Day 1:  July 13, 2012

We had 13 students in class for the Friday the 13th class.  The teacher said, "This is going to be weird!"  I don't know if it was exactly weird, but it was a hard class for me.

It is hard to be back after taking a break since June 30.  The room felt hotter than I remembered it.  Of course, when I first started, the room felt suffocatingly hot, and then it got better as the month went on.  I hope that will happen again.  But Friday's class felt hot hot!  I was sweating copiously, and my sweat did not smell "clean".  Probably because I have been drinking and eating much tastier richer foods and beverages than normal during my trips to Georgia and San Francisco, and not sweating out the results.

As we put our chins to our knuckles to begin, I looked myself in the eye and thought, "OK, sister, you are in for it now.  101 days straight.  What will you look like on October 21?  What will you feel like?"  I can only imagine how this challenge will change my body, brain, and spirit.

By the end of the first breathing exercise, I was pouring sweat off my body.  In standing head to knee pose, my sweat was stinging my eyes, and running into my nose.  I noticed that my hamstrings are way tighter than they were before my two-week Bikram break.  But mainly what I noticed was my chattery brain.  I pondered lying down during 85% of the postures.  I had little mini-debates with myself on staying in the room.  I found myself thinking about the next school year during savasana.  What?  I usually love the way my brain turns OFF during the 90 minute moving meditation.  Maybe my brain needs retraining as well!

At the end of class, the teacher said, "Come back tomorrow!"  And I thought, and every day for the next 99 days after that.  But I did not say anything.  No one but my mother and you, dear readers, knows about my decision to officially challenge myself.

I felt great after class, though, as usual.  And I had my coconut water waiting for me in my little cooler in the car.  Ahhh!  This is why we kill ourselves in the hot room.  To live better outside of it!

More tomorrow.