Awareness: When you see what's happening

After a 2 month hiatus, today I finally went to class.  That took long enough to do, but you know what?  I feel so refreshed and so happy that I went!  I can go as far as saying I feel pretty "zen" (I know, what?).  Even 4 hours later, I feel pretty bombastic (yes, Shaggy, I'm bringing that back).  As my instructor today said "The hardest part is right before you begin [the posture], once you've started you've got it".  Word.

I'm always a little nervous the first time I go to a new studio bc I'm always rushing and I always fret about where to put my stuff.  I find Bikram yogis to be super serious about the practice, so I never want to disrupt their flow by coming in late and making ppl move their mats for me once the room gets full.  You'd think I'd leave from home earlier, but I guess that's the reason I need a safe mental place to go like yoga.  Luckily, it was easy at the Locust Point studio and I got the last spot in front of the mirror, so I had a really nice start to class.  Seriously, the mirror spots are the best because you can really focus on your form without distraction.  When it's hot as Hades, you only have the energy to visually focus on whats in front of you.  So if all you can see is yourself, then you can't get distracted by the hot guy bending in front of you or your wobbly neighbor who makes you magically start wobbling too.  Also if you are narcissistic and myopic like me, it is awesome.

"When what you see matches what you feel, then that becomes what is happening".  Ohhh, applicable to so many parts of life, Emily...so much of life.  My instructor Emily was an amazing teacher tonight and what she did for my practice she has no idea!  Maybe it was because I wasn't profusely sweating, or maybe I'm at a low-stress time in my year. Maybe bc the Sun entered Pisces today, or mostly I maybe read too far into things, but Emily's words really helped me to focus that much more on my poses tonight.  My mirror spot also brought her words to fruition.

Awareness of something as simple as breathing can greatly control how ones body reacts to the heat and how difficult the movement can be.  If I am panting (what I see) and I feel tired and lightheaded (how I feel), I will probably start shaking and sit down (look what happened).  But if I control my breaths by watching my reflection (see), then that slows my heart rate and relaxes my shoulders (feel), and it may make the slightest adjustment of my arms to the left less sloppy and spastic; I'm less likely to fall over (what becomes).  If I stare the shit out of my right knee cap in the mirror (see), it forces my mind to make my thigh muscles tighten (feel) so my knees stay locked and somehow I can balance when I extend my other leg (becomes).  

As Emily says, if I stare at my muffin top long enough and then suck it in to tighten my abs inside, then in a few weeks it won't even exist anymore.  See how she's funny, too?

The longer you stare at something, the more attention it gathers, and more improvements can be made.  As applicable to Bikram as it is, its also applicable to work, finances, and noticing things in life that need to be changed in order to reach personal goals.  Such realization today.  Thank you, Bikram.  

Bikram tips for Beginners

I'm not usually a great planner, but for Bikram, I am.  It would be smart to prepare oneself for a Bikram session because it will make your experience so much easier and better.  Here are some basics that are important to keep in mind if you don't want to pass out in your first class:

• Stay hydrated...not only during class, but beforehand.  You will start sweating as soon as you enter the room, so it's prudent to drink water/coconut water/juice starting a few hours before class so you don't become dehydrated.  The recommended amount for an average person is 2.5 Liters/2500cc/8-10 cups a day, and if you are exercising often or expending a lot of energy, you need more.  You need the water to keep your body from overheating; remember that perspiration is your body trying to cool itself down.  I find that I sweat more profusely in class when I am dehydrated from the start.  
• Eat lightly before class...I'm talking water and a banana (maybe).  Or toast.  Anything light and carby, and eat it about four hours before class.  You want energy so you don't get lightheaded, but not to be so full that you will upchuck.  Believe me, you will feel what ever it was you ate once you start the compression postures.  One time at a 9am class, I was still feeling some cheesy crab dip that I had eaten the night before!  Cheese is generally pretty evil before Bikram.  Every body is different, but heat and stress slow digestion, and when you start compressing your belly and lying on your stomach, any food will feel bad if it's still in there.  The slowed digestion also causes the side-effect of nausea.  So don't stuff your face beforehand, and you'll be just fine!  Also, any food you would describe as "rich" or "heavy" may not feel so good before class.
• Bring to class: water, yoga mat, towel to cover mat, headband.  Water is so clutch, I can't even tell you.  Often, instructors will do a water check to be sure each player has a bottle.  You will need a towel (bath towel at the very least) to place over your mat.  This catches sweat, but also prevents one from slipping on their mat.  Remember as a kid when adults used to tell us not to run at the pool?  This is why.  Your feet, knees, hands, legs, everything will be slippery.  I once went to a class where this dude sweated puddles on and around his mat...imagine slipping on that ish.  If you have hair, wear a headband and/or put your hair in a bun.  If you are a man, I recommend a man bun (because I love them! Mmm)
• What to wear: I'm not telling you to be a slut, but I repeat: It's hot as hades in that room!  So you want to be wearing as little as possible, of breathable (non-cotton) fabric.  Don't worry about looking sexy, because if you are doing the postures correctly, you will not be paying attention to anyone else in the room, but yourself.  
• Focus your breath...I once had an instructor who said that mouth breathing tends to cause the body to go into panic mode, and thus causes one to start panting, which may make you pass out.  All types of yoga are fueled by the breath: inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth.  You'll find that focusing on your breath allows you to effectively concentrate in class and avoid fainting.
• Don't chug your water...you will be so hot during class that you'll want to chug your entire bottle of water.  That's a bad idea because it will give you mad gas and it will be too much of a shock to your body that it will probably make you nauseated.  Ration your bottle of water throughout class and take sips in between postures.

I'm so excited for you to experience your first Bikram class!  I know all my tips have the underlying reason of "so you don't pass out", but that's because this class is so intense.  Honestly, after my first class, I felt the most energized and refreshed as I've ever been in my life.  Thus, why I have become obsessed.  Again, keep these tips in mind, and you will feel so good after class!  You might even think that Bikram "wasn't that bad".  Have fun!