30 Day Hot Yoga Challenge at Bikram Yoga of Fairfax

The past 30 days were filled with a lot of dripping sweat, deep breathing, and a new found appreciation for my body. I decided to try an Ayurvedic lifestyle,  which health is believed to be an integration between the body, mind, spirit and the environment; emphasizing the mind and body connection. A friend of mine recommended kicking this lifestyle off with 30 days of yoga. So I chose to take that challenge, but with a more intensed activity such as Bikram yoga, also known as hot yoga.

One must be a little insane to throw themselves in an oven that’s heated to 105 degrees and move through 26 poses – that’s what the intense practice of hot yoga entails.  I’m grateful to Reggie Meneses at Bikram Yoga of Fairfax for breaking my yoga cherry. I was beyond anxious and had my mind set on a Hellish experience. Keep on reading to find out what it was like from day one to day 31.

The first Bikram yoga class was a little grueling.  Thankfully, I was well hydrated and my mat was set up in the back of class. Surely if I was by the door I would of walked out once the room started baking. After the first class, I felt like I left a lot of toxins in the studio (sweat) and gained tons of energy. Within the 30 days of yoga I saw a remarkable change physically, mentally, and spiritually. The concentration required me to maintain poses and control my breathing to help strengthen my mind. After a long hectic day, I suddenly found myself looking forward to class and the chance to release my mental blockages. I found I was able to sleep like a baby at nights and woke up in the mornings feeling energized. I even found myself wanting to put the right fuel in my body.

On day 31 when I stood on the scale realized I had lost eight pounds! Besides being more flexible, I also noticed that my posture had improved, and I felt a lot leaner. I will admit there were some days when I wanted to walk out of a session, but there were other days that I ended up doing two classes in a row. I truly enjoyed this 30 day challenge and I will continue to incorporate Bikram into my workouts and my new lifestyle.

If you want to try hot yoga in the D.C. area. Try Bikram Yoga of Fairfax. Drop in rates are $18.