95 Down: It's all about savasana baby

The last week I've been taking full advantage of the final savasana and all I have to say today is this:
If I could bottle up the final savasana and sell it I'd be rich and there would be no war. 

Taking the extra minutes I have realised that the healing truly comes from that stillness...Not only does your body cool down but it has given my body a chance to really recognise what the last 90mins were about and do it's cellular level work. Plus I kind of feel all high and go of into a litte dream world. LOVE IT!!!!

 

 

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91 92 93 94 Down: The best weekend

I have had the most amazing weekend and it was all Bikram related surrounded by genuine people I love with all my heart.

91 Down
Friday for my 91st class I went to Brighton and practiced at Bikram in the Lanes, alongside Caroline a dear friend of mine. I was scared I wasn't going to do well and had a minor panic attack on the way up but it was fine...I did enjoy it but there is no place like home. The rest of the day was spent eating the most delicious raw food...life could not have been any better thanks Caroline.

92 Down
I had a revelation in class. This year I HATE CHRISTMAS!!!  Towards the end of class the lovely Andy made a comment about Christmas, in my mind I said "fuck christmas!" and burst into tears. Yesterday was the first time I acknowledged to myself that I'm not happy about not going home (Zimbabwe) for the holidays. It's about family not loneliness.
 Saturday night was Bikram Yoga Chiswick's christmas party and it was lush. Yes I got drunk as I have no control when it comes to alcohol. But it was gooooooddddd!!!!! There was ZUMBA it was amazing and every single person who attends BYC is lush  I LOVE EACH AND EVERYONE!!!! Nope I'm not still drunk.

93 and 94 Down
0640 woke up hungover
0725 dragged my carcass out of bed
0800 left  home
0845 walked into the building saw the lovely Shvorne at reception and just shook my head.
0900 I was in class!
I honestly thought it was going to be like my red wine saturday where I felt it was pointless being in class but it wasn't. It felt like the best hangover cure in the world. I was so transformed I did a back to back double and I LOVED IT!!!!!

I discovered a way to love on my tummy... I am holding a grudge against my belly for not being smaller. Caroline suggested that I love on my tummy. And today it happened. I was meant to be standing with my hands down by my side but for some reason they were on my belly and the next thing I knew I had formed the heart symbol... just over my belly button...tiny steps to acknowledging my belly.

90 Down:Rituals

Last night was my 90th class I can't believe I've come this far. This week I've been doing doubles (not back to back) early mornings (0630) and late nights (2015) it's crazy I know...I get home just after 2300 and wake up at 0500 to get to my morning class. And I'm here thinking if it was for anything else there is no way I'd be sacrificing my sleep. But I'm not knackered once I'm up I'm up. Benefit of Bikram.

Last night I got to talking to little Alex before class. And I totally forgot to do my loo run 5mins before the start of class. I was screwing cos I hate having to leave class to use the loo plus I fear that I'll be the cause of groupthink and people start leaving class to use the loo. Thankfully I didn't need to go the use of the loo 5mins before class is one of my yoga rituals...even if it's a little piss I went so I'm good to go.(tmi I know sorry)

This got me thinking of my other rituals in the hot room.
1) when performing half moon pose I always do a little shimmy to try make myself taller...plus I love the way my waist and hips look in the set up of the pose it's the way my body is meant to look.

2) Standing bow is no longer a friend of mine. No matter how much I've tried to find common ground with the beautiful posture it hasnt happened. At one point I thought we had an understanding but now not no more. So whenever I fall out of the posture I try to become invisible by standing still looking down to the floor for fear of catching the teacher's eye and them telling us if you fall out get back in....nah it ain't happening.

3) When on the floor if i realise my mat is crooked I get crazy brain. So I place my towel straight over the top of my mat. Who knew I had a little OCD when it comes to straight lines.

4) When doing the sit up, just before putting my arms above my head, I always without fail touch my boobs!!! Weird I know. I'm trying to stop that bad habit.

