AliThinks

I Was Going To Write About...

...how much I hate bikram yoga at the beginning of class, and how much I love it at the end of class, and not just because it's over.

However, I just updated my iPod software and installed a new app, which when I tried to associate it with a couple of other social networking accounts, wouldn't let me log into said accounts. This made my blood pressure rise and gave me the urge to throw the iPod against the wall.

Sometimes computer stuff makes my blood boil when I can't get it to work.

Then I remembered I'd changed passwords on both accounts, but hadn't used them on the iPod since I'd changed them.

Yeah. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

An Early Post Today

Last night I looked up some information about bikram yoga. I know the essentials, but I was trying to find images of the postures so that I could see what my body is supposed to look like. That might sound really stupid, but my glasses don't stay on my face very long during class, and I'm pretty blind, so I can't see myself in the mirror. Forget about looking at others; when you're in a pose, you concentrate only on yourself. So I go into poses by following the teacher's instructions, and I try my hardest to get my body to do what it's supposed to.

During my surfing, I came across this video, and I wanted to share it. If you ever wondered what bikram yoga is like, this explains it really well.

One other thought: it did strike me that this yoga has gotten under my skin in a way it never did before. It would seem that a slow and steady start is more conducive to long-term success than jumping into a 30-day challenge.

The Cat's Only Snuggled Up To Me Because I Smell Like Pork

Lots of stuff happened today, and I couldn't decide what to write about. So y'all get a bulleted list. Yeah. Slackin'. I know.

• We cooked a pork shoulder (misleadingly named "Boston Butt") in the crock pot on Thursday, and today I took the bone and some of the pickings and made stock. I'm straining it right now, and I'm pretty sure Jonesy can smell it on me. (Note to self: blog about stock sometime.)
• This morning I had a little breakthrough in yoga. Yeah, I started Bikram yoga again, two years after I first tried it. Today I got my knee to my forehead forehead to my knee, which doesn't sound like much, but it's the essence of the two poses we have to do it in.
• Parts of the East Coast and near-Midwest got a whole bunch of snow today. I got to see lots of photos of the snowpocalypse (or snowmageddon, if you prefer) on Facebook. All we got was a measly half-inch [that's what she said! -Ed.]. Nevertheless, my son went out in it and made a couple of sculptures.
• My daughter was craving sushi, so we went out for dinner. The restaurant we chose has sushi on a conveyor belt, so the kids had that, and Allan and I had the chef's choice prix fixe menu. It was fabulous, and we were so full we had to bring our dessert course home with us. I'm thinking dessert for breakfast in the morning.
• I applied a couple of paint samples to the living room walls. I'll tell you what colors another time. We'll be painting at the end of the month.
• I love Porcupine Tree. And The Decemberists. And Grizzly Bear. And tons of other bands I can't name right now.
• That's it. It's five minutes after midnight, so I'm going to have to backdate this. But hey, I started it half an hour ago (I'm still straining the pork stock, wait, who makes PORK STOCK?), so I get a pass.

Hoo Boy

After the craptastic start to my week, today was better. I won't go into too much detail as to why, because I need to keep some things close to me still.

But there was bodywork, and then there was Bikram yoga. Both have left me wrung out (like an old mop, if you want a crappy analogy), but I feel that good fatigue and am in a great mood.

I'm settled on the couch, cozy in my robe, and will watch my guilty pleasure, American Idol (if I can stay awake until nine).

The Bikram Yoga Challenge Recap

Well. It's over. Here's the rundown:

• I went 15 days in a row, then I took my "free" day.
• I wrote about being in between classes 18 and 19, then I took 5 days off.
• Yes, I said FIVE.
• I was VERY SORE and tired.
• I started back up, and thought about doubling up on classes in order to complete the challenge.
• That thought lasted about two hours.
• I took last Thursday and Friday off, but went on Saturday, the last day of the challenge.
• Here's a summary of what bikram yoga is, in case you've forgotten.

How do I feel? Sore and tired. Proud of myself for attending 22 classes in 30 days, but a little disappointed that I didn't complete the challenge. But I couldn't bear the thought of really hurting myself by pulling a muscle or injuring a joint, so I took the time off.

Have I lost any weight? A little, but I also gave myself license to be "bad" by using the yoga as my juicy rationalization of the day/week/month.

