73 down: To drink or not to drink

http://vitacoco.com/

This is the second time I have been shut up with shock at bikram. Each time it applies to coconut water. I LOVE LOVE LOVE ME SOME COCONUT WATER, especially after a hot humid class. After classes like that Cocofina is my drink of choice...owing to the sweetness. When I have double classes within a short space of each other or don't feel I have hydrated myself enough throughout the day I simply adore the taste of Vita Coco it's so so so gooooood.
The first time I was waiting to go into class and one of the girls at the desk was looking at the cartons of coconut water and said something to the effect of "I wonder how many calories are in this hmmmm let me see...." Yesterday in the changing rooms one girl looked at the back of the carton and said there is 20g of sugar in this...omg!!!
What the heck is wrong with these people?!?!?! It does make one wonder why people will reach for a can of coke and not question it's sugar content and its lack of health benefits. But when it comes to drinking something that is healthy for you the questions start flowing.

71 Down: Water FAIL

http://prozacville.blogspot.com

Today I couldn't resist the call for water. I managed to hold out until we got down to the floor but the call was too strong. The sound of people opening their bottles just had me reaching for my water bottle. Since around my 15th class I have not been drinking water while on the mat. Through out the day I have been drinking approx 3 litres so I believe I'm proper hydrated before I go into the room...thus not having water be my distraction and I am a firm believer that it doesn't cool me down it just uses up energy if I sip and sip and sip away in class...so I only drink water once we have finished the final breathing exercise.
But today was a different story I was sooooooo thirsty soooo very thirsty. I did chastise myself once I took my first sip. At least I didn't collapse with thirst. Maybe I shouldn't take my water bottle into class...hmmmm

66 down: Namaste

About 2 weeks ago Helen put this up on the wall in the yoga studio. I simply love it.

Namaste is such a beautiful word. One meaning that resonates with me is "the light in me acknowledges the light in you".

Lately I have been surrounding myself with people who lift me up and I hopefully lift them up as well. This challenge has made me realise that no matter what negativity is going on in your life it is always better to put a positive spin on things...cos honestly there is no need to be down or bring people down with you.

I was talking to my lovely cousin Sue over the weekend...and I was going on about how I really don't know what I want to do in my life and how I thought this journey would somehow make clear to me my role in this world. She in turn told me not to say I don't know what I want, but to say I am rediscovering who I am and what I want out of life! I LOVE that I am on a journey of rediscovery and yes it is going to take more than 101 days. But so far on this journey I have discovered friendships and rediscovered a love for self. The adventure continues.

Namaste peeps x

60 Down: 41 to go

Oh my days I have been slacking on this here blog and I apologise.
So I've done 60 classes in 61 days. I tried to do 60 in 60 but I couldn't make my Sunday class due to moments of indecision... plus the bus not showing up for 20mins was not good and when it did it was too full the bus driver refused to open the doors to let passengers on and drove off. By that time I knew I wouldn't have made it to class on time. No worries.... my goal for the next 30 days is to complete my 90th class on the 90th day! So by the 29th of November I should be at that goal.

I can't believe 60 days has flown by so quickly. Have I noticed changes? Physically kind of sort of but not really. Mentally so so. My head feels clearer and my intentions are stronger. I must admit that last week one of the reasons for my silence was because I felt that my little world was falling apart. I wasn't emotional on the mat but outside my brain was ticking over and over. As most of you know I am not happy with where I am at in my life and have seen a regression, if not stagnation, instead of progress in all aspects of my life....health,relationships, and work. And this 60 day (now 101 day) challenge came about so I could get out of the stagnant state and get movement and change flowing in my life once again.

51 Down: Exhale on Three!!!

http://savethekales.wordpress.com/

Somewhere near the beginning of this journey I vowed that during this challenge I would do a triple and yesterday I did my triple!!!! I did the 0630, 1500, and 2015. I had the day off and instead of lounging around the house and basically seeing my day off work as a green light to pig out and veg I took to the "torture chamber" and loved every single frigging minute. For the first 2 classes I stood at the back near the window. But the final class I reckoned that if I stayed in the back row I wouldn't push myself so I went to the front near the window. And I did 23 out of 26 postures in the 3rd class.

