Success!! -30

Holy crap....I did it.

And I am beyond proud of myself. Couldn't help but smile at the end of class last night and may have had a tear of happy pride roll down my cheek before I finished my final savasana. Class was sweaty but full of determination for all those involved and that just made it so much better. Because of the posture seminar that the studio hosted on Sunday, all the instructors have been changing some things around and I am soreee today. It's not that things are super different but the little tweaks definitely had different muscle fibers firing. Love it.

Amy gave me a huge congrats and a hug after class and asked how I felt. Honestly? Awesome is the one word to come to mind. I feel different....stronger, more flexible, more determined...and content. I've had a few questions as to why I did the challenge...."weight loss, get in shape, etc"...None of those to be honest. Not in this to lose weight, everyone can get healthier and be in better shape, but I did the challenge solely to see if I could actually do it. TADA I can ;) Do I feel healthier/better/fitter? For sure...you can't do this kind of yoga and not feel that way, but Bikram is all about determination and I had been feeling like I lacked determination for a lot of things in life. This challenge showed me that I do have it, regardless of how I'm feeling about a situation.

At the studio when you complete the challenge you get 1 free week of yoga, 10% off the next package purchased, and 5 free buddy passes (any friends want to join let me know!) I've decided to take today off so I can go to the grocery store/clean my apartment/do normal people things then I'll get back in it tomorrow.

Honestly just so proud of what I accomplished since I've been talking about doing this challenge for years. Done. Checked off the bucket list. And I couldn't be happier :)


Namaste you crazies and thank you for all of your supportive words throughout this process!

YES. YES. YES. -29

Dude. Yes. Just....YES.

Last night was the best class of Bikram I've ever had....like ever. I don't know if it was the packed room or the extra sweaty temperature or just knowing that I've almost accomplished my goal. But I felt strong and determined and flexible and muscular and bad ass and I loved every second of it. Nailed the postures that usually give me so much difficulty and it was like I didn't have a care in the world other than staying in, keeping my leg locked out, and kicking ass.

Part of me wishes last night was class #30 solely because it was beyond awesome but I'm keeping positive thoughts that tonight will be just as solid.

So proud of how far I've come and the differences I can feel and see. Tonight will be fun ;)


Namaste!

38 Hours. Lots of Yoga. -25, 26, 27, & 28

4 classes in 38 hours. Me so sleeeeepy.

Rewind back to Friday night please. UH-mazing class. Lots of people, great energy flow, and extra juicy. One of those classes where I really felt like I left it all on the mat. Thankful that I gave myself that hour and half of my day to let go of everything else going on in life and just enjoy listening to my breath and feel my muscles do their thing. Amazing.

Saturday morning, however, I think I forgot to pick up everything I "left on the mat" Friday night because that was awful. Worst class of my life. I'm going to chalk this up to dehydration. I didn't really drink much Friday night after class and didn't wake up early enough in the morning to hydrate some more. Probably the first class I felt lightheaded and dizzy and wanted to sit on my mat. Awfulllllllll.

Chugged a lot of coconut water and maybe a little wine at a vineyard before the 4:30pm class and maybe I should do that more often because WOW. 4:30pm class was phenomenal! It was packed in there and I 100% did not care. The room was extra warm and for some reason all I could focus on was me. Almost as if no one else was in there and Julia was instructing only me. And then class was over before I knew it. I really don't mind doing doubles, as difficult as they are, but me and yoga in the mornings do not mix. Too tight, too sleepy, too un-caffeinated.

This morning's class wasn't too bad. I'm not really warmed up and ready to go until pretty much triangle pose. Weren't a lot of people because there's a huge yoga workshop today and they all came in later for that. Had Madelyn as an instructor and I've never had her before. She held the counts just a bit longer than usual but I think I needed that this morning. Only downside to class was everyone coming into the studio for the workshop and they were either talking so loudly just outside the doors or accidentally walking into the hot room to claim their space on the floor. Happened quite a few times and it was so frustrating at the end of class when you're really trying to relax into the floor and not think about anything, then squeakkkk the door opens again and someone else says "oops" super loud. Respect guys! Come onnnn.


