Another day, another bikram.

Day 14, Class 13.

Things I accomplished today: 4 hours of sleep, 90 minutes of bikram, one Chipotle burrito.

I am having a terrible time with sleep these days. I can sleep deeply for just a few hours and then wake up and think I’ve had a full night’s sleep when actually it has been just 3 or 4 hours. As a result I’ve felt sluggish on the mat, and off.

I’m experimenting with hydration (thank you coconut water) and wondering if I’m not getting enough calories in my diet. My body energy does not last the duration of my day and shortly after rising, I am ready to get back into bed. I know for sure, this is due partly to the fact that I work the god-forsaken overnight shift.

I think with the mix of the bikram and the intense pace that is the 30 day challenge, my body so desperately wants to be on a natural clock, not a fabricated, schedule-convenient one.

So today, after my measly sleep I packed my bag for 2 classes worth of yoga and trotted downtown. I was really nervous walking up to the studio. I just had a knot in my stomach and wasn’t really feeling it.

Sure enough whilst trying to squish myself into a Japanese Ham Sandwich, I got light headed and nauseous. I prefer to take the class after work, so that I’ve been up for several hours with food in my belly. However after just waking up and immediately going to bikram, I felt the effects.

Also being an evening class- it was full. As in, stay on your mat and only your mat or you will have to touch another human’s sweaty body. The teacher kept checking the thermostat, because we were all feeling the heat. It was a level 105 when I left after final savasana.

I was tired. I was hungry. I was hot. I was grumpy. The line for the shower was 7 people deep and there was some loud girl talking on her cell phone. At one point the un-self-aware girl literally said “I should have followed my dad’s advice and traveled the world for a year after college. But instead I bought shoes.” I started laughing and was curious to know which celebrity gossip mag brought her to bikram.

On my way to class, I wondered if my not sleeping, antsy thoughts and laziness towards yoga is a form of attempted self-sabotage. It’s been two weeks of this challenge, and it feels like a lifetime. My schedule, everyday, is literally work, yoga, blog, sleep.  All interchangeable of course, but that’s how I spend my time.

I love what the yoga is doing for me, and some of my friends. Several people at work have bought the groupon for the bikram studio, I am eager for them to start. Other friends are working out more, going back to bikram or challenging themselves in another way. The whole process is inspiring when it comes in group support and participation like this.

It warms my heart when people legitimately and genuinely want to do good for themselves and are happy when others are doing so well. My family and friends play a huge role as my support system. Every one encouraging and eager to check in about my challenge. It really makes me feel good that from a $19 groupon I managed to start a healthy lifestyle, keep up a once-a-day blog and connect and reconnect with so many people.

I am not a particular fan of the people who reject this bikram business before they give themselves the chance to experience it. Mostly people hear “105 degrees” and just say “I can’t do that. I’d die.” Well, then you just settled your fate, now didn’t you.

Like the girl in the locker room – I so desperately wanted to lean over to her and whisper “you can still travel” but I feel that sentiment would have been better communicated to a rock, than her.   So I just left and headed towards burrito bliss.