30 Things I learned on my 30 Day Challenge

30 Things I learned on my 30 Day Hot Yoga Challenge.  When are you taking you challenge? 

1. Deciding to do this challenge on January 1st was the best decision I ever made! 

2. I transformed my body physically, mentally, and emotionally in more ways than I could ever imagine. 

3. Only 1 time in 30 days I thought I had to leave the room to pee.  I didn’t though - I sweated it out instead.  Its pretty easy to do in a room that’s 100 degrees.   

4.  Waking up at 5:30am to take a hot yoga class feels really crazy in the moment but when its 8:15am and you are done with class, you feel so happy and proud! 

5. Smoothies after evening classes saved my life and my sleeping patterns!  

6.  Taking a nap on Sunday afternoon after class is pretty awesome

7.  Even though I did this on a few occasions, I do not recommend missing a day of class and doubling on another day.  It just doesn’t feel right - or normal. 

8.  Having an accountability partner is KEY. I have the best message from Zach still saved on my phone where he is yelling into my voicemail “Only 6 more days”.

9.  When you feel like shit, go to class, you will feel better.  

10. When its that time of the month (sorry boys), GO TO CLASS.  It makes the whole experience a lot better (if there is such a thing).

11.  Doing Standing Bow Pulling after Standing Forehead to Knee really feels good on your lower back.

12. Kick back harder, way harder. Reach forward stronger, way stronger. Even though you think you are about to fall on your face. 

13. When you think you are at your edge, push yourself just a little bit more.  You will surprise yourself. 

14. Somedays your hamstrings are tight and sometimes they aren’t. It doesn’t really matter if its Day 1 of your challenge or Day 30.  

15. Some classes don’t feel as good as others... it doesn’t really matter.  You went to class and worked to your edge that day.  That’s an accomplishment. 

16.  I did a lot of laundry during my 30 day challenge.  Remember to buy laundry detergent in bulk prior to doing any challenge like this. 

17.  I had no idea the entire yoga studio would be cheering me on.  That was pretty awesome!! 

18. Rhonda is always right. 

19. You start to look forward to doing sit-ups because that means you are actually sitting down. 

20.  Become a camel... literally.  Drink lots of water. More than you think you need. 

21.  Awkward Pose is just not my friend.  Even after 30 days.

22.  Your skin starts to get soft and glowing around Day 15. 

23.  When your body feels like it can’t take one more step into a hot yoga room, it is just your mind playing tricks that it can’t finish a challenge. Its just messing with you.  Take your class. 

24.  90 minutes goes by faster than you think. 

25.  I still don’t know what the word challenge really means 

26.  There are characters on the ceiling.... no, really there are.  Don’t lie... you know you look up at the plastered ceiling and see faces just as if you are looking up at clouds.  My guy is above the floor propane heater which I very loudly admitted one morning before an 8am Saturday morning class! 

27.  Touching your forehead to your knee before an 8am class sometimes feels wildly impossible.  

28.  By 30 days you can definitely start seeing new muscles popping out of different places. 

29.  Showing up to class and lying on the floor still counts.  That was your challenge for the day.   Don’t ever, ever give up. 

30.  Savasana is definitely the hardest pose of the class.  The real challenge is to try and stay there an extra minute more than you did the day before. 

Please visit me on my Facebook Fanpage! 

Jaime :) 

Day 30: A Hot Yoga Miracle

Wow, I do not really have words right now... My hot yoga challenge came to an end tonight. Its very bittersweet and I think I am still digesting the fact that its technically over. Im pretty sure I am sad its over as it has been such a part of my life for the last month. 

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....

Day 16: Sunrise Hot Yoga & Green Juice

Day 16 - CHECK! 

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 :) 

Day 15: Class 14 & 15

PHEW!  15 classes in 15 days!  Man, am I glad to be over this hump.  4 classes in the last 2 days was definitely the biggest challenge I think I will ever have to face.  Given my mishap on Thursday and not being able to take class on Friday, I knew this weekend was going to be tough.  I just felt movtivated by this challenge though.  I did not want to get to Day 15 and be behind on a class.  I am so happy to report that I did it!  I made everything up and am right back on track. 

I felt great at the 8am class this morning. I defiitely had energy and my body did not feel as tight as I had expected considering I had taken two classes in a row the day before.  By the time 10:30am rolled around, I was tried.  I got into class though knowing in 90 minutes I would have my 15th class under my belt.  It was definite motivation.  The standing series wasn't terrible but by the time I got to the floor, I wanted to die.  I didn't want to move an inch from my savasana.  I wanted to lie there and take a nap.

In the last few minutes I really started to lose my gusto but then Zach said in a very energetic tone, "just one more pose left."  As soon as I heard that I pepped right up... just one more pose left? I can finish this! 

Its 6pm right now and I am pretty tired but at the same time, I am also very proud of myself.  Its time to rest my body until tomorrow at 6:45am.  That sounds like it is going to come very fast. 

My drink of choice today was Chocolate Almond Butter. I had it in between the two classes and it defintiely helped me through my practice.   

Until tomorrow.... 

Jaime :) 

Day 14: Class 12 & 13

Hey Hotties, 

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 :)