My Bikram Yoga Manila Makati Experience

Last Christmas, all I wanted was time to find a workout routine that I could stick to. I've tried running, one class of Crossfit, and cycling. However, admittedly, I never had a commitment to live a healthy lifestyle - may it be through clean eating or a regular workout routine. But like all previous Fat Kids Inside, all it took for me was, NO, not debilitating bullying (please, I embrace my inner Mindy Lahiri), but an Epic Flu of 2014.

It took a lot of convincing from my friends to finally get me to step into a Bikram Yoga studio. In 2013, the night I was supposed to go to my first class, I got gastroenteritis. True story! But I finally caved and had my first hot yoga class last February.

A real woman does not workout and brag, but come on, surviving a room at 40 degrees Celsius is no mean feat when the only goal for first timers is to stay inside the studio!

I liked my first session a lot that I enrolled for a full month's class right then and there, only to be derailed by said Flu of 2014. Long story short, it took me more than two weeks before I went back for my second class. But as you can see, my commitment to Bikram Yoga is unparalleled compared to my other Life Choices that I've finally made it Facebook official as of press time.

So how's my Bikram Yoga Manila experience, you might ask?

100 Days of Healthiness

On Day 21 of the 30 Day Challenge, I came down with a horrible flu. And then I aggravated it with over-exertion, lack of sleep, and emotional stress (but I won't get into that here). The night the virus took over, my immune system was already shot. For two consecutive high-stress work days, I was running on just 3 hours of sleep and adrenaline. By the afternoon of the second day, I OD'd on caffeine and with a double espresso cheering me on, I showed up at the studio feeling pumped. I attended class. MISTAKE.

Half-way through, my body gave out; I got chills (in a heated room, that's messed up), my joints ached, my head throbbed, my eyes watered, and I thought I was going to pass out during Savasana.

I was sick for a week.

Lying in bed, the one thing I kept thinking about was the 30 Day Challenge and how badly I had wanted to get back on the mat and finish it! I stuffed myself with all the healthiest food--soup, veggies, citrus fruits, fish, ginger tea, whole grains, and a whole lot of Biogesic and Neozep. But nothing gave me the quick fix I wanted. I had no choice but to surrender and say no to yoga.

Lesson learned: Listen to your body. If you refuse to give your body the rest hours it deserves, it will eventually get pikon and refuse to function. I've always had a tendency to neglect my health whenever something "more important" took precedence. Which is like, always. That's why my master plan for 2014 was to put my health first. And that's why I committed to yoga. But I guess you can't departmentalize the many things that make up a healthy lifestyle. I can't exercise if I'm not getting enough sleep and nutrition. So the diet, the sleep, the emotional wellness, and the yoga have to go together.

This brings me to why I'm embarking on a 100 Days of Healthiness challenge! I still want to be 100% committed to yoga, but I also want to make sure I support my commitment with other healthy lifestyle decisions. Everyday for 100 days, I am going to eat right, get enough sleep, strive for "emotional soundness", and do yoga. Here are my terms:

For 100 days, from April 2- July 10, I will:

• Attend 90 Bikram yoga classes. Automatically I get 10 VLs. :) Since the studio does challenges in multiples of 30, I decided to keep it at 90. I am totally allowed vacations and rest days, I'm just going to keep track of them and do doubles to make up for it.
• Ban refined sugars and artificial sweeteners. This does not mean I'm going to deprive myself of sweets. I can still eat tons of desserts! I can have muscovado, honey, and all the fruit I want. This just keeps me away from lots of junk food, sodas, juice concentrates, 3-in-1 coffee, and flavored lattes.
  
  Oh, flavored lattes. This will be the toughest goodbye. For the past three years I've been running on Starbucks Irish Cream and Asian Dulce lattes, which are delicious and wonderful because of the espresso shots and syrup. But this love affair has to come to an end... for the greater good. I am officially switching to tea and brewed coffee. The Misto is my new best friend. *Thank you for introducing us, Sheng.
• Make the healthier choice. (Honesty policy applies.) I don't want to follow a strict diet or rule out carbs. I'm done with that craziness. Instead, I'll just make the healthiest choice whenever I'm presented with options. I'll keep the ref filled with foods that are "as close to the ground as possible" --meaning unprocessed, natural ingredients. I still want to eat out with friends, so I'll just make it a point to select the healthiest thing on the menu.
  
  And this doesn't just apply to food, it applies to total wellness. If it's a toss up between staying up an extra hour to work/browse the net/ watch one more episode/ have one more beer (ok, I shouldn't be having beer) and getting enough sleep -- I will choose sleep. If the multi-tasking gets so out of hand that it threatens my sanity, I will choose my sanity. Like any normal person should.
• Do at least one thing everyday that makes me feel healthy, young, energized, empowered, pampered, or beautiful. This is me taking care of me. Because I deserve it! 

The one good thing about getting sick is that my body tends to reset, and I find it easier to make changes. So I'm counting on that as I begin this challenge. Why am I starting on April 2? So that the 2-month mark will fall on my 23rd birthday. Woot woot! So excited. And my expectation of course, is that 100 Days of Healthiness will automatically result in 100 Days of Happiness. :)

Sheng is going to join me on this challenge after Holy Week, so watch out for her posts, too!

LET'S DO THIS.

-Dawn

Introducing The Bikram Diaries: Inhale and Begin!

"There is no such thing as the perfect yoga posture. It does not exist. You can't be a black belt yogi. That's why it's called yoga practice. It's always an active stretch; a pursuit of self-improvement. If you're no longer pushing, you're no longer doing yoga. 

