Back to Bikram

This past Friday, I decided I wanted to go to a Bikram class and "see what happened." Since I got sick before Christmas, I hadn't done any yoga, period. Six weeks without any type of yoga, including Bikram, was the longest I had ever gone in YEARS. For the past two weeks, I've been using my gym's steam room and noticing how much better I felt. The first few times I used the steam room I could only stay in there for 10 minutes. The air is heavy, it's hot, you're sweating, etc. Now I'm up to 20-25 minutes and I walk out feeling so relaxed and like a noodle!

Saturday morning and afternoon I did my standard hydration and light-eating routine. Lots of water, plenty of food, but nothing heavy. When I got to the studio, I knew I would be encountering an instructor who hasn't been on my good list in the past. When I walked in the door, I just let it go. Any bad feelings I was feeling toward him weren't going to help me. I let him know that I hadn't been to the studio for six weeks due to Mono, and he said something along the lines of, "No problem. Just do what you can and rest when you need to," which was the plan.

It is so tough getting your body used to exercise again. Once you start moving, stretching, bending your body this way and that, you feel like you're trying to break through a brick wall. I stayed in the back of the class and did what I could, only having to sit down 3 times total for no more than 1-2 minutes per time. The room wasn't insanely hot, thank goodness, but it was hot enough.

After class, as I usually do, I go up to the instructor to say thank you and goodbye. He asked how I was feeling and I said I really didn't know yet. I didn't feel awesome, yet I didn't feel bad either. Then he did something really cool. He said, "Here, have you read this? Take this book, read it, and pass it on. That's how all books should be." He gave me this book:

The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz.

It's a "Practical Guide to Personal Freedom." The Four Agreements are listed on the inside cover:

1. Be impeccable with your word
2. Don't take anything personally
3. Don't make assumptions
4. Always do your best

I haven't started reading it yet, but I will soon. Those four agreements are things we hear all the time, right? It's so easy for someone to say them, but it's so much harder to actually incorporate the concept into your life. Perhaps this book will explain them to a point where a lightbulb goes off in my head and I actually get it. Our brains are so funny like that: a person can try and explain something to you a million times, but it seems like there is that one key word or sentence that really hits home much more than the others. A lot of great books have fallen into my lap recently and I'm thankful for it.

Back on topic: I am extremely sore from Bikram, but it's a good sore that I've missed. Although I still don't feel 100%, I'm aiming to get back to my routine and think positively while doing it!