Day 23: Hoping for a second wind.

I must be over tired because once again I fell asleep on my mat waiting for class to start. This is getting bad. I couldn't get it together during class either. Think I'm knackered and not concentrating. Am looking forward to this weekend when I can give my brain a break and just plough through the homestretch of this challenge.

I've never done any fitness training per se, or trained for a marathon and anything even remotely like that, but as far as the 30 days of hot yoga go, I am hitting the wall. I'm running out of steam and enthusiasm. Of course, I'm still going, but I feel like I need to check in with a yoga sponsor so I don't fall off the wagon:) I think by this point, Moksha should be calling everyone still in the ring everyday and leaving messages of positive reinforcement on our voicemail:) I'm such a baby.

Going to bed now because am back at the studio for a 630 am class. Gah.

Sorry so neg, folks.

xoxo

Ps. Something positive: Even though I nearly suffocated in my Spanx dry run, I hardly have any back fat in my strapless gala dress. Maybe I'll get my second wind after all;)

Day Twenty Two: There's such thing as being too relaxed.

I can sum today up pretty easily.

I fell fast asleep on my mat before yoga and the only reason I woke up is because class was starting around me. My question is, while I was dozing in class, how many people saw the purple underwear static-clinged to my yoga pants?

Good night all,

Justy

xoxo

Day Twenty Two: There's such thing as being too relaxed.

I can sum today up pretty easily.

I fell fast asleep on my mat before yoga and the only reason I woke up is because class was starting around me. My question is, while I was dozing in class, how many people saw the purple underwear static-clinged to my yoga pants?

Good night all,

Justy

xoxo

Day 21: I can't believe it!

I seriously can't believe I'm on Day 21. That's a lot of hot yoga all at once. That's like 25 hours of yoga! And about 56 hours of me talking about yoga. I am boring even myself, because I am obsessed with the HYC. Obsessed! 

I'm like the Bridezilla of hot yoga. I'm behaving like I'm the only person who's ever done one of these challenges.  And of course, my love for hot yoga outshines all others'. They don't understand the artform as I do. Ours is a true love. It doesn't matter that my skill level is average at best, for I am enlightened. I was born to do this.

Ok, so three week mark and time to check in with the progress. Here's what I've noticed:

• My skin is incredible right now. Smooth as a baby's foot!
• Legs for sure have more definition and are getting more muscly. In fact are looking pretty good until I get to my thighs and then they look like turkey drumsticks.
• Arms are toning up nicely - cut line in bicep is back! YAY!
• Back is getting muscly.
• When I lay on my back in class I have a hollow between my ribcage that was never there before. Did you hear that?! A ribcage hollow!
• I've lost a chin - thank goodness because in many of my poses, it was actually cutting off my ability to breathe. It was either the chin or me!!
• Pants are looser.
• Still only 4 lbs down, but have lost the mini boobs between the main boobs and my armpits. This is huge!!
• I've lost chest fat, and dare I say my collarbones are making a long overdue appearance.
• My flexibility is getting really good which makes it so much easier to do half of the stuff we do in class. Now I feel like I'm not battling my stiff muscles and can concentrate on strength and perfecting the pose.
• I know I joked, but I am calmer at work. Because I'm slammed and should be freaked right out now...but am tranquil and the very picture of reason;)

And can I please qualify the update above? Please know that I am under no misconceptions about this experience. It's been 21 days. I know people that have been working out their entire lives with no public forum or fanfare and those are the ones who deserve all the kudos. I am merely "trying something". Yes it's been hard, and yes I guess I'm proud of myself, but I do know that this is just the lead up to me taking better care. I'll congratulate myself in a year's time when I'm still doing this full time and can do a ...oh what do they call it? What's Sanskrit for Teddy Bear Stand? Anyway, this much I know:

• I still have a ton of work do to on myself body wise - of course.
• My balance is a problem. It's ridiculous how bad it is. I fall down every second day. It's like I need a doctor's note. I still pogo stick around the studio when trying to balance on one foot.
• I face plant into my mat every day.
• During the napping I accidentally hold people's hands.
• Sometimes I fall asleep during the stretching.
• I get foot cramps trying to grip my towel and not wipe out. 
• I fake the breathing exercises. I can't do them, nor do I see the point. (Don't tell Allen.)

...But you know what? It's totally working. I can't believe the changes I'm seeing in a relatively short amount of time. Not that I expect anyone else to notice, but I know myself and I am seeing the gradual changes. It's a real commitment and I'm feeling rewarded:)

Thanks for indulging me in my incredibly self-centred update. See? Bridezilla!

Goodnight all.

Justy

xo

Day Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen and Twenty: A Lesson Well Learned.

Never blow off a day of hot yoga when committed to a 30 Day Challenge. And never, EVER blow off three days! Also, if the doctor tries to tell you to lay off the yoga for a couple of days due to the antibiotics, tell him to "up" the prescription and keep on rolling because this is what I know to be true: Catching. Up. Is. Not. Worth. It. It's just not.

