Tag Archives: Joy’s Journey with Bikram Yoga.

Joy’s Journey. Today is Day 30 of my Bikram Yoga 30-Day Challenge!

By | | , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comments Off on Joy’s Journey. Today is Day 30 of my Bikram Yoga 30-Day Challenge!

Today is September 19, 2017. 30-Days ago I wasn’t sure this day would ever arrive….you see on August 21st I signed up for my first Bikram Yoga class- in hopes of restoring my body, mind and spirit.

I know many people, men, women and even children love yoga and have encouraged me over my lifetime to give it a try, but up until a month ago I had no interest. It sounded boring and overly repetitive, at best!

Then a month ago I had a heart-felt talk with myself and asked my body, mind and spirit (soul) what it needed. I was tired, I had ‘tennis elbow’ due to overuse playing tennis, using the computer and lifting weights and I was discouraged. I was looking for something- and had no idea what that ‘something’ would be.

When I heard the loud “whisper” back telling me I need BIKRAM YOGA I wanted to ignore it, only I couldn’t. Why ask if I don’t want to hear my inner truth- right? So I looked up local studios in the Burlington VT area, dusted off an old Bikram for Beginner’s book (not sure why I still had it after a few classes back in the early 2000s) -then I made a personal commitment to do (or try?) Bikram yoga for the full 30-Days.

When I signed up there was a new student special, as is with most- if not all Bikram studios throughout the world. $30 for 30-Days. You can take as many classes as you want or physically can, in those 30-Days. I had no idea if that would mean 1 class, 5 or 20….and I certainly never thought I would or could do 30 classes in 30-Days.

Birkam Choudhury says to give Bikram 30-Days and it will change your body and give it 60-Days and it will change your life.

When I signed up for the 30-Day pass I had no other goal than to do one day at a time. The Bikram studio is 105 degrees of ‘heat’ and 40% humidity!!!!!

Day 1 I was petrified…. and although I had no idea what I was doing, with great instruction I did each of the 26 poses as best as I could, never sitting one out…. and I survived. (barely I may add, but I kept coming back!)

Now looking back Day 2-30 is a blur….but if you want details you can check out the MANY blogs I did during those days at www.WorkWithDaveandJoy.com. Some days were easier than others and there were those amazing days that I felt extremely strong….and then some days it was all I could do to complete the 90 minute class and keep my arms straight and glued to my ears, which for someone with ‘tennis elbow’ was a challenge!

On September 1st, the studio I go to (Queen City Bikram Yoga, which I highly recommend) started their OWN 30-Day Challenge. http://www.queencitybikramyoga.com/ Now I had a decision to make. Do I continue on with my own 30-Day Challenge AND then add on and begin a full 30-Days in September? If so, that would be 41 days in a row and that seems daunting!

Today is Day 30- for ME and my personal 30-Day Challenge… and I haven’t yet decided if I’ll continue on, but for sure I’ll CHAMPION MYSELF on doing what I once thought was 100% impossible. My husband has been ultra supportive in every way possible, even so much that he did 8 classes with me!

Today my husband Dave gave me a sweet CARD with a gift certificate in it for a pedicure and manicure combo. A nice treat. Heart

Looking back, I am so happy that today is Day 30 and that I accomplished what I thought was impossible! I do love big challenges in life…. AND along the way, I had FUN, challenged myself, made new friends and found a new ‘sport’ aka “practice” that I know I will continue.

From this day forth, I am thinking I’ll let my body decide how often to do Bikram Yoga. Right now it says 3-4 days a week, mixed in with my familiar activities of weight lifting, occasional tennis and ‘walks’ will be a beautiful balance….but only time will tell.

In conclusion, I highly recommend everyone trying Bikram Yoga and doing an introductory package so you can do as many (or few) classes as you want in 30-Days. I heard so many people in class share their experiences on overcoming physical challenges and injuries and how the THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS of BIKRAM made a huge difference in the quality of their lives. That’s what its all about!

For me, my ‘tennis elbow’ has improved and my flexibility and my balance is MUCH better than before! I breathe differently, which is great as I have always been a very shallow breather.

I melted many inches of FAT off my body, in particularly off my belly area, as well as legs and hips.