However, I am now off until tomorrow night at 6:30pm and I have the whole day ahead free! This is NUTS!


Only two left....super proud and super excited.
Namaste!

I Jack Bauer-ed that Class! -24

Get it? Jack Bauer? 24? ;)

Never actually watched that show....just know the reference haha


Class was awesome last night. Beyond hot and sweaty again but I felt prepared. There weren't a lot of people in the 6:30pm class but everyone leaving from the class before was dripping on their way out so I knew it was going to be nasty. But a good nasty!

It was almost as if the other students didn't exist last night. I was there for me and me only. I say almost though because the new girl and her friend in the back would not stop talking. You do not talk in that room. The instructor talks...that is it. Tuning them out was a challenge on top of the already challenging class but I guess that was my mental workout for the day. I think Julia is definitely my favorite instructor and I feel like I had her all week, she leads the class with such a loving tone that you feel the need to listen to every word and try to adjust your posture to everything she says. Standing bow was my favorite pose last night only because I feel like I'm almosttttttt there. Sure I fall out, but everyone does, but I can finally get my hip into the right position, my stretched out arm doesn't feel like it's about to fall off, I feel my back bending properly, and oh look! there's my foot coming over the top of my head. YES. Success. 

My question is, what the heck am I going to do when this is done?! Well.....continue of course ;)


Namaste!

"Some people want it to happen..." -#23

"...some wish it would happen, others make it happen."

Quote from MJ because he was #23 ;)

Class was goooooood last night. My hammys were so tight that the beginning few postures hurt a bit. But a good hurt that I knew eventually would go away....not an "ouch I quit" kind of hurt. Full class too and that means it was extraaa sweaty, which I love. I'd rather get choked by the heat than feel like I'm wasting my time. By the time we got to the floor series I felt like I couldn't do anymore because I'd wasted all my energy during the standing series. Tried my best to lay very still during savasana to conserve whatever energy I had left to finish strong and woo was that a process. Today I feel rested though, like I gave it my all and then truly melted into my bed at home and passed out.

I honestly can't believe I've made it this far and I'll be done in a few days!!

Finish strong Kels, finish strong.


Namaste <3

I'm Feelin' Twenty Twoooooooo (22)

Not actually. Tonight was rough. I would have an awesome "I am woman hear me roar" strength epiphany last night....only to have a super weak class tonight. Boooooo. I think/hope I was just tired because my muscles felt like they were going to give way at every single-leg pose.

Everything in me wanted to curl up on my mat and sleep. But I felt awesome all day, not really tired or sore and it was pretty much as soon as I got into the room I was done.

Yiiiiiiiikes. Hoping it was a fluke cause I'm ready to finish this challenge strong and I am down to 7 classes left!

Good night's rest and my coconut water lie ahead for the evening and I'm determined to wake up ready to be a badass tomorrow night.



Also...to you ladies who can go through class in pants....I applaud you.


Goodnight and Namaste!

I Touched the Butt! -21

Well okay, not actually a butt....but I did finally touch my forehead to the ground in standing separate leg and words can't express the smile I had on my face when we came out of the posture. People probably thought I was nuts. DON'T CARE, TOO STOKED. Are my hammys a wee sore this morning? Duh, but I love it.

Last night was the first night I realized how my body has changed (check out these abs yo!) But not just in the physical appearance department...I'm strong. So much stronger than I was 3.5 weeks ago. It's not a "I'm going to lift this vehicle" strong, but an inward, stable strength. It's hard to describe without using the words "I feel amazing". It's no longer a matter of telling myself to stay in the posture for the whole time because I know I can do it. I have my focal points and I stick to them.

And finally...class felt normal last night heat-wise. Extra hot and extra sweaty ;)


LET'S DO THIS.



<3 namaste

24 Hours of Yoga- 18, 19, & 20

Phewwwwww.....3 classes, all within 24 hours of each other. DAYUM.