And I'm still not caught up. I would've been after this weekend, but no, I blew off Friday night's practice to go to the bar! What? Who does that? Justy from the '90s apparently. So, to atone for my sins, (a TONE. Get it? Ha!) I ended up doing four hot yoga classes over the weekend! I don't recommend this. First of all, I am exhausted. I'm exhausted now, I was exhausted during the classes. Anticipating the next class made me grumpy, when usually I look forward to them, and I felt like I spent my whole weekend in a yoga studio. And, I was so self-conscious going so many times...it was all the same staff/instructors each time and they were on to me for sure. "We know what you did. You blew us off to go to the bar, and now here you are, creeping back to us. Bet you're tired, aren'tcha? Hmmph. Well, quel surprise. Serves you right, Drinker!"

And the way the schedule worked this weekend made it so I did four Moksha classes and nothing else, and I just found it really hard. The room seemed hotter, the poses seemed longer, the lactic acid more prevalent. And I was barely hanging on. Every time I abseiled from high plank to my mat, I nearly face planted, and then every time we got to rest for a minute in "child's pose" which normally regulates everything, my heart was pounding so hard that MY NOSE had its own pulse!! My nose was beating so hard it was lifting my face off the mat! I'm not even kidding.

So, the major highlight of the weekend was getting these four classes done. I actually can't believe that I did it, because I found it really, really hard, and nearly bailed between each one. So although I wouldn't recommend skipping a day, I feel it was quite an accomplishment ploughing through them like that. Although with all the work I did this weekend, I totally feel like I deserve to weigh 110 lbs and feel ripped off that I don't!

My friend Jason came to yesterday's 4 pm class with me and made me laugh afterwards. "Whenever I do a hot yoga class, I feel like I drink so much water and then only pee a thimble...and it's the colour of Beep." Sure sign that you should be drinking more water, I think. Anyway, it made me laugh. Hopefully he's not in renal failure today. I should call and check.

Also, people need to be vigilant about their mats. Either clean them regularly, or just keep buying new ones. I don't mind which. But there was a guy in class today whose mat ponged so bad - it smelled like barfy feet. And his mat was so gross it looked like it had a camouflage pattern. He didn't use a towel on it either and so when he got all sweaty he was slipping around like Bambi on Ice. And it was squeaky. We're all having our naps at the end and this guy sounded like he was making balloon animals. I wonder if there's the dirty mat police on staff because it was really nasty. Like, his mat was the Honey Badger of the foam rubber world!

I have a question. When you're laying down at the end of class having your nap - or savasana I've learned it's called, how relaxed yet energized is one supposed to get? I've heard of lots of different things happening during this time - I for one, get tingly hot back. But, like, you're not supposed to get really, REALLY tingly are you? Because the guy next to me tonight had some pretty extreme breathing going on...you know....breathing? Let's just say, I think he found the class a little more exciting than the rest of us. And no, I'm not going to come right out and say it, but I know what I heard. And I did my napping with one eye open in case he tried rolling over onto my mat!

So ten days left. I have one more class to make up and a very busy week ahead of me, but I'm feeling good - a lot better than I did at the beginning of the weekend.

Goodnight all.

xoxo

Day Sixteen: I got nuthin'.

Hi All,

Was up at 4 am today and had a long and grueling day. Am knackered and am going to bed. Hmmph. Sorry about the cop-out post but will be all over it this weekend. It's Double Down weekend as I still need to catch up on the two classes I missed due to my near-death experience. So that, I'm sure, will provide some insight I've yet to gain:)

Nite All.

xox

ps. Lame.

Day Fifteen: Half Way There!!

Today at work, I wrote speaking notes for one of the world's foremost experts in Childhood Cancer and another set of speaking notes for a world-leading cancer researcher. They trusted my ability enough to do this. And that's an awesome feeling. But I cannot even tell you the sense of accomplishment I felt when I was doing this...

...and our instructor came by and said to me, "Good, good." and gave me a little pat on my foot.  It made my life!! I was ridiculously happy!

Today's class was Moksha Flow and it totally kicked my arse!! I could barely keep up...it was moving so fast, and every time we would abseil from downward dog to plank then lower to the ground, I nearly ate mat every time. I had absolutely no tricep strength today at all.  OR DID I????

So Day 15 was the day I was going to attempt to push myself up off the mat into this....

...and I totally did it! Just once. There was the option to do it 2 or 3 times...but after the first attempt, which I got up on, I couldn't do it again. But who cares, because I said I was going to do it and I did it! (I didn't get a foot pat for this one, but maybe he didn't see:)

Oh - and the other awesome thing that happened today is that I'm down 4 lbs! Nothing nothing nothing...and then Bazinga! 4 lbs!

And now here's something bad that happened in class:

I tried to do this today...twice. The first time I just couldn't, and the second time I nearly got it but then my knee shot off my lotion/sweat covered arm and I fell on my face, exclaiming "Sh*t!" in a crowded, yet silent yoga room. I barely cared. I'm sure I wasn't the first.

So there you have it. The halfway mark and I'm still going strong. I'm feeling limber, stronger, more calm at work (not that my colleagues would agree with this statement, but if you only knew how much I would normally want to kick off right about now, they'd understand how much the yoga is helping me...and them.), and if you can believe it, thinner. Not considerably but I can tell where I've slimmed down down around my upper chest and around my rib cage for sure. There's a slight possibility that something good is happening to my legs too, but that just might be my NEW FAVE LULULEMON WUNDER LEGGINGS!!!! Have I mentioned how great these pants are?

Oh - and here's another product that has been my best friend throughout The Challenge that was under my nose all along. An old stand by. An unsung hero, if you will. As you may know I used to live in the UK and one of my favourite products from there is Simple Cleansing Wipes. I always stock up when I go and I am on my last packet! Gulp.

