Change Your Thinking. Change Your World.

I DIDNT MAKE IT TO CLASS TODAY!!!!

Go ahead....gasp, shake your head, sit in stunned silence...I'll wait. Ok, done yet??

Yes, I didnt make it to class. I absolutly couldn't.

In addition to working a full time job, I am also a student. After getting my Bachelors Degree from Washington State University in 2001, I moved to Nashville for music. I have had a great run in the music business but Im ready for a new challenge. So, back to school I have gone....to be a dental hygienist.

My whole plan when I began this challenge was that when school started, I would attend the 6am yoga classes. That way I could do yoga, then work, then school. I was really taken aback (stunned actually) yesterday to learn the Tuesday/Thursday 6am class is no longer offered during the summer!!!! I found this out right before I walked into class last night and I was very bummed throughout class as I racked my brain thinking of ways to make it work. Unfortunately, there was just no way around it. None of the class times would work. Not one.

So thats it. Done. Didn't Make It. Failed. OR did I???

I talked to Cassie (owner/teacher) and she really put a whole new light on this situation. She could tell I was extremely dissapointed, but she told me (and I quote) "this isnt about rules, or the number of classes, making this more painful and stressful for yourself....this is about doing the very best you can with what you have. That is Yoga." After her pep talk I really thought about all the awesome things she said and decided that she was right. Yes, maybe I didnt make all 30 classes, but I finished 23 and that is dang good! I completed the longest consecutive run of exercise I had ever done in my life....not to mention 23 days straight of washing my hair! :) I could decide to look at this as a failure, or I could use this as an opportunity. Can you guess what I did???

The reality of life is that things happen. Circumstances change. Rocks drop from the sky and mess up the perfectly paved path you were walking on. So...then what???

Well then, CHANGE YOUR THINKING, CHANGE YOUR WORLD!

(A great non-profit company called Think Happy Stuff makes all sorts of fun stuff with that saying on it. I love it!)

My new thinking is this. I will do the best I can to make it to yoga as much as I can. On the days I cannot make it, I will find another "yoga moment" for myself. Maybe that is a jog, or a walk with my sweetheart, poses on my mat in my living room, or even taking a savasana in my car on my lunch break while listening to relaxing music!! :) Maybe its even going to work with dirty hair! (ok, that is stretching it)

So, a huge hug and thank you to all of those who have read this, supported me & smiled at me through the mirrors in class! You have kept me going, you are all strong, inspiring, amazing people...and I want to read your blogs!!!! So start them, and send them to me!!!!!

See you soon yogi's!!!!!

Day 18, 19 & 20!!!

Whoo hoo....10 days to go!!! Dont get me wrong, I have loved this experience...but I think I can safely say that I am ready for a day off! Not to stop hot yoga completely, but maybe just a few days of rest to catch my breath and give my body a break.

That said, this journey has been amazing. I have pushed myself mentally & physically and also really made a change in my life. I have learned that no matter how busy life is....there is always time for a good workout!! Im the master of excuses...but the truth is, there is no excuse! If you want to be healthy and fit...all it takes is determination to find the time to make that happen. I hope that after these 10 days are over, I will continue finding time for me and for a good sweat....cause I feel great right now!

My feet and knees feel strong, solid and soo good. No aches or pain at all in them. I can see my waist wittiling away and that is awesome. My arms are toning up and my left rotator cuff is slowly healing. I still have to take special care during half moon pose, as that tends to pull a little too much. Today, memorial day, there was only 1 class session open. It was a 930am class and it was PACKED. I counted 14 mats in in row, and 4 rows deep! I was so impressed and inspired that so many other people made being there a priority. Being in a room with people like that is intoxicating. I also thank PJ for letting me borrow a mat and a towel....as I walked out the door today without any of that!!!

Day 16 & 17!

Day 16 I had Cassie as my teacher! She was the one who started this whole thing, so it was fun to have her an an instructor. Typically when the instructor walks through the door, we all hop up and the workout begins. We did this with Cassie and she asked us to lay back down. She walked us through some breathing and told us to pick out a "warrior phrase." Something you can repeat to yourself throughout class to keep you going. My warrior phrase was "PERSEVERE!" And have to tell you, it worked!!! When I felt tired, worn out, totally done...I just thought of my warrior phrase and it helped me stay with my effort. I really loved it! Cassie...you were an awesome instructor, I cannot wait to be in your class again!

Day 17 was a highlight in this series. In my past life, before hot yoga took over, I took a sculpting class each Monday and Wednesday at the YMCA. I LOVED that class and as I started to become a regular, I made some really cool friendships with other women in the class. One of those friendships was with my amazing instructor Heather.