Everyone has a different entry point, so don't compare. Whether it's your first day or first year, it's the same journey. Just practice. Show up. Stay in the room. Find your limit. Push against it. Make each millimeter count. And every day, you will leave class feeling a little bit different."

- Wise words shared by Chris and Megan during Savasana

(Launching into Standing Bow. Please forgive Dawn for the wrong grip. She was distracted.)

We are so excited to start this blog, where we will track posture progress, list down life lessons, and hopefully inspire a few readers along the way. We are three Bikram beginners - take note: BEGINNERS - still working on locking our knees, sucking in our tummies, and remembering to breathe.

The three of us - Sheng, Dawn, and Mara - are friends and officemates with 9-5 jobs in the bustling business district of Makati. We have about as many potential excuses as anyone: deadlines, bosses, traffic, sleep-deprivation, errands, PMS, families, pets, boylets...things to do, places to go, and people to see! But we made a commitment this year: to stick it out! And in the words of our instructor Dax, to see what "100% commitment to yourself looks like." It's a juggling act, but that's what our Bikram quest is all about - finding balance. In every sense of the word.

This blog is our way of cheering each other on and sharing our discoveries. We may not be the best source for expert information on Bikram, but if you need some positivity, serenity, or just motivation for your year-on-year struggle to keep that ONE fitness resolution, then we might be a good read.

The three of us bring very different issues and POVs to the table, or, well, to the mat. 

Sheng is proud to say she's after the physical health benefits of Bikram. And those benefits are outstanding! Not only can you lose weight (burning up to 500 calories per session), you improve flexibility, gain strength, shake out stress, straighten your spine, and (Sheng swears by this) sleep better.

Sheng is unwavering in her commitment. She makes it to class come hell or high water! (Always better to be a buzzer-beater than a no-show!) She will be documenting her personal journey toward a healthier, stronger, trimmer version of her wonderful self. Plus, she will be taking the practice with her as she travels for work and leisure throughout the year. Check out some of her existing posts on her personal blog, Barrio Girl in the Big City.

Dawn, on the other hand, is more keen on the mental and spiritual promise of the practice. At this point in her soul-searching-drama-filled twenties, she's looking for some stability and hoping to come a little closer to finding her center. She's particularly good at taking mental notes during Savasana (which means, she's not quite doing the posture correctly. "Quiet your mind.") and remembering the instructor's little nuggets of wisdom. Verbatim.

When life gives you lemons, be a nerd about it and make them into metaphors. Dawn will be attempting to realign her shoulders, hips, and priorities. And as instructor Megan has advised, she will work on deepening her back bend and lifting her chest in order to "strengthen her spine and open her heart." (Read: building confidence and re-entering the single world.)

Finally, meet Mara. She has dubbed herself the "Misantropic Yogini", who [used to be] the expert procrastinator -- known to have the best possible no-to-Bikram excuses. This might make her the most relatable blogger among us! We all start there, but of course Mara is now a changed woman. Game face on. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED. She and Dawn are currently undertaking the 30 Day Challenge, and Mara is dead set on finishing.

Mara is also the social media queen - as this is her true area of expertise - so get ready for her awesome yoga tweets, trivia, #EarnYourSelfies, and thinspiration pins. She plans to mix it up later in the year; pairing Bikram with cardio, etc., and experimenting with yoga-compatible diets.

The important thing to note is that the three of us are beginners. If we can do it, you can do it! Or if it isn't Bikram for you, then whatever it is you're hesitant to try. Above all, we want this blog to be fun! And full of "happy smiling faces".

As our instructors like to send us off, "Enjoy the rest of the evening! Drink lots of water, eat good food, and keep good company!" Precisely our intention.

If you're thinking about giving it a try, but you're intimidated by something you've heard ("It's madness. What kind of person wants to work out for 90 minutes in a pressure cooker?!"), then read up! Here's a great intro to Bikram, and you can check out Bikram Yoga Manila Makati where we practice! 

Namaste!

The Bikram Diaries: Lights on TOMORROW!

Just like my yoga practice. A few years back I was just interested to live a healthier lifestyle. But it waned when distractions happen that are more fun, and give instant gratification.

In 2014, I made a commitment that I will go to class no matter what. Mind you, I've seen myself did a mad rush to the studio beating the buzzer before the last class starts.

Practicing yoga (almost everyday) does not get easy. It only becomes easier. Today, I was able to interlace my fingers under my foot for the standing head to knee. I'm so ecstatic because it's one of the hardest postures for me. 

-Sheng

The Bikram Diaries: And Hold for 5, 4, 3, 2 Days!

The Bikram Diaries: Push, Push, and Push in 3 Days!

It's so easy to just give up when it requires so much effort and commitment. Personally, I tend to slack off and to some extent just throw in the towel.

In Bikram Yoga, you'd learn that you can do more than what you think your limit is.

You just need to push, push and push some more. And you'll realize it can be life changing.

Journey with us. We share our practice, life lessons and discoveries of and in our ourselves soon!

-Sheng

The Bikram Diaries: Heads Above Our Hearts in 4 Days!

Our teacher asks: "What are you running from? What are you avoiding?
Maybe there's something you can't get rid of, maybe there's a semblance of something or someone you left behind..." 

The Sarvasana (or corpse pose) may very well be the most non-confrontational confrontation you can have with yourself. Forcing you to silence your fears, your anxieties, and your pains to achieve a quiet mind.

"So whatever it is, whatever you're running from - let it go.
Until you do, the posture hasn't even begun."

More heart-strengthening lessons soon! 
And for now, LET IT GO. *cue Elsa and northern lights*

-Dawn