Now, I know what you’re thinking…and yes, I’m glad the challenge is behind me. That said, I would happily do it again. It was intense, but I gained a lot from attempting and completing it.

Below are a few of the things I learned throughout the 30 Day Challenge. I’m sure some of these will make über experienced yogis cringe, but as a beginner I would’ve loved to have known some of these insights before the challenge started:

1) Each class is going to be different. You have to take the good with the bad. Sometimes you’ll feel great. Sometimes you’ll feel horrible. Sometimes certain postures come easily and you can feel yourself improving and getting stronger. Sometimes you can’t do a posture you nailed the day before. Trust me, I have no idea why this happens, but the key is to stay as zen about this phenomenon as possible. I’ve always read that yoga is about accepting your capabilities as they are that day, in that moment. I always thought that was crap. (Yes, I’ve been accused of being competitive.) But the 30 Day Challenge brought that lesson home to me. The more I lowered expectations ahead of each class and just tried my best, the more accomplished I’d feel after winding up those 90 minutes – no matter how many postures I spent lying on my backside feeling like I was going to pass out. It became something I couldn’t control, and becoming cool with that was a huge, and very significant learning for me. Both inside and outside the yoga studio.

2) The routine is easy to get into. Right about the 4th class of my 30 Day Challenge I thought to myself, “my goodness, I might just die out of boredom doing this for 26 more days”. And just as I had that thought, something unexpected happened: I started to appreciate and look forward to the routine. I loved having 90 minutes all to myself where I had no other commitments or responsibilities. I began to find comfort in knowing the sequence of the postures and began looking forward to what was coming next. I started getting excited about Triangle Pose because I wanted to continue to challenge myself in it. I’ve always loved Tree Pose and knew that by the time I got there I had two sets of one of my favs and then a 2 minute savasana to enjoy. I also liked that I could count down to the end of the class on those days I felt especially hot, tired, and miserable.

3) Eventually you will be able to meditate. I’m sure there will be some die-hard Bikram yogis that will frown upon lesson #2 since that mindset doesn’t adhere to the meditation that is demanded of you during class. However, the great thing I learned (as someone who aspires to be in a much more meditative state much more often), is that the more you get used to the sequence of poses, the more second nature they become. You’re thinking, “of course!”, but the great thing about that is that I reached a point where I knew the sequence so well, that I was able to zone out and actually reach what I would consider a meditative state rather frequently. There were some classes that felt like they went by in a flash, but I would leave feeling refreshed and calm. I loved that feeling. And in my opinion, it will only come with being practiced enough that you can confidently do the postures without thinking so hard about them. By the 7th or 8th class, chances are you’ll have the sequence down well enough to start detaching from your movements and quiet your mind. It’s an awesome accomplishment.

4) There is always more to learn. Contrary to lesson #3, there are going to be classes where you’re just going to “be in your body” as they say. I noticed whenever I had a teacher with which I wasn’t very familiar, it would take me a while to get into a rhythm with their voice and the timing of their instructions. It was usually these classes where I would listen more carefully, and end up tweaking postures based on their personalized delivery of the instructions. An explanation of what you should be feeling, a reminder to switch your grip, a guide as to where to rest your eyes. All of these little tidbits of information, collected across the team of instructors, served to improve my practice significantly. I loved beginning a class with an unfamiliar voice and allowing it to guide me and tweak what I was already doing. This isn’t the meditative state from lesson #3, but in my opinion, it is no less beneficial.

5) There will be times you’re wondering why the hell you’re doing this. Trust me, this will happen. 30 days of hot yoga starts to seem like a really, really stupid idea. (Especially when your friends, family, children, spouse, coworkers, etc… remind you how extreme it is.) Keep going! You’re on the edge of a breakthrough.

6) Yes, it is possible to keep sweating. So, maybe you’re not wondering about this, but I certainly did. In full disclosure, I’m a business consultant, and I run a company, so nothing I do, or am trained to do, involves biology whatsoever. So that might explain why this was such a curious issue for me. There were times I had to attend the 6:30PM class and show up again at 5:45AM the following morning. Surely there wasn’t enough time to rehydrate fully in-between those classes. And some mornings as I was rolling out my mat in my deliriously tired state, I would ask myself “I wonder if I’m even going to sweat today?” The answer to my burning question was yes, there is always more sweat. It’s amazing, but it happens. (For those of you who were also wondering about this: you’re welcome.)