Not only is she my health & fitness inspiration but she is an all around wonderful person. So....when I got my hands on a guest pass, I invited Heather to join me! She accepted, today was the day & SHE WAS AMAZING!!! She was a first timer and I was so impressed with how awesome she did. Her awkward pose was even better than this one! Her legs were parallel to the floor!!!! (I guess all those squats pay off!)

Heather has two fun blogs that I look at every day! She makes really yummy gluten-free dishes on glutenfreecat.blogspot.com, and she recently started a blog about fitness too (because she is training for her first triathlon) glutenfreecatfitness.blogspot.com! Check her out...she'll inspire you too!

HALF WAY BABY!!!!!

I didnt write about Day 14, cause it was just Day 14.....but Day 15....thats another story! Im half way to the finish line!!!!

I made a major effort today to eat plenty of calories, plenty of protein and plenty of potassium. What a difference it made! When I left class today, I actually felt good and energized, instead of utterly wiped out (which I've been feeling like lately). I think Wade was pretty surprised that I even did the dishes tonight after dinner instead of saying...."I'll do it in the morning!" :)

I got a comment on my last entry that totally inspired me. (Thank You Janet) She said success is walking in the room and getting on the mat! That is what I will be living by for the next 15 days. My goal at the beginning is the same goal I have now....to finish (and look hot in my hot pants of course! )

Day 13

Wasnt my best yoga day...the last few have been tough. I did the sunrise class today which is pretty hard on my left torn rotator cuff. Just when I think its completely healed, a downward facing dog tells me otherwise. I spent the majority of the time on the floor today...just couldnt muster it up. I had a headache this morning too and I ended up having to skip out of class a little early because I needed excedrin soooo bad. Sorry Kelly for having to leave!!!

But dont worry...Im not going to be Negative Nelly the entire blog....so here comes Positive Planting Polly!

Today (while my yoga mats dried), roma tomatoes, cucumbers, jalapenos & bell peppers were planted in beautiful pots gifted to us by my future mother in law. This is the first time Ive ever planted anything and thank goodness I have Wade to help take care of them....cause they might die a slow death without him. Pretty ironic that I NEVER forget to feed myself....but always forget to feed my plants!

We also planted herbs which smell amazing already and really spruce up the deck. We have Basil, Cilantro, Parsley, Thyme & Oregano. I tried to find chives and mint but lowes didnt have them, so now Im on the hunt.

As I get deeper into this fitness challenge, it is becoming more and more essential to eat clean and healthy. Not only for its nutritional benefits, but for the energy it gives me. Its amazing how unhealthy foods really zap your energy and make your whole body feel heavy and lethargic. I will take Cassie's advice and eat more potassium this week and also get some trace mineral vitamins too....anything to help me through week 3 of this challenge is welcomed!

Day 12

Today I convinced (guilted) my sweetheart Wade to join me for the Saturday noon class! I was excited for him and also a little scared he might get up, give me a "how could you?" glare and leave in the middle of class. If you were a fly on the wall of our car on the way to the studio, this is what you would have heard:

M: I'd drink as much of that water bottle as possible before you get there

W: nah, Im fine

M: If you feel dizzy or nauseous at any time, dont be embarrassed to sit or lie down

W: ok (with a concerned tone)

M: Feeling dizzy or nauseous is totally normal, but if you feel like something is wrong, dont just run out...make sure you motion to the teacher that you need to leave

W: um, usually feeling dizzy or nauseous does mean something is wrong.

M: oh, well you know what I mean

W: not really, I just know I should never have agreed to this!

BUT....he rocked (as I knew he would!) I mean, he couldn't get the arms figured out on Eagle, looked more like a broken umbrella than a capital letter T, and did tree on the floor....but I was beaming at him in the mirror with pride. He tried really hard, got an awesome workout, surprised himself with his strength, and felt really good when he left. As we sat out in the lobby and cooled off, this was our conversation

W: look at all the people who come here and torture themselves!

M: Yeah, but look how fit they are! Do you wanna come back?

W: I think I could do more yoga.....without the hot!

W: My arms looked buff in that mirror!

M: yes they did baby! :)

I think I just fell a little more in love with him today!

Day 11

Ok, isnt this suppose to be getting easier??? Today was hands down the hardest class I have EVER been in. And I guess Im not alone in this thinking because the people I talked to after class said the same thing!!! Our instructor mentioned that in the summer, the room gets much hotter, so maybe that was why....maybe it was that I hadn't eaten much protein that day....maybe it was that I wasnt wearing hot pants? :)

The highlight of the class was meeting a new friend, Susan! (now that I am typing this Im panicking that Im getting her name wrong...but we will go with Susan for now!) She told me that she started back to hot yoga on the same day that I started my challenge. She bought a 30 day unlimited pass and she has only missed one day since!!!! I was so impressed and proud of her...as I know how hard this is. We both agreed that the tough part of coming to class every day is the scheduling. Figuring out what time to go, accounting for the time in takes to get here, knowing you cant really do anything directly after class because you are a sweaty mess, etc.

