Hydration, Hydration, Hydration

NOTE: I am not a doctor, nor have I ever played one on TV. If you are reading this, I assume you are pretty good at taking care of yourself. If you have specific questions about hydration, ask your doctor, yoga instructor, or both. I am simply relating what happened to me tonight, and how I normally hydrate.

It's just past 10:30PM. Took the 6:30 class then stayed to fulfill my work-study obligations.

How was my class?

Dry, very dry.

You see, I got so wrapped up in running errands, going to visit my Dad, and do household chores that I did not hydrate properly. Normally, I try to get 3-5 liters of water/Gatorade/Powerade/mineral water per day. I try very hard to get 2-3 liters down before class, and 1-2 after (when I am taking afternoon/evening classes). Today, I got a grand total of one liter of water in before class. One.

Yikes.

I got through the Standing Series ok (I did kick out in Standing Head to Knee for the fourth straight class!!), but as soon as we got to Cobra, it was game over. I couldn't lift myself up far, nor could I hold the pose. I felt really weak. My fingers cramped. I gulped water time and again just to stay in the room. Needless to say, I laid out most of the floor series. My 40oz HydroFlask was empty when class ended -- just a few small ice cubes left. When I got back to the changing room, my 32oz Powerade was gone in seconds.I refilled my flask and drank half of that before returning to the hot room to start cleaning. As I type, I've got a 24oz glass of ice water laced with four Emergen-C packets, and it's almost empty.

All of this made me think that, in reality, I've been a bit lax about hydration this entire week. I'm on vacation, so I'm not on my normal routine. This is good in that there have been no trips to the donut shop to OD on sugar and carbs. This is bad in that I buy a gallon of water every day at work and try to get through three quarters of it before I leave.The rest goes into my flask with lots of ice. I also get a quart of Gatorade/Powerade that I drink one or two hours before class for extra electrolytes, and a liter of mineral water for after class. When hydrated, I rarely get through half my flask during class. When not.... well, nights like this happen.

So, is a gallon of fluid per day enough for me?

Yes. And no,

The month of May was one of the wettest ever around here (17-20 inches of rain). This meant there was not a lot of sun, and temperatures were moderate. So, a gallon of fluid was just fine. This month, temperatures are closer to normal -- mid 90s -- with loads of humidity due to all the rain. So, I need to increase my intake even more. Now, I also enjoy my morning coffee as well as my iced tea (unsweetened). Both of those drinks dehydrate you, as does your favorite beer, wine, or distilled spirit.

Of course, there is also the matter of this little 100 day challenge (today is Day 72). I firmly believe I am sweating more in class now than I was on Day 1. How do I know? Well, I now take a shower towel into the room so that when class is over, I can wrap my soaked, dripping grey towel in it, and get it to the laundry bin without leaving a trail of sweat that people have to walk through. So, I have to keep the fluids coming just to keep up. 

The sum total of all this?

I must keep a closer eye on my hydration levels as summer arrives and I continue my challenge. 

Don't forget, you can eat your fluids, too. Water loaded vegetables like cucumbers help. Also, chia seeds swell up to 3-4 times normal when placed in water. I have been experimenting with chia seeds lately. I mix them with almond milk, vanilla, and a touch of honey, let it set overnight, and eat it for breakfast topped with some nuts or fruit. Good stuff! I've heard about Himalayan salt and how great it is for maintaining the levels of trace minerals needed to assist with hydration. That will be my next experiment.

So, want a simple tip to improve your yoga practice and general health?

Drink your water and maintain your electrolyte levels.

Now if you will excuse me, I'm thirsty again.

Peace.

 


 

"The Real Yoga Begins on the Floor" -- Part Two

To refresh: I recently attended a workshop detailing the Floor Series of Bikram's Beginning Yoga Class. Last time, I described the tips given for each posture from Savasana through Floor Bow. You can read about it here.

As always, your instructor is the most reliable source of information. I'm simply relating what I saw and heard to the best of my ability. I can and often do get things wrong. Double check with your instructor. Please leave a comment or drop a line to the email address above if I'm incorrect about something.

Now, on with the rest of the postures!!