These miracle wipes get voted Britain's best beauty product every year in magazines and they are wonderful. They take off all of your make up without leaving oils or remover lotions on your skin or in your eyes like so many wipes you can get here in Canada. These are far above any other make up removing wipe I've ever used. Even after you take your eye make up off before practice and then sweat into your eye...there's no stinging at all...because there's nothing there. And they are so cheap. You can usually get them 2 for 5 quid, or $5 Canadian each - which is so much better than paying anywhere from $10 - $14 for wipes that are guaranteed to give you a sty! So, if you are ever in the UK, be sure to stuff your suitcase with these and if any of my lovely Brit friends are reading this, please feel free to send some my way, ok Paulette?  ;0) 

Well that's all for tonight. Hard, hard class - but very rewarding.

Goodnight all.

Justy

xoxo

ps. God bless the wipes.

Day Fourteen: Still Two Classes Behind. Gah!!

I had the very best intentions to get to yoga this morning, but I seriously couldn't get my arse out of bed. In all fairness, two weeks ago I couldn't get my arse to yoga period...so there! So I'm still two classed behind and I don't know when I'm going to make this up because I'm slammed for the rest of the week at work. I'll just finish the week as normal and try to make it up on the weekend and probably a double day next week.

This weekend I need to find a dress for our big annual holiday fundraiser at work - the Candy Cane Gala. Normally I would revel in this undertaking but I have absolutely no desire to buy anything that's not made of moisture wicking material. I'm addicted to being comfy and can't bear the thought of fighting my way into a pair of SPANX. (I always just presume these will be integral to my outfuit. I swear, if I spent as much time at the gym as I do trying to put on a pair of SPANX, I wouldn't need them in the first place!)  But I digress. It's all about the comfort for me at the mo. Perhaps Lululemon makes a strapless unitard that I can dress up with some strappy sandals. And they do sell tutus... Hmmm...maybe my Gala outfit is planned.

Great class tonight! My balance was all over the place of course, so nothing out of the ordinary there...but I felt strong tonight. And I really liked the instructor - well they're all fantastic!

Not a whole lot to say tonight...it was a rough day and I was very grateful for my practice this evening. It was much-needed.

Tomorrow will be the half way mark in The Challenge (seems like longer) and I promised myself that I would attempt to push myself into a back bend from the floor at Day 15. I've only done it twice before and it was a year ago after I'd been working out lots. I haven't even felt able to even attempt it until I gained a bit of strength. It may be possible that my arms have passed the point of not being completely useless noodles and I feel like just now I may be strong enough. Or maybe not...we will see:)

So this is your basic Bridge pose, which I can do pretty well.
(Unless you've had a caesarian that very day, anyone can.)

And then you push yourself up into this. 

This is what my goal is for tomorrow. 

I will likely snap my hands off and land on my head. 

Also, never try this right after you've had a caesarian.

Actually wouldn't this be a funny way give birth? No epidural for me, thanks!

Goodnight all.

Justy

xo

Day thirteen: Gah! I'm behind!

Totally not my fault! I spent Saturday afternoon in the Emergency Department at the Rockyview to be told that the cat scratch (little rotter!) I suffered on Friday night turned into an infection of the lymph vessels. Quite serious if you don't catch it, but luckily I am an obsessive moisturizer and that's how I noticed the red blotches on my legs that alerted me to what I'm calling my near death experience. There was even talk of a week of IV antibiotics...but I managed to get away with horse pills instead:) I did have to get a tetanus shot too - which I swear is still stinging two days later. Owie! Anyway, a little bit of drama and it's encouraging to know that it actually took doctor's orders to make me miss two yoga classes.

I feel fine and was back in class tonight. Awesome class and I think the two days off actually allowed me to gain some much needed strength because this might have been the most successful class I've had all challenge. My balance wasn't even that bad and I was super bendy. (Sounds like an eharmony profile trait.)

Oh - and you know how I can't hear jack in class? Well I decided to try and find some meditations to download on iTunes and when "The Napping" happens at the end, I will just think about my own meditations! (In my mind, this made a lot of sense at the time.) Well I found a bunch of meditations by people I didn't know and had never heard of - and then in my sleep deprived state (it was very late at night) I got all paranoid that it was a bunch of bad guys on the internet trying to brainwash me. So instead I ended up downloading an entire album of ocean and river sounds.  I put my headphones on and it sent me straight to sleep! It was remarkably soothing and very relaxing...or it would have been had I not gotten up to pee 3 times during the night!!

The bad news is that I have to make up two yoga classes now which means going twice a day - TWICE!!  Gah!! I haven't done that before and I'm sure I'll be a wreck. The goal is to take in a 630 class tomorrow and then a later evening class too.  Wish me luck.

I tried this pose tonight and mine looked exactly like this lady except that I was completely bent forward and up about 2 feet higher - but I got the hands perfect!!!

Oh - and the winner of the "Condition Off" is the Bumble and Bumble Leave in Conditioner! Light weight, but nourishing and smells really nice. It's all about the smell:) I thought it might be too heavy but it's working really well...and I don't have to use any other pre-hair drying prod. I am now Master of the 2 minute shower!!

Goodnight All.

Justy
xoxo

Day Twelve: Angels take the sweat away.