This past week I have started the class with positive intentions during pranayama breathing. Before I used to count 1,2,3,4,5,6  2,2,3,4,5,6  3,2,3,4,5,6 and this used to drag on and to be honest I hated it cos my shoulders ached. My tummy relaxed and my breathing sometimes got shallow instead of getting stronger. This week I decided that when I breathe in I need to think positive with the intake of breath and with the out take exhale the negative.

inhale in self-love, exhale self-hate
inhale self-confidence, exhale low self-esteem, 
inhale can do, exhale can't do
inhale faith, exhale fear
inhale self-preservation, exhale self-destruction


I believe this helped with my triple because when my third and final class of the day was upon me and we were doing the breathing I realised I was breathing in deeper than ever before and at the end of the posture I felt I AM WOMAN HEAR ME ROAR STRONG!!!!  Able to move on for the next 90mins.

Also this week I decided that I am not doing a 60 day Bikram Yoga challenge. Nope I'm going the whole 101 days!

Will I triple it up again??? MOST DEFINITELY.

45 Down: tears

It all started Thursday morning, up til now I have not been able to get the first part of Dandayamana Janushirasana standing head to knee. That morning after my shower I started experimenting after seeing the way a friend of mine got into the posture I thought I'd try it out and what do you know I managed to get into the posture. Granted only for a few seconds but I did it. So I was really looking forward to class that night I was finally going to stand in the first part of the posture and seeing as I can lock my knee I was going to attempt a little kick...yeah I was thinking way ahead of myself but so what!?! In class I did what I had done in the morning and to my disappointment I couldn't for the life of me get into the damn posture!!!! I was so so so disappointed.

This wave of disappointment turned into my emotional release. They say during days 30-60 you feel an emotional release. I was starting to think this was going to pass me by as the emotion I had been feeling was related to my periods. And now over 40 days in I hadn't felt that real emotional release I was starting to think I'm not human and I have no soul... The disappointment of not achieving the 1st part of Dandayamana Janushirasana kicked it off!!! Saturday's class the voice in my head started talking bullshit about my need to be accepted and to be loved and liked by everyone. This escalated when the teacher seemed to talk to everyone but me...(which is not true as she had corrected my half moon pose but my mind negated that). I felt more invisible than ever before and when it came to doing the sit-ups I couldn't exhale too loud just in case the exhale came out as a loud wail. 

Come Sunday class 45 my mind did it all over again. And I was on the verge of giving everything up...what is my reason for doing this challenge? I'm not seeing any changes or improvements in my body and postures and my mind is not quiet or at peace!!!! the whimpering started thankfully I was at the back of the class and I just let it flow over me while moving in the postures. My stillness that day was my tears.

40 down: 5 long tings

Yippie ki-yay I've done 40 classes in 40 days!!! Can I get a whoop whoop!!!!! I can't believe I've done 40 classes already time has flown by. I figured in commemoration of the 40 classes I would write down 5 things that irritate me about doing Bikram yoga day in and day out. It's not meant to be a negative blog post. I just thought I would share.

So here goes:

5 -
 
4 - People who place their sweaty feet on my towel when they are coming out of savasana and turning to face the front of the room. I know I know it can't be helped sometimes...but these are my irritations

3 - People who knowingly sit in a cold spot and say it's too cold when the teacher opens the window!!!! *throwing my hands up in dispair* I have nothing more to say on this matter

2 - washing my yoga gear day in and day out. I feel like all I have is yoga clothes hanging on the rack. And all other laundry has gone to pot. One week I think I've worked out the perfect system only to have it thrown in my face by clothes not drying or me forgetting to do a load.

1- People who talk in class!!! I cannot stand this...as I get easily distracted. I enjoy the quietness of class and hate having it shattered by someone whispering to their neighbour. I know it's evil of me but I actually get a twinge of delight when the teacher says "no talking!!!" and stops the chattering dead in its tracks.

With these irritations especially talking Charlie says I have to make this part of my meditation and work on it not bothering me....

We got a lot of work to do!!!

Oh I know I said 5 and only did 4...I couldn't think of 5.