Fixed-Firm: The most important point is this: If you cannot get your backside to touch the floor between your feet, go no further!! You risk injury if your butt isn't on the floor. After that, the most important point is to protect your head/neck. This means that when you exit the posture, after putting your hands to your feet and using your elbows to help you up, then and only then should bring your head up. Remember the dialogue: "... head comes up last."  Never bring your knees off the floor!!

Half-Tortoise:  The goal is to get your forehead to the floor AND keep your hips touching your heels. Most of us can do one or the other. The instructor said that she goes for forehead first because she likes the rush of blood to the brain that gives her a burst of energy. Personally, I try to keep hips to heels and work on moving my forehead closer to the floor. Important to just keep your pinky fingers touching the floor... you are attempting a stretching posture. This is one of the few postures that can be done outside the room safely (I believe wind-removing is the other).

Camel: The deepest backbend (and maybe the most disconcerting posture) we do in class. As I learned in the MasterClass , you should think of beginning the backbend by pushing your pelvis/pubic bone out as far as possible before bending back. Be safe: if you cannot reach back and grab your feet, do not try!! It can take a long time to get there, be patient! Here is what got me: you know in the dialogue the instructor says, "... I want 360 degrees for gravitation". I have always thought about being as circular as possible. I was wrong. The instructor is not looking for semicircles around the outside of the body. He/She is looking for a square: four 90-degree angles created when you are in the full expression of the posture. The angles created from hands to heels, the bend in your knees, the bend from hips to lower back, and from upper back to arms...  Why does this posture make you feel nauseous or nervous? It's your fight or flight response kicking in. When you perceive a threat coming toward you, you assume a defensive stance: knees bent, arms up, upper body bending forward to protect your heart and vital organs. In Camel, our body and mind want to override the backbend -- they want desperately to move you back to a more normal position. That is when you breathe slowly and deeply and work to let those fears pass. Again, exiting the posture is just as important as entering -- especially taking care when lifting your head back up.

Rabbit: First, make sure you have a good, solid, dry grip by using your towel or the back of your mat. Keep your stomach in throughout. Pull, pull, then pull some more. The first goal is to get your forehead to touch your knees while keeping the top of your head gently resting on the floor. From here the idea is to lift the hips up and get and try to get your arms as straight as you can. You must try to keep your chin tucked to your chest (I always pop back up here -- just too difficult for me to breathe -- I always feel as though I cannot draw any breath). Never stop pulling!

Head to Knee w/ Stretching: I have to admit that by this time I was a bit tired and dehydrated -- I had taken the regular class before this workshop. What I can tell you about this posture is that 1) it's very important, when bending either leg and tucking that foot against the extended leg, that the heel is as high up on the leg ad possible -- to your crotch if possible; and 2) that your foot is pressed hard against the femoral artery. As most of us know, this is your opportunity to practice Standing Head-to-Knee without the added task of balancing on one leg. Again, keeping your chin to your chest is important. Be honest with the sit-up -- don't cheat. When stretching, you must try to keep your spine straight, as opposed to during the first part, when you work with a curved spine.   

Spine Twist: Whichever knee is on the floor must stay there, along with your backside. When you inhale, try to lift your spine with stomach drawn in; twist during each exhale. 

Blowing-in-Firm: Honestly, by this time I was spent and I don't recall any special instructions other than this: the only muscles that move are your stomach muscles.

I hope that you were able to gain something from this post. PLEASE ASK YOUR INSTRUCTORS FOR HELP WITH POSTURES -- THEY LOVE NOTHING MORE THAN HELPING US LEARN MORE ABOUT THE YOGA -- AND OURSELVES. If you get the chance to go to a workshop, posture clinic, or Master Class, do it!! You will not regret it!!

One last thing: two of the people who attended the workshop had never taken a Bikram class!! They were friends of regular practitioners and wanted to see what it was about. How cool is that?  How much better would anyone's practice be if they had taken that chance?

Peace.

Lessons Old, Lessons New

Last night's class was one of those "really tough but really good" classes. I kept my focus, I worked hard, and...

I ACTUALLY COMPLETED BOTH SETS OF TRIANGLE WITHOUT FALLING OVER!!

It took a little longer to clean the studio because of my foggy "yoga brain" but that was ok.