I did NOT lose any weight on the scale as of today, (bummer!) which shocked me as I thought I look like I dropped 5-8 pounds, but ya know what, my clothes fit better, I can wear my ‘tester’ jeans now and I feel like I am getting my ‘sexy’ back, after menopause. (Yup, my men-o-pot is smaller, thanks to Bikram!)

Make an investment in your health. Try something new, take a risk, even if you are not good at it- trust me here, I have never felt so incompetent in my entire life as I have while doing Bikram yoga!

Although I now KNOW the poses and am 100% better than when I began, it is a life-time ‘practice’…. and there is NO competition – other than against yourself.

Care to share YOUR feedback with your Bikram Yoga – or if you ever ever done 30 days or 60 days in a row? I’d love to hear from you! Thanks for reading and supporting me on my journey!

Joy Edgerton

802-846-7530

joyedgerton@gmail.com

www.DaveandJoy.com

(Products to enhance your body, mind & spirit) www.TryOurSamples.com

 

 

Joy’s Journey- Day 24 Bikram Yoga- Going for the 30-Day Challenge!

By | | , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comments Off on Joy’s Journey- Day 24 Bikram Yoga- Going for the 30-Day Challenge!

Today is the first day I had to look at the calendar and count which day I was on with Bikram Yoga. Was it 23 or 24? and to my delight, today was 24!

Day 1 I had NO IDEA what I was doing or if I could survive 90 minutes of 105 temperature with 40% humidity, but obviously by taking one day at a time I am not only surviving but my Bikram Yoga ‘practice’ is improving little by little.

If nothing else it is showing me that I am dedicated and am willing to concentrate and work through everything that is unfamiliar…oh SO unfamiliar!

Like with most goals, simply showing UP and doing the best you can is the goal with Bikram Yoga. Do what you can- the right way- and you’ll receive 100% of the therapeutic benefit. So for that, I am grateful.

I’m not going to lie….it has not been easy. Yesterday both my arms felt heavy and stiff and actually ached, that even typing on the computer keys seemed difficult. Today I took it down a notch and was more gentle on myself and as a result feel more energized than tired. How cool to listen to your own body’s wisdom and when you do, you feel better! Imagine that for a concept?

Perhaps why I feel elated today is also because it is sunny and almost 80 degrees weather here on September 13th in Vermont. Hard to believe but so welcomed. It was only a week ago that we thought fall was here and that winter was just around the corner.

It is often said that it takes 21 days in a row with any habit, whether eating, working out, doing YOGA etc. and I have to agree this is true.

For me, my goal is 30-Days straight…and then this little voice in my head says but “Bikram” himself says give him 30-days and and you’ll change your body and give him 60-days and it will change your life!”

So who I am going to listen to? Myself or Bikram himself?

60-Days could be cool, after all I did recently turn 60 years old. Typically on my Birthday I’ll do that many pushups (and not the girl ones on your knees) for every year. I think I began doing that at age 55. 60 was a stretch, but I did it, but I believe I did rest this year for 10 seconds after 30 and continued on. So you see, setting goals is something I am quite familiar with.

So as I get closer to the 30-Day mark I decided to research what I can expect by going the full 30 days.

Can you change your life in 30 days? The benefits of a Bikram Yoga 30-Day Challenge

As mentioned above, Bikram Choudhury tells his students: “Give me 30 days, I’ll change your body. Give me 60 days, I’ll change your life.” While it seems impossible given the number of unsuccessful weight loss plans and other advertised fad exercise regimens out there, Bikram Yoga studios all around the world have been fortunate enough to see several students experience the truth of this statement first-hand.

30-Day Challenges are designed to help students delve deeper into their practice, refine their postures, and gain a better understanding of their body and capabilities.

What is a 30-Day Challenge?

The goal of a 30-Day Challenge is to take a class every day for 30 days and over time see the positive physical and mental changes realized by a consistent practice.

Are 30 days of yoga in a row too much?

Not at all. (Or so they say!) Bikram Yoga is different from most other forms of exercise. Because yoga does not tear the muscles, your body does not require time to repair itself between classes. Furthermore, Bikram Yoga restores health and brings your body and mind back to balance. It is safe to take class every day, even twice a day!

