Back to Bikram

And then my muscles were like "Why'd we have to go to Bikram yesterday?" & I said "Cuz it's good for us!" Then they said "Ugh, I hate you."

— Jessica (@WestCoastBelle) January 26, 2013

Bikram is a type of yoga that is practiced in a heated environment; it consists of 26 postures and is done in 90 minutes. It was designed to work every inch of the body and is practiced all over the world.  Okay - spiel done.

In April of last year I was invited to attend a Bikram yoga class with a friend and ended up going to classes regularly at my local studio. My first class was bruuuuutal! I got really dizzy and sweat out of pores I didn't know I had - not to mention that the poses were super HARD. The worst part though, was the headache I ended up with later that day. I learned after that first day how extremely important it is to stay well hydrated before class, during class and after class. Yes, you end up peeing a lot, but it's way better than getting dehydrated.

Since last spring I fell off the bandwagon and stopped attending classes - partially because I started shift work and also because I was living on a student budget. All of the strength and flexibility I had worked for slowly disappeared. I thought about returning on many occasions, but I couldn't muster the energy and perseverance I knew the classes would require..... until last week. Last week, I ventured back into the "hot room" (as it is called). And by hot, we're talking like, 105 degrees F. It's REALLY hot. I prepped with bottles of water, ate lightly throughout the day and dug around in my closet for my gear.

My instructor cautioned me - "Don't practice today with the expectation of picking up where you left off. Practice today like you've never been here before." I would be straight up lying if I said it felt amazing and like I'd never been away. But the truth is that the heat felt uncomfortable, I got dizzy during Trikonasana (triangle pose) and my technique left a lot to be desired. But that's why I keep going - because I know it gets better. It starts feeling fantastic to step into that heat and work hard for 90 minutes. So here's to feeling wonderful and staying on the yoga train!

Such a good class at @lovebikramyoga tonight! Finally improving on some difficult poses - feels wonderful! #postyogabliss
— Jessica (@WestCoastBelle) May 17, 2012