Showing posts with label yoga. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yoga. Show all posts

February 09, 2011

Yoga Progress


Since I started doing Bikram yoga in November I've lost about 10 pounds. That doesn't seem like much. However, I have noticed that my once form fitting workout pants are threatening to fall off my hips. I bought these pants back in November. My next set of workout clothes are going to have drawstrings.

On top of that my instructors have noticed I'm doing postures (the yoga 'poses') with increasing flexibility. There's nothing like bending forward far enough to have your head touch the floor and you can grab your ankles at the same time. (Or Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Paschimottanasana if you want to be technical about it.)

I'm tired of doing the weight gain/loss yoyo. Bikram yoga has helped pace my weight loss to a rate where I can keep the weight off. I now find eating greasy food or a heavy lunch before class to be gross. Nothing like an exercise that forces you to eat right as well.

(The lovely image is not me or taken by me. It is in fact the model showing off moonseats' Yoga bloomers. On my next paycheck I'm picking up a pair of those awesome pants.)

November 04, 2010

Trying new things: Bikram Yoga

AKA 'Just standing here burns calories' AKA 'hot yoga' AKA 'dear Lord please shower before we start please weird lady next to me.' At the suggestion of my boyfriend I decided to try out doing balancing stances in a 100+ degree room.

Why did I choose to do this? I need the exercise. Running/jogging/walking gets boring. Gym gets expensive. I have working out ADD.

I'm doing okay for my first few sessions. It's not the poses that are hard, per say, but the sheer amount of sweat makes it difficult to hold the position for very long. Either the sweat stings my eyes or my own limbs slip over each other. Blech.

Thankfully the teachers are nice and encourage me to stop and take a break. Dizziness and fainting shouldn't be part of meditation. The whole 'your starting a wonderful journey and these are first steps' sorts of encouragement get me going enough to voluntarily stay in this sweltering room.

Since I'm out of shape my body is cramping and spazzing in new ways. After I give my body a day to hold off, I will go back. This thing is like biting into a hot chili pepper. It's so good for you but burns so bad.