Zen and the Art of Bikrham
Bikrham yoga, for those who have never done it, kicks your ass.
It kicks your ass every hard, grueling minute of the 90 minute “meditation.”
I’m not sure what my inspiration for doing a 30 day Bikrham challenge was, but it was on my bucket list of things to complete before my next birthday, so it just happened. And when I was little, I used to have this issue with lying (I answered “probably maybe” when my mom asked if I wanted chocolate milk once because I was afraid of lying, but that’s a different story), so when I tell people I’m going to do something, on my own, I usually get too stubborn to not do it. Does that make sense? Sidetracked.
To be honest, it wasn’t as difficult as I had expected, it was mostly a challenge because of the time commitment- carving out a solid 2.5 hours each day for getting there, showering, etc is a lot. And I don’t think I’ve ever worked out 30 days straight. (who has?) I missed a few days, making it a total 26 of the 30, and I’m pretty proud of that, though I’m not as beastly as I had hoped to be. Due time, I suppose?
There’s a few things I realized doing the challenge:
-For one, I love routine. A lot. Which is funny, because I haven’t had a routine that’s lasted over a year. But I mean stupid shit, like eating oatmeal every morning…things that get me going every day, and I think having that staple when the rest of my world seems to turn upside down every day, is what I need. Having a yoga routine was incredible, and just felt healthy, everything about it. Everything about my body and my food intake felt great.
- Sometimes you’re up, sometimes you’re bust. Some days I was the man at yoga. I felt unstoppable. And then the next day I’d show up, still on a high from the previous class, and I couldn’t hold one pose. Such is life.
- Getting there is the entire battle. With everything. Getting to work is the battle, getting to wherever is the battle. It’s never that bad once it starts. In fact, you’re likely to feel better afterwards.
March, and the Bikhram challenge, was a strong month for checking off my “24” list, and here are a few other things that happened in the meantime:
-Homebrew! In two weeks my roommate and I will feature our Cream Ale and we are very very excited. A few friends and I are in the works of starting a dinner party every few weeks, or each time that one of our home-brews is ready, and then while the dinner party is happening, brewing our new batch. Did that make sense? Am I awake yet?
- Big moves at one of my schools, more funding and a more suitable classroom. WIth that, I am thrilled to have been accepted to training at The Edible Schoolyard in Berkely in June. It’s hard for me to calmly elaborate on this. I cried a bit when I found out, and am flattered that the School I go to is this invested in me to help me go. I’m excited about the potential of where this will go as well as getting more invested in this school. All of these ideas are just sort of…happening, and it feels really really good. Maybe my time in DC will be longer than expected, but I feel OK about that. 2012 is my year.
- Taste of the Nation chef event: lots of food, lots of booze, big name restaurants and chefs, and walking home with a brand new mixer that’s worth more than anything I own? Sure!
- Lots of late night baking for my kiddies.
I feel that this entry is a bit scattered, and really doesn’t do justice to the food stuff that I’ve done in the past month. I guess I really just wanted to get this post out of the way, so I’m going to make the next one better. Maybe just pictures, cause who doesn’t like that.