Anyhow, since resuming my practice, I've been reminded of a lot of things to help me through the class -- and learned a couple of new ones (at least to me):

Your Pranayama and Half-Moon determine how the rest of your class will go. One of my first instructors told me this, and his words still ring true. In those classes where I am unfocused with my breathing, or where I just "hang out" in Half-Moon, I tend to have classes where I am not really into it, where I take a knee a lot, where I let my mind convince me that, "We really shouldn't be here". However, if I really focus on my Pranayama (knees locked, glutes engaged, shoulders down, chest lifted up), I am set for a much better class. In Half-Moon, if I really PUSH my hips out and think about trying to pull my top arm toward the back corner of the room, my posture is really strong, and the rest of the Standing Series goes better. I don't slack off or take a knee nearly as much.

HYDRATE. HYDRATE, HYDRATE!!! Seems like old hat for those of us who have practiced for any length of time, but it still bears mentioning. For me, that means cutting my coffee intake to just 1-2 cups a day, and no alcohol. the rest of the time it is either water or mineral water. Sometimes after class though I will have a small glass of soda as a small treat. How do I know if I've hydrated properly? If I can go through class and sip water 0-3 times it's good (yes, sometimes I never open the bottle during a class -- YOUR BODY IS DIFFERENT -- OBSERVE AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR SELF!).

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!! Yes, I know I just said that. But after seeing a woman faint as she left the room (she was ok), it must be said. If you need a break during the standing series, take a knee or sit down but keep your head above your heart. During the floor series, simply go back to Savasana. Let your body tell you what it needs. Sometime it is necessary to leave (I had to bail last night to retrieve my inhaler) -- just ask yourself if you really need to leave the room. The instructor can take better care of you in the room.

Now for a couple of posture tips I picked up this morning:

Balancing Stick: Work to keep your hips level and do what they say: Contract every muscle. 

Wind Removing: Work to keep your heel, knee, and shoulder all in one line when doing each leg separately.

Cobra: During setup, the top of each shoulder should be directly over the top of your middle finger.

Half-Tortoise: Along with holding in your stomach, activate your inner thighs and squeeze your legs together to help stabilize your core as you come into and out of the posture. This was the biggest surprise for me today -- I always have to push myself up part of the way with my hands to get back up.

Hope you find your way to your mat today!!!

PS: As for the nine class in eight challenge, still on schedule -- four in four.

Namaste.






 

Trying to get back in the flow....

Tonight marks my 8th class since returning to practice almost three weeks ago. I'm still trying to find a schedule that works so I can attend more classes, and I'm still trying to get comfortable again in the room. My classes are really inconsistent -- one class feels pretty good, the next I am down for the count at Locust pose. One night my Standing Bow is almost passable, the next I cannot even get into it. That will improve with time... Patience is the keyword here.

I am finding that one of the things I have missed is the little bits of knowledge or the stories that our instructors pass along during Savasana. To wit:

Why must we lock the knee?

Large supports small. Strong supports weak. When you lock the knee you use the large muscles of your leg to create a strong base. When you attempt to support large with small, you will injure yourself.

Why is water the best liquid to hydrate with? Why not load up on sports drinks?

Yoiur body's ideal pH is somewhere around 7.3. Pure water has a pH of 7 -- your body assimilates it very quickly. Drinks like Gatorade are very acidic with an average pH of 2.7 - 3.3 . So if you chug a bunch of it before class, your body is not only working to keep itself cool, it is also attempting to make itself less acidic. This will impact your experience in the room in a negative way.

When is the best time to hydrate? (This one made me think.)

While it is necessary to hydrate throughout the day, the best time is before you go to bed. All day long you are moving, working your muscles for hours on end. When you sleep, your muscles are relaxed, allowing the water you drink to work its way back into them. Yes, you might have to get up in the middle of the night, but you will feel much better the next day -- and during your next class.

Finally, the best thing I've heard in class so far:

Every person has three gifts: 

Your smile

Your compassion

Your love

Share these gifts every day!!

Namaste.


