Let me start by stating the obvious: I’m a teacher on summer break. I have a lot of time on my hands… in theory. I want to explain there are natural constraints with doing a 30 day challenge when you have a little something called a life.
Bikram yoga is usually 90 minutes, however, my studio offers the 60 minutes. As much as I would like to exclusively take the 60 minutes, I somehow feel this pang of guilt, like I’m cheating the system. I know that seems masochistic, but it’s the (unofficial) way they roll. So let’s treat today like a math lesson- which will more than likely be a total failure because math was most definitely not my forte.
3 hours prior to class: have a meal. do not show up to class full- you will feel it. This doesn’t seem too hard, unless you are taking a morning class in which it’s very difficult. Also, I refuse to sacrifice coffee. Mama needs her coffee. I also find scheduling a meal challenging when I’m taking a night class. I need to plan the type of food I’m eating and how much I’m eating around yoga. Don’t have enough? Feel light headed. Have too much? Feel nauseous. I’m also chronically hungry, so there’s that.
15 minutes: The time I need to get ready. Do not wear makeup. Do not worry about your hair. Do not worry about your outfit (love this). Have you ever walked into the gym or a vinyasa yoga studio and it looks like a Lululemon advertisement? This is not the place. In fact, when I wear bright colors I feel out of place. It’s as though everyone is wearing the color of their emotion- grey. Who needs to look pretty when you are going to sweat it all off after the first breathing exercise? I give myself 15 minutes simply because I always forget everything and need the time to rush around grabbing each necessity I forgot.
Mistakes i’ve made by following my 15 minute rule? Rushing home to “power get ready” straight from the beach. Lesson learned? Hop in the shower and wash off that sunblock because it will make you slip (more) in yoga and it will get into your eyes.
15 minutes: The time I give myself to ride to class and get settled in. By settle in I mean pee for the millionth time- the amount of water you drink is unfathomable. You will pee like a pregnant woman if you are drinking the appropriate amount of water in a day… then again maybe I’m getting water poisoning. But really, who knows?!
90 minutes: Sweat, cry, plot your escape, think about death, see the light, accept you will survive, experience bliss at the feeling of air conditioning. Very tumultuous experience.
15 minutes: Ride home, meander around my living room or sit on my porch until I stop sweating as much. For your TMI pleasure, this is the kind of workout that makes you continue to sweat. You can shower, sure, but you will continue to sweat after that shower. You are better off giving it a few minutes to allow your body to decompress.
1-2 hours: snack, eat, a possible nap. When I first started Bikram yoga, I would come home and crash nap for about 2 hours after each class. Now I actually feel rejuvenated to a degree and experience more energy, but buffer for exhaustion as a newbie.
Every hour of every day: make sure you are drinking water. Do not forget to drink water. This is the real deal. Dehydration is no joke and I say that from experience. Though I haven’t experienced it during yoga, I have in life- it was accompanied with cold sweats, a fever, and hallucinations. Now imagine adding a 105 degree room to your day for 90 minutes without enough water? I’m good.
So there you have it, the math proves that Bikram yoga will encompass your life and eat up every hour of the day. Or, at least two hours between class and transportation.
And maybe Bikram isn’t the workout for your lifestyle because it does encompass a lot of time and is a huge commitment, but that doesn’t mean don’t give it a shot. And this is why, despite my friends saying “andddd why would you do this in the summer?!” I’m doing this in the summer. I don’t have the time I’m willing to sacrifice during the school year to do this every. single. day. But for now I’m excited to accept the challenge. Would I do it again next summer? Definitely. And this is why I got into running- after 30 minutes and 3 miles I could call it a day and be satisfied with what I’ve accomplished. Pick your poison, but pick one. Life is short, make it a good and healthy one.
Oh, and one more thing… save time for my personal arch nemesis: Laundry.
52 Miles per Month 
How do you find working with children during the cold/flu season? Does it trigger your flares? I have applied to work as an Autism Intervention Worker in the fall and being around all those germs terrifies me.
Any tips or advise?
I remind myself to drink extra water, wash my hands, if I start feeling under the weather I do what I would always do- take it easy. That’s sort of how I live in general. I do what I want to do I am just more mindful. I think the job is worth it 😁 plus, the breaks are my time to recuperate! In my six years as a teacher I have had two times where I had to take off because of lupus. Once was a flare that made me miss a week and one was a few days. My coworkers, boss, and district are so understanding of my health and encourage me to do what’s right for my health.
It’s awesome to have employers who are understanding. That must take a lot of stress of things.
Thanks for the tips.