Friday, May 23, 2014

Bikram Yoga: Not what I expected

For the first time in about 6 months, I actually was home the entire week, no work traveling, no weekend traveling, just home for 7 straight days.  It felt weird.  I actually had time to exercise, prepare all my meals, and try a few new things.  First, I want to say, I love when gyms/studios give “intro deals.”  It allows newcomers to try something new without thinking they are wasting a ton of money. 

A local Bikram yoga studio had such a deal and so I decided to try it this week.  I would not consider myself a Yoga newbie as I have been taking yoga classes for about 16 years now (my mom liked to bring me to classes while I was in high school) and have been teaching for about 5 years.  However, I have never taken a Bikram yoga class and thought it would be interesting to try.  I honestly assumed it would just be a regular yoga class in a really hot room.  Well, the really hot room part was correct, but everything else I assumed about the class was totally incorrect.  The lights were left on in the room and there were mirrors all over the walls.  We started out with breathing exercises, and then proceeded through standing, balance, and seated poses.  We did not do a single downward facing dog!  The class was 90 minutes long and it flew by.  I really enjoyed it and will be attending as many classes as I can before my traveling starts to pick up again.

One thing I realized while taking the Bikram yoga class is I want to be amazing at everything.  I want to run really fast and win races, lift really heavy weights, be super flexible in every yoga pose, take the time to eat good food, excel in my career, and be a great friend, daughter, and wife.  But then, my reality set in and my mind had to accept the fact that I cannot be amazing at everything, but I can work on the things that are important to me, and the things that make me happy. 

Mike Rowe (well-known for his role as the host of “Dirty Jobs”) recently responded to a fan letter asking about finding the “right” job and finding happiness….. I loved his response. 


“Happiness does not come from a job. It comes from knowing what you truly value, and behaving in a way that’s consistent with those beliefs. What you do, who you’re with, and how you feel about the world around you, is completely up to you.”

~ Savannah FitNut aka Morgan McNeal

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