It’s noon on a Wednesday and I am sitting here in my robe and slippers with wet hair and another big cup of tea. It’s raining outside but I did make it to the 9 am Bikram class…I was going to go to the noon class but it was 8:15 and I just say what the heck, grabbed my mat and jumped in the car. I’m so glad y’all are so excited about this month’s challenge!!
For me, day two of Hot Yoga Month seemed even sweatier than day one. But now I just feel so fresh and so clean, clean. I think I’m going to try to pull some unsuspecting victims into some classes early next week (cough cough). Muhahaha 
After class, I headed home, showered and made a big salad for lunch:
- You will probably HATE it after the first time
- You will probably have a headache and feel lightheaded
- You will want to run for the hills
- You will probably send me hate mail asking me why I dragged you into this. I’ll just smile.
However, it’s not going to kill you and you will feel so good after you’re done. Be sure to drink LOTS of water (I always drink water + added electrolytes right after in the form of coconut water or Emergen-C packets) and eat something substantial two hours beforehand with a good ratio of carbs to protein.
***
I’m off to dress myself, run some errands and work on the book.
Later gators!
{ 58 comments… read them below or add one }
HUGE fan of bikram. I miss my studio up at school.. We don’t have one here.
I hated it the first time, but LOVE it now!!
Definitely jealous over your californian Orange
Honestly, I’ve never tried Bikram and don’t have time for a studio session…does it count if I do it in my guest bedroom with a space heater?
yay for Bikram! My favorite!!!! If your studio offers a 30 Day Challenge do it! I loved it and it will change your practice for the better!
Glad you had a great class!
ooooh that salad looks great – what a good idea to add egg whites!
i tried bikram once, and you’re right.. i hated it lol i never tried it again. and i was very close to a headache afterwards.. and very lightheaded. i thought it was just me! do these go away the more you practice? i’m a big baby when it comes to high temps.. LOL
I just can’t wrap my head around what hot sauce on a spinach salad would taste like. Yuck!
Oh and a poached egg on a spinach salad too! The richness of the runny yolk is so so good! I meant to comment on the bone suckin’ sauce you wrote about the other day. It is my FAVORITE! There is something about it that makes it different from all the others out there. And the hiccupin’ hot on the label really lives up to its name!
I practice yoga frequently but I have never been to bikram.
I also noticed I am much thirstier when I do Bikram regularly.
I totally LOVED that song by OutKast (in your post title)
totally agree with you on the first time Bikram’ers I was not a fan the first time and acutally had trouble breating in the room, but after a few minutes and getting into my “zen” i really enjoyed it!!
your salad looks great!
I had scrambled eggs in my salad last night! It was delicious! (arugula + maple vinaigrette…mix balsamic, olive oil and maple syrup with SP mmmmm THE BEST)
Guys…I have been praticing Bikram for awhile and fell in love with it the very first class. Give it a shot and go regularly and I promise you will love it! The weird feelings are pretty normal in the beginning and will pass. Have fun with it!
your salad looks delicious!!
Sounds exciting!
Yummy looking salad too!
I have a “bikram date” with a girlfriend in January but now I really want to go earlier just to check it out! Your warnings have me really interested…
I’ve never tried Bikram, but I feel the need to practice more yoga in general before I try it out.
BTW, I have a Le Creuset giveaway on my blog right now!
I’ve never tried Bikram, but I feel the need to practice more yoga in general before I try it out.
BTW, I have a Le Creuset giveaway on my blog right now!
Glad you had a great Bikram class!!!! Love that post-class squeaky clean feeling..The best is the shower and clean clothes after!! Love it!
Hope you are enjoying your afternoon!
can i just comment real quick on the post-bikram hydration? pleaseeee do not just drink water! you lose a ton of electrolytes and they need to be replaced—if you just drink pure h2o, you only dilute what youve got left. this contributes to the nausea, headache, and lightheaded feeling. some people even pass out. so dump a couple (NOT JUST 1!) emergen-c packets into your water or drink a ton of coconut water and get your potassium back up! likewise, water and a banana would also do the trick
and thats my friendly med student tip of the day.
Your tips are too funny–it’s like laying down a challenge! I might have to find a class around my mom’s house and check it out during Christmas (Trinidad has no bikram yoga, sadly!).
In my town, hot yoga is offered twice a week, so in January (classes are off until after the holiday as of Friday) I will commit to going to those two classes.
I stocked up on green tea and have hidden the coffee in the highest shelf ( I am REALLY short).
I started yoga two months ago, once a week. I love it. I feel so calm and focused for days afterwards.
