30 Day Bikram Yoga Challenge– Update Day 17
I am heading up to day 17 on my 30 day Bikram challenge and I just wanted to share a quick update.
What have I noticed so far?
As you know from previous posts I am also doing an Alternate Day Fasting protocol. I follow Dr Sara Solomon’s system. For more information on her system check it out here: http://www.drsarasolomon.com.
DR Sara Solomon Fat Loss Fast System
With the Dr Sara Solomon system, combined with Bikram Yoga I have noticed a great improvement, not only in my practice but also within my internal body. Check out Dr Sara Solomon’s Youtube Channel here…
It’s loaded with great work outs. ( Oh did I mention she is a dentist. And has a BSc in Physiotherapy plus she is a certified Personal Trainer, plus a Buddy Lee Jump Rope Ambassador, and a BSN & Bodybuilding.com Athlete.
The studio I practice at is http://www.hotyoga8.com. What I love the most about the studio is they have FAR infra red heated rooms. (And – it doesn’t smell – except for the times some people sweat out some nasty toxins – Side Note: I have a solution for this particular issue – more on that in another blog post)
What I have been feeling is a fluidity internally. In my joints, all throughout my whole body. I feel like I can stretch deeper, hold poses for longer, and stronger. My focus feels like it’s a laser.
I have noticed a great difference practicing in this FAR Infra Red studio VS a regular heated studio.
For one I feel like I can breathe without oxygen missing from my breathing. This may not sound like a big deal for those of you new or curious about Bikram yoga. Believe me it is. Especially for people like myself who have had a lifetime of nasal problems and 13 nasal operations under my belt.
The marker I used is my first experiment was, past breathing experience in a regular heated Bikram studio, which was the following: I would start yawning almost immediately – I felt like my energy was sucked out with the way the heat was heating up the room and almost felt like it was starving me of oxygen.
For the full duration of the standing series I would yawn almost when my body would find the chance to do so.
The difference I found to practicing in a FAR infra red studio was that even during my very first practice I did not yawn at all. It’s been 16 days and to date I have not yawned once. I am chalking it down to more oxygen being present in the room with the use of FAR Infra Red heating.
The room is generally heated to about 105 Degrees. In other words it’s pretty damn hot!
What is FAR Infra Rays and some of the known benefits to Far Infra Red.
FAR Infrared Rays are like the sun’s invisible spectrum. It’s different to UV light which causes sunburn and damage to the skin. FAR infra red heat is the warm feeling you get when your sitting in the sun that penetrates your skin. This energy is capable of penetrating deep into the human body roughly about 4 cms and elevates the body’s surface temperature; helping activates the major body functions.
I have listed more benefits below:
• Promotes rebuilding of injured tissue
• Relieves nervous tension and relax auto neuro muscles helping healing
• Reduces soreness on nerve endings and muscle spasms, as muscle fibers are heated
• Expand capillaries, which stimulates increased blood flow, regeneration, circulation and oxygenation.
• Heat expands the capillaries and then initiates the start of a process to dissolve hidden toxins
• Promotes elimination of fats, chemicals and toxins from the blood
• Excellent for healing burns, scar tissue and skin problems
• Increases growth of cells and protein synthesis, all necessary during tissue repair and regeneration
I am enjoying seeing all the changes this body and mind is experiencing with this challenge that I am intending to extend it to a 60 day Bikram challenge. I keep myself accountable by check in to Foursquares.
On another note I have completed the DietBet, Dr Sara Solomon’s 30 day challenge and the results, drum roll please ….. I won! I wasn’t the only winner. Everyone that lost 4% of their body weight won as well.
It was such a great community and kept me accountable to myself not to cheat and sneak in the mouthful of naughtiness that I joined another Challenge on Dietbet. This time the challenge is called The Transformer and the target is to lose 10% of your body weight. This challenge runs for 6 months which will end 4th of May 2015.
Every month I write a summary of my month. I will continue with the Dr Sara Solomon ADF program combined with alternating Dr Sara’s work outs and Bikram yoga. We head to Sydney end of December which means I need to amend my exercise program so that I am on point.
The more I think about the journey the more I prepare myself, which in turn leads to more successes on the journey. I sign off today with this thought to contemplate. If you have an overall target or something you want to accomplish the best thing you can do is set your environment up in a way that it doesn’t allow you to stray. If it means travelling, then you adjust your schedule. Think ahead and think of the different situations you could be in and be prepared. Enjoy the journey, make it fun, you’re experiencing the grind now. Live it to its fullest potential.
Speaking of experiencing the grind, my friend Ed O’Keefe is coming out with a new book soon that goes into detail about the grind. I have had been on of the lucky ones to have seen this book evolve into a book any body searching for excellence and success should own.
Till next time —- Namaste my gorgeous friends!
xxx Sophy