Before I write about how I feel now that my challenge is complete, I have a little hot yoga miracle story to tell.  Clearly its been awhile since my last blog post... I did complete my challenge and attend all my classes ( I had some days of doubles to make up but I did it!) and I continued to drink a green smoothie or a Shakeology smoothie every single day.  I held up my end of the bargain but around Day 24 my body decided not to hold up its end of the bargain.  I really started to crash and feel tired around Day 24.  I didn't want to go to class at all.  I stalk texted Zach telling him how much I didn't want to do this challenge anymore... He said... You have to go to class.  

Day 25 came and went - I took class but I didn't feel very good.  I was supposed to teach the evening class and I asked Rhonda to cover. Something just wasn't right.  I am normally filled with endless energy but this day there was no energy to be found. 

Day 26 came... it was a hot yoga miracle.  My body said I was sick.  I was majorly congested to the point that I could hardly breath from my nose.  My head was pounding. My stomach hurt.  My body was cold.  I had a fever.  Pretty much imagine feeling really sick with a flu and then times it by 10.  That's how I felt.  Rhonda and Zach convinced me to come to class and said even if I lay on the floor the whole time, its okay.  My thoughts, "They must be crazy. They have no idea how bad I feel."  I drove to the yoga studio literally on the verge of throwing up the whole time because my migraine was so bad I could hardly look at the headlights as they passed me by.  I got to the studio and just crashed on the floor.  I looked up at the light and started to cry because my head was hurting so bad.  Pounding, pounding, and more pounding.  Its all I felt. Dr. Rhonda, Medicine Woman put a nice mask on my eyes so I couldn't see the light.  She put thieves oil on my arms, and doctored up my legs with some pulling and stretching.  As horrible as I felt at that given moment, I knew I was in the right place.  I was freezing cold laying on the floor in a room that was heated to over 100 degrees, but I knew that being there was exactly where I needed to be. 

I never got up from my mat once.  When class was finally over, I stood up and still felt just as horrible as when I walked in the front door.  My husband was in class and ended up driving me home. I left my car at the studio because I was in no shape to drive.  I couldn't even keep my eyes open because the light was hurting me so much.  I got home, drank a ton of water, and wrapped myself into a little cocoon in my bed (thankfully I had two warm puppies in my cocoon).  I went right to sleep and must of sweated out what I think was a fever.  

I woke up around 7am the next morning. I was still a little congested but otherwise my body felt very normal.  I went on with my day and just kept telling myself that when I start to feel tired or cold, I will go home and lay down. None of this ever happened.  I thought I would spend another yoga class lying on the floor but quite the opposite happened.  I took an entire class not even 24 hours after my feverish meltdown.  I did every single pose and honestly feel that Day 27 was quite possibly my best class. 

How could this be?  I almost died the night before... It's my little hot yoga miracle.  I realize now that what happened to me on Day 26 was not a cold or a fever or even me being sick.  It is something that is really much bigger than that. Something my body worked through. My head was pounding because I live in my mind. I am constantly thinking, doubting myself, and thinking some more... am I a good enough daughter, am I a good sister, do I work hard enough, what can I do more of, what can I learn more of, what book should I read next, did I teach a good class tonight, did I have a good class tonight, am I a good student, what else can I contribute to my company, who can I help, when am I going to clean my house, what do people think of me... The list goes on... in my head.   

I am still trying to make sense of it all but I do realize whatever happened to me that night, happened for a reason.  I loved this challenge and savasana even more through Day 28 and 29.  I value this practice even more and understand its benefits on a much deeper level.  I think this is why I am feeling a little bittersweet right now... more good things are to come - Im sure.  

Namaste and thank you all for supporting me through this amazing challenge.

Stay tuned for 30 things I learned in 30 days of hot yoga....

This morning I woke up super early for the 6:45am class.  Let me tell you... this is a challenge in itself.  First of all, its really dark out.  Secondly, its really cold out!  Not a fun combination. But once I hit that hot yoga room... it all seemed okay.  Its really nice to do yoga while the sun is coming up...there seems to be something special about that.  Also, the company in the 6:45am class is so great.  Its always a bunch of hard core hotties, getting their practice in before the week gets crazy.  When class is over and its still so early, you really feel a big accomplishment.  I defintely reccomend it!  

It's a little more difficult on my body taking class that early.  I feel more stiff than normal but my mental clarity when I leave the room is so great.  Starting my week and Monday on a hot yoga high is something else. After class on Monday morning I go on to teach preschool age children.  They are professionals at trying my patience but this morning, they could do no wrong.  I think it had something to do with my euphoric yoga feeling! 

Right after class I had a huge jar of Chocolate Cherry Kale waiting for me.  For lunch I had a green juice!  A little something different today.  

Jaime :) 

Its been a couple days since my last blog post!  Day 12 & 13 went haywire!  This challenge has been going well until Thursday (Day 12) happened.  I got in my car 20 minutes before class started to come to the studio and heard a very loud thud as I drove down my street. I got out of the car and this happened: 

WAHHHH - Major flat tire.  Let's go on to say, I grew up on a farm.  I know how to change a tire BUT my cars spare is in the worst place ever.  Its really hard to get to and is not an easy task.  Its a job for the hubby and even he hates it when I get a flat.  It was the 6:45pm class (my last chance to practice for the day) so I was unable to practice on Day 12.  I was so upset about it!  

Day 13, Friday came and I was ready to take the 4:30pm class.  Allison called and said she was really sick (she sounded horrible) and there wasn't any other teacher around to help her out.  At Riverflow we are a little family so of course I was happy to help.  I ended up teaching the 4:30pm class and couldn't take it.  Oh well.  

Today is Saturday, Day 14.  I've got some classes to make up!!  So, I took and taught the 8am class (which ended up being my class 12) and took the 10:30am class right after (my class 13).  I am determined to get caught up and the only way to do it is to take 4 classes and 2 days.  I am halfway there!  Let me tell you, back-to-back classes is HARD!  In the first class, I felt great and was so happy to be back at my practice but by the floor series on my second class I was getting SO tired.  I made it through all 3 hours and only took the second set of Trikonasana off so I was really proud of myself.  I am halfway through my make-up classes.  Tomorrow I will be doing the same thing (YIKES) but will have 15 classes in 15 days by noon tomorrow.  WOW!  What an awesome challenge! 

Even though I missed 2 days of classes, I did not miss my smoothies!  I have been loading up on Chocolate Almond Butter Shakeology and Frozen Pineapple Spinach!  Check back tomorrow to make sure I am still alive!  Haha! 

Jaime :)