Bikram convert

I've been practicing yoga on and off for many years. But I've struggled to keep a steady practice post-baby. The yoga studio I visit is too far out of the way and their schedule no longer works for me. I'm also feeling uninspired by my home practice. My energy level is low and I feel very out of shape. So when I spotted the nearby Bikram Yoga at the Palisades I became excited but equally hesitant. As much as I love yoga, I had ruled Bikram out a long time ago. I don't fare well in the heat and I have a very sensitive nose! But given that my local options are limited (and I'm not a gym person whatsoever), I figured I would give it a try. And coincidentally, Bikram came up in a conversation with two friends over the weekend. And while they echoed the same sentiments about how tough it was, they also raved about how good they felt afterwards. I was sold. 

So I talked myself into taking a class yesterday. And I kid you not, I literally had to push myself to go. I kept thinking how much I was going to regret sticking myself in a hot room for 90 minutes. I felt nervous and a bit on edge, but I didn't want to walk into the situation already thinking it was going to be a failure. So I cleared my mind and psyched myself up for the challenge. 

My nerves began to unravel upon walking into the room because I didn't expect it to already be that hot. But I put mind over matter and pushed through. And I'm surprised to say that I actually loved it! It really wasn't as hot as I was expecting it to be. I thought the heat was going to make it impossible to breath but it didn't. And my body adjusted pretty quickly. The challenge was super intense, but great. I felt really focused, very connected and accomplished. I'm hooked. Later in the day, I was actually daydreaming about heading over to an evening class. Crazy!

I'm sore today but still feel good. I'm taking two more classes this week as part of my trial membership and will make my membership official next week. I'm excited to get back into a practice and looking forward to the challenge. Any locals willing to join me? Anyone willing to share their Bikram experience?

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