My 30-day Bikram Challenge

If you haven't had a chance to try it yet, Bikram is a 90-minute class with 26 poses done in the same order in a room heated to 105 degrees.

The first time I tried it I thought I was going to die. The heat of the room was suffocating. I kept getting dizzy. I spent more time lying on my mat than doing the poses. I couldn't wait to get out of that room and never come back.

But something happened after class. First nausea, then something amazing. Like I found the reset button.

So I went back and each time class got easier. First I started  making progress with the poses. Then the I got used to the heat. I was becoming a Bikram yogi.

I went a few times a week for the better part of the past year, but rarely on consecutive days. So, what better challenge to start 2011 than going for 30 days in a row?

And, what a challenge it was! During the first week my back felt so tight it was hard to sit. During the second week I struggled with the mental challenge of going through the same class day after day after day after... Then, during the third week things started to change. My back relaxed. My mind relaxed. I was on fire - stretching farther and balancing longer and really enjoying class.

The fourth week was a little more challenging. I think knowing the end was near got into my head. But I made it through! I did miss one day, which I tacked onto to the end. So, my result was actually 30 classes in 31 days, but that was good enough for me!

In the few weeks since, I've gone back to my routine of mixing bikram with my bootcamp class. And I just started running again on the weekend.

I don't know if I'll ever do 30 days of bikram again, but I'm so glad I did. I feel stronger, more flexible and a little leaner - both physically and mentally.

Up for a challenge of your own? Find a bikram studio near you.

Namaste!