Breathe mat’s 30 day Bikram yoga Challenge

By Breathe Mats November 2, 2009

Beginning the end of Sept, I decided I would finally begin a challenge that had been in the back of my mind since the day I started practicing Bikrams yoga. 30 days, 30 classes in a row, without a break. While I’d considered doing this countless times in the past, there was always an excuse, I didn’t have the time or I was out of town that weekend or I was working too hard or whatever. I finally realized that there would always be something, some reason to let myself off the hook and that if I didn’t stop making excuses and start the challenge I might never accomplish my goal. The challenge was meant to start on Oct 1st, but I jumped the gun, grabbed my Breathe rabbit flap mat, and started a few days early. I also decided I would chronicle my adventure along the way and, for the next month, will post excerpts from my experiences during this time. I won’t reveal the results of the challenge just yet, except to say it truly was an adventure! Enjoy the ride, I sure did!

Comments (0) | Filed under: 30 Day Challenge — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Breathe Mats @ 5:22 pm

New Rabbit Flap mats arriving!

By Breathe Mats August 20, 2010

In keeping with our mission to continuously improve our signature Breathe mats, we’ve spent the past six months testing tweaks in our latest Rabbit flap mat that we felt were necessary to improve an already fabulous product.  We’ve double bonded the bottom layer of the mat, adding stronger more durable bias to hold the mat together and increased the weight and quality of the terry cloth top layer.  The result?!?  The new mats, available for purchase at www.breathemat.com late next week, are the best to date, and here’s why:

1) Increased grip between layers

  • Even in a static yoga series like Bikram’s, a mat that not only sticks well to the floor but also grips between layers is very important.  One of the main reasons to ditch the sticky mat and towel combination is the towels inability to grab the sticky mat during postures, even mats with nubs on the bottom struggle to stay put when convered in the sweat a hot room produces.  The newest Breathe mat has a double bonded layer which attaches itself to the middle, absorbant layer of the mat to reduce bunching and increase traction

2) Longer lasting, more durable materials

  • The bias and bottom layers have been upgraded.  We scoured the globe for stronger materials that could stand up better to the rigors of a daily Bikrams practice and washer/dryer treatment and we’re happy to say we found them!  It was a longer process than aniticipated, but well worth the frustration knowing that Bikram enthusiasts will now be using a Breathe mat that lasts longer and looks better than ever before!

3) Improved absorption and comfort

  • A higher quality, slightly heavier terry cloth top layer provides an increased level of sweat and water absorption as well as a more comfortable, plush surface to enjoy savasanah.  The mat will feel thicker, slightly more padded and certainly softer against the skin!

Available in regular length and long, the newest mats will debut in navy blue, canary yellow and burnt orange with additional colors to arrive in mid-late November.  We hope you’ll enjoy the hard work and dedication that went in to producing the best hot yoga mat on the market!

Comments (0) | Filed under: Breathe News — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Breathe Mats @ 2:30 pm

Breathe mat 30 day challenge–Review

By Breathe Mats December 3, 2009

Summary and review of the challenge

I’m now a week removed from my 30 day challenge and I’ve had time to consider the results. I’ll start by speaking specifically to my goals going into the challenge:

1. I am very easily distracted during class; my eyes often wander. I would love to
be able to look into my own eyes for the entire duration of the standing series,
and then during the floor series where it’s called for.

Result: Significant improvement, but still not there. Let’s face it, a hot yoga
room can be a distracting place. There are all types of people of many shapes and
sizes in costumes you might only see at the beach, it’s really hard not to notice the
people around you. Yet teachers who’ve taken class directly beside me, not two
feet away, have said to me after class, oh hey, I didn’t notice you were in class!
Really? How is that even possible? Are they lying, or are they so intensely
focused that they actually don’t even take note of who’s around them? I tend to
believe the former, which makes me realize I still have some ground to travel on
this goal, but I’ve definitely improved. I’m more connected to myself during my
practice because I do look into my own eyes, and my postures have improved as a
result.

2. I often catch myself not breathing during the more difficult postures, then gasping for air through my mouth as the posture winds down. I will focus and try to breathe through my nose all class during all postures including the most difficult (triangle) and while in savasana.

