Double the love (for myself)!

When my alarm went off at  6:45 this morning, my body and mind had NO idea why I was waking up!  I quickly realized that I needed to get my butt outta bed to get to class number 36! I ate a banana, drank some coconut water, and tried this electrolyte tab made by Nuun! Apparently, Emergen-C and Gatorade both have sugar in them so you are getting your electrolytes PLUS sugar!

I felt sluggish/tired during my 8am class today! It was a good one, but honestly, I would rather have been in bed, since I knew I was going to noon yoga, and I wanted to conserve my energy! I know that I've said that one of the nice things about taking an 8am class is that your mind is not interfering with your practice.  I felt like my mind was what kept me from a great practice today! I knew that today was going to be jammed packed with yoga, work and getting everything for a special Valentine's evening! I was just proud of myself for getting into the hot room!

I rushed home and showered to quickly make it work! I made a smoothie full of kale, strawberries, blueberries, another banana, almond butter and whey protein!  And I shoved a Lara bar in my mouth while getting ready for my patient!

After that patient, I ran some errands for tonight and then headed into the hot room for a noon class with Gianna! This class was number 37! I can't believe that after 3 more classes, I'll be at class number 40!  My practice today was okay...mostly, I was proud of myself for being disciplined enough to get back in the hot room!  My body was definitely feeling the 5 classes in 48 hours!  My legs and back were cramping up despite having two bananas, coconut water, and a NUUN tablet! Makes me think that my "sweat water" is really beneficial since I could tell I didn't drink it today...ugh!  Gianna did a great job of reminding me to take it easy and to take care of myself when she could tell I was wincing in pain! There is something about knowing the difference between sharp shooting pain versus dull pain! Dull pain is tolerable and you are supposed to learn to breathe through it, but sharp shooting pain pulls me right out of the posture, like a visceral reaction!  I experienced the latter during the floor series today!

I rushed home to shower (again!) and drink another coconut water plus a Gatorade, since I wanted something thirst quenching! I had the leftover mac and cheese from last night, and the pasta still had an amazing texture! Quinoa pasta seems to be a winner in the race for best wheat-less pasta alternative! And it's probably healthier for me than rice pasta!

When I got to work, I just wanted to be in my bed sleeping so it was a tad challenging to find the energy to chase kids around the gym!  I was also still pretty hungry and crampy! My foot/leg even cramped up while I was driving and talk about uncomfortable and dangerous!

Being able to be home in time to make dinner FOR my fiancee was totally worth the rushing around today! I am loving my grill and how it makes a tasty dinner so easy and quick! I grilled steak tips marinated in two different gf sauces, along with some corn on the cob!  Sarah roasted some sweet potato spears and steamed some broccoli! The other day I found these gf cheesy biscuits from Whole Foods that remind me of the Red Lobster biscuits!  I must say that it was such an amazing dinner that would have cost way more at a fancy restaurant, and I would have been limited to what I could have picked!! For dessert, I went by Delish bakery and got chocolate-covered strawberries and gf Strawberry Champagne cupcakes! With a glass of tasty red wine, it was such a great dessert to end the night!! So glad that day 44 of gf was a super tasty and easy one!!!

To leave you with a quick and funny read: 10 reasons to date a Bikram yogi...

Stay in the here and now!

Today was an easy gluten free day, so put day number 43 in the books! And I have finished 35 bikram classes, which equates to 3, 150 sweaty minutes! When it's all said and done, I will have done 5, 400 minutes of amazingness and sweatiness!

For breakfast, I had another one of my Udi's bagels and coffee! Such a typical breakfast and it's all gluten free :-)

I loved my leftovers for lunch today! That wine chicken from last night is so tasty! Next time, we are going to cut it up into pieces so that more of the chicken gets that wine sauce on it :-) It was such a busy day that I realized at 2:30, I had not consumed enough water! Yikes!! Naturally, I started chugging water so that when I walked into the hot room, Mardy wouldn't completely kick my ass!