***NOTE: I'm neither a doctor nor a chemist. While I did research these figures, I cannot guarantee their veracity. DO NOT take them as gospel.***  


 

Unhappy Bikram Birthday

Tomorrow, April 13, will be my third Bikram Birthday. It was on April 13, 2009 that I ventured into the Torture Chamber for the first time. Sometimes, it seems like only yesterday. Now, it seems like centuries ago.

I still remember it well:

Walking into the room and getting slapped in the face punched in the mouth by the heat.

Laying down on the mat and silently praying that I wouldn't throw up.

Being so ashamed of my body that I wouldn't take off my shirt.

Learning that my heavy cotton shorts became ten times heavier when soaked in sweat.

Not being able to even reach my heels in Hands-to-Feet pose.

"OK, how the hell am I supposed to reach down and grab my foot?"

"Does it HAVE to be so friggin' hot??!!!???"

"Slow down... only so much water in that bottle."

"Fuck it, I'm SOOOOOOOO thirsty."

"How do you lock a knee?"

"If I try Triangle, they will have to carry me out of here."

 "If I stay 15 more seconds, they will have to carry me out of here."

"I really like Savasana!!!"

"No, wait, just one more minute of Savasana.... please????"

"I'm bringing a gallon of water (and maybe a 10 lb. bag of ice!)  next time... assuming there is a next time."

"Lift BOTH legs? I can't lift one!!!"

(Just before Half-Tortoise):  "Check, please!!" This is where I got up and left the room.

Well, from that inauspicious start blossomed what was, for a while, a pretty good practice. One challenge morphed into back-to-back challenges, and in six months I lost 45 lbs, lost five inches from my waist, and felt absolutely wonderful. From then on, it's gone downhill -- to the point now that I still haven't taken a class since November. A number of factors have contributed to this, most seemingly beyond my control.

I still look forward to resuming my practice. I think about it every day. Unfortunately, it doesn't look as though it will resume anytime soon. Nothing seems to work out like we wanted, and there seems to be at least two new stresses every day. Even quitting smoking (96 days now) has its problems: my lungs are seemingly always congested these days... a combination of spring allergies, humid weather, and lungs trying to detox make it hard to breathe some days... even with my inhaler. A good dose of Pranayama in a hot room would really help. Today has been really difficult. On the good side, I no longer crave tobacco... in fact, the smell of a cigarette now makes me slightly queasy.

One of my favorite teachers, Greg, always said that part of doing Bikram  was not only that I would feel so much better, but I would realize just how bad I felt before I began my practice.

I understand now, my friend. Oh, boy, do I understand.

Namaste.





 

It. Is. Hot.

Only two classes this past week. I went back to work after vacation and you know it always takes a few days to catch up and get back in the normal workweek rhythm. The great part about those classes was that my Sweetie got back in the room after six weeks! Her work schedule had been horrid (six day workweeks) and there had been precious little time for her to do much of anything. She had been missed at the studio, and it was great to have her back, practicing near me!

The biggest enemy to practicing right now is the heat. No, not the heat of the room, the heat outside. Today will be the 23rd straight day where the high temperature hits 100 (38 C) or more. Worse, there is no end in sight, with highs predicted to reach 106 (41 C) in the coming days.

With these extreme temps, it is even harder than normal to stay properly hydrated. Last Tuesday, I drank 3.5 liters of water during the day before the evening class... I drank 4 liters after class. The next morning, I still felt dehydrated. Thursday was better, but I still drank almost 6 liters of water/Gatorade that day. The two classes last week were really tough. My hips and legs screamed at me both nights... don't know if my body is finally beginning to open up or I wasn't hydrated enough.

I could go to class this afternoon, but have decided to take an extra day to rest before going back in  tomorrow night.

I cannot wait for that first good cold front of the fall to get here!!

In the meantime... hydrate!! 

Stay cool.   Peace.

71

7 Day Mini-Challenge: Wrapup

OK, let me say right up front:

I was unable to finish my challenge of nine classes in seven days -- I was only able to complete six classes.

In the most basic terms, I failed.

I don't feel like a failure, though. I am disappointed, but not a failure. Read on....

Wednesday: No yoga. Couldn't get the car out of the shop until late.

