Day 17 -- The Twenty-Second Vacation

Today during the floor series, Byron encouraged us to treat each savasana as a twenty-second vacation. "Relax into it as fully and as quickly as you can," he counseled. "Enjoy the sensation of complete relaxation after your complete exertion."

I've mentioned before how much I enjoy savasana, and it's even better as I learn to set aside potential distractions. The smell of the Bikram room used to hit me like a brick when I walked in, but now I barely notice it. (That makes me a little paranoid, actually, but there it is.) My hair, my sweat, my clothes, my increasingly sodden towel--I'm getting better at ignoring them all as I sink into the floor in savasana.

Today, in final savasana, I had a hard time not smiling (though I could have, of course). After each and every class, no matter how it has gone, I feel so GOOD. I'm committed to many more twenty-second vacations in the days and weeks to come.

Day 4 -- March Fourth: March Forth!

The only date that’s also an imperative sentence! I love it.

The great news is that I did the sit-ups. You can't imagine my glee. 

Between every asana in the floor series of every Bikram class, there’s a full-body sit-up to get you back into position after resting in savasana. When I first started Bikram, my core was too weak to do the sit-ups properly. I’d have to grab my leg to get up off the floor.

On Saturday at the Fundamentals class, I asked Val what to do about it. She told me to give every sit-up my all, and then use my elbows to get the rest of the way up. I followed her instructions on Monday and again until halfway through Tuesday night’s class—and then magically, I came all the way up! I had the biggest smile on my face.

And it wasn’t a fluke. I did every sit-up today as well. It feels great to make some progress.

As I get to know the various poses in the class (which is always the same), there are some I love and some that…challenge me.

Most Challenging:

Half-Moon Pose (Which is first—and it’s SO LONG.)

Camel Pose (But today, for the first time, I didn’t get light-headed when I did my modified version.)

Happiest:

Savasana (I am all about the savasana. Both versions: prone and supine. Bring it.)

Balancing Stick Pose (I feel strong and awesome; it’s almost like a Warrior asana.)

I feel so clear-headed after every class—like I’m standing on a cliff with a fresh ocean breeze blowing in my face. I love it. But I think I might need to avoid classes at night, if possible. Last night I got home and had a hard time winding down. I’ll do what it takes to finish the challenge, but if I can, I’ll do the bulk of my classes in the mornings.