I Made it to DAY 11!

I'm a third of the way finished with my 30 Day Hot Yoga Challenge at Bikram Westshore in Langford! Here's a snapshot of how its going so far:

Day 1: So excited!! This was great!!

Day 2:  Tough practice, sore from the day before, but OK.

Day 3 and 4: No big deal-I got this.

Day 5: I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE.
Several people asked me what I was taking for electrolytes. I mumbled something about not using electrolytes back at them. How did I think I was going to sweat buckets and feel fantastic with just water as a replenisher? This should of been a no-brainer. I mean, when I run long, I am sure to take in both water and electrolytes so I feel and perform my best. My life shifted to wonderful after several glasses of electrolyte drink.

Day 6-9: With electrolytes on board and closer attention to hydration I started to feel like a million bucks. Well, maybe $100, but at least it wasn't like the tortuous previous practice.

On Saturday, I was lucky enough to be in Lynn Whitfield's class that she offered before her seminar~what an amazing 90 minutes! Seriously, I heard instructions I've never heard before that helped me through postures. This included the part where she stood next to me during Cobra and yelled "Up, up, up? Geez girl, I'm going to have a heart attack if you don't lift up more!".

There are 53 people enrolled in the Challenge at Bikram Westshore. My teachers, Yelena, Laurel, Jax, Steve, Lynn have been so supportive during my practices and it's truly made a difference in the way I feel mentally and physically. Now I'm feeling more flexible, I hear more in the instructions, I work harder in class with their guidance, and most excitingly, savasana has become my good friend. Now to stop thinking about that sweat that keeps going up my nose during Camel Pose. Am I the only one this happens to?

Day 10: Niki Hatter and Jo Rosen were there to spur me on in Yelena's class. Its so great to have a network of support and encouragement. Jo is doing the Challenge with a sprained ankle-that's dedication.

At the end of Day 10 practice, several of us were talking about the kinds of stickers we put up next to our name on the 30 Day Challenge board. I proudly declared mine to be a turtle. One of the women turned and asked what the turtle meant to me. My answer: "It was the one that goes after the whale in my sea life sticker pattern".

Today, Day 11, I  chose the sparkly tiger sticker. Why? Because I wanted a bit of sparkle in my day. After my 6am practice was over, I knew I had gotten it.