But we also agreed that we feel AWESOME!!!!

Hot Yoga is tough, there is no way around it....but the benefits of feeling amazing, watching your body change, and meeting great people makes it all worth it!

p.s. while we were outside chatting, another student recognized me!!! Im a celebrity!!!!

Day 9,10,11

Ive been slacking on my blog but the truth is....IM TIRED!

I have still been going to class each day, but my body is physically and mentally exhausted! I have been skipping my lunch breaks during the day (eating at my desk) to make it to the 430pm class instead of waiting until the 615 class. I prefer the earlier class only because I like to get home in order to eat an earlier dinner and be able to enjoy my evening.

Even though I am tired, I have been pushing through it at class and really noticing changes. I can now make it through a class fairly easily and without gasping for water. Yesterday I only took water twice during the class. I must be getting more hydration through the day that I dont need it so much during class. Im also noticing my stretches are getting deeper, my legs are strong and steady during the balancing series and I even got a "beautiful, melissa" from my instructor on my eagle pose! Next goal: To do my eagle pose on a big rock which is balancing on a tiny rock, on a beach, next to an ocean with beautiful blue skies and perfect clouds.

Day 8

6am class.
Wasnt late.
Success.

The 1st Week Mark!

Late again!!!!!!!!!!Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr, its making me soo mad. I guess I need to start leaving earlier because things just happen...yesterday wreck, today a huge rain storm that seriously slowed traffic..tomorrow I am going early early early! 6am actually!

On a happier note, I got a new cool water bottle that I took with me today. Its fun to get new work out jilly jags! :) The next thing I really want is mat pad. I usually use a beach-towel on top of my mat, but they bunch and wrinkle alot. I also think a pad might help me from slipping.

(pictured here is my favorite new and old cups to drink from)

Ok, onto the work out part. The part you have all been waiting for, the most riveting part of all....I MADE IT ONE WEEK AND IM STILL ALIVE! :) I feel awesome too, I really really do! I feel detoxified, cleansed, much more energetic, and just healthier. My feet tend to hurt alot at the end of the day, but I have found that they are starting to hurt less and less. They must be getting stronger.

I do miss my walks and jogs but I haven't figured a way to do both in one day. Hot Yoga takes so much energy that I just cannot imagine expending any more before of after class. I will focus on yoga now and when my feet get back to the pavement I bet they will be stronger and able to carry me further.

Also getting stronger is my resolve to see this through. If I can do it for one week...I can do it for 3 more!

Day 6

I left in plenty of time to get to the 2pm class for Day 6 and there was a wreck on I-65! All lanes were closed, was at a standstill for 10 minutes and when traffic finally started moving along, I gunned it! I made it with 3 minutes to spare. I realized during my frantic drive down Church Street (with tears streaming down my face) how much I really want to finish this. I really want to make it to class each day and if I didnt make this 2pm class, I would have had a very hard time making the other classes. It would have ruined my whole day, my week and this challenge! I think God wanted me to make it too because he graced me with every single green light! :) As soon as I laid down on my mat I made sure to give him a very sincere thank you.

Oooooooh, gotta go....My sweetheart Wade just started rubbing my feet.....need to enjoy..............ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.............goodbye

Day 5

Day 5 was great. Krista and I were running late and alllllllllmost got locked out of the studio! That freaked me out...since somehow, someway I have to do a class everyday. So, I would have had to go back!!! So....note to self, be on time tomorrow!

I was really in tune with my breath today and it made a world of a difference. I felt like I could take really super duper long breaths and exhale forever. I also found my dristy at one point today and I loved that.

Krista rocked today! It was her first time doing hot yoga in about 5 years so it was a shock to her system. But she held up really well, and actually maintained her standing bow pose on her left leg the entire 60 seconds. I was obviously not in my pose the entire time...which is why I noticed :) (see standing bow pic above) (see how silly we were 4 hours later, still in our workout clothes below....) Ahhh, good times!