Result: Much improved. I found that focusing on breathing through the nose during postures allows my body to hold on longer and push further. I also found I didn’t have to gasp for breath after the pose was released and my recovery time was shorter as a result. Still, there are times when I catch myself taking a deep breath through my mouth, but for the most part I’ve been able to make leaps and bounds on this goal.

3. Related to number one and something that must be remedied, I tend to lose focus during class and let outside thoughts take me away from the class I’m in. Growing up a hockey player, I would often let my thoughts turn away from the training I was doing so that I wouldn’t think about the struggle I was in and how long I had left in each session. I essentially trained myself to disconnect my mind and body. I’m truly hoping, more than anything else, that I can begin to reconnect my mind and body. I know this is a long-term goal and not a task that can be accomplished in 30 short days, but I would really love to notice an improvement that I could take with me elsewhere in life.

Result: This is still a major struggle, and probably going to be the most difficult challenge to overcome. Lying in savasana, my mind seems so susceptible to life’s distractions. My relationships, my job, my weekend, there are so many thoughts that enter my mind and I’ve been unable to let them pass. Every class, no matter the teacher, we’re told to focus on our breath, come back to our breath, let our bellies rise and fall. Too often though, this happens one minute into savasana and I realize I’ve spent the first half of this most important posture focusing on one of thoughts that has entered my mind. I must work to improve this, because I know how important it is, both in class and in life.

4. I’d like to lose some weight, ideally 10 lbs but I’m not stuck on a number. I’m certainly not what most would consider overweight, I’ve been an exercise junkie my whole life, but I would like to shed some of the unnecessary padding I’ve developed over the last five years.

Result: Mission accomplished, though I don’t know how much my weight has come down. I’m guessing 7-8 lbs, but I very rarely weight myself and haven’t had a chance to weight in since the challenge ended. Having said that, my shirts and pants fit looser, my waist has shrunk, and I feel lighter, so I’m sure I’ve lost some weight. Of course, the number doesn’t actually matter much, what matters is that I feel a whole lot better today than I did before I started the challenge.

5. I’d like to complete this challenge.

Result: Mission accomplished.

I’m pleased to say these five goals are not the only changes I noticed during the month. I played ice hockey for the first time in almost a month and I couldn’t believe the way I felt. I play at a fairly high level of adult hockey, certainly a level where having good endurance is a major advantage. Having not played in so long, I was sure I would be tired, slow and generally behind the pace of everyone else, especially as the game wore on. After all, I hadn’t been running since I started the challenge, hadn’t weight lifted (not that I do that normally), hadn’t trained to increase my endurance in any way, or so I thought. The only activity I had done for 30 days leading up to my game was Bikrams, so surely I would be exhausted, right? Not so, in fact, my endurance hadn’t been that strong in longer than I can recall. I was shocked, the game moved into the second and third periods and I was only becoming stronger. I couldn’t understand it, until I started to think about it. Bikrams yoga had been working my endurance level for 30 days better than I had trained it in years. The balancing series, the separate leg series and even the spine strengthening series are a cardiovascular test. Each requires a tremendous amount of effort, oxygen and blood, which means my heart and lungs were working extremely hard to push me through each posture. Google defines endurance as “the power to withstand hardship or stress.” When I consider this statement it’s hard to believe I ever questioned Bikram yoga’s ability to improve my endurance. Not only are the balancing and standing separate leg series a test, the entire series puts the body through hardship and stress and challenges the mind to push through and gain strength, or power. It’s almost as though Bikram’s yoga was aligned with the definition of endurance from its planning stage. I once supplemented my Bikrams classes with running for endurance, now I realize how wrong that was. Running is a wonderful tool for the heart, lungs and mind, but the endurance I gained running was nowhere near what I gained with a daily Bikrams routine, and the exercise itself a lot easier on my body.