What are some of the benefits of a daily practice?

Most of the people who completed their Challenge have mentioned that they sleep better, gain flexibility and muscle tone, lose weight, handle stress better, smile more often, feel more confident in their appearance, see major improvements in their yoga postures, and find other forms of exercise and daily activities easier.

During a 30-Day Challenge you also have a chance to pay better attention to your body and to the physical and mental changes happening during those 30 days.

To the right you’ll see before and after pictures. I wish I had taken pictures of ME when I started for a comparison. One thing I have noticed is that I am kinder on myself, my body, my body image, my body weight and how I look in skimpy yoga clothes. For that, in itself, I am grateful.

I’ll end here with a picture of my favorite pose. Favorite, not because I love the ‘pose’ but because it is the last of 26 poses in the series and the ONLY pose you do one time….. and from Day 1, it is one of the few poses I could do!

I am currently taking Bikram Yoga at a wonderful studio in South Burlington, Vermont called Queen City Bikram Yoga. http://www.queencitybikramyoga.com/

It is an fairly new facility so it is up to date, clean, fresh, it has wonderful instructors and everyone is friendly and makes you feel welcome. They are currently running a 30-Day challenge for the month of September, so if I do “theirs” as well as the 11-days I had ‘under my belt before September 1st’ it means I’d do 41 days in a row. I’m not quite sure about that ‘yet’. One thing I will do is ONE DAY AT A TIME!

Joy Edgerton

802-846-7530

joyedgerton@gmail.com

www.DaveandJoy.com

Bikram Yoga- more than 1/2 way there! Funny Description of Paige’s 1st day.

By | | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comments Off on Bikram Yoga- more than 1/2 way there! Funny Description of Paige’s 1st day.

I couldn’t sleep well last night and I began to wonder if it is my BIKRAM YOGA “practice” that is shifting things internally and messing up with my night time sleep schedule….and day time energy slumps. They say it gets easier and I can expect to BECOME MORE ENERGIZED – but WHO is they anyway? 🙂

Yesterday was Day 16 of doing Bikram daily. I began to question if what I was doing….a 30-Day Challenge was actually good for me and wanted to hear others experience of what it did for them! So I googled and found many great stories, videos etc. but THIS one put a smile on my face and I continued to read on and actually ‘champion’ her successes.

….and this is where I stumbled upon this part 1 of a gal, Paige Williams, who shared her Bikram story in Oprah Magazine. http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/paige-williams-60-day-bikram-yoga-makeover/all

This girl, Paige, was 80 pounds overweight, divorced, out of work, and deeply in debt. OK, so none of those are me, except I am a 60-year old woman who had never done a BIKRAM challenge and someone, much like Paige, who wants to make peace with my body while balancing my body-mind-spirit connection. Oh and add one more thing, I’d love to drop at least 10 pounds in these ‘infamous’ 30-days. (I’d like to say where the FAT could melt off, but I guess I will have to just wait and see.) One thing I know, a woman with a ‘men-o-pot’ around the belly can not bend into poses easily.

So here is how it was described in Paige’s article. Paige needs a physical and spiritual overhaul. Can 60 days in a Bikram hot-yoga studio really undo years of damage? and this is where it got funny-and accurate.

OK -SO I NEED A PHYSICAL & SPIRITUAL OVERHAUL too, I agree. CAN 30-DAYS OF BIKRAM HELP ME?

Paige writes: “The teacher wants me to make a Japanese ham sandwich. To my knowledge, I’ve never seen a Japanese ham sandwich, but as I understand it, I’m to stand bent with my face to my shins and chest to my thighs in perfect vertical union—I am the sandwich.

I would say I look more like a jelly roll. My flabby abdomen won’t let my forehead anywhere near my knees, and my legs tremble as I try contorting myself into a position my body neither recognizes nor endorses. The goal is to concentrate on stretching and breathing, but I’m fixating on my unpedicured toenails. And the neon paleness of my legs. And the fact that I probably should have shaved.