Will I go back? Most definitely. I plan to sign up for a 3-month unlimited pass, then go from there. During my last session, I made breakthroughs on some of the asana. I can't even explain how good that felt, both mentally and physically.

I have to take some photos today, so I can see the Before and After. First I have to dig up the same clothes I was wearing in the Before photos. I'm willing to share these with you, but only if you're a woman whom I trust. Sorry, guys! Sorry, random readers! Let me know if you'd like to see what 22 sessions of bikram yoga will do to a body.
 

Quatre Heures

That's what the French call an afternoon snack, but it's also how many hours of sleep I got last night.

I wish I had something compelling to discuss. Like politics and sex scandals, or interactivity in Austin. Sadly, no. I have bikram yoga and my slackerdom.

Yesterday was my first day back after a five-day hiatus. Unless I go to two classes a day for the rest of the week, I won't complete the challenge. I was a little disappointed in myself for not going, but at the same time, I was incredibly sore, and I didn't want to injure myself.

Then we got snowed in, sort of, and yoga was canceled. Then it was the weekend. And we moved the clocks forward. And we had to have coffee with a friend who was in town for the day. You know how it is.

Yesterday afternoon I crashed for two hours, which may explain why I was awake until 1 am. Nothing explains the awake at 5 am part, because no one gets up at 5 am for pleasure. Do people do that? Never mind, I don't want to know.

There's not much else to say. It takes 21 days to make a habit, they say. Today's my 20th yoga class. I think I'll stay committed to it. You know, make it a habit.

Ow!

The yoga. It has kilt me.

Between 18 And 19

I know you're all dying for a yoga update.

As I write this, I'm about halfway between classes 18 and 19. You'll remember that I skipped Saturday, day 17. Sunday morning I realized that skipping a class had the dreaded effect on me: I was going to dread all future classes.

Add to this a certain soreness I didn't have before, and each morning I contemplate waiting until the afternoon class. But I did that Sunday; I waited until afternoon to do bikram yoga, and every single second was a bitch.

Before this morning's class (Tuesday, March 4, class 18, since I don't know when I will post this entry), I thought I'd just lie down in savasana if I needed to. I had to do so on Sunday afternoon for the first time in more than a week. But then during Awkward Pose (utkatasana), I was able to keep my arms raised for all three phases of the pose, for the first time EVER. I was pretty excited about that. (I dare you to raise your arms to shoulder level in front of you, tighten your biceps and triceps, and hold it for ± three minutes. Go on. I'll wait. You don't have to do the rest of the pose.)

With that little victory, I plodded on. I had a few twinges here and there, which I asked about after class. "Your muscles there are weak, and you're strengthening them" was the answer.

Okay, then. I do believe it. I've seen my arms and thighs get stronger in the past couple of weeks. But oh, the soreness. Arnica montana CH 6 is my friend.

It's true that the heat helps your body go beyond what it could do in a normal room, but I'm wondering if I should take it easy during class 19. Less trikonasana, more savasana. On the other hand, every little counts, to quote New Order*. I am challenging my body, but I do realize there are some things I can't yet do. I don't push it.

On verra, as the French say. I'll see how I feel during class.

PS: I'm in skinnier jeans.

*I love New Order. When it was released, this video struck all my senses.

Holy Crap

Day 12 and I feel GREAT. As in, Tony the Tiger great (but I had crustless quiche for breakfast, not Frosted Flakes™®).

This morning we did something a little different; we listened to a recording of Bikram himself teaching the class, and our teacher did the poses with us.

Bikram has a calming voice, and he emits a few little gems during class, like "Ninety minutes of suffering, or ninety years of suffering?" and "Yoga helps you find yourself."

Perhaps it's true. I kind of feel like I've reached the summit and it'll be all down hill from here. I might be wrong about that. But damn, I feel good.

Firteen

I'm too tired to put my tongue between my teeth for the proper θ sound.

/linguistics geek

I've done firteen 90-minute bikram yoga classes in firteen days. What does that make me?
Brave? Crazy? Willful? Motivated? All of these?

While I haven't taken any photos, and I know I haven't lost but two pounds, I'm looking a bit more buff these days. That? Is cool. Of course, "buff" is completely relative here.

Of course, I have noticed a definite sort of mental confusion. I'm slightly airheaded and forgetful. I can't even count anymore.