7) Sadly, no, you can’t eat whatever you’d like. Or I guess you could, but I wouldn’t advise it. I started the month rewarding myself by showing little to no restraint in caloric intake. I figured I was exercising more consistently and for longer than I had in a long time, so it wouldn’t be a problem. Wrong. I started gaining weight and feeling sluggish. Classes weren’t fun on a completely junk-foody stomach. And staring at yourself in a mirror for 90 minutes with a full belly isn’t always pretty (or really ever pretty). So I reigned it in and began feeling much better. Bikram made me hungrier than usual, but eating well made the experience much more enjoyable than indulging and hoping the yoga would take care of me.

After all that, I think the one thing I’d say – the one big takeaway – is that it’s called a “challenge” for a reason. And not just because it’s tough, but because it takes you through the stages of truly facing a challenge and realizing that all you need is the ability to commit to seeing it through. Just take one step, or class, at a time.

And now, best of luck with your first Challenge! Someday those 30 classes will be behind you and you’ll be really, really stinkin’ proud for yourself!

Namaste.

(Pictured from left to right: Kelly Duncan, Garland Hume, Amy Hess, April Penland)

My journey to yoga has been a somewhat painful journey, but not in the physical sense. I’ve met some amazing yogis and heard their tales of injured bodies caused by years of either lack of exercise or too much exercise and how Bikram Yoga has healed them. For me however, my transformation started on the inside and worked outwards. Sure, I’ve reaped some amazing physical benefits, but I began changing on an emotional level first .

Depression and anxiety plagued me for years. A bitter divorce catapulted me into the grips of these conditions, and another personal crisis in 2010 almost pushed me over the edge. I looked for help and answers which came in the form of prescription medications. There’s a pill for everything and a Dr. Feelgood for everyone. Pretty soon my body and mind were even more confused. Something had to change, but what and how? I was lost.

“Katie, give yoga a try.” Those are the words a dear friend spoke to me on more than one occasion. I didn’t believe her for a long time. I didn’t want to, but I did want to feel better so I started to do my research. What is yoga? What is right for me? So many types and styles, but one began to beckon to me as I learned more. Bikram. I was so curious and intrigued that I found myself in the hot room one day. I struggled tremendously that first class, but that night I slept with ease for the first time in years. I knew I had stumbled onto something that I needed to explore further, and so my practice began.

Those first few months were difficult – and it wasn’t the heat. Something as simple as facing myself in the mirror proved almost impossible. Replacing negative thoughts and feelings with positive ones seemed out of the question. Quieting and calming my mind seemed out of reach, but, over time, I felt a shift. With each class, I heard more of what the teacher was saying. I became comfortable with the face looking back at me in the mirror. My mind began to calm, and I felt the tremendous energy in the room accompanied by zero judgment. I felt accepted, and then I began to accept myself. All the failures, bad decisions, and regrets melted away in that insanely beautifully heated room.

I’m not the same person I was two years ago, and I owe all of that to my yoga practice. Today, I’m proudly off all medications previously prescribed by Dr. Feelgood. I have a renewed sense of purpose, energy, direction and positivity in my life. My brain has been completely rewired at the age of 41. As I’ve progressed down this accidental path of yoga, I’ve discovered many things about myself. While I don’t know if I will ever get into toe stand or perfect my standing bow pose, the one thing I do know is that I’ll never find myself in that same place ever again. Bikram Yoga will sustain me for the rest of my life. I believe it can do the same for you – no matter what your story may be.

Next time you’re in the area, check out her studio!!

http://www.bikramhotyogavabeach.com/

What a great year 2012 was. We are so grateful for this yoga and to have you in our lives. Reflecting back we’ve had quite an exciting year at BYR. Last January we had two of our students represent BYR and the state of Virginia at the National Yoga Asana championships in New York. Kelly Duncan went on to place top 10 in the national competition for the women’s division. Over the year, we’ve hosted Ida Ripley, Esak Garcia, Mary Jarvis, and Juan Manuel for seminars. We also hosted an 11 day Jedi Fight Club training with Esak and over 20 trainees from around the world. We were thrilled when BYR won the USA Yoga membership drive last February, and had a spectacular visit from Rajashree Choudhury in September as our prize. One of our favorite days of the entire year was back in September when we got to spend the entire day teaching yoga to over 1,000 students at Moody Middle School. We finished off the year with a Christmas day donation class, where we raised over $800 for the New Hope Animal Rescue. It’s been quite a year in yoga.

For the next year our hope for you is that through the practice of this yoga you continue to find peace, compassion, love, dedication, discipline, an open mind, and the acceptance that “you have no idea what you are capable of,” and that “you are 100% responsible for your experience in this life.” It’s time to stop setting limits for ourselves and live our full capacity. As teachers, we will do our best to lead the way.

“You’re never too old, you’re never too sick, it’s never too bad, it’s never too late, to start from scratch once again, to be born once again.” -Bikram

Peace to you always,

BYR