The students around me are tanned and toned and very nearly nude. Every body glistens. We’re in a Bikram yoga studio, after all, where the heat is set to 105 degrees and the humidity to 40 percent, to facilitate flexibility. The men wear nothing but shorts; the women rock hot pants and halters. Because I’d rather lick the sweat-soaked carpet than bare my wretched flesh, I have on the hot-yoga equivalent of a snowsuit: calf-length sweatpants, a jog bra, and a T-shirt. I’m huffing harder than a serial killer. And we’re only on posture number one.

Posture number one of class one of day one. Assuming I survive, I’ll make the ham sandwich and about two dozen other postures every single day for the next two months, for the notorious 60-day Bikram challenge. I’m subjecting myself to “Bikram’s torture chamber,” as founder Bikram Choudhury himself calls this insanely intense regimen, because the program promises renewal from the inside out—because suffering inside this hot room may be my surest path to survival out in the world.

I need to change so many things about my life, it’s hard to know where to start. I need physical and spiritual transformation, from the mental to the muscular to the molecular. I need to stop treating my body like a landfill. I need stability, which I haven’t seen in so long, I’ve forgotten how it feels. I need a reset button.

“Do this yoga for 60 days and it will change your body, your mind, and your life,” says Choudhury, a former Indian yoga champion who lives in Los Angeles and who is, depending on your viewpoint, either a beloved lifesaving guru or just a really flexible guy who got lucky, and rich, with an idea and a persona. Bikram students believe, and I hope they’re right, that Choudhury’s heat-centric, copyrighted sequence of ancient hatha yoga postures is a transformative agent like no other; testimonials the world over suggest this yoga eases the symptoms of a range of maladies—depression, diabetes, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, migraines, arthritis, back pain, and heart disease, for instance—while relaxing the mind and slimming the body.

“Can’t you just do all that by, like, running every day for 60 days?” a friend asks. Good question, but the answer doesn’t interest me. None of my past fitness activities—racquet sports, cycling, jogging, gym circuit training, kickboxing—seem catalytic enough for the depth of change I’m after.

I’m not a renovation; I’m a tear down. And I’m hoping Bikram is my bulldozer!”

So here I am….JOY, not Paige and I began questioning if what I was doing was sane, smart or worth it. I can say each and every day is different- for example Day 17 was TODAY and I felt GREAT. I could balance stronger, I was less tired (despite not sleeping well last night) and honestly if I had to, I’d actually be able to do a 2nd class later today, which they call a ‘double’! (Now that I think of it, I believe it was the TAVALA TRIM drink I had prior to class today that made a difference) I’ll have to try it tomorrow! www.DaveandJoy.com

Am I going to stick it out? You bet. How could I come this far and not complete the 30-days? I’d truly let myself down if I quit now. 30-days straight or admit I don’t have what it takes.

I began Bikram when I listened to my inner self/my voice tell me this is what my body needs. I wasn’t thrilled to ‘hear’ the message but I believed it to be true.

If you won’t listen, then why ask- right?

I began my personal 30-Day Challenge on August 21st and September 1st Queen City Bikram Yoga, where I go, started their 30-Day Challenge. If I do just mine, COOL, if I do the studios’ it will take me to 41 Days Straight. What do you think? Think I can do it? Think I ‘should’ do it?

I look forward to the day when walking into a Bikram yoga studio is as comfortable to me as walking into a gym or fitness center. The familiarity of a cold 20 lb. dumbbell could really excite me! but in the meantime, I’ll see what YOGA can do for this less-than-limber 60 year old body.

If you happen to live in Burlington VT and would like to join me, message me. My husband joins me 3x a week and the more the merrier!

Joy Edgerton/ 802-846-7530

joyedgerton@gmail.com/ www.DaveandJoy.com

FIND ME ON FACEBOOK!

Listening to Inner Guidance Led Joy to Bikram Yoga…Check out her First 3 Days

By | | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comments Off on Listening to Inner Guidance Led Joy to Bikram Yoga…Check out her First 3 Days

Have you ever spoken to your BODY, your SPIRIT/SOUL, without your MIND getting in the way and dictating what you should or shouldn’t do? Ever ignore the answer that you hear back? If not, give it a try sometime.

It’s often said that if PRAYER is you talking to GOD (and God is within all of us) and that your intuition or ‘quiet voice back to you’ is God talking to you.

I have two incidences I recall vividly where I asked and received my inner guidance.

