Pre-Challenge

I'm in my fourth year of Bikram yoga practice. For those yogis who practice other types of yoga, Bikram yoga is a 26 posture series practiced over 90 minutes in a room heated to roughly 105 degrees with around 40% humidity. Bikram's website is a great source of information about the practice. I've tried a lot of different workouts and sports, yet Bikram has been the only type of exercise that has enabled me to reach (and keep reaching for) a heightened level of fitness.

For the last few years I've practiced anywhere between two and five times a week. My yoga classes are usually supplemented with swimming laps, strength training and cycling at our local city gym. I've been witness to my my home studio's bi-annual 30 Day challenge over the years and have yet to participate in it. I thought that I'd do my own 30 days of Bikram, beginning this Monday.

The rules:
-I must attend 1 Bikram class every day from February 21st-March 21st.

- I am allowed 1 double a week, meaning I can take two classes one day and then take a day off.

-If I travel (unlikely until Florida in April) I can take a class at another studio.

Why am I doing this exactly? Though I've been practicing for some time, I feel my practice could use a little extra love. I'm 26 on the 20th of February, and part of the reason for the experience is to give myself a little extra time to slow down and celebrate the moment. I want to take the next month to focus on my body, the poses, and the effects the yoga has on my feelings/emotional states. Most of the time I build yoga into my life, but for the next 30 days I want to try to build more of my life into my yoga.

I've created this blog as a means to record the facets of this steamy 30-day journey, and also as a means to garner support! Blogging the experience will make me more accountable, also. Take that, procrastinating self!

Yes there will be photos. Stay tuned and please feel free to leave feedback, stories, advice or bad jokes.

See you in the studio.