In sum, I’m thrilled at what I’ve been able to learn and gain during such a short period of time. I’m now more convinced than ever how valuable a tool Bikram’s yoga is for maintaining a healthy mind and body, and I’m also more convinced than ever of the value the Breathe mat offers the Bikram’s student. I used just one Breathe mat for this challenge; practicing, washing and drying everyday, and it still looks great. It looks brand new actually, and I know having used the mat for years that it will continue to perform flawlessly for hundreds of classes to come. How wonderful it is to have a mat that is clean, lightweight, one piece and most of all, allows me to focus on my practice, not on adjusting my mat. Thank you Bikram’s yoga and thank you Breathe mat!

Comments (0) | Filed under: 30 Day Challenge — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — Breathe Mats @ 12:32 pm

Breathe mat 30 day Challenge–Day 30

By Breathe Mats

Day 30—Finish Line

It’s actually day 31, I completed my 30th day of classes yesterday on schedule and feeling wonderful. I’ve often heard and have said myself that you never quite know how your body will react in class, until you’re in that hot room and you’ve been through a few postures, it’s difficult to predict if class will be a struggle, or no trouble at all. Day 30 was an exception to this theory. I was feeling better than I had in a week and I knew that my class was going to be strong. I was so confident I ditched the 750ml water bottle and brought in just a tiny 200ml Styrofoam cup, which I didn’t need to finish. My mind was ready, my body was ready and I couldn’t wait to get started. Once I began class, during the first pranayama breathing exercise my initial feeling was confirmed. My breath was strong and deep, my elbows were high, my shoulders relaxed and my gaze fixed on my own eyes in the mirror. In reflection, it’s made me realize that a strong practice is the result of two main contributing factors: a positive, determined mind and a willing body. Mind and body, not a major revelation is it?!? Still, to come to an understanding of what exactly a mind/body connection refers to is a valuable lesson. When I think back to the classes I struggled through, the answer is always an unprepared mind and/or an unwilling body. Day 28 was a perfect example.

I was out late the night before, I didn’t get much sleep, and the rest I did retain was of poor quality because the night out included more than just a couple adult cocktails. It was my good friend’s birthday and I had day 28 circled on my calendar when I began the challenge because I knew when that day came I would have a very difficult time dragging myself to class. I was right, it was really hard, and the class was a major struggle. My mind was focused entirely on how hard the class would be and my body was still in bed halfway through the standing series. To make matters worse, the class went 20 minutes over time, so my personal hell was extended that day. Truth be told, if it wasn’t for the challenge and the commitment I made to myself, I would have skipped that day, and from what I understand, even during a 30 day challenge, a skipped class would’ve been fine. There is an allowance during a 30 day challenge for doubles (2 classes in the same day) should the student be unable to attend class one day. Beyond the 30 day challenge though, I promised myself I would attend 30 classes in consecutive days without missing a single class and that was what I was going to do. I didn’t want to skip a class because I didn’t want to let myself down and as much as Day 28 was the single worst class I’ve ever been through, I was thrilled at the end that I had forced myself to be there. Day 29 was difficult as well, I was still shaking off rust from the night out on Saturday, but compared to Sunday’s class it was a walk in the park. My mind was well, my body still a bit behind, but having at least one aspect of the mind/body connection working was a vast improvement. Taking the experience from these two classes and comparing them to Day 30 really helped me to see the difference a prepared mind and body make for this yoga.

My personal challenge is now complete, I endured 30 days straight of Bikram classes!! So what? Who cares? They teach us in class not to compare ourselves to others and they are absolutely right to do so. Who knows what another person is going through that day, how long they’ve practiced yoga, how flexible they are as a result of other activities etc. There is no point comparing ourselves because yoga is about the individual. Yet, thinking about the 30 days I endured only leads me to consider some of the exceptional students around me, those that don’t consider daily classes a challenge, but a routine, as much a part of their day as eating breakfast and sleeping. One example is a middle-aged lady who has completed near 2000 straight classes; I wonder what she’d think of my 30 days of yoga?? The reality is, nobody gives a hoot about my 30 day challenge, nor should they. Yoga is a gift to myself, a commitment to my health and well-being and an extraordinary tool to help me excel through all other aspects of my life. No one is going to pat my back for doing yoga, but that’s not why I do yoga. Going forward, I plan to continue my practice when my mind and body are aligned. I’m not going to force myself to go, because I learned my least effective classes were the result of not fully wanting to be present in the hot room. I will go when I can be focused and determined and can improve upon my practice. My guess is that will be 4 times/wk, but who knows, it could be more, it could be less. It will likely vary week to week. In the end, if there’s one thing I can be thankful for, it’s that the challenge has made me realize that I not only need to practice Bikram’s method, but that I want to. For that I am grateful.