This much I know. If the salesperson at Lululemon tells you something, you believe it. 

As you know, my soul has slowly been dying under a heap of soaking wet, festering yoga laundry that seems to multiply exponentially the more loads I do. On Thursday I freaked out and went to Lululemon and bought a whole new outfit because I couldn't bring myself to wear the same set of yoga pants and same top that has been in rotation for 2 weeks now. I decided to go for a nice cropped legging but I didn't just want black which I always tend to go for. I chose a grey, flecky pattern that actually had some texture to it. When I told the salesgirl that I wanted them for hot yoga she shook her head and told me I was going boil in them. I laughed in a condescending manner and asked her if that wasn't, in fact, the point? She showed me another cropped legging that I liked the weave of just slightly less - but it was a cropped legging that was apparently supposed to be the bee's knees. So I tried them on and they were cute enough and the mall was closing in 5 mins so I took them up to the till and grabbed a cute flouncy red yoga top to go with them. And a new yoga mat...just a thin one. What the hell, I thought.  I deserve nice things! (And also I suspect my current yoga mat may be to blame for the faintest whiff of Ugg Foot that I've been shooting other people accusatory looks about all week.)

Up until yesterday I have been wearing selections from my workout clothes closet which is primarily made up of Lululemon products - but not specifically for hot yoga. I figured good quality workout wear is good quality workout wear. And you're going to boil anyway. No big whoop.

Holy Hell Balls! There is no way to measure the degree to which I cannot express how much of a difference this gear made.  The pants were so light weight and comfortable and they held me in - I felt dry the entire class...it's like the pants repel moisture altogether. I don't know where it goes! It was incredible. It's like the leggings come with their own angels who just fly the sweat away. Remarkable and $$ well spent. I will get a couple more pairs of these...I honestly feel like I can't do hot yoga in any other pants now. Up until now, I may as well have been doing yoga in a PVC catsuit. I feel like a fool!!

Also - my red top impulse buy was a winner too. I think I look like an adorable pregnant lady in it because it's quite "smocky" but it hides my gut and any "handles" that I fixate on while I try to balance and I think that's what's throwing me off. Again - amazing light weight weave...perfect. Where has this top been all my life?

The thinner yoga mat made a big difference too. I went for the $28 mat over the $68 one because it was really just an impulse buy as I ran to the till. But again - the thinness of it has really helped with my balance. I liked or thought I liked my old mat because it was squishy and comfy to lie on. It was also like trying to balance on the Princess and the Pea bed!! 

What have I been thinking all these days??

Here are the links to these amazing pants!! If I were famous or my opinion carried any weight at all, I would endorse these pants!

Justy's Fave Yoga Leggings!

This is the top I bought in red.

Bye All. Until next time:)

xoxo

Day Eleven: Mama needs some treats!

This week was social-palooza and the closer we get to Christmas - the more difficult it is to get to an evening yoga class. Lots of holiday fun is coming down the pipe (not a metaphor) but that means 6:30 am hot yoga and then rushing home to get ready and into work at a reasonable time. But it's a mad rush. I defo need to streamline the process and that means one thing. NEW PRODUCTS!

I no longer have time to use body wash and then rinse it all off...then use shampoo...and wash it all out...work in some conditioner...wait 5 mins...rinse it all out...It's simply taking too long. So I am streamlining the process. No, I'm not going to start buying Pert Plus from Costco...don't worry.

Introducing a fantastic new product from the good people at Kiehls! (What's not fantastic there??) It's an all-in-one shower cleanser for both hair and body called Cross Terrain - which is latin for "Angry Ground". So exotic!

I don't believe that anyone should use an all-in-one shampoo and conditioner - it's drying and nasty and well...cheap. But a sporty shampoo and body wash in one from Kiehls?! Don't mind if I do! It has a nice pleasant smell - it's unisex and smells a touch "manny"...but when's that a bad thing? Let them talk, I say!

So that's two steps combined into one already. Tonight I took myself to Sephora (or Mecca as I affectionally call it) to source out a leave-in conditioner. See what I'm doing here? I was torn between two: one from Bumble and Bumble and one from Living Proof - two fantastic lines and I was hard pressed to choose. So I grabbed a week's worth of samples of each and I'll hold a "conditioner-off" this week and report back. So with these simple changes I've probably saved myself 7 minutes in the shower and can now get to work and start saving the children sooner. Money well spent I'd say!!

In case you're interested, here are the links to the new prods:

Kiehl's Cross Terrain Refueling Wash
Bumble & Bumble Leave-in Conditioner
Living Proof Leave-in Conditioner

Goodnight All!!

Justy
xo

Day Ten: You're welcome, Enmax.

Hi Friends,

The Yoga is going great. The laundry is a killer! Seriously, between the two showers a day and all the extra laundry, my Enmax bill is going to astronomical. Also, if I ever do another 30 day challenge, I'm going to get Tide to be my sponsor. I'm not even kidding.

This morning's class was not great. Let me rephrase. This morning's class was awesome: Hot Fusion - which I love. What wasn't great is that the guy next to me hadn't washed his yoga "strip" in about a week. I honestly didn't know what to do. It totally threw me off and I couldn't concentrate at all. I was trying to balance and was falling over, or pogo-ing around like a maniac. Poor Alice, who was teaching the class was really good, but must have thought it was my first time because I was terrible today. Well - for the most part anyway. I did do 2 pur-itty impressive poses which I'll get to later.