85 and 86 down: Anxiety

Peeps I'm not sure this can be done...I handed in my schedule to the folks at BYC trying to slip in triples alongside back to back doubles and needless to say I got rumbled hehehe....which I deserved plus I really don't think they would want to be carrying this lump of lard out on a stretcher. After speaking to the lovely Kat and Charlie I walked into class with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. And an 'I can do this' frame of mind. As soon as we started the pranayama breathing I got anxious and I couldn't catch my breath my heart started beating fast....and I was like "well damn looka here it's gonna be like this is it??!!??!!" I had to stop take stock and breathe in gratitude and breathe out anxiety....that didn't work...I started having a conversation with myself...

me 1: I'm gonna leave the room and sit outside for a bit
me 2: if you leave the room they'll say your body is giving up
me 1: no they wont shut up!!
me 2: yep they will...look at you the yoga truck is dragging your carcass across the road
me 1: ok imma sit on the mat for a bit
me 2: go for it but you won't get up again
me 1: sod you i'm sitting down

Just before standing bow I collapsed onto the mat and sat there until standing separate leg stretching pose...attempted that then sat down again until standing separate head to knee (my fav posture even though I still can't get my blooming head to my knee yet) and from then on I was semi alright I didn't leave the room owing to stubborness.

http://girlwiththeredhair.com/

This morning my carcass was back in the studio with bells on at 630 in the morning. OMG it was amazing so different from last night one of the best classes yet...I was so close to finally getting my hands on the floor with the second part of tree stand on the way to toe standing...YEAH!!!!! I fell out and couldn't get back to it but my tippy fingers touched the ground for a millisecond (incremental changes y'all). I even talked myself into partaking of bow pose and I got into it quicker than usual and held it longer than usual.

Hopefully tonight's class will be as good as this mornings. I hope I didn't jinx it.

84 Down: I'm BAAAACCCKKKKK Y'ALL!!!!!!!

http://tracysfoodandthought.blogspot.com

I stepped into the room after 4 days of being at deaths door (ok I exaggerate). Being back in the heat and doing the 26 postures felt so good. I plonked myself at the back of the class right near the window just in case I passed out or had a coughing fit but none of that happened. On Saturday I did one class and the lovely Fed came up to me during standing forehead to knee...there I was comfortable doing my modified version and he was like "Come on  Nikki you can do it" and I did I finally stood there in the first part of the posture...CAN I GET A WHOOOP WHOOP GRRRR!!!!! Granted I didn't get the full Bikram grip but hey if it takes another 81 days to do this then so be it. But do you know what this incremental step means? It means I'm finally losing inches on my tummy and it also means I'm getting stronger!!!! COME ON!!!!  I decided that in the first set I will do my modified pose then come the second set I will do the first part with strength.

Yesterday I did another back to back double. Why do I keep doing this to myself...honestly I hate back to back doubles my mind sabotages every single posture...I need at least an hours break before the second class.

I'm trying to catch up on the missed days and I still aim to have 101 classes in 101 days so the 10th of December is my cutoff day. The lovely Charlie has banned me from doing triples....but i may end up sneaking some past him....*shrugs shoulders*

I'm so glad to be back bikraming.

81 Down: Man Flu

http://www.mdnews.com/news/hd/2011_32/hd_655464

I woke up with a sore throat and thought it'll pass soon as I get a hot honey and lemon down my neck...nah it stuck around. So I decided Bikram would sweat it out and get me feeling all healthy again. I pushed myself and got through the class way better than I did on Sunday and I thought yep I've kicked this effing cold in the butt.
I got home gargled with salt and water and even considered doing some urine therapy but I'm not there yet...nuff respect to all the urine therapists out there.

I woke up feeling rough as old boots...throat as if razors were setting up for a residencey. I have decided to not go and practice my 82nd class which means I won't reach my goal of reaching 90 classes by the 29th unless I don a triple or am able to get out of work early on some days. I'm cool with that as I need to listen to my body and rest up. Besides I don't really want to get any of the lovely people at BYC sick so it's best to stay away while I'm at the contagious stage.

So tonight it's off to bed with some baileys as I feel it soothes the throat hot lemon honey and ginger....boooooo

80 Down: Red Red Wine

Last night I met up with a friend who I hadn't seen in ages and the red wine started to flow (only one bottlle) while we nattered on. I really do not think that I had a lot to drink. This was the first time alcohol passed my lips since starting the challenge. I didn't get drunk but I was aware that I might be dehydrated in the morning so whenever I woke up last night I would gulp down some water. I also drank 2 litres before class...but none of this prep helped. Today was the very first time I wished I had not step foot in the studio. I was stiffer than a mofo...I felt heavy and sluggish and stiff. A headache took hold about a half hour before class ended. I wasn't hungover...well I didn't think I was hungover but man oh man...yeah with Christmas coming up I don't think I'll be partaking in the red juice anytime soon if I'm going to feel like this.