I’ve always enjoyed practicing yoga recreationally on occasion, but I had never committed myself to consistently doing it. The regular practice of hot yoga is supposed to raise your metabolism, increase blood flow, build muscle tone, and flush harmful toxins out of the body. I decided to try doing hot yoga every day for 30 days straight and see where the journey between day 1 and day 30 would take me:
Day 1
I’m nervous. Why did I choose to do hot yoga, you ask? I like trying new things and I wanted to try this new experience. When I get to the studio, sure enough, it’s pretty hot.
Hot Yoga tip #1: bring a towel because I think I sweat more in this one class than I have in the rest of my life of sweating combined.
It was some gnarly sweating, but it was also incredibly relaxing. For one whole hour, I didn’t have to worry about the outside world and responsibilities. The only thing I could focus on was trying to balance (also known as trying to not fall over). This cleared my mind. It was refreshing and I came out of the first class feeling looser, calmer and more in touch with my inner self.
This pose is called the “Tree Pose”
Day 2:
Today was also amazing. I sweat more than I did on day one, if that’s even possible? Our teacher’s words of wisdom for the class included how yoga is NOT a competition and how everyone’s body is different, so you shouldn’t compare yourself to others. It feels harmonious when we are all practicing our poses together.
At the end during our meditation, she told us to love ourselves, to not be too hard on ourselves, and thanked us for taking the time to come practice with her. It feels amazing.
Day 4:
I’m sore when I wake up today, particularly in my core. I never realized what a lack of ab strength I had. These classes involve so much discipline and balance, that it’s more of a workout than I realized the day before.
I find that I’m hungrier than usual since I started practicing yoga every day…but the thing is, I don’t want to eat unhealthy food. I want to feel just as good all the time like I do after yoga, and eating food with a lot of grease or fat or sugar makes me feel crappy. I am definitely eating healthier in response to the workouts I have been doing.
Day 6:
I looked forward to going, this morning.
Hot yoga tip #2: wash your sweaty towel. It’s not so nice smelling after a few days in your car’s trunk…
Today I felt more flexible when doing the same poses as on the first day which means I’m making some progress. Outside of the yoga, I am less anxious in my everyday activities. It sounds cliché but I begin to notice the smaller things, like flowers outside my work or how green the hills have gotten around San Luis Obispo. Normally I’m rushing between each activity of my day with my head down but I’m able to take things slower now and relax more which is actually pretty huge for me.
This pose is called “Cobra Pose”
Day 7:
I had dance class today for the first time since I started doing yoga and I could ACTUALLY TOUCH MY TOES for the first time in my life. It was amazing. I’m no gumby, but I’m on my way and it’s only been a week!
Day 8:
Today our teacher explained how we can be other’s light and sunshine, but to do that, we must first fill ourselves with light.
Translation: we can’t give to others unless we give to ourselves because we’ll have nothing to give. We must love ourselves and appreciate ourselves to give full appreciation to others. She also spoke of how we only have one body in this life, so we must care for it well.
Day 14:
Today I did restorative yoga. We talked about how our body is a vessel which we use to carry us through life, and we have to treat right. This studio feels like a home, now. I look forward to the sanctuary of the heat and not worrying about anything else except for balancing and breathing for this one hour a day.
Day 19:
Today, I successfully did “Birds of Paradise” for the first time! I had been watching people do this advanced pose since day one and now I am finally able to do it myself. I really am seeing progress, and it’s only been three weeks.
This pose is called “Birds of Paradise.” I’m still working on it!
Day 20:
We learned about the importance of our breath and how it can carry us through our everyday lives. Now, when I’m stressed it’s easier to remember to just breathe, no matter where I am. Whether I’m at work or in class, if I start to have anxiety, I just breathe and remember to ground myself like I do during yoga.
Day 24:
I’m now interested in getting my own yoga teacher certification. People can have a stereotype in their mind of who a true yogi is, but what their picture is might not be necessarily true. I have been conflicted about my lifestyle versus the yogi lifestyle, and it turns out that I don’t have to completely give up who I am now, to change my life for the better in the direction of being a yogi.
For example, I work at Starbucks. I am addicted to coffee. Coffee is definitely not zen. But today, our teacher was sipping on coffee as she instructed us. She was a real girl just like me, and I was inspired to want to be like her which is someone who can be out there in the world and do school but also come to yoga and be grounded in the yogi state of mind.
Day 25:
Today I went to Power Flow yoga. It was a lot of leg work and balance; my booty was sore afterward. I also signed up for the three month autopay program for the studio so it looks like these classes will be a regular thing for me, after this 30-day journey is over. I’m hooked.
Day 28:
We talked about detachment and being able to let go of our negative emotions to find clarity when we’re stressed out. I find that doing breathing exercises subconsciously when I’m working or in class. I also put on a bathing suit for the first time since I started the program. I have always been self conscious about my stomach in a bathing suit, but today I noticeably had a visibly tigher core. It’s been a month and I feel so much stronger and better balanced in the challenging poses.
This is a bind which can help start you into the “Birds of Paradise” pose
Day 30:
I cannot believe that my month has ended. This experience has truly changed me for the better. I will continue to go to hot yoga as much as I can now.
In conclusion? Yes, the journey was incredible for my body and for my mind. Three lessons I took away from the experience was to 1) always stay hydrated 2) listen to your body and 3) challenge yourself safely.
I had come into starting the classes pretty physically fit and mentally ready to take on the challenge, but I realized that it takes time to build up to improvement. The improvement I saw over the course of the 30 days was incredibly self-rewarding but there is still a lot of stuff I can’t do yet. I look forward to being able to master these poses in the future. Toward the end, I found that I had not been enjoying going to my classes for the purpose of exercise, but for the spiritual component that I get out of the practice as well. Yoga makes me feel grounded and makes my body feel strong. I highly recommend to anyone interested to begin to practice yoga if not every day, on occasion because this experience has made me feel like I am more connected to my inner self and with my body.