Comments (0) | Filed under: 30 Day Challenge — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — Breathe Mats @ 12:04 pm

Breathe mat 30 day challenge–Day 25

By Breathe Mats

I opted for a morning class today (gotta love a flexible schedule!) and much to my surprise it was PACKED. My first thought was, don’t people have jobs to be at?? My second thought was, here we go again, heels and toes together, knees locked, hands together underneath the chin, looking at your own eyes in the mirror.

I’ve never been the type to lie in the hot room fifteen minutes before class starts; I prefer to wait until the absolute last second before the teacher enters the room to make the plunge myself. As a result I don’t have much time to think before the teacher begins class, but that’s a good thing because it gives my mind less time to wander! If I gave it the chance to wander, I might start thinking about how I hadn’t eaten anything since the night before, or how I had only drained a couple glasses of water on my way out the door, unlike the standard 2-3 liters I usually consume. As it was though, I went right into pranayama breathing, halfmoon, awkward and eagle pose one after the other like I have for the past 24 days straight. My shoulders were a little more tired than usual, I was sweating earlier and in greater amounts than I normally do, but all else was the same. Interestingly, on this morning, I noticed one staple that I’ve had with me during this challenge that I don’t often notice during class…my rabbit flap mat by Breathe. It wasn’t one of those, ‘this is mat is amazing, why did I only find this mat now” type moments, because I’ve been using Breathe mats for Bikram’s yoga for many years. It was more an appreciation for the fact that I don’t often notice the mat and as a result can put all my effort into my practice. The mat fully absorbed every drop of sweat I produced, it lay flat on the floor without bunching, shifting or slipping, it gripped the carpet perfectly, it did everything it’s expected to do, and it looked great doing it! I glanced around the room at some of the other students using a sticky mat and towel combination and I couldn’t help but notice the towels bunching with movement, the sweat dripping through onto the sticky mat and floor. I noticed students shifting their towels back into position in between postures and I thought about how much that would annoy me. I have a hard enough time slowing down my heart rate and fighting off the dizzy spells by standing straight and breathing deep through my nose without having to worry about adjusting my towel and sticky mat. I understand that the initial cost of a Breathe mat is higher than a generic sticky mat and towel, but the performance is far superior and the mat will certainly outlast a sticky mat and towel so long terms costs are similar. In the interests of making a very challenging series as comfortable and enjoyable as possible, I encourage everyone to at lease try the Breathe mat, I have little doubt I won’t be the only one having these little moments of appreciation during class.

Comments (0) | Filed under: 30 Day Challenge — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Breathe Mats @ 11:46 am

Breathe Mat 30 day challenge–Day 24

By Breathe Mats

I’m sick. Stuffy, runny nose, sinus congestion and a scratchy throat. I had very little energy for class yesterday, the third straight day of having such low energy, and I couldn’t figure out why. Now I know. I wish my brother had mentioned to me that my 10-month-old nephew was under the weather BEFORE his little hands were grabbing my nose, chin, eyes and anywhere else on my face accessible to him. Alas, he did not, and now I have an added barrier standing in front of my challenge.

Post class I’m once again mystified. My exact words going into the yoga room today were: “this class is gonna suck”, to which the front desk guy responded, “it will with that attitude”. Bikrams class is a mind game, there can be no doubting that, and if we let our minds convince us that the class is too hard, too hot and too long, then it likely will be. Going into a class with the statement I made then, is not the best way to enter when hoping for a better class than the last three. Much to my surprise, it was my best class in 5 days. I didn’t go deeper in any particular posture, I wasn’t staring at the mirror the entire class with a smiling happy face, but I had the energy to push through every posture. I had the energy to hold my technique and power through the sit-ups. I had the energy put forth a full effort for each of the 26 postures and not once did I feel like I was merely going through the motions. Better still, I was able to gain strength as the class moved on. It sounds like a simple thing, but after the struggle that was the last 4 classes it was a welcome feeling.