I love it when I make it to class earlier in the day than expected! Today it was especially lucky, because I ended up taking Mardy's 5:30 class. I always go into her classes know I'm going to be worked hard, but today I didn't have time psych myself out and was able to really enjoy it! I really appreciated the words of encouragement that Mardy gave us today! Before class even started, she said our mantra for the remainder of the challenge should be "Just show up!"  That is exactly what I plan on doing for the next 25 classes! If I can just walk through that door and put down my mat, I have completed the hardest part of the class! It's funny that people say "It's all downhill from here!" because anyone that has actually run down a hill knows that it can be the hardest part of the run!  Running down a hill is such a challenge because it's hard on your joints, so you have to actually figure out the best way to run instead of just digging in!  That's kind of how I feel about the last part of this challenge! Yes it is all "downhill" from here but getting myself into the hot room for the remainder of this challenge will definitely need to be well planned out, and I will need all of the encouragement I can get! After class, I treated myself to an Epsom salt bath! It's amazing how that can soothe the aching in the my muscles!

Sarah made the best mac-n-cheese from "The Best 100 Gluten Free Recipes" (which can be found here: Buy me!! ) She used the quinoa pasta from Ancient Harvest and I must say that it may be my new favorite gf pasta!  To add something healthy to our dinner, we had large salads to pair with it!  Several people asked for the recipe so here it is:

3 cups milk of choice
3 T sweet rice flour
2 T unsalted gf butter
2 cups grated sharp Cheddar or cheese alternative
2 T grated Parmesan cheese or cheese alternative
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce (we used cayenne pepper)
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
2 cups hot cooked gf elbow macaroni (Again I used Ancient Harvest!)
1 cup gf bread crumbs
sweet paprika, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2.  Place all but 1/4 cup of milk in a heavy, medium saucepan.  In a small bowl, stir the rice flour with the remaining 1/4 cup milk until it's smooth; whisk into the milk in the saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 5-8 minutes.  Add the butter and stir until melted.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheeses, hot pepper sauce (or Cayenne or chili powder, if you are a wuss like me!), mustard, and nutmeg until the cheeses are completely melted. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat the pasta thoroughly.  Transfer the mixture to a greased 2-quart baking dish.
4. Bake 15 minutes.  Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and a dusting of paprika.  Bake until the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs are browned, about 15 more minutes.  Let stand for 5 minutes.  Serve immediately and with a smile on your face :-)

Next time we are going to add this gf kielbasa that we love to give us some protein for the evening!  And shamefully, I will want to add corn because I love how corn gives it a crunchy texture!  I also think some grilled bbq chicken would be really great with it too!!

Okay I need to get into bed because I have a double in my future tomorrow (as long as my work schedule doesn't change)! 8am and noon yoga here I come!! Can't believe I'll be done with classes 36 and 37 in less than 16 hours from now!  Michelle, just remember, just showing up is the biggest battle!

"Undisturbed calmness of mind is attained by cultivating friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and indifference toward the wicked." 

- Patanjali, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Let it go...

42 days of finding out that so many restaurants and fast food joints do NOT have gluten free options, especially when I leave my little bubble of Austin!! Oh, and today I completed class 33 and 34!

I skipped yoga on Friday because Sarah had planned a special date for me! We went to the Alamo Drafthouse movie theater to see a spoof of "The Notebook!" (Master Pancake for you locals--check it out!) It was so funny and I had such a tasty salad! Who knew that I liked jicama?! The Alamo won awesome points because they had everything that was gluten free labeled on their menu! I had one rum and coke and I think that is my limit these days! Oh, and sour patch kids for a treat--luckily my favorite kind of candy is gluten free! Woo hoo!!  Starting to miss local beer though!

I was going to go to yoga on Saturday morning but once we started figuring out our game plan for our huge Saturday adventure, I realized that it was not going to be very doable! Sarah and I ventured up to Frisco, TX, which is past Dallas, and is an almost FOUR HOUR DRIVE! What was I thinking?!  To drive there, watch the US Women's National Soccer team kick some butt, and then drive back FOUR more hours!?  I found Saturday to be a challenging eating day overall, because so many places did not have gluten free options! I ate a hamburger without a bun, and it was very odd cutting up a hamburger! I saw all of those beer vendors walking up and down offering tasty empty calories, but alas I said 'no thanks'! I really wanted some hot cocoa since it was 40 degrees in the outdoor stadium, but silly chocolate has gluten in it! The game was amazing though, and we won in the last 4 minutes of stoppage time! Way to keep us on our feet!

