So I’ve been telling myself that I’m going to start taking some yoga to help me relax, stretch, meditate, and just clear my mind. I’ve been saying this for the past three months, and I got tired of putting it off. After all, I should be somewhere near the top of my priority list. The reality of it is that I’m not, and I decided to do something about it.
There is a Bikram Yoga studio literally just minutes from my house, and I took my first class this morning. Well, I took Bikram a few years ago and stopped going. I remember enjoying it though. When I took it a few years ago, I projectile vomited tuna right at the end of my first class. I bolted to the locker room like a missile! Thank God no one was in the locker room after class yet! Hahaha! Note to first time Bikram students: do NOT eat anything two to three hours before your class!
I made sure to go on an empty stomach this morning. I was ready! When class started, I was the only newbie, and the instructor emphasized “The goal today is just for you to stay in the room and to keep breathing. Remember to breathe throughout the class.” I smiled and thought to myself “Easy enough. 90 minutes in a heated room at 105 degrees. How bad could it be?”
Savage sister, Michelle MacDonald, Fitness Model, Writer, Chef, and Yogi
The first 60 minutes went pretty well. It was a challenge, but I was determined to stick it out! I wasn’t able to do all the poses perfectly, but I did my best. The final 30 minutes was a battle to the death! Hahaha! I felt like I was going to pass out and asked the instructor if I could step out of the room for a minute. I was craving cool air like my life depended on it! She kindly said “No, remember your goal?” I smiled at her while cursing myself “What on earth made you think this was a good idea?!?!” As I struggled to get through each of the floor poses during the final 30 minutes (which felt like an eternity), all I could do was breathe and take it one movement at a time. It was also a struggle to breathe at this point too. Haha! But then I thought to myself “Damn, she’s right!” It was a simple goal. Stay in the room. Just breathe. By the end, my heart was pounding (whoever said yoga is not a workout has never done 90 minutes of Bikram Yoga in a triple-digit-heated room!), my head was spinning, and sweat was gushing out of every pore of my body. I was second guessing myself, and I was committed NOT to come back! Hahaha!
What is Bikram yoga?
After class was over, several girls shared their first Bikram experience with me. One girl really did pass out! I guess I didn’t feel so bad. When I got home, I felt fantastic for the rest of the day, and I was glad that leaving the room was not an option! Haha!
And so it goes with life. Sometimes you’re going to have to go through some not so pretty experiences to get to the pretty ones. It’s not always going to be easy, and there will be times when you are going to want to give up or take a different route. But if you stay the course, you will surely find that the long term rewards far outweigh the short term desires. In the mean time, just tackle your goals “one movement at a time” and when you feel like you’re sweating your butt off and your head is spinning (ie: feeling overwhelmed), just breathe.