Comments (0) | Filed under: 30 Day Challenge — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Breathe Mats @ 11:38 am

Breathe Mat 30 day challenge–Day 23

By Breathe Mats

Nearing the finish line, but can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. For the first time during this challenge, I’m tired. Day 20 was a difficult class, I was hung over, from start to finish I wanted nothing more than to lie flat on my Breathe mat, it just looked so comfortable. I’d always wondered what a Bikram’s class might be like after a late night out, now I know. It’s not fun, and I don’t recommend it! On the bright side, my head was clear and hangover gone after the class was complete, but it could very well have been the longest 90 minutes of my life! With this in mind I had a long sleep Saturday night in hopes that I’d be well prepared for class Sunday, yet I found myself putting off class all day long. What was meant to be a 9am class, turned into a 4:15pm class as I struggled to find the energy and found I was fighting back the beginnings of a cold. When I finally arrived at the studio my energy level was still low and I couldn’t help but feel I was merely going through the motions, not charging through each posture. Unfortunately, during day 22, I felt the same way. I’m not sure why, I can’t explain it at this point, but I think my body may be asking for a break. At times during class yesterday I could feel discomfort and exhaustion in my back during both back and forward bends. During standing head to knee in particular, I was concerned I might be pushing my back too hard. Then during tree pose, my left knee was asking me to ease off. When I was young I tore my medial collateral ligament during an ice hockey game and while I fully recovered, tree posture always reminds me how fragile the knee joint can be. The teachers I’ve had always preach that we must listen to our bodies, that there’s a difference between good pain and injury pain, that every class our bodies respond differently and posture depth may be better yesterday than it is today. Perhaps I’m learning that lesson now, perhaps my body is going through the changes that I was told it would during this challenge, I’m not sure. What I do know is that despite what my body is asking for, time off, I will not allow myself to miss a class this late in the challenge. I’ve come this far, 22 classes in a row, and I’m not about to quit now. When I set out on this venture I said 30 days straight, yoga everyday, and I stand steadfast by that goal. It can be done, it will be done, day 23 here I come!

Comments (0) | Filed under: 30 Day Challenge — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — Breathe Mats @ 11:23 am

Breathe mat 30 day challenge–Day 19 2.0

By Breathe Mats November 24, 2009

Result of day 19…TOUGH CLASS!! I feel humbled, and reminded that no matter how good or bad you feel going into a class you can never be sure how it will turn out and how your body will react that day. I wasn’t relegated me Breathe Mat for any postures other than savasana, but I was feelin’ the heat! The teacher swore the temperature was normal, ideal in fact, and I believe her, but in my mind the torture chamber was hotter than usual. Whatever the truth, I’m floating on air at the moment and basking in the glow of 19 straight days of yoga. As a side note, I should touch briefly on a first time student in class today. There are often first timers in class, but for some reason this particular young man struck the memory nerve. Being that he was positioned immediately behind me in class, I couldn’t help but notice his struggle, and of course couldn’t help but hear when he exclaimed, “this is torture!” while falling into the first savasana. Nobody in class had the heart to let him in on the ‘no talking in class’ rule. His struggle brought me right back to my first class, almost five years ago, when I struggled through class convinced the world was coming to an end. It was so difficult and so hot I didn’t return for a full year. I wasn’t ready. I remember hearing the teacher tell me after the class to return again the next day! I also recall thinking there was no f’ing way, not in a million years would I return to that hell hole the next day. So when I saw the young gent in the change room after with the same agonizing look on his face that I remember having after my first class, I couldn’t help but sympathize. He saw me walk in and said “you look like you’ve been doing this for a while”. I told him I just happened to be in the middle of a 30 day challenge so I’m here everyday, but when I started I said, when I really began a consistent practice, I came once a week. Then, when it felt right, I went twice a week. From there it was an easy transition to 3 classes per week, and the yoga really did become easier. I’m not sure if he’ll take my advice and perhaps he shouldn’t, perhaps he should go back tomorrow, but as overwhelmed as he seemed it was a pleasant surprise to hear him say, “see ya next week” on his way out the door instead of “I’m never coming back here again.” If his experience is anything like mine, he’ll look back a year or two years from now on a first time student and fully appreciate how far he’s traveled on his own yoga journey. For triggering that reminder in me, I owe him a thank you.

