What I'm Loving Wednesday

I'm Loving ...

... My return to Hot Yoga Revolution. It's an awesome, awesome Yoga studio that makes you feel at home while giving you the sweatiest workout possible. Returning to HYR confirmed that Power Vinyasa is more my style, I love the variety and freedom of teaching styles, music selections, modifications, and spirituality that come with these classes; bye-bye Bikram. I love that I'm two classes in this week and I already feel a hundred times better :) 

... Babysitting my girls. I used to nanny a family of three girls that lived down the street from me. I started watching them when I was 16, they moved my freshman year of college, and since then I gradually saw less and less of them. Today I got to spend ALL afternoon with them and we had a blast! Love love love. 

... My new fedora. Reasonably priced and super cute with a ton of outfits. Thanks Nordstrom! 

... The small reunion I had with some high school besties at a bbq Katie graciously hosted on Monday. She's been living down the shore all summer and I have barely had a chance to even speak to her let alone hang out with her. Backyard parties with my HS friends are always a good time, and this was no exception. 

...Whoever created this sign. Apparently fantastic flying deer are running wild on the streets of E-town:

... Sitting in the kitchen, hearing my sister laugh from the Family Room. It's the little things :-) 

Bikram Bootcamp

Tonight I hoped to detoxify myself from the gluttony of the weekend by means of my fourth Bikram Yoga class.

For those of you who are unfamiliar: Bikram Yoga is a cult formulaic yoga practice. Each studio is set to precisely 105 degrees with approximately 50 percent humidity (although this evening when I glanced at the thermostat it read 107 degrees with 63 percent humidity...) Each class is composed of 26 different postures, each posture repeated twice. Every Bikram room is carpeted, with at least one wall of mirrors, no music and no escaping.  

Apparently, it's not only the Eastern European Yoga Nazi instructor at the studio I go to here in MD that threatens participants into making them believe they can't leave the room despite nauseau, dizziness, fainting, etc.. Luckily I've never fainted nor came near fainting, but I will say it was definitely hard to persevere and stay in the room throughout my entire first class. 

Now, four classes in, I was able to place my mat in the front row (reserved only for advanced(ish) Yogis) and I completed all 26 postures without having to rest. I was upgraded from being referred to as "Jersey" (or "Jezzy" as the foreigner pronounces it) to "Meggie." The hour and a half felt exactly that instead of the 5 hours I seemed to spend in the sauna my first Bikram experience. 

 I feel tired, dehydrated, yet cleansed, flexible and successful. I feel stronger than I did last week and for the moment I feel thin having sweat out half my water weight. 

I'm still unsure about some of the beliefs Bikram holds but I plan on returning tomorrow for my final class of the 5-day Groupon deal I purchased. ;)

My favorite pose. If only I looked like that when I did it. 

What do you think? Should I continue to give Bikram a chance or go back to my Hot Power Yoga??