So except for the fact that I am now going to carry Febreeze in my gym bag just for such emergencies, I have to say that I have yet to smell BO in a hot yoga class. And really - if ever anyone deserved to have BO in their lives, it would be at hot yoga. It's odd. I think it's because during hot yoga you sweat so much - it is literally pouring off of you - that it's almost self-cleaning. Now, I have caught the odd whiff of "Ugg Foot" - but BO? Never.

Ok...so I totally did this today:

The hardest part about this pose was trying not to fall over - it was all about the balance for me. I didn't do it for hours and hours...but I did it:)

And I did this one too.

This one looks harder than it is. The hard part is trying to breathe when your belly is pushing your boobs into your lungs - while trying to keep from having a double chin. This girl doesn't seem to be having that problem.

I have so many poses I want to get better at and even some I haven't dared attempt yet. I feel like I could do this every day for years and still be able to keep getting better. It's funny how you take this 75 minutes out of your crazy and "very important" work day to master something as simple as standing on one foot for just a few minutes. But you do...and I want to stand on that one foot for the whole time so badly that I do it sticking my tongue out in ernest concentration. It becomes a real big deal. It's ridiculous, but I tell you, when you do manage to balance the whole entire time, it's an awesome feeling. It's so silly.

One goal of mine is do all of the sun salutations routine (I'm pretty sure it's not called a routine but you catch my drift.) with my thighs never touching the floor. (Or each other but that hasn't happened in about 10 years.) It is so graceful and looks awesome when the instructors do it. I still can barely lower myself to the floor out of a plank without falling and grunting the last few inches...but I will get there.

Tomorrow I'm treating myself to a bunch of "prod" to help speed up the getting-ready process after an early morning class. I'm rolling into work too late in the mornings so I'm streamlining the 'tine. Watch this space. 

(Seriously, how long did you really think it was going to take before I started making this a blog about products?!)

Goodnight All. And remember, always cleanse and tone. Even when you're bombed.

Justy

xoxo

Day Nine: It feels like longer!

I say it feels like longer - and that's a good thing. I feel like I've found my groove and I almost crave going.

Today when I walked into the studio it was jammed packed. Once again it looked like I'd shown up late to a gas leak. Everyone was splayed out not moving, except for one man who was sat up on his mat. He was waving at me. It was one of our Board Members. Practically in his underpants.

Today's blog entry is over. I can't top that.

Also, Starbucks should be open later. Why isn't it? Rif-raf can't afford it so I don't see it as a safety issue. What gives S-Bux?

Goodnight All,

Justy
xo

Day Eight: Baby's Got Hot Back!

I'm totally serious. I have a hot back. I'm convinced it's some kind of chakra thing going on. Often at the end of a practice - you know, during the napping - I'll be laying on my mat in "corpse pose" (that's a real thing and when you see my do it - incredibly accurately named!!) and all down my back there is a really nice hot, almost a burning sensation. It feels like I'm laying on a heating pad. Sometimes there is a tingling sensation too. It's really nice actually and right now, it's 3 hours later and I'm still feeling it. Does anyone know what this is? I'm either totally "getting" hot yoga or I've trapped a nerve. 


Tonight's class was really, really great. It was Hot Fusion and I hadn't done this class for a while. I'd forgotten how much I love it. Here's what the Moksha website says about the class:  Hot Fusion: This class will be different each time, giving you the opportunity to try new postures and sequences while maintaining a level of familiarity to encourage focus and concentration.

I thought it was great - a welcome change after going everyday - lots of new and different poses.  AND, I touched my head to the floor for the first time during my wide-legged pose!! (I really need to learn what these are called...but I was so happy!)

Today's class scored a 5 on the sweat scale! That's the most. Here's how the Sliding Sweat Scale works: (No pun intended.)

1. Like a regular yoga class, but the hot flashes have kicked in.
2. I'm having flashbacks to being in Sears with my mum when I was little and I'm dressed in a full body snow suit made for the Northern Ontario winters and mum has ran into her friend and they're gabbing away and I'm so hot and bored I'm fading in and out of consciousness while groaning, "Mu-u-u-m. Let's Go-ah!!" (And I say that in hot yoga too.)
3. A giant log full of families happily screaming, waving their hands in the air, has just plunged off my back.
4. My clothes are so sopping wet that I look like the little kid in BIG, after he changes from "Big" Tom Hanks to "little" Tom Hanks but is still wearing "Big" Tom Hanks' clothes.
5. Kevin Costner is scouting my mat as a location for Waterworld II and I had to leave the studio via canoe.

That's it for today. 

Goodnight All.

Justy

xo

Day Seven: Time to check in

Well the first week is done and I'm right on track. I thought I'd use the one week mark as an excuse to check in with the progress. This will be a really boring post and I'm probably really writing this one for me. I should have taken a photo of myself in my undies before The Challenge (like how I capitalize that?) began so I could have a before and after shot...but I think it's way too easy to publish photos from iphoto to Facebook and well - call it my own paranoia - but no one needs to see that.