That song is now stuck in my head.
salad looks great with eggs, hummus, and hot sauce!
Jenna- can beginning yogi’s practice bikram or is it too much of a leap?
Scrumptious salad…
Gosh, Bikram isn’t for the light hearted! I gotta toughen up!
I’m sorry as a yoga teacher for many years I HAVE to comment on Bikram! It is not a healthy form of yoga. Not so much the heat, although they do take it to WAY too much of an extreme. The locking of the knees and the repetitive poses are SO bad for your joints and body. As an acupuncturist as well I cannot TELL you how many Bikram students I get that are injured by the practice, as well as one that was so dehydrated from a month of practicing he was peeing blood. It’s absurd. I teach heated yoga, but it’s vinyasa, and kind to the joints. It’s also 90-95 degrees with 40% humidity which is a HUGE difference to 115 degrees and 80% humidity. So you still get your sweat, but you stay SAFE! Bikram 5 times a week, the SAME poses over and over, the dehydration, not to mention Bikram’s philosophies, which AREN’T good, (not getting into it, but let’s just say a friend of mine took a teacher training and was told by him that she is too FAT and should lose weight before she teaches)it’s just not a spiritually, physically, or mentally good place to be. I HAD to say something because yoga is my life! Hope no one takes this the wrong way. I have done research and even PRACTICED Bikram for many years.
Scrambled eggs on your salad sounds interesting. I would probably like it because I love eggs in general.
I was definitely going to have to try Bikram… but now you have me scared!
My boyfriend just got me hot yoga classes for a Hanukkah present. I’ve only been once.
I’m pumped to give Bikram a shot! I go on break from school next week so right after Christmas I’m going to give it a shot. A new studio near me is only $10 for 10 classes as an intro deal so I’ll try that.
Glad you’re enjoying your cheap month of classes! How much does it cost after that?
A bunch of people have told me I would hate it the first time! Thats whats stopped me from trying hot yoga. I do really want to try it though. Maybe after Christmas (when I have money again) I’ll sign up for some classes.
lovely BIG salad! Thanks for the Yoga tips! I’m sure they will prove to be quite helpful
Salad looks amazingly fresh!! I love all the greens for my meals
I can’t do the heated yoga type classes! The heat drains me too quickly and i wouldn’t be able to finish! The heat makes me feel sick! But the chemotherapy is part of the problem as well! I normally have a problem drinking enough so that class would kill me!
Great looking salad Jenna! I love hard boiled eggs on a salad, but never thought of using a scrambled egg!
I need to get back to a exercise routine, I felt better when I was exercising!
Have you tried Moksha Yoga Jenna?
It’s like Bikram but I swear BETTER hot yoga…you must try it if you can!
They have a great vibe,very eco friendly,bamboo/non stinky floor/positive vibes and hold postures plus add a few flows.You sweat,sweat ,sweat!
I am gonna start my one month challenge but in a few days…so how do we work it if we haven’t started on the 15th with you…I guess dates don’t matter!
You gonna take Adam and Rocky to yoga?You totally should..I’d love to know what they think of it actually!!!
I can’t stress the importance of proper hydration and nutrition with Bikram yoga enough. I think it’s a GREAT practice and don’t want to deter any of your readers at all, I would just say if you are prone to dehydration in the slightest to be extremely cautious, and make sure you take great care to hydrate immensely before, asnd replace electrolytes after. I did not fuel and/or hydrate well enough once (even though I honestly thought I had), and it was a BIG mistake.
I went to Bikram and LOVED it my first time, so I decided to go back two days later. Apparently they raised the temperature 10 degrees from my first visit, and about half way through I began feeling light headed. I tried to sit down to get a drink of water, and the instructor proceeded to scold me for bringing “bad juju” into the room. Needless to say, by the time class finally ended, I felt too weak to drive and was taken home by a friend, where I immediately chugged at least a liter of water, drank a smoothie, and decided to lay down. Less than an hour later, I woke up with a migrane headache so bad I couldn’t see straight, and passed out the second I tried to stand up. I was rushed to the hospital and had to remain on IV fluids overnight, due to severe dehydration, which led to an electrolyte imbalance.
I know that sounds scary haha, and it was. But I have practiced Bikram again (albeit, not at the same studio) with greater caution and have not had another problem. I guess I felt the need to let anyone who’s a first timer and taking on your challenge know to, above all, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY and take it slow; “bad juju” and some embarrassment is much better than a thousand dollar trip to the hospital.
