March 30-day challenge

[bonmar]

#1350

Well, Day 1 and Day 2 went fabulously. I went to a new studio which is actually closer to my house by a few minutes, but it means I have to cross a bridge, which is sometimes a nightmare. This studio is beautiful. First off, it’s in a big shopping mall so parking is not a problem. The actual yoga room is three times as big as the last studio I was at and the ceiling is high, with lovely fans on all the time. The lighting is recessed, so no glaring florescent lights to look at. The flooring is great, everything’s good!

But – best of all – I’ve had the same teacher for two days and she’s fabulous. She has tweaked (repositioned) my body slightly in about five different poses, sat on my lower body and stretched my back in Half Tortoise, seemed to know which half of my back was stiff and helped me push it down, and gives me great encouragement. Ah … who could ask for more?

[fraseram]

#4360

YEAH !!! how have you found the temp there? Sounds good though, I’m so glad. I myself found it a little too soon in my healing for a CHALLENGE as such. I’ve been doing a full heated class every third day and find that my body is LOVING that timing. My hip is doing VERY well but after only one month is not quite ready. Any way as said I will be here to cheer you on:)

[abelanger26]

#4369

I’m at day 4!!! First 30 days! We’re a bunch doing it at our studio in montreal.

[bonmar]

#4370

Cool, 26! Do let us know how your challenge is going! I did Day 4 today as well. It was fabulous.

Amy, the temperature at the new studio is perfect.

I’ve also just found out that towels are complimentary there. May sound like a small thing, but not when I’m facing a huge pile of dirty towels at my house! One less thing to have to tote around. Woohoo!

[abelanger26]

#4380

Day 8 is done… I’m one class behind. I have to do a double tomorrow, wednesday and friday… (I can’t do class tuesday and thursday) This is quite demanding with the lifestyle I have. (I work 3 jobs and I’m a workstudy at the studio)

So far, my body is reacting very well to the heat. (I don’t feel it at all when it’s very hot and humdid) But my lower back and hip is getting worst and worst. It’s very hard for me because I’m very flexible and I could go so far in my postures. Now I have to follow what my body tells me. 🙁

I’m enjoying the experience but seriously … with all my jobs… I have no social life for a month … I guess it’s a small price to pay!

[bonmar]

#4381

You’re right, 26, Day 8 is done. I just got back. I left home in the sunshine and now it’s snowing a blizzard! 🙁

Holy moly, I don’t know how you manage to get to ANY yoga classes while working three jobs! I only work half a job and it’s wonderful, I must say, to be able to do that. Of course, you’re lovely and young, I’m a tad older, so I’ve already done my time of working hard.

Sounds like you might have to back off a bit on your hip and take it easier. No need to push, you’ve got your whole life to do yoga…

Have a great week!

[Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)]

#4382

Hi Annie

Wassup with your hip and lower back? I know that as a physio you will probably have some answers.

Is it a technique thing we can nut out? Here to help :cheese:

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

[abelanger26]

#4383

I got an evaluation by my physio…

My lumbar: L3 is the only vertebra that moves (very unstable: I can do full camel only with that one) The other ones are too rigid and I compensate with L3.

Hip: When I’m putting all my weight on my left leg, I contract my gluteus medius witch involves a internal rotation of the hip. Also I contract my adductors instead of my abductors. I’m already working on this with corrections. I’ve been compensating for so long that I created a dynamic sacro-iliac injury.

Postures that hurt:
+++: head to knee. Only on the left side, pain in the left hip going down to my knee
standing separate leg head to knee pose(left leg in front)Pain left hip going down to my knee

++: Standing bow (left lower back pain when kicking out with the right leg)
camel lower back pain on the left side
floor bow, lower back pain on the left side
hands to feet pose, mostly when we shake our hips right left… then there’s the hip pain going down the knee.

