I am a Yogi..

I've been doing Bikram Yoga on and off for about a year now (the "off" part being a result of my foot injury), and am so excited to be back in the swing of things again and starting a 30-day challenge at Bikram Yoga Institute in Scottsdale starting on Wednesday!!

What is Bikram Yoga?

A lot of people consider Bikram to be the most intense type of yoga.... it involves a room heated to 105 degrees, and 26 yoga positions and 2 breathing exercises, all in 90 minutes.

Whenever I tell someone about the temperature, they usually say "you live in Arizona, why would you WANT it to be that hot in there?" Well, there are LOTS of benefits to the heat besides the benefit of looking so lovely dripping in sweat and having people flick sweat on you as they move from posture to posture!

The benefits of the HEAT:

• Heavy sweating helps detoxify the body.
• The heart rate is elevated (my dad once told me "you need to do cardio with that yoga stuff".... I tell him that my heart rate is much more elevated when I do Bikram than when I run for an hour).
• The heat helps the blood thin in your body, which helps clear the circulatory system.
• Weight loss is easier because your muscles are warm and can burn fat easier.
• The heated environment is very challenging, so it helps with mental strength and will power.
• The practice is designed to work every muscle, bone, joint, ligament, tendon, gland, and organ in the body.... "inside and out, fingertips to toes."

I've never had the energy to wake up early work out.... Bikram is the only thing that can get me up at 3:45 for a 5am class 30 miles from my house.

Bikram Yoga is the BEST workout I've ever had.... some people call it a living hell, but I personally enjoy the 105-degree room and the different positions... there's something about practicing yoga with a bunch of sweaty people :) The concentration you can hold is amazing.... I don't think about anything throughout the class but holding the poses and breathing.

If you can breathe, you can get through the class.

A few of my favorite poses....

Standing Bow

(Dandayamana Dhanurasana)

Toe Stand

(Padangustasana)

Eagle Pose

(Garurasana)

I encourage ANYONE to try it at least once.... or twice. You will probably hate it the first time, but after a couple times, you may be come addicted!!!