Hi Jenna,
I just watched the movie, Julie and Julia, and I couldn’t stop thinking of you. Maybe YOUR book could be made into a movie just like Julie Powell. How much did you love this movie?
Jenna I adore your blog but feel this challenge is dangerous! Why does this challenge have to be Bikram? Why can’t it be Yoga in many of the other more healthy and realistic styes. . .like Anusara, Kundalini, Vinyasa? I have never tried Bikram and I never will. I can’t tolerate a lot of heat and I’m sorry but if feeling light headed is normal for this practice than count me out.
Linda,
Haha you can do whatever you want! I just decided to do more hot yoga because it was cheap and readers were emailing me asking for a challenge. but you can totally do whatever type of yoga you like!
I love hummus with scrambled eggs all the time.
That salad is jam packed with proteiny goodness!
I have a rather cantankerous comedian friend who practices Bikram yoga. I met up with him recently after his class and he was punchy and smoking his first cigarette in years. Haha. Though, he’s the only person I know who can get agitated from a yoga class. Most people rave about the benefits and bliss Bikram can generate. Glad it’s working its wonders on you! Keep up the great work!
Love the salad….anything that starts w/spinach and has hummus sounds good to me. I did a 2-hr power walk on the beach because we were supposed to have rain and didn’t so wanted out by the water while had a chance. Will turn up the heat and exercise.
Tonight spent 1/2 hr on the phone interviewing 30-year old Eddie Ross for my blog. Culinary Academy grad, Sr. Stylist Martha Stewart [Ralph Lauren is her next door neighbor-and Eddie's idol], Food Network, HGTV Celebrity Holiday Home designer [Kathie Lee Gifford] etc etc. Has been interviewed by the Washington Post, etc. Super nice, fascinating. Since I am on a point in Carmel in the forest and by the ocean–phone reception is very poor so took my cell outside in the dark with a tiny flashlight, paper/pen to write down responses to questions. Crazy! I used to manage $35 million dollar complex construction/design jobs and this was one step up from recording with a rock on a cave wall!! He was super gracious, fascinating, fun. Will post the interview when write it up.
Jenna!—His motto is ‘Beautiful design doesn’t need to be expensive.’ He LOVES flea markets and wrote a monthly column for House Beautiful on this…so you might be interested in following his blog. Check out his house in the country.
Such a nice/enthusiastic guy. Love the vests/bowties/jeans…polished & preppy but also relaxed.
http://www.eddieross.com/
I’ve always wanted to try hot yoga — I see so many people blogging about it, but unfortunately, I don’t have the money to pay for yoga classes. I guess I’ll stick on On Demand yoga in my 65 degree apartment!!!
I’m excited to read about how it goes though!!!!
Nice job on the yoga! I seriously need to find a place that offers it. There might be one about 40 minutes from here…hmmm
That salad looks delish!
AGREED! Bikram is so worth it- I adore it. I always feel wonderful afterwards.
I’ve never tried Bikram, I’ll have to look for a studio near me!
I love hard cooked eggs on salad for protein – they’re so good!
Seriously, there is nothing better than hummus and hot sauce!
I really thought I was the only one who had trouble with dizziness/nausea in hot yoga. This is making me feel like less of an out of shape blob haha. I would love to participate in yoga month, starting right after Christmas, but I am gonna stick with my regular yoga, and maybe a few extra trips to the sauna
I love Bikram yoga. It’s totally my thing. I have been having issues getting to class lately because of holiday stuff and work stuff. I wish that you would start another challenge next month. There’s no way that I am going to make 5 times a week of anything this month. Except maybe walking. So, would you start another challenge next month, please?
Pretty please.
I love the idea of moving into the new year with healthy living goals! I would like to say that as a yoga instructor I’d have to caution some against Bikram. I personally love it however I don’t believe in all the forcing and pushing. It’s so important to find your personal edge and not go beyod to the point of pain. The old “no pain, no gain” has no place in yoga. Your joints may never forgive you if you practice with that kind of intensity. I think that trying new things is so fun, exciting and an essential part of healthy living so if someone is to try Bikram for the first time go at your own pace and know your body’s limits. Have fun!
I do power yoga, and while it’s not 115 degrees I think it’s within 85-100! It’s AWESOME!! First lesson I learned really quick: do not wear mascara. It will drip down your face so quick. Waterproof or wash it off. But you really do feel SO great after. At first I hated how sweaty I would get during the class, it seemed more of a distraction but now I love it. You really feel like you are totally “detoxing” and getting rid of the bad stuff. Love love love it!
I haven’t done it yet. And… I’m… skeptical…