Comments (0) | Filed under: 30 Day Challenge — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — Breathe Mats @ 2:11 pm

Breathe mat 30 day challenge–Day 19

By Breathe Mats

Day 19

It’s a classic Vancouver fall morning. I woke up at 7:30am, it was dark; daylight savings doesn’t happen until early November, the first I believe, so jumping out of bed in the morning was a little more difficult than usual. What else makes this day a typical one? The rain of course, and lots of it! The leaves in the trees outside my office have all changed colour and while beautiful, they seem poised to drop at any moment. All they really need is the encouragement of a strong wind, which they’ll no doubt receive sometime between today and early November. Autumn, it’s my least favorite season, mainly because it’s too cold and wet to be outside, yet not cold enough to provide snow in the mountains. It provides none of the anticipation of spring, with longer, warmer days and shorter nights; rather, it reminds us Vancouverites that for the next five months life will be colder, darker and generally more miserable. Sounds depressing doesn’t it! It is, unless you happen to be on day 19 of a 30 day challenge, in which case the weather is perfect!

Yes, day 19 has arrived and my decision to take on this challenge in October is paying dividends today. One of the main reasons I started practicing Bikrams was for a great workout on rainy, cold days and considering Vancouver has at least 2-3 of these days per week to offer her residents during the fall and winter months, it works out quite nicely. As long as the humidity doesn’t reach too far into the high 30% range, which is did on day 17, I plan to thoroughly enjoy today’s session. Not only that, but it’s Friday! All things considered and despite the nasty weather, the day is shaping up great. I don’t have any grand plans for class today. I really feel like I’m in the groove now and have fully accepted yoga as part of my daily routine. It’s funny, one of the teachers at the studio who’s noticed my increased participation asked me yesterday before class, “what do you do anyway, don’t you work?” I found this quite amusing yet not all that surprising upon reflection. More often than not, I take a 12:15pm class, mainly because I like the time and I find it gives me great energy going into the afternoon grind. The obvious question remains though, who has time to dedicate 2 hours in the middle of everyday to take a yoga class? Well, someone who doesn’t work for a living for one! Not a bad observation from this particular teacher, but quite the opposite I replied. “You see those Breathe mats for sale behind the desk,” I asked? I make those mats! “Oh,” she said, “so you are working, you HAVE to be here!” I laughed, because it’s not entirely untrue, I should do yoga. But I responded, “I don’t have to be here everyday!” Which is also true. “And”, I added, I enjoy coming to yoga.” “Plus”, chimed another teacher privy to the conversation, “it’s good market research.” All true I thought, but at the end of the day, if I worked as a mechanic, or a lawyer or anything unrelated to yoga, I would still do my yoga, just not at lunch. I’ve seen the benefits, I’ve healed my ailing lower back, I sleep better and beyond anything else, I really feel great.

It is with a positive outlook that I go into my 19th Bikram’s class in a row, which is always a good sign. Yes, there have been days where I’ve wished I could skip a day, the weekends in particular can be a bit of a mind challenge, but for the most part I’ve looked forward to class and had no trouble dragging myself to the studio. On that note, off I go, day 19 here I come!