Thursday: Fifth class of the week. As an added bonus, I took my stepdaughter and one of her cousins to class. She had taken class before, two years ago. He is spending the summer with us and was interested in seeing what it was like. I set them up on the back row while I was one row up. They both started out well, but the heat got to both of them very quickly, and they took a knee several times. To their credit, they kept getting back up and kept trying to do the postures. By Savasana, however, they were pretty spent. They both tried to do the floor series, and they both stayed in the room for the entire class! My stepdaughter was ravenous almost immediately after class (it was nearing dinnertime, after all). Her cousin said, "It felt like I was wearing a rubber suit I sweated so much!!". He reported that his biggest challenges were in the Balancing Series, and in Floor Bow (knees would not bend too well). He said he would like to try again, just not right away. The next day he reported that he woke up in the middle of the night feeling nauseous and dizzy. He realized he was dehydrated. After a couple glasses of water he was good to go. This after I preached for three days about hydration....

Friday: Our yoga on this day consisted of going to the hospital where my father in law was undergoing a procedure to check for tumors in his stomach and esophagus. He got a clean bill of health!!! Spent most of the day with him and got home too late for class. A great day, nonetheless!!

Saturday: Went to the 8:00 am class and had a true breakthrough!! In first set of Standing Head to Knee, my left knee was locked out to the point where I actually kicked my right leg forwards toward the mirror! Not straight, by any means, but WOW!! It was really cool and I was able to stare at my locked out knee without losing my balance!! I was so shocked that the rest of the standing series flew by. I kind of fell apart on the floor (bad Spine Series, no Camel, one very poor Rabbit) but I came out of class pretty happy!

So, while I am disappointed that I could not fulfill the challenge, there were a lot of cool moments. Off to class tonight.... Hope your next class is your best!!

Peace.

69.

Panic! In The Room

I have managed to get to five classes in since my last post. It has been a tough week... so much so that I left early during two of them. The pattern was pretty much the same. I would have trouble standing on one leg... horrible balance. Triangle pose would only be a rumor. My hips would hurt terribly and every move would be uncomfortable to sat the least. Then, the heat and humidity would lay me out on my mat, and then it was just a matter of time until I would look for a chance to head for the door. Tuesday was the worst night. Things fell apart so fast... I was down for the count before long before Triangle... I panicked and left somewhere right after Spine Strengthening, and as I cooled down I considered whether or not I was really cut out for Bikram Yoga anymore. I told my instructor of my thoughts, and she silenced me immediately: "You are certainly made for this!! You are Mark!! You are a yogi!!"

As I have said before, I am not looking to be a famous, world champion yogi. I just want to be healthy and happy. Later, I took a longer look at the last few days. I have not eaten well every day. On Tuesday, for example, it was 2 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and 2 liters of water. When at work it is not always possible to eat or get enough fluids in, and it has been tough for me to drink enough water anywhere. I just haven't been that thirsty, unlike when we were doing Challenges and I was easily drinking 4 or 5 liters each day. Add allergies to the equation plus the occasional cigarette (I know, I Know, I KNOW...) and I have not treated my body well lately. It has often been said that your practice is a mirror of your life outside the room. I don't like what I see... so much so that it was difficult to stare at my own two eyes in the room.

Today's class brought new hope. I am still having a really hard time keeping my balance...my legs just shook today. However, I got through three out of four sides in Triangle, but had difficulty in SSL Head to Knee. Really, my standing set was better than in weeks! I started to lose it on the floor, though... Cobra, Locust, and Full Locust were very hard as my back felt really weak. I sat out Camel and Rabbit, and Head to Knee Stretching and Spine Twist were pretty half-hearted, but I stayed in for the duration.

Lessons? Many. Diet. Hydration. Self-confidence. I must work on all of these.

One of the themes of late at the studio has been, "Be happy about the postures you CAN do. Don't get down on yourself for the postures you cannot do.  Each day is different and your body will be different. Honor yourself for being here and doing the best you can on that day."

Along those lines, the other mantra has been, "The only bad class you can have is the class you do not attend."

For me, it has been a reminder that I cannot half-ass my way through this process. I must stay focused and committed.

When is the next class?

Peace.

My goal for 2011: 200 classes.

46 down, 154 to go