings class I got through all the positions that i’m allowed to do. Normally I have to sit a number of them out.

Today’s class I found very confronting… the instructor was a bit more involved I guess you would say, it was a smaller class and she was more one on one with the students. She called me out on a few things and I found myself in tears for the first 5 positions during the floor series… I’ll be interested to see how I go tomorrow morning after a good nights sleep, see if that makes any difference to my emotions during class.

Some things i’ve noticed…

– I am REALLY struggling to drink 3 litres of water a day… I find water very
boring! (no flavour etc)

– I want to eat more during the day

– I’m craving salt

Namaste,
Rhiain

Hi Natalia

Is your strategy working? 😉

As far as eating is concerned: The more hot yoga you do, you should find that your food choices will be more holistically healthful. My experience with runners and marathoners is that without yoga they eat, eat, EAT, whenever and whatever they can to keep up with the energy demands. Then when they do more yoga, they find that automatically their choices are better ones not based on filling the hole but nourishing the body, mind and soul. Now that (unintentionally) ended up being a little poetic! :cheese:

So just notice what your choices are and have fun with your challenge and have a smooth healing process

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Natalia

I like to choose the simple approach: Unrefined salt. I use Himalayan crystals and have used other types too: Celtic (Atlantic), Maldon, or other types.

I use it in and on my food and sometimes I sprinkle a dusting into my water for class with or without a little lemon juice.

Anyway, it’s MUCH cheaper than coconut water – which I prefer to have directly from a coconut. 😉

Have fun

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