Day 4

So, I made it! I got up at 5:20am and was laying on my mat at 5:50! I was very proud of myself. I got a spot in the back row again and was happy to be back there...(since I think I might have forgotten to brush my teeth)

Much to my surprise, our instructor came in and started a completely different class than I was expecting. Every day in hot yoga is exactly the same...and now all of a sudden, something totally new! I was also very surprised to find that what is usually the back row, turned out to be the front! Grrrreat! :)

Im not going to lie, I struggled today. Different class, facing a different direction, different time of the day than Im use to, and instead of the instructor just talking us through the class....she did the whole class with us. And she was amazing! Her body was rock solid and many times I just sat and watched her because it was so impressive. I also LOVED that music played during class. It was a nice change of pace for Day 4....lets hope there is still a change of pace to be had on Day 25 :)

Im look forward to tomorrow because one of my very best childhood friends is in town visiting from Washington State and she is joining me! Good luck Krista!

Day 3

I had an awesome workout today. My plan was to go to the last class of the day but I decided during my workday that I would work through my lunch break and hit an earlier class. It worked out better with my schedule, plus it was a 75 min class rather than a 90 min class. (I think you will start to see a pattern of laziness here!)

The class was FULL today. There were about 40 of us and since I was running a little bit late, I got a spot in the very back row. Much to my surprise, a girlfriend I hadn't seen in very long time laid her mat right next to mine. We whispered "we need to catch up!" and then we retreated

to our own mats, our own minds, or our own practices. I did watch her out of the corner of my eye a few times and noticed she has a great tree pose! Well done Erica!!

I was a little bummed to not be right in front of the mirror, but I must say I actually enjoyed it. It felt so different to be able to see other people in front of me and not be able to have a 100% direct focus on myself. I wasn't nearly as judgmental of my own body as I typically am and I think part of that was because I could see it!!! I will start setting my mat up in different places around the room cause it makes it more interesting.

Im going to the 6AM class tomorrow which should be interesting. I AM NOT A MORNING PERSON!

What a difference a day makes!

Day 2 was AWESOME! I made it through the entire class without needing to take a break!! I wasnt dizzy or lightheaded one time. I did every single pose and felt really proud of myself when the class was over. I dont know if the room was a little cooler or if I was a little more hydrated, but I hardly needed my water at all.

I loved the instructor I had today too(no names!) She really pushed me and reminded us on each pose to focus on breathing. I also felt like she gave us a little more recovery time between poses which helps so much. Maybe I was just in a different frame of mind than I was on Day 1, but I loved every second of this class!

Bring it on Day 3! :)

1 down, 29 to go!

-BEFORE-
DAY 1:

Today was hard, much harder than I thought it would be. I've done this class a number of times before...but it had been a while and I think I shocked my body! I got to class early and had a lot of time to lay on my mat and prep myself for the workout ahead. But I have to admit that when the instructor came in, inside I was screaming "NO NOT YET!!!" Thankfully I didnt scream outloud and class went on with or without

my lazy inner voice.

I Made it through the first breathing exercise, no problem...and then on the 2nd pose, my partially torn left rotator cuff made itself known. I silently cursed it, and adjusted my body to make it happier...and that was the last I heard from it. Thank you sweet little left rotator cuff for complying tonight!

I had alot of dizzy and lightheaded moments during the standing series, so I spent the majority of time in savasana on my pink and green beach towel. I was

very proud as I laid there though because my Hot Yoga partner in crime, Karie Clair rocked tonight....especially in eagle pose! Dont think your awesome form went unnoticed friend!

I also want to thank Karie for taking the before pic of me and

providing the cat paint art. (possibly the funniest iphone app ever!) I think that is what my after picture is missing....that and some makeup!

My body feels awesome right now, it was happy to be pushed like it was tonight. Im looking forward to tomorrow's class...and the drive home listening to Delilah! :)

The Calm Before The Storm...

I didnt work out today. Didnt even think about working out today. Didnt feel guilty when instead of my usual lunch break walk or jog, I ate fried chicken fingers and french fries with lots of dip. (Mmmm, honey mustard.) I didnt feel guilty when I ate 1/2 of a shortbread cookie at work...nor did I feel guilty when I went back for the other 1/2. (well...a little guilty!) The reason for this no guilt eating???? Tomorrow I start 30 consecutive days of Hot Yoga!!!

I been challenged by Cassie, the owner of Hot Yoga Nashville, to complete 30 days of consecutive hot yoga classes and blog about my experience. I dont know why but I said yes! So tonight I sit on the couch and write my first blog ever, knowing that tomorrow at this time I will be sweating, panting, wondering what the heck I am doing, contorting, trying not to judge myself or others, dreaming of cold air and settling for luke warm water. I will be listening to my instructor, listening to body, sweating some more....and in the end I will be smiling and saying "I love Hot Yoga!" I will also be one class closer to my goal.

My only goal of this challenge is to finish and to maybe look a little more hot in my hot pants! Wish me luck!