Comments (0) | Filed under: 30 Day Challenge — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Breathe Mats @ 2:03 pm

Breathe Mat 30 day Challenge–Day 17

By Breathe Mats November 19, 2009

Day 17

I’ve crossed the halfway line and I’m feeling great! Yesterday’s class in particular was inspiring. Not only did it seem to roll by quickly, but also I made a major stride in one of my more challenging postures. To address the first point, I’ve noticed that some classes seem to drag on for hours, while others flow quickly and we’re into spine twist before I know it. It’s an enlightening observation, and it provides more evidence that the mind really does control your outlook in class. The classes are always 90 minutes, yet when I keep reminding myself how difficult each and every second in the room is, it feels like 3 hours. On the other hand, when I convince myself of how great it feels to be in the room doing the postures, class feels like it’s over in 20 minutes. This view translates to the 30 days too. Sometimes the challenge feels like it will never end, still other times it feels like the month is flying along. The tough part in convincing myself of the latter when my mind is telling me 30 days is an eternity. Classes like yesterday help.

Standing separate leg stretching pose. For me, this pose falls into the “I’m pretty sure I’ll never be able to improve on this posture” category. I have long legs, and I’ve always struggled trying to reach my hands underneath my feet, I’ve had to resort to using my big toes and peace fingers for pulling. I understand the knees should be locked to protect the hamstrings, so I don’t grab under my heels and start pushing my knees back for fear of overstretching the back of my legs. Instead, I lock my knees then bend forward from the waist and loop onto my big toes. During this 30 day challenge, it has felt like everyday in this pose I was moving a millimeter closer to grabbing under my feet, and finally, on day 16, for a brief few seconds during the second set, I was finally able to grab underneath my feet. I could hardly believe it, I thought it might never happen, but it did. Taking nothing else out of this class, I’m thrilled to say I improved on at least this posture. It was a wonderful class.


Comments (0) | Filed under: 30 Day Challenge — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — Breathe Mats @ 5:34 pm

Breathe mat 30 day Challenge–Day 12

By Breathe Mats November 12, 2009

It’s not that I’m surprised I’ve made it to day 12 without skipping a beat, I’ve often been able to pass life’s physical and endurance tests, it’s just that I’m pleasantly delighted with how my in class experience has progressed. Before the challenge, I would often think to myself during class, “it’s sooooo hot in here, when is this class going to end!?!?” I had classes where finding the effort to try the postures seemed a monumental task, and I sometimes said to myself, “at least I can rest for a couple days after this is done”. Knowing this, the thought of returning to the ‘torcher chamber’ 30 straight days seemed a daunting task. Yet as I write this 45 mins before I’m scheduled to appear in my 12th straight day of Bikram’s yoga, I’m not focused on being able to survive the class, rather, I’m focused on what I should be doing in certain postures to improve my practice. I’m not sure what day it occurred, somewhere around day 4 I think, but my mind has shifted from simply getting through the class, to improving my practice and coming out of each class stronger than when I went in. One of the goals I neglected to acknowledge at the start of my challenge, was that I wanted to improve my postures, and my consequently my flexibility. Ironically, it’s this very goal that I feel I’ve been able to makes most strides in thus far. Not that I’m jumping into a competition anytime soon, but I’m really proud of the way I’ve been able to bend my body in ways I never thought possible.

I wasn’t able to finish the above reflection before class, but I’m now back from completing day 12 and what a perfect time to continue on a short discussion about posture improvement. Having this idea in my head during class today, I was aware of what postures I’ve been able to improve and have noticed the direct relationship between posture improvement and body healing. Number one on the list…head to knee on the floor. Before Bikrams I had a difficult time sitting on the ground with my back and legs straight. In fact, I couldn’t do it because my hamstrings were too tight. It’s no wonder I had nagging lower back pain. In class today, not only could sit with my legs straight, I could grab my toes with my peace fingers, fully straighten my legs and arch my upper back. I’m almost at the point where I can start pulling my head down towards my knee, which I never thought I’d be able to do. Along the same lines, my standing head to knee has drastically improved. I’m able to kick out fully, but it still requires a tremendous effort to hold for 60 seconds. This blog is not long enough to go through all posture improvements, and who would want to read that anyway, so I’ll spare you all the boredom! All I’ll say in conclusion is that through 12 days I’m happy, feeling healthy and fully aware of how my body is beginning to adjust.

Comments (0) | Filed under: 30 Day Challenge — Breathe Mats @ 1:03 pm
Older Posts »