So to recap, these are some of the benefits you can expect to reap when doing a 30 Day Hot Yoga Challenge and here's what's happened after week one:

• Complete Detoxification: This would be a tall order for any form of exercise. And I'm not sure how you measure this one. I can definitely feel the effects of alcohol faster - and I'm a girl who can hold her pints. Is this possible that yoga could be affecting this? I'm curious. My skin is looking better I think. Over the past few weeks the stress of work has been taking its toll and it was break out city for a couple of weeks there. This has definitely improved over the past week. 

• Increased Flexibility: Definite improvement and definite room for improvement. Watch this space!

• Weight loss and improved body composition: No weight loss at all...but that could be many things. Like the entire Banoffi Pie I ate over the course of the weekend. BUT - and call me crazy - I think I've seen a difference in my arms. Again, is this even possible in just one week? Because I feel like there's a wee bit more of a cut line on my biceps. (A cut line in the flab!) There is also more definition in my lower legs and dare I say, less knee fat. I'm totally being serious. And my quads feel firmer. Yay for Warrior Two!!

So that's the update. Just a tiny bit of change, but for one week, I'll take it. (Of course, I'm sure the girls doing 9 classes in 6 days have noticed considerable weight loss and have all had marriage proposals by now:)

Bring on Week Two!!

Nite All!

Justy

xox

This Banoffi Pie contains essential calcium and potassium.
There is also some love in there. It is good for me!!

Day Six: Nobody Likes a Keener.

I remember a time when a 100% success rate was considered excellent work by anyone's standard. Well done you. Gold star. So imagine my chagrin when I go to put my check mark next to my name today - 6 classes in 6 days - thank you very much, don't mind if I do...and a bunch of keeners in The Challenge have got 9 check marks!! NINE!!! What the WHAT?! Are you kidding me?! Who the heck has time - not to mention the energy - to go to hot yoga NINE TIMES in 6 days?? Even the instructors don't go that much. You have got to be kidding me. It's all I can do to keep up with my gross, wet, stinky yoga laundry and these people...well these people must not hold down jobs. And not to mention, you've got to let yourself air out a bit. These people are showing off and I hope they get yeast infections!! So there.

And not to be a dog with a bone here, but why set a numeric goal at all? Why not just keep going constantly until the 30 days is up and then tack on another week for good measure. Let's just do hot yoga until we boil.  I was incensed! Seriously. I laid on my mat just being furious and - it pains me to admit this - trying to figure out a way to up the ante. I certainly don't have time to go to yoga twice a day, so I've decided to proceed through the rest of The Challenge wearing Charlene Prickett Flex Weights.

Well, the zen must have taken over because once the class started all was right in the world again. I can't stay mad at my fellow challengers:)

So for those of you who know me well, you know that I have issues with my hearing. And in hot yoga it's all very calm and tranquil and QUIET. For me it sounds like the instructor is talking, but I'm under water. So I really have to depend on watching what others are doing to keep up in the class. Of course the more familiar I get with yoga, the easier it is. But there for sure are times when we're supposed be holding a pose with our eyes closed and I'm totally peeking to see what's going to happen next. This works for the most part pretty well but I'm sure everyone thinks I'm being shifty.

Where I do miss out though is during the meditation part...or because I can't hear any of it...I call it "The Napping". I can't relax because I don't know what we're supposed to be thinking about. Am I supposed to be relaxing my jaw or pretending I'm a dolphin? And my biggest worry of all is that I'm going to fall asleep, class will be over, everyone will leave and they will be mopping around me - snoring away.

Instead of the meditation part at the end, what I think we should do is form a long back-tickling train. I think I would find that very relaxing. Or we could pretend to crack eggs on each other's heads. Again...very calming.

I had an awesome breakthrough today. There's this one pose where you stand with your legs really wide and then bend down to the floor and hang upside down for a while. Well, I can nearly put my head on the floor! The girl beside me - we'll call her Tapanga from Boy Meets World - nearly did it too, and we gave each silent mental high fives. There should be more high-fiving in yoga.

Goodnight all.

Justy

xo

Day Five: Just let yourself go.

It's day five and my laundry is getting so rank - I need a Diaper Genie for my yoga clothes. I'm doing so much laundry that my tenant thinks I must have Cholera. And even though I feel like I'm constantly doing a wash, I'm down to the dregs of my yoga outfits. Tomorrow I'll probably show up in cut offs and a boob tube. I'm not even trying to look cute anymore. Hot yoga is all about getting in touch with your body and letting go. Well I'm letting myself go. Today was of course a holiday and just knowing that I was going to yoga at some point in the day was enough for me to not warrant putting on makeup or doing my hair. I ran to Superstore 6 hours before yoga - so there was no excuse - wearing pink sweatpants, Uggs, and a sweatshirt half top. In fairness I was wearing a tank top under it...but really?? Jennifer Beals called...and she wants her...nope...even she didn't want that back!

Short post today...am knackered and have to get up early tomorrow to make three Banoffi Pies for my sister's birthday dinner. Yomma yomma yomma!

Goodnight all.

Justy

xo

Day Four: Nearly didn't happen!

Gah! Worked late tonight and watched the clock nervously as the class start times came and went. Finally got home at 830 and I struggled with not going onaccounta I was bagged already! "I can always do two tomorrow," I tried to convince myself, but do I really want to start going down that slippery slope while still in the first week? I think not. So there you have it. A 930 yoga class for me.

