Days 19 AND 20- Completed

Double the fun, Days 19 AND 20

"The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle." ~Author Unknown



Surprise, I am DONE! Yep, that's right kids...instead of waiting for tonight's 5:30pm Bikram class, I opted for back to back practice at the 4:30pm and 6:30pm classes yesterday!

So, what does that mean (besides 3 straight hours of yoga in 105 degree heat)...it means I have completed my first ever 20-day challenge! Cheers to ME...and to YOU, for following my adventure and keeping me honest and motivated along the way!

I have to admit, I was a bit sneaky. I knew from the moment I woke up yesterday I was going to end my challenge with a BANG! After all, subjecting yourself to 4 hours in the hot room takes a little preparation. My yoga bag was super-sized, with two of everything:

Two towels, two water bottles, two pairs of booty shorts, two tops, two Gatorade zeros (a new personal FAVE!), and 1 lonely granola bar. If there were ever a flood on it's way, my two-by-two belongings were ready to march on board the ark!

These physical preparations helped to sustain my mental clarity and determination. I was ready. Like a Marathon, I had done all the training, and had all the necessary supportive pieces lined up and ready to go. Much like a 26.2 mile road race, the end of my practice delivered many of the same feelings (more on that later).

Class ONE, 4:30pm:

My first class felt very relaxed and ironically quite "cool" for Bikram. The thermostat still read a toasty 106 degrees, but somehow my calm focus and deep breathing provided a veil of fresh air and much needed energy. I stretched through all of the 26 postures and two breathing exercises, knowing the whole time this was just the "warm-up" for my NEXT 90 minutes of yoga.

Class TWO, 6:30pm:

Hallelujah, here come my peeps!! There was something magical about my 6:30pm class. It wasn't my second outfit choice, or my limber, already warmed up hamstrings, it was my fellow yogis! These are the people I have sweat next to consistently for 20 days. The people I have come to learn little things about (like when B forgot his shorts and almost attempted yoga in his underwear--thanks for opting out of class that night, B!). The people I can glance at when I am running on empty, and KNOW that their energy will carry me through. And like I have said a few times before, most of one's practice can be completed determined by ENERGY.

The familiar and positive vibe in the room put me at ease as I stretched into the next set of 26 postures. The standing series flew by, and the floor series, well, it wasn't exactly pretty. As we entered the Spine Strengthening series, things went slightly down hill. Not in a spiraling, out of control kind of way...but more of a "I'm starting to feel the exhaustion, and my back is ever-so-slightly tightening up" kind of way. Given such I decided to opt out of the sit-ups (sometimes considered optional anyways...) and finish strong with Camel, Rabbit, Head to Knee with Stretching pose, and Spine Twisting.

With the last of my Blowing in Fix Firm or Kapalbahti breathing now in the rear view mirror, the only thing standing between me and the sticker chart was a final Savasana. And what better way to absorb all that I completed then laying completely relaxed, next to my dear Emily, and letting the cold air rush in from the lobby. Hooray, I was done.

And with THAT, a rush of emotions came over me. As I have alluded to before, I am a professional crier. Give me a Disney commercial, or mile 25 in a marathon, and I am nothing but a ball of tears. The completion of this yoga-marathon brought much of the same. Tears, tears and tears. Fortunately for my fellow yogis, I held them back until I got home. Not so fortunately for my bf, I was near the edge (emotionally and physically) by the time we saw each other and collapsed into my post-20 day challenge cloud. But hey, I am never one to apologize for FEELING, so as quickly as it swept over me, I experienced it ALL, and let it quickly drift away.

So, what's next? Good question. And to tell you the truth I have NO idea. I do know a few immediate things that are on the docket:

1) I plan to take a 3 day hiatus from the hot room, as I prepare for a work event, and some personal time away
2) I will continue to drink massive amounts of water as if I am going to sweat bucket loads for 90 minutes in the evening
3) I am going to continue to BREATHE, very slowly in and OUT, and KNOW that my breath is ALL I need

Regardless of WHERE this next chapter takes me (more yoga? longer challenge? teacher training?) I know that Bikram will be a part of it in and out of the hot room. He is already leaked into my home life with this fantastic read:




How can you NOT love this man? I have never met him, and am only 50 or so pages in...but I realize now that wherever I go, meeting Bikram is top on my list.

Thank you for your love, support, and interest as I struggled through and successfully completed my first 20-day challenge.

Celebrate yourself and the amazing things YOU can do for YOU when you commit your intentions to the universe (and to a blog!)

Namaste

"Nothing can steal happiness, peace away from you: if anyone does make you angry, you are the loser; if someone can allow you to lose peace, you are the loser" ~Bikram Choudhury