Where am I in the class count? Oh, somewhere in the nineties I believe. I'll check later.
One of the side effects of doing such intense balancing, breathing, stretching and sweating is I want to make the rest of my life healthier. And, when I say 'the rest of my life,' I mean my diet. This is being accomplished but in baby steps. I'm not going to give up chocolate, peanut butter or anything of that ilk completely--it just ain't gonna happen--and those who say I MUST are full of shit. Also, I'm no longer beating myself up if I eat a few Oreos and wash them down with some red wine. During class yesterday, Jessica told us a Bikram Choudury gem. Recently, at a teacher training class, Bikram told his students (paraphrasing here) to tell their beginners not to fear the heat, the poses, the carpet or the 90 minute class, but the ho-ho's and cheeseburgers that got them to go to Bikram in the first place.
Hmm. Interesting. Makes total sense. I've read various pieces that claim that weight loss is between 80-90% diet, while exercise is not that important. Of course, exercise is essential to overall health, but it's not a necessity for weight loss. It finally dawned on me that eating crap and exercising like an MMA fighter and not seeing any results in my shape, was a huge waste of time and energy. So I decided to do something about it. I may even kick caffeine one of these days, but I'm still in the phase where thinking of a caffeine-free Julia reduces me to tears. Again with the baby steps.
Today's class was very crowded with an eclectic group--something I always like to see--not just in yoga, but out in the world. I'm getting more comfortable with this pose and this one too--so comfortable in fact that I push myself to kick harder and drop my head back further to find a new stillness. It's working. We'll see what the next few classes bring because I'm sure I'll fuck it all up somehow. 'Tis the story of my life.
One recent drawback--my groin is sore, so I may act all chill n' stuff for the next class or so. I don't want to end up like Randy Gardner.
i always say, i practise bikram yoga, i can eat whateva i want. works for me.
ReplyDeleteyou're one of the rare ones, M. lucky you!
ReplyDeleteu might be as self-deprecating as me. true about the diet. i gain when i bike a lot because it makes me more hungry. i'm a rotund yoga teacher, which is probably gross to some people. for others, they feel comfy cause they also are rotund.
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