#1 In December Dave and I were stuck with our careers within the network marketing companies we were affiliated with. We prayed…got clear on what we wanted, right down to the soul of the matter…..and asked for guidance. We promised to be open and walk through any open doors that felt ‘right’…. and soon an email came to us, that led to a phone conversation and we said YES and our lives have been positively changed since then.

Yes, we resigned from the company we had been with for over 10 years – leaving income $ on the table- as well as a company we had dabbled with for approximately 6 months- also leaving $-(Sometimes I wonder how many things we miss out in the past by not paying attention enough to ‘hear’ that inner voice & wisdom!)

#2 Very recently- within the past week- I was asking my body what it needed from me as I was experiencing aches and pains that I normally do not experience and had lost some ‘zest’ for fully living life. My enthusiasm for fitness was not at its peak and it seemed like I was requiring more sleep.

One day I asked my body quietly what I needed to do and what I immediately heard back was “BIKRAM YOGA”. You mean that HOT YOGA done in 105 degrees of heat and 40% humidity? No way, was my first reaction …. but….then I thought how silly it is to ASK and then NOT LISTEN!

Truly, I wanted to ignore the message but how could I when it was so clearly shown to me? I was to begin Bikram Yoga. Yes, I initially fought the thought in my mind as I know what a discipline any yoga practice is, and I don’t ‘like’ yoga…. but in honor of my body and spirits wisdom, I agreed.

I pulled out my old Bikram’s Beginning Yoga Class book and read it. I was nervous- or more like PETRIFIED as I hadn’t done Bikram for almost 15 years and back then my body was younger, much more flexible and I was 20 pounds lighter.

I checked out a couple of studios, found one I really liked near our house and decided to start an intro pack of 30 classes in 30 days. Yes, I was serious and to entice us ‘newbies’ it was all for only $30. Wow! Talk about commitment!

I emailed the owner of the studio who is also an instructor so she knew she would have a new student the following day, who incidentally was petrified to the core!

Somehow I knew that this is going to lead to a turn around in many areas of my life. I then went to T.J. Max, bought 3 pair of ‘bootie’ shorts with built in shorts under them so that I would have the right attire. I NEVER wear shorts, let alone bootie shorts but knew my yoga pants or yoga capri pants would be far too hot!

Sunday night, August 20th, I could hardly sleep. I was nervous and kept thinking of the class the next morning. It felt silly to be so nervous but I was.

I also came to the realization that at age 60 I don’t care about the good opinion of other people- or at least not to the degree I have my in my younger years. So I agreed to have MYSELF be my own judge.

I decided I would be open and vulnerable and be OK with my ‘yoga’ abilities. For someone who is very athletic and plays tennis, lifts weights, plays sports with ease- this feeling was foreign. I have come to realize, in just 3 days practicing Bikram Yoga, that no matter what stage you are in with your yoga, it is YOUR OWN PRACTICE… It is not a competition and that gave me relief!

Day 1: I got to the studio early. Queen City Bikram Yoga. I introduced myself to Marla, the lady who owns the studio and that I had sent my email to the day before. She welcomed me and I followed others into the studio who clearly knew where they were going and what to do. I was still nervous!

LUCKILY I love the heat. Three weeks prior to this class I had done my first sweat lodge and it confirmed how much I love to sweat and how cleansing and therapeutic it feels.

Even though I had done Bikram Yoga a handful of times in Florida, today felt very different. I was here on my own for me, and my own reasons.

I promised my body and soul to give it my best…because that is all we can do. I had read in the Bikram book to do everything you CAN do, to perfection….meaning do it ‘the right way’…. so this is what I did. If I could only do the pose 10% (and many times that is about how far I could ‘bend’ or hold) but I did it exactly the way to get the maximum benefits. I promised myself I would give it my all, to get the full benefits- or why come at all?

The instructor in Florida was very ‘militant’ and barked instructions at people. I recall being yelled at when I used my towel to wipe the sweat from my eyes, during a time when apparently it was not allowed.

Thankfully, not the case here at Queen City Bikram Yoga. First of all, Marla is a great teacher and offered great instruction. She didn’t care if I had to wipe my body or face the entire 90 minutes due to the waterfalls of sweat dripping off my body. She also offered ‘helpful’ and ‘useful’ advice that would help each and every student get the most from the poses.