Yesterday I got off work early enough to go to the 4:30pm class instead of the 6:30pm class and had a good amount of free time last night to do laundry, clean, etc. So that was awesome. The room felt really good and it wasn't cramped with tons of people.

This morning, however, the room was 70 degrees. I walked in and Sara told me that the heat was broken/not working and that I should probably leave my hoodie on for the class so I didn't freeze. Weirdest class ever, it was more about the absolute correct way to get into the postures as opposed to pushing yourself to your max limit. This was kind of refreshing considering I knew I was doing a double today and I left the class feeling invigorated instead of tired. But yes, I kept my hoodie on the whole time and wondered "Is this what regular yoga feels like? This is awful." No offense to any of you Ashtanga lovers out there but my damn, I need to sweat. Left the studio still pretty cold, but stretched out...so I treated myself to a yummy hot chocolate at the City Market right outside the studio :)

Tonight's 4:30pm class was pretty much perfect. The heat was fixed (YAY) and there was the right amount of people in there to raise the temperature a few degrees. Since this morning was more of a stretch than a workout I went hard tonight. Holding every pose until I thought I'd fall over, pushing every muscle to give a few more seconds, appreciating Savasana when we finally got in it, and feeling everything pull and push in my body. Fantastic. Thought about nothing....this is beginning to be my favorite part of going every day....actually thinking about nothing. How many times a day do you wish you could just turn your brain off? Answer: Go to yoga.

Feeling amazing, checking out my SWEET abs everyday (not a narcissist), and I'm actually meeting a lot of people. There's the same group of us in there for the 6:30pm classes and we've all started introducing ourselves and making friends which is really nice, because now it's not just the instructors holding me accountable...if I'm not in class, these people are going to notice.

Down to 9 classes left....and honestly debating extending this into a 60 day challenge. Why not?


Namaste ;)

Chchchchanges! Day 17

So tonight's class wasn't particularly hot or hard....but something clicked.

I realized I'm no longer counting down the poses to see when I get to take my lavender towel and just lay on the floor for ten minutes. This is huge because I'm pretty sure as far back as my first Bikram class I would actually count the asanas on my fingers, knowing we did 26, to see how many were left. Then I went enough to memorize the order and started counting down what poses were left. Clearly, that kind of thought process is a major conflict in Bikram.

So tonight as Sara was handing out the towels at the end of class, I looked around and said "what? already?" Insane. First the muscles and the body change, and then the mind. And with that, I honestly don't remember much from class. Right now it feels like it was 3 days ago.


This means I'm doing something right....right?


Namaste ;)

Two-for-Tuesday! 15 & 16

What whatttttt halfway done y'all!

Now instead of counting up, I get to count down! :)

Went to class yesterday morning at 6:15am since I didn't have to be at work til 8:15 (rare) and I needed to make up for Sunday's missed double. Definitely NOT a morning workout person at all. I've tried running a few times in the mornings or going to the gym, but I'm really not one of those people. I'm too tired and I yawn pretty much the entire time. My body is cold and tight and by the time we get to the floor series, I'm ready for a nappy nap. So I told myself to take it easy in the morning and then kick my own ass at night. Success!

So night class was awesome. They're still fiddling with the heat and the humidity to find the perfect blend in the new room and get rid of the mysterious draft with unknown origins. I told myself to be a BAMF in the night class and give it my all and I'd like to think I did just that. My standing bow pose is so much better than two weeks ago and I can feel myself getting stronger with each pose. It's not AS difficult to get in them, but actually feeling individual muscles contract and pull and push harder is amazing. I've got about a quarter of an inch before my forehead touches the ground in the standing separate leg stretching pose, and by Saturday morning...it's going to touch. That pose in particular makes my legs and quads feel so vulnerable that it's hard to trust myself and know that I won't fall over. A torn quad (thaaaanks volleyball) definitely makes locking out my left leg so much harder than just using determination.

Class may or may not happen this evening....been recruited to work a pretty long day and I may miss all class opportunities. Trying to get to the 8:30pm class though so we'll see how that goes.

14 left- Namaste!

