It’s Only a Day Away!

“Tomorrow, tomorrow. I love ya, tomorrow! You’re always a day away.” So true, but tomorrow will turn into today pretty darn soon, and it’ll be February 1st.

Yes, it’s the day before Groundhog Day, the day Janet Jackson once had a wardrobe malfunction, the day Thomas Edison finished building the world’s first movie studio, and the day Abe Lincoln signed the Thirteenth Amendment. It’s Lisa Marie Presley’s birthday, and Boris Yeltsin’s, too. For me and my fellow yoga practitioners at Bikram Yoga Pasadena, however, February 1st has far greater significance. Yep, tomorrow’s the big one — the first day of the 60-Day Challenge!

I’ve altered the lyrics slightly, but this is what I’ll be humming all day:

“Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow. You’re ONLY a day away!”

Was That You, Bikram?

This morning, I was invited to go on national television — if I could do it within the next twenty minutes.  “Um, sure!” I said, never willing to miss an opportunity to promote RoadTrip America, the Web site my husband and I started that provides routes and advice for road tripping all over North America.

I had fifteen minutes to make myself presentable on Web cam — the interview would be conducted via Skype and broadcasted over The Weather Channel.  In the same fifteen minutes, I had to get myself ready to talk about five great road trips to take in this unseasonably warm winter.

Long story short, I did it.  Not long after the segment aired, I received this comment via email from my brother-in-law, who watched me live in Northern California:

“Came off beautifully.  Perky presentation, hit all the high points and drove home the RoadtripAmerica.com point.  Nicely done!”

Yay!  I was perky!  I “hit all the high points!”  With only a minute and a half to talk about five routes, I’d had to talk fast, but I did it.

It was the “perky” that got me thinking.  It’s true — I did feel perky.  I also felt mentally sharp.  Could it have been all the Bikram Yoga I’ve been doing lately?  It’s always difficult to know for sure what makes you feel the way you do, but if I didn’t give credit to all the Cobras, Rabbits, Camels, and Trees in my life (not to mention the instructors who guided me into them), I’d be plain silly.

Thanks for the extra jolt of mental acuity, Bikram!

Shopping List for the 60-Day Challenge

As the day The Challenge begins nears (February 1), I realize there are a few items I need to acquire to help me see the whole thing through.

1.  Extra yogini suits.   Anyone who has ever tried Bikram Yoga knows that doing laundry is an integral part of the practice.  After you’ve sweated for 90 minutes in your outfit, you really  don’t want to put it on again without washing it.  Same goes for your towel.  I figure four towels and four sets of shorts and tank tops ought to be enough to keep me summer-breeze fresh for two months — at least when I walk into the studio.

2.  Coconut water.  I love this stuff, partly because I remember drinking it out of green coconuts when I lived in Costa Rica as a child.  The reason I’m stoking up on it for The Challenge is that it really does do a better job of hydrating a body than plain water.  When you’re sweating out a couple of jerrycans every day, hydration is an important issue.  I like the Zico brand best — it tastes the most like fresh.

3. Biofreeze and epsom salts.  Yes, I expect my muscles to complain.  Nafisa, one of the teachers at Bikram Yoga Pasadena, recommended Biofreeze Pain Relieving Roll-on, so I’ve got some on order through Amazon.  I also bought a big bag of epsom salts at the drugstore so I can soak away my aches in the tub.  I’m also planning to find a good massage therapist.  Massage seems like a perfect reward for hanging in there when hanging in there gets tough.

4. A bigger water bottle.  I try not to drink too much water during class, but afterwards, I feel as though I could dry out the California Aqueduct and look around for more.

5.  Non-slip hair clips.  I recently got my hair cut just a few inches too short to tie it all back with a rubber band.  Headbands were a sweaty failure.  I’m hoping a couple of metal clips will stay put and keep the mop out of my eyes.

There may be a few other things I’ll think of in the next two days (and if I’ve forgotten something important, please comment below!) but these should at least get me started on the right foot.  They won’t guarantee I can do the triangle pose correctly, but at least I won’t smell bad or faint trying.

— Megan Edwards

I’ve Accepted the Challenge…

A couple of months ago, I stumbled onto Bikram Yoga.  I was looking for something new — I had grown weary of dragging myself to the gym and trying to ignore the experience by listening to audiobooks.  Yoga came to mind because I had tried it several times over the years, and — important for me — it’s low impact.  (I’ve got issues with my left ankle and foot that make running and most other sports impossible.)

I had never heard of Bikram Yoga before I began looking around on the Web for yoga classes in my neighborhood.  The notion of working out in a room heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit intrigued me.  It was also a bit scary, but I’ve lived in the desert.  I know exactly what 105 feels like, along with 110, and even, on occasion, 119.  105 seemed quite reasonable.  Even so, I read every opinion I could find on the Web about hot yoga — from “don’t do this unless you want to kill yourself” to “this changed my life.”

With my first class, I knew I had discovered something worth pursuing. Now, after two months and 35 or so classes, I have begun to experience for myself the life-changing results that come from regular practice. I’ve decided to accept the “60-Day Challenge” — to complete 60 classes (each 90 minutes long) in 60 days. I don’t really know what to expect, but I am eager to find out what happens to my body and my mind as I navigate the next two months. Beginning February 1, 2012, I’ll share my experiences here. (But I’ll keep the sweat to myself.)

— Megan Edwards