+: this would be I’m struggling with these posture and I’ve seen a deterioration in my flexibility, it’s so stiff

-rabbit+++ having a hard time just touching my knees with my forehead…
-hands to feet pose: I used to lock my knees and was about 2 inches away from touching my head to my feet. now having a hard time locking my knees.
-standing head to knee (cant put my head on my knee, my elbows aren’t as low)

It’s really annoying. It’s not sciatica (I tested negative to all the physio tests). it’s definitly causing me a lot of pain though. Yesterday when I left the studio i was not walking properly. I felt like an old granny.

thanks for all you advices.

[abelanger26]

#4384

oh yes and just to add… my hamstrings are super super flexible. I feel the pain in my back only. When it comes down my leg it’s really an irradiation.

[DXBSHG]

#4419

Hey all – I read both of Bikram’s yoga books and he says that for the first two months, newbies should try to go every day. I went diligently for 7 days and loved it, then because I couldn’t get to my studio in time I ended up being lazy and didn’t go for 5 days. Man oh man, coming back for the first time today was so hard, I just felt like giving up – felt all my progres had gone out the window. I’m committed to doing 2 months straight now, then switch to 5 days a week, never having more than one day in between class. Trust me, the way your body feels after so much time away is not worth it!

[Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)]

#4432

Hi Annie

I was going to write something about your poses and your back. Firstly however I want to know if things are the same or getting worse.

Please let me know. I know these challenges are important for many reasons but I am truly concerned. Are you in need of a rest, some recovery? Is all this a sign to back off?

I await your response.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

[abelanger26]

#4434

Hi Gabrielle,

The back is… getting a bit worst somedays and some others… it’s better. Yesterday I couldn’t do any sit ups, it was hurting way too much (I did a double). I’m two days behind in the challenge and thinking of backing off.

Annie

[Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)]

#4435

Hi Annie

I was thinking about it today: it takes great determination to start and finish a challenge. It takes tremendous courage to stop for the right reasons, before you have finished what you vowed to complete. I am not sure if you are saying that you would stop your challenge right now, but I would certainly be considering it. Yoga is not about hurting yourself – rather to nurture your whole being. I hope you find your answer (and personally I hope you find some space in your schedule to recover and feel good in your body again!).

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

[bonmar]

#4437

We have the rest of our lives to do yoga – that’s the beauty of it!

It’s not like a sport where suddenly you can’t keep up, you can’t hit as far…

I am looking forward to aging and feeling good!

[fraseram]

#4472

wondering how you are doing? Are you up for a 60 -90 day? I am considering doing april and?…. going from there. feeling MUCH stronger and ready to look at taking anew challenge on. keep me posted though on how things are going.

[bonmar]

#4477

Hi, Amy – I’m doing fabulously! Today will be Day 22.

I might be up for a 60-day, continuing on after March because I feel so wonderful, although my motivation for doing March was typically my golf season starts in April and golf takes soooo much time.

But, of course, you don’t need me to succeed in any challenge! I’ll be here reading your updates to encourage whatever you’re up for!

Bonnie

[abelanger26]

#4478

Hey! Congrats on your 22nd day. I’m only 3 classes behind with my bad back and hip. I rested a bit and now I feel great. I’m going to keep going. Just lots of doubles for me in order to keep up!

[fraseram]

#4550

well, I went to class yesterday and I’ve got the sauna heating right now for my second class! I have had not good experience w/ a 6:30 class in the past just due to it being harder to be hydrated enough before hand. But I have not done it in a LONG time and after making some adjustments will give it another go.
my fav time is the 9:00 class but I can’t afford daycare that much and now am doing mon wed fri in studio.
I CAN do it in the sauna w/ her napping (my norm time at home) but it is getting harder as she gets older… one and two in the late afternoon is just not my best time ( I find the more I put in my belly ie : the later the class) the more bloated and yucky I feel.
Amy way am going to give it go and I will keep you posted but long story short… I am on my road to 30 days…….. and who knows I may just keep driving ?!

