Bikram's 60 Day Challenge!

The Challenge: Complete 60 yoga classes in 60 consecutive days
The Achievement: Completed 62 yoga classes in 60 consecutive days

I have avoided blogging about my yoga challenge experience because I have not wanted to accept that it's over! Yes, it's over! It was difficult, time-consuming, incessant, constant--and wonderful. I have never made a commitment like this ever. I did something wonderful for my body every single day for 60 days and although the grind of it drove me crazy. I miss it. I'm afraid of going back to normal. I'm afraid of losing everything that I've gained and learned from the experience. ***Sigh***

This was big for me. I don't have the words to express what happened to me in that hot room over those 60 days but the best I can say is that I got a glimpse of my absolute best self. Yes, indeed I did. I learned that I am not as fantastic as I think I am while at the same time learning that I am so much more than I ever imagined! Really. It's difficult to explain. But what I'm saying is I learned that what makes me special is not what is unique about me but what makes me special are those things that I share with everyone and everything around me. I am a part of the big picture and not apart from it! I have a habit of dwelling on the aspects of myself that are apart from everything around me. Boring! It has been difficult for me to accept my place in the Universe. I want to go further.

I cried when I completed my 60th class but not on my 60th day. I don't know why it happened. I thought the emotion would come when I finished the entire challenge but it actually happened on my 60th class. I felt finished on that day. A wave of emotion came over me that I still cannot articulate. Certainly it was relief, yet I wasn't finished with the challenge... I guess I don't know what it was but it was powerful. John (my husband) felt so sorry for me. He didn't know what was going on.

Yes, you'll be more fit and strong, especially if you eat properly, however, if you go into the challenge looking for more, looking to learn something about yourself, and with an open mind, you'll get so much more. I am going to continue this journey because I know this is only the beginning. Bikram yoga is wacky but it's just wacky enough and difficult enough to work for me. I know that there's more for me.

My life is so far from my Great Grandmother's, my Granny's and my Mom's. They have all suffered tremendously because of a lack of knowledge of health and fitness--because of poverty. My Great Grandmother suffered with diabetes, my Granny died so young from colon cancer and my Mother's long battle with breast cancer and later endometrial cancer changed her forever (but I've still got her). When I run, bike, swim, and attend Bikram, I carry them with me in my heart. I can't help but think of them--and a lot of other folk. I am compelled to be the physically best that I can. And I really and truly want the INSIDE to match the outside. I'm fighting for that.

I am living my life in the most generous way I know how because so many that I love could not. I just want to be worthy of it.

Love,
Kinaya

Day 36 - Too High

My endocrinologist said my cholesterol was too high. She says that I need to make changes in my diet. I'm stunned but I don't know why. I already knew my cholesterol was too high but I was hoping exercise ALONE would lower it. Not. I have to give up some things that I find absolutely irresistible. But then, maybe these headaches will go away! She asked whether I was having any and I lied! Yes, the fitness girl lied!!! I'm a fraud. I've been called out!

Well, I'm off to yoga. Confession is good for the soul. I feel great!

Day 28 - MIA!

Yeah, I been missin' in action. Day 21 was my birthday and I was so busy having fun! It was an absolutely stellar day because of my husband and my beautiful friends and family. And I had one of the most difficult and rewarding yoga classes to date! I was on cloud 9 the entire day and worked really hard in class. Then, the 22nd happened. Suddenly, everything got difficult and tedious and painful! My sweat paranoia returned. It's been rough. I'm so trying to chill out on my sweat phobia! I must clarify--"other people's sweat". Everyone's sweat doesn't bother me, it's mostly the guys because it's so profuse! When they pour and pour sweat and make huge puddles that threaten to engulf my yoga mat AND don't bring extra towels to clean up their sweat messes, it virtually ruins my yoga. Yes, that's crazy but true. I think it's inconsiderate and I hate inconsiderate! The women don't sweat as much but some of the guys require SO much real estate, they need their OWN yoga rooms. Man, I hate that this makes so crazy.

All that being said, we're still in it to win it. John is as sore as I am. Our hamstrings have tightened up tremendously and I think I'm gaining weight but I am eating a lot. We'll keep moving forward. That's what we'll do!

Here's today's daily dose of inspiration from the studio:

The Intangibles

"Yoga is not reducible to a quantified number of medical benefits. Even as yoga makes measurable changes in your muscles, organs, bones and spine, it also is working on what we call the "subtle anatomy," renewing and reviving you at the cellular level, invisibly taking care of every atom and molecule. There's an emotional and psychological aspect to the healing process as well--the mind/body connection. As much as I like describing things in terms of cars, yoga doesn't just give you a mechanical tune-up. This is soul-stretching we're doing, mind-restoring and Spirit building. The unquantifiable improvements in your quality of life and your attitude toward life make themselves felt in every cell as well. When you're well, they're well."


Excerpted from the book Bikram Yoga, by Bikram Choudhury