Hello Hotness! Day 14

Holy Hotness! Sweatiest class I've ever had. 107 by the end of class....I checked the therm ;) . All weekend the heat was kind of on the fritz but I'll tell you it was definitely working last night. My back was still pretty sore and cramped so I told myself to take it easy, but I don't really know how to do that.

The new floor is going to take some getting used to, because when it's dry you can get an incredible grip on it...but how often are your feet dry in Bikram? Answer: never. Super slippery when you're sweaty, so it took so much strength to keep my feet planted and not slip out from under me during Triangle. By the time we got to the floor, I felt ridiculous. So sweatyyyy and gross and my back was killing me. Decided to take camel easy for the first round and then give it a go during the second round...oops. Cramp. Kept telling myself "3 more poses and a breathing exercise and you can go home to your heating pad."

There's something about the new studio that doesn't sit right with me. I don't know if it's the lighting, the smell of fresh paint, the flow of the place, or maybe because it's just not the studio I'm used to but since my first class in there on Saturday, something feels so off.


I also went to class this morning since I didn't have to be at work til pretty late, so I could make up for my missed double on Sunday but I'll write that one up with the class for tonight. Two-for-Tuesday!

Technically...HALFWAY through the challenge! :)


Namaste <3

Grrrrrrrrrr....Day 13

So I spent most of class yesterday annoyed and slightly pissed off. The studio was offering free classes Saturday and Sunday because of the move and this attracted everyone and their mom. Again, LOVE LOVE people trying this out cause Bikram is awesome, but it was so crowded that you couldn't even get into a pose properly. Annoyed. And in the 9:45am class yesterday, I was so ready to start and then this old man walked in...decided he wanted to put his mat in the 10 inches of space between me and the chick next to me (naturally). This would have been okay had he been pleasant about it, but he walked in, said "move to the left" and gestured with his thumb...no please, no thank you, just so rude. Set up class to be a disaster (and he stunk...prior to all the sweating).

So throughout the class, this man constantly made his way onto my towel...how? NO CLUE. Then he'd shake the sweat out of his hair and it'd get all over me, etc. Gross. Not happy. And with the new lines in the studio for mat placement, if you're standing in the front row, it's impossible to do a proper sit-up. I felt so cramped and out of place yesterday morning and then the worst thing happened...my back locked up with a charlie horse and I couldn't even stand up straight. Spent the rest of the day with a heating pad on trying to prepare for the 4:30pm class (since I was supposed to do a double) and it did not happen. I'll do a morning/evening double sometime this week to make up for it, but my damn. Yesterday was frustrating.


Bitch bitch bitch, I know....class tonight, praying it goes better!

Movin' & Groovin'- Day 12

New studio is officially open!! Lizzie only offered one class today at 4:30 and it was FREE, so kind of prime time for new yogis to come give Bikram a try. The new room was packed and there were people on people on people but it seems to be bigger so it worked out. In the new room the setup is flipped so my usual corner of windows and mirrors is now on the right of the podium, whereas I used to be on the left. Y'all know my OCD was messing with me ;) had to find a new spot on the ceiling to stare at while on the floor too!

Definitely still some work to be done, but it's all minor compared to having the room up and running again. The heat was done at the very beginning of class/when people were still pouring in but the techs got it fixed and throughout the first 30 minutes or so of class it gradually got hotter and hotter until I was finally sweating my normal amount (drip drop drip drop) all over my towel. Lizzie also taught this class and throughout ALL my time at this studio, I've never had her as an instructor and she was great! 

Today for me was less about focusing on the poses and my body and more on getting acclimated to the new space and finding my new home and comfort zone in that room. Though I think I did pretty well. Having new people directly in the row behind me always makes me try just an extra bit harder, knowing that when they're confused they are going to look at me and that's going to be a part of their first Bikram experience. Standing series flew by, the spine strengthening series was killer today (have been having back spasms pretty bad since Thursday), but the rest of the floor series was fantastic.

Love the new space and I think it's going to be wonderful for the studio!

Double tomorrow...eek.

Namaste!