It was only an hour long and...please understand me perfectly...I am not good at yoga. I do my best to get my body to sort of resemble what others in the class are doing. The breathing is completely lost on me. I usually have chronic whistling nostril (CWN) most of the time anyway so that's pretty much faked the others into believing that I've got the breathing down pat. But I digress. Tonight's class was not only the easiest yoga practice I've ever done...it went by so fast that when it was time to do the napping at the end, I didn't understand that it was over, so I'm laying there on my back waving my legs around in the air like, "What's next?" And it wasn't even hot. Like at all. I left a yoga class in session for the first time ever tonight and it was to go put on a sweater! I barely sweat at all, and even though it was probably all I could take after a long and crazy day, I feel like I have an extra 300 cals in me that I'm not supposed to have!

Cute guys in tonight though, so on the other hand, this could be the time slot I'll hit again. Because I just look so gorgeous at hot yoga!! Oh and after all my fuss about no stars next to my name on the chart, I left without even giving myself a check mark!! Ha ha!! I'll just give myself two tomorrow, but I hope no one thinks I'm cheating.

Me: Oh I was here last night and forget to give myself a check mark. Doubter: Prove it. Me: Pardon? Doubter: Prove that you were here last night. Me: How can I prove that I was here? Doubter: Show me your damp scrunchie. Me: It was barely even hot. I CAN'T!! I CAN'T!!

Night all!

Justy

xo

Day Three: Unbalanced!

Walking into a hot yoga class with just a minute to spare, where a sea of people are laying motionless on their mats - already 10 mins into their meditative-yoga state - makes you think for a brief second that there has been a gas leak. It was terrifying until I spotted a girl in the corner doing a teddy bear stand. Phewf!

Today I did an evening class to let my weak and aching body recover - and it's amazing what a difference that extra 12 hours made. It was obviously the right thing to do. And because I didn't go in the morning, I wasn't starving by 10 am so when I looked at Trish, my office buddy, she didn't look like a hotdog typing like she has every day this week. No doubt, she'll be relieved to hear that.

The class was great. It moved quite fast and I was able to do most things. But today, if someone had offered me a million dollars to stand on one foot, I couldn't have done it. I don't know why some days are better balance days than others. I'm convinced I have an inner ear imbalance which is the same reason I'm unable drive on high edges in the mountains without closing my eyes and singing Jesus Take the Whee-heeeell!!!

So yes...awesome class and I felt great afterwards. 

The problem I'm experiencing though is how dry it is now that winter's arrived and how losing so much moisture during hot yoga is drying out my skin. I'm drinking tons of water - obviously I understand and promote the importance of moisturizing from within. Yet, my skin is still craving extra moisture, so I'm slathering on the Moroccan Rose Body Butter, which is fab! The problem is, once I get into class, the 20 litres of sweat pouring out of my body muddles with the lotion and suddenly I'm slipping around like a newborn calf!  I'm going to have to start working out in a terry towel unitard if I don't get a handle on this soon.

As good as I felt coming out of class, the best part of tonight was that there were little puppies in the foyer! I don't know what they were doing there, but they were going crazy licking everyone! They must have though it was awesome how salty everyone was!  Random puppies! So cute.

Brandy from Moksha now knows about my blog which is great - but now she's going to know that I'm not as together as I portray myself. (Whatever! I usually stumble out of hot yoga like a drunk person in bright blue sweatpants and Uggs on the wrong feet, rebounding off the walls, trying to let myself into the wrong car...so I think she's already onto me:)

Day three registered a 1 on the Sliding Barf Scale, so that's progress. However, it registered a 5 on the Sweat Scale. I will explain how the Sliding Sweat Scale works once I've wrung out my yoga mat.

Goodnight All.

Justy

xo

Day Two: I should have thought this through.

In hindsight, it probably would have been a better idea to build back a little bit of my yoga strength gradually - after taking three months off from any workout of any kind - before jumping into an intense 30 day challenge which doesn't allow for any rest days. My entire body is aching. Not quite that excruciating Body Pump pain where you can't even lower yourself to pee pain, but a mild all over ache. It feels like I have the flu. I ache in my arms, my armpits(!), my tummy, my arse, my legs, shoulders - even my actual boobs are aching! It's a good pain, but my boobs? Really?

So I'm a little worried because today's class was agony. I could barely hold poses I'm very used to and pretty good at for long at all. I was shaking and wobbling all over, and I think at one point I was even praying out loud for it to be over. Funnily enough, I had the best balance I've ever had.

It was choka in class today...so many people. Maybe that's why my balance was so good today - I was just propped up against my neighbour. Anyway, I'd just like to say, that if someone took off their Uggs and stuck their feet in my face on an airplane, I'd be incensed! Apparently in yoga it's just fine. It's a right of passage.

So that visitors to this blog may get a better understanding of how the Challenge is shaking down, I've developed a rating system for these classes in terms of difficulty. It's something I like to call the Barfing Scale. Here's how it works.

Barfing Scale:
1 - Surprisingly, no need to barf at all - neither during or after practice.
2 - I was pretty sure I wouldn't barf, but I was afraid to burp just in case it picked up a "hitchhiker".
3 - It was touch and go. I actually tried to remember if I had toothpaste in my gym bag.
4 - I had an "in my own head" conversation as to how I could barf and not be noticed. Maybe in my water bottle? Under the corner of my mat and cover it with a towel?
5 - I had to lay in child's pose for 20 mins of the class to stop the pounding in my head...when class was over I barfed next to my car...and then because of the delerium, squealed away into oncoming traffic like an oblivious maniac.*

Today's class was a 3 on the sliding Barfing Scale.