[bonmar]

#4554

Day 30 was completed last night and it was marvelous. I was planning on doing a double on Sunday, but I sabbotaged that on Saturday night by have a veggie burger (no bun) but then I had a glass of wine and yam fries! Eeks. Maybe that’s an excuse, but I only did a single. 🙁

Now I’m looking straight ahead to my 60th day, although I have an out-of-town friend coming for a weekend mid-April, so I’ll have to sneak out to an early morning class to keep it going. Luckily the earliest one they have on the weekend at my new studio is 8 a.m., so it’s not too onerous. 🙂

[fraseram]

#4567

i did make the adjustments and tolerated it very well … actually it was AWESOME ! i am now on day 4 and feeling great. my hip is unreal and i am not feeling overworked at all just wonderful peace… i missed my REG practice lol i have not had a STEADY time since my daughter. but it feels good

[bonmar]

#4594

Today I completed Day 34. All is going very well. I am still dissatisfied, though, with how I do Triangle, as my bent knee still wants to turn inward a little bit, so I know my hips aren’t opening.

I spent an hour on this forum yesterday reading about tight hips and took Gab’s advise and jotted down the names of the poses she said were good for hip opening and then went to yinyoga.com and downloaded the poses for the hips. I did them last night and again today before going to yoga. I think they may have helped a tiny, tiny bit. Obviously I’ll need to keep at it for quite a while to get my hips to loosen up.

I won’t be satisfied until I can perform every posture as perfectly as they look in Gabrielle’s book! I see no reason that I shouldn’t be able to. We all have things to overcome to get to where we want to be. 🙂

[bonmar]

#4600

Today will be Day 36 and all is going fabulously. Today was also my first golf day of the year – woohoo!! We had lovely warm weather and it was nice to be back out with all my golfing friends.

Quite a few of them were complaining of stiffness and needing to get massages, getting old, and one of them actually came in limping.

They all know I do this yoga and I’ve invited many of them to accompany me – all have turned me down vigorously. Well, most of them have been playing all winter, my first day out I had a full golf swing, strong core and no aches and/or pains, so I know that will speak for itself.

Although they say that I’m “athletic” that’s why I can do this yoga. I’ve assured them that isn’t so, but you know how people are, there’s no talking them into it.

So I’ll just enjoy my yoga, enjoy my full golf swing, with no sore back at the end of 18 holes, and leave it be. 🙂

[fraseram]

#4601

I did and finished my first week w/ out ANY problems and feeling fab. As I said I was able to hydrate properly for a 6:30 am practice and fit my new practice into life w/o much effort. Before my daughter came home I used to have a reg practice 6-7x week and have not had that in 6 months. (2-3x week at MOST since, not including my hip too!) I missed it! Though I needed a little break to process in different ways and A LOT has happened in my life…….. I have come to the conclusion that this is just where my practice feels the best. I have done my practice at many different levels 2x all the way to 7x w/ some doubles. Everyone is so different, and can do 3x and feel awesome (though it is good) i find for me not quite enough. I was finding like I was starting over every time and just not getting the same peace and calm i find at 6. Any way.. I have done enough spouting and thanks for listening. will keep you all posted.
PS gab and bonnie my hip is AWESOME in ALL poses and feeling GREAT! also started the forteo injections for my bones and had no reactions or nausea ect. WHEW!

[fraseram]

#4620

keepin’ on truckin’ and still feeling great in week two! I am really looking forward to where this is taking me and thank all for the support you have given me. I am off to my early morn sauna…. check in soon and thanks again.
Gab …. I would not be where I am today w/o all your help and personal attention.
I am not even noticing the pins in my stretches!! I am thinking I might not have to get them out after all and ANY time we can avoid getting cut into the better LOL Any way doing well.

[Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)]

#4622

My most humble and grateful thanks, Amy

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

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