Long story short, I survived Day 1 of Bikram and felt like my own hero! I was BEAT RED and drenched when I left the class but I felt on top of the world. I did it….and I decided, or course, I’d return the following day.

By the way, my body was exhausted from a different kind of fatigue. One of stretching my muscles, organs, tendons and the blood flowing rapidly through my body. I hydrated my body throughout the day, feasted on veggies and fresh fruit and went to bed around 8 pm. 🙂

Day 2: I felt slightly more confident going to class on day 2 and was excited to see a woman who I had met weeks before at the sweat lodge I mentioned before. It was nice to see a familiar face and also to learn that Cara also teaches there on Tuesdays at 6:30 am. (Doubt I’ll experience an early AM class but who knows?)

One of my main reasons for agreeing to doing this introduction of 30-days of Bikram is I truly believe it will help me in the aging process.

I want to be full of vitality and healthy for my next 20, 30 or even 40 years.

It was my body that knew what I needed- more flexibility, more functional abilities, deeper lung capacity … and I listened. Perhaps reluctantly, but I also moved into action as I promised myself I would.

On day 2 I was equally as sweaty and red-faced as Day 1. My body was exhausted on one hand, but rejuvenated on the other hand. Last night I slept sounder than I had in a long time and I expected it would be the same this night.

I consciously ate healthy foods, and kept hydrated. I was beginning to feel like perhaps this ‘yoga thing’ could be good for me. I also knew with Bikram Yoga that my body would continuously rid toxins due to sweating. Hydration was a key. Reducing alcohol and increasing water, was my new medicine.

Day 3: Today. I had more pep in my step. I am by no means cocky. My poses do NOT look anything like they are supposed to but my body is becoming more flexible in just 3 days. Today I could actually do several poses that I could not do before. My tennis elbow pain had slightly more pain today but that was because I forgot to wear my Quantum Relief Strip….. (These strips help with areas of discomfort as well as energy & balance …but are also great to place in areas on the body that need energy.)

Interestingly enough, the one pose I knew I could do with relative ease – the TREE POSE- is one I have not been able to do on my left side. What the heck is that all about?

I am so right side dominant and so sweaty that my foot slides and I find myself literally hopping around on one foot just trying to get and stay in balance. Crazy but true. I think I need to find that spot ahead of me to concentrate on so I can keep my focus…even if it only means standing on one foot and doing nothing else.

I imagine I’ll line up each day, every day, along the back wall in the back of the class so I can learn from others who have done Bikram yoga for months or years or longer. It is good to have someone to watch so you can learn the poses correctly. If not, no worries, the instructor is there to help you.

Interestingly enough, there are both men and women in the class- clearly FAR MORE WOMEN, and they are women of all ages and body shapes. I have noticed that most of the people are comfortable in their bodies no matter their size or physical conditioning. Many women bare their ‘less tan or toned’ bellies, and don’t seem conscious that their bellies were whiter and softer than the rest of their body. This to me is refreshing- especially coming from the ‘gym scene’ and Jane Fonda days where there is a look and competition on how ‘tight and toned’ the body is and what fashion one is wearing.

Maybe I’ll bare my belly in my jog bra ‘some day’, but I doubt it. At least no time soon. My ultimate goal is to become more flexible in 30 days, increase my stamina, my focus, to drop some ‘bloat weight’ and reduce alcohol consumption.

Clearly going to Bikram yoga the next day has curbed any discussion or craving for cocktails at night. There is no way one could tolerate Bikram being tired or hung over!

If you are humored by my story….keep reading my blogs over the next several weeks. No doubt there are some funny stories to share ahead!

If this inspires YOU to talk quietly to YOUR body & soul and listen to what it tells you it needs, fantastic. I would be delighted to have that positive influence.

Our business seems to be booming even more now that my focus remains intuitive in nature. When I tune into others needs or who can use a call for product or business support- it is always the right action.

Good luck on YOUR journey in life. Be true to yourself. Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.

I’d love to hear your stories of how you made a change when you listened to YOUR inner wisdom. 802-846-7530, email me at joyedgerton@gmail.com or www.DaveandJoy.com

Joy Edgerton