30-Day Bikram Yoga Challenge

In late June I completed a thirty day Bikram yoga challenge. It was exhilarating. Now before you think I am a crazy exercise person, let me be plain: I'm not. In fact when I started the challenge in late May, my first class of the thirty day challenge was only my third class of Bikram yoga. My previous two classes had been eleven months earlier and twenty-five months earlier. So, I jumped in the deep end with no preparation. The first ten days, I thought I would die in the heat and humidity of the class, or at least when I realized I wasn't going to die, I wanted to die. Yet, I persisted, in large part because I had schedule the classes into my calendar and I am loathe to not fulfill my commitments. Around day eleven, I started enjoying the classes, though my hips and back protested that it wasn't pleasurable. Around day sixteen, I started having orgasms every time I slept. Daytime naps, long nights of sleep. It was fantastic. Unfortunately, it has waned since I have scaled back my practice. So having completed the Bikram yoga 30-day challenge, I have some advice for folks considering it. In short, do it. I loved it and recommend it. I was able to do it because I had the time to devote to the classes. Each class is 90 minutes. Yup, 90 minutes in a 105 degree room at about 40% humidity. The reality is though it takes up about three hours a day by the time you get to the studio and get home ands showered. Sometimes, an extra hour to recuperate, especially at the beginning. For the first ten days, I was exhausted. I can't imagine doing it full time with a stressful job. There are a few other things you'll need besides time and energy to do the challenge:
Washer and dryer. I know people probably do it without home laundry, but it is a lot of laundry with the daily costume and towel. I can't imagine schlepping it all to the laundromat every few days. I did laundry every other day during the challenge.
Good deodorant soap. During the challenge, I used a lot of soap, strong, dry your skin soap. My skin was so soft and moisturizer from all of the sweating that a good deodorant soap in the shower was a blessing.
Water, water, water. Coconut water, vitamin water, tap water. I drank about 96 ounces every day of the challenge.
I feel healthier, happier, stronger, more focused and calmer since my challenge. Now I am trying to do Bikram three times a week and balance it with running and an occasional trip to the gym. Oh, and doing some writing, too!