I need to do laundry tonight or my house is going to grow mold.

I am half considering going to an evening class so that I have a little extra time to recover from this morning. Not sure yet. Oh! And we don't get stars next to our names on the 30 Day Hot Yoga Challenge. We only get a check mark that we have to add ourselves!!! I thought there'd be more formal recognition and adulation than this. Maybe when everyone else is adding their lame check marks, I'll make mine a star. In permanent Sharpie!!

Here's to Day Three and having clean laundry!

Justy
xoxo

* Driving after hot yoga is more dangerous than driving after 3 gins. It's true. Or it feels true.

Day One: Over and done

Very awesome class this morning. It was an early morning, but surprisingly not too packed considering it's the first day of a 30 Day Challenge. I had fears of it being packed like the gym on January 2...but it was fine.

Tough class too...there was a lot of downward dog, planks and those reverse push-uppy things...then back to downward dog...like between everything. It was exhausting and my palms felt raw all day. The early morning classes are only an hour but this morning felt like longer. It was great though. It was also very nice to leave the class and drive home in the daylight.

Here are the benefits 30 days of hot yoga is meant to provide (taken from the Moksha website):

• Complete Detoxification – Yoga enhances blood supply to internal organs, as well as lymphatic drainage. This unique ability to flush out toxins makes yoga a  superior activity of choice.
• Increasing Flexibility – Yoga postures invigorate every joint in the body, especially those not commonly exercised or given attention to.
• Weight loss and improved body composition – Excess flab is shed through the repeated stimulation that comes from regular yoga practice. Remarkable toning of muscles is attained in a relatively short period of time.

So that's all great. How much weight am I gonna lose? I went online and found a hot yoga calorie-burning calculator:  http://www.bikram-yoga-noosa-australia.com/weight-loss-and-yoga.htm (scroll to the bottom.)

So for my weight, I can burn around 1000 calories per class. So knowing that I have to burn 3,500 calories to lose a pound...let's see....1000 x 30 = 30,000 calories burned....30,000 divided by 3,500 = 8.5 pounds lost in a month purely by exercise! 

So that's what's supposed to happen. And if I eat well, it should be even more. Tonight I had bangers and mash so I'm actually up 2 lbs. BUT imagine if I hadn't gone to yoga this morning!!

Today at work I was starving all morning...even after the protein shake I had afterwards...so I have to sort that out. I got really headachey too so I did something wrong. And actually, I think I know what it was. I left my full water bottle in the car overnight so that it would melt during the class and would be extra delish and refreshing. Well it didn't melt fast enough and I basically just licked a giant block of ice during the class. I looked like a thirsty hamster. Dumb. I could've died.  

But so far, except for the near-death experience, the hot yoga challenge is already improving my life. I felt great all day that I'd already worked out, and I was wise at work...twice:)

Now it's time for a glass of wine in bed with last night's episode of Downton Abbey.

Nite All.

Justy

xo

ps. I promise I'll never sign these posts off with "Namaste".

All ready to go!

I'm tucked up in bed with my cup of Zen tea, lunch is packed, my gym bag is ready and my cutest Lululemon outfit is all laid out waiting for me. I am totally ready for the first class of my 30 Day Hot Yoga Challenge at 6 am. 

I'm so excited to start reaping all of the benefits 30 days of hot yoga will bring me. At the end of this, I'll need a new wardrobe - that goes without saying - obviously my clothes will be hanging off me. But besides the complete body transformation that is just around the corner, I really think yoga will make me nicer. How can I not be when I'll be so calm and focused? I'll bet I get wiser too. 

Why didn't I do this years ago?

Goodnight All.

Justy

xo

I must be crazy!

Hi Everyone,


I've finally caved to the pressure and am starting - I can't believe I'm saying this - a blog. I'll be honest. I don't believe in blogs. Unless you're traveling - because that's fun and interesting. But I just don't think that anyone really has that much to say. Not even me;)


However, after the frenzy of October's "mascara recommendation" on Facebook, maybe there is room for some more lighthearted, girlie nonsense on the web. And also - that mascara has changed lives.


On Monday I'll be starting my first 30 Day Hot Yoga Challenge and beginning Monday, November 7th, I'll have to complete 30 hot yoga classes in 30 days. That's, like, an average work week of being drenched in sweat, in pain and confused. But enough about my staff meetings...


I'm allowed to miss a day but then I have to double up on another day. I have visions of me coasting through November and then frantically doing 15 classes on December 6th - trying to push myself through the renal failure!


I wanted to kick start my winter fitness program and thought this was a great way to be held accountable. My name will go on a chart along with a group of "real athletes" at http://calgary.mokshayoga.ca/ and every class I finish will result in a gold star next to my name. If I skip, I'll get a big gaping hole of failure next to my name. 


Please make no mistake, I know I will probably not make it. And I will absolutely cry at some point. But I am going to get outside my comfort zone and try my best. For me, this is something worth chronicling because as busy women (and gay men - because let's face it, I know my audience:) trying to excel at our careers or get the kids to their 200 practices and social engagements a week - or both - life is bonkers and we're not perfect.  So let's talk about it. 


Wish me luck. 


Justy