See, I wrote this entire blog entry thinking I'd done 13 straight days of bikram yoga.

Actually, I've done eleven. ELEVEN. Onze. Once. Elf. Undici. ɪilɛvɛn.

*smacks forehead*

I Promise

...that this blog won't turn into All Bikram Yoga, All The Time, but I just had to relate what happened during class today (all asana done! No lying down in savasana!):

Instructor: And today is Alison's eighth day!

Alison: Feels like 1600.

(chuckles from around the room)

Instructor: You should get a blog and write about this.

Alison: I have a blog, and I have been writing about this.

Instructor: (laughing) Uh-oh! I'm not sure I want to read it!

Before I left the studio, I asked Teach to pick out a Moo card, and told her my blog URL was on the back. She said "Oh, great! I'd like to read it." (Hiya, S!)

I will admit to not wanting to leave home this morning. The weather is morose (can I  personify it like that?) and did you know that it's February still? It's get-under-the-duvet weather. This shortest month is feeling especially long. I can't remember the last time the sun shone.

It's a good thing I forced myself to go to yoga, though. I'm feeling better. And I've got a hot shower to look forward to.

And On The Seventh Day...

...she thought it was the eighth.

Seriously, I've been thinking it's Friday ALL. DAY.

This morning's class was really difficult, because I'm simply exhausted. I've got the double whammy of physical and emotional fatigue. There are probably some hormones in there too, just for kicks. My trikonasana was a bust today (I had to lie down), but I managed to do all the other poses, despite everything. And I do really enjoy pushing my body. It's just that today's been hellacious.

So it's 4:30 in the afternoon, and I feel like I could sleep until the morning.

Day Five

So today in yoga I was able to go further than ever in some of the asana. Logical, right? But I was really proud of myself. Progress in just five days!

This afternoon I had so much energy it was amazing. I'm easing out of that now, since it's evening and I've been up since 6:30. I'm also kind of distracted by American Idol.

Yes. I am watching it. Don't you judge me!

Anyway, Wikipedia has some info on bikram yoga. The guy who "invented" it is not without controversy. Within the article, though, is a list of the 26 asana we do, and some of them have links so you can see how they're done. The killer ones for me are #6, 18, 19, 22, and 23, if you want to know.

And now, since I obviously can't blog coherently while watching AI, I'll end with this:

I am really enjoying this yoga challenge.

So Far, So Good

I'm not dead yet. I am pretty sore, though. Today's the threshold: third class is the hurdle to get over.

In other news, I have wonderful friends!

T minus 60

In about an hour I'm going to a bikram yoga class. Some of you may remember that I've done this before. Some of you may also remember that it kicked my ass.

So why am I doing it again? Here are my reasons, in no particular order:

• Because I'm a cheapskate. The yoga studio is holding a challenge: complete 29 classes in 30 days. If you succeed, the studio refunds your $60. That's a great deal, either way.
  
• Because I'm out of shape and need to do something about it.
• Because I'm hurtling toward 40, and you know, my health and all that.
• Because 90 minutes of bikram yoga burns a shitload of calories.
• Because I want to feel like a MILF again.

I'm both terrified and excited. Terrified because I remember feeling like an exhausted noodle after doing this before. Excited because I'm eager to see what kind of changes happen in my body and mind.

So, I'll keep you posted. That is, if the yoga doesn't kill me.

POST-YOGA UPDATE: Well! That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I only sat out of the second set of two poses, which is better than I did two months ago. I do rather feel like I got hit by a truck. This will all pass after the third class, supposedly.

Oh, and I took photos this morning. There will be a Before and After.

Good Tired

I'm knackered. Beat. Wiped. Dead on my feet (or my ass, I should say). Dog-tired. Done in. Fatigued. Weary. Bone-tired. Dragon ass.

Well, you get the picture. Bikram yoga strikes again. It was a tiny bit easier tonight. But just a tiny bit.

Time takes time, as a wise friend of mine says.

It. Kicked. My. Ass.

Whazzat?

Bikram yoga.

Allan and I just got back from our first class. I can't speak for him, but I am ready for bed. It was really hard, and we sat out for a number of the asanas. I did fairly well at the ones I knew from my yoga class four years ago, but the rest? Heh. And ouch. And yow. And jeebus.

But sometimes an ass-kicking is a good thing. I can't wait to go back tomorrow.