We stopped in Plano to get some coffee and food.  The outdoor mall we found looked upscale, so we figured we could find something, but after walking into three different food places, I was getting highly frustrated! But thankfully, we came across this place called Mama Pita and they had EVERYTHING labeled that was gluten free, vegetarian and vegan! It was some of the best  "quick/casual" food I've had in a while!  Who knew Mediterranean food was so gluten free friendly! And I was so excited that my favorite drink at Starbucks is gf! For those of you who don't know, avoid anything at Starbucks with chocolate chips in them because they are not gluten free! The cinnamon dulce syrup is good to go, though!

That purple stuff is Beet hummus! Delicious! Who knew!!

Today was a long but great day hanging out at the studio! I woke up this morning and I enjoyed some of my tasty gf cereal with a banana in it!  I also chugged my sweat water and an Emergen-C before I headed into the hot room!  My practice was good! I needed to get into that hot room after driving for 8 hours and sitting in the freezing cold for 2 and half hours! My body was aching and unfortunately my left calf was rock hard! It has been bothering me all day today :-/ I took it easy and did not push myself in those postures that caused me pain!  Between classes, I chugged a coconut water, sweat water, and ate a Lara Bar to give me some energy (but not too much stuff in my stomach)! Sarah joined me for the second class! It was so great to have her right behind me, especially since it was a hot class! Today was the first time I had Sally has an instructor and she was such an encouraging teacher! After each posture, she would say "Let it go..." which I took to mean that she wanted everyone to really take in what they gained from the last posture and focus on what they could gain in between postures.  Also, I think she wanted us to focus on the importance of trying your best every posture and not let your last posture affect your next one! After yoga, Sarah and I went to Juice Land to get some smoothies! Based on several suggestions from different people, I took a shot of wheatgrass! Did you know it is equivalent to 2.5 lbs of green vegetables?!? If only we could convince kids to take one of these every day! My smoothie was called "Wundershowzen" and it had spinach, banana, peanut butter, hemp protein, blueberries and rice milk! YUMMY!!! Overall, it was a really great yoga day! My left calf was the only negative thing about today! Sarah has promised me to a massage tonight :-)  Best pre-Valentine's day gift ever!

Sarah made an amazing dinner tonight! Who knew that chicken with red wine, brown sugar, and paprika would make a delightful meal!! We also had some asparagus, risotto, and cauliflower mash! That cauliflower will definitely be a side dish that we make frequently!

For dessert, we had these tasty strawberry pops! They are gluten free and made here in Austin!  So tasty and relatively good for you! Can't wait to try their other flavors!

"Most important, precious, expensive word = concentration."

- Bikram Choudhury

Happy Hour of Sweating!

I've been eating gluten free for 39 days! And today was my 32nd class of dripping sweat from every part of my body! It's been a couple days since I have posted because I have been busy with work and being social!  Super busy, but good busy.

Last night I went to Uchiko after yoga and met up with my friend Angela to have one of the best food experiences I've had! I am typically not a raw fish kind of gal, nor am I very adventurous when it comes to raw fish, BUT being at such a nice restaurant where Paul Qui is the executive chef brought out the braver side of me! I have at least 13 pictures, but I'm going to try not to make all of you jealous with all of the tasty food, so I'll limit myself to just a few!

Okay, so maybe more than a few!  If you ever get the chance, go eat at Uchiko and maybe you'll get lucky to see Paul making delicious meals! Or better yet, you'll get Angela to make some of these amazing treats for you! Loved that sushi rice, but hated the thai chilies!  ALSO, huge plus for Uchiko, Angela told them I was gluten free and they prepared every dish so that it was GF :-)

I bought some gluten free bagels and Gorilla Munch Peanut Butter cereal so those have been my two breakfast options this week! The bagels are from Udi's and they are okay...not as good as a real bagel, but they give me some variety for breakfast! The cereal is similar to Kix, but with a peanut butter taste, and it's so amazing with almond milk and a banana! I am looking forward to that as my breakfast tomorrow!

I came home to one of the most delicious home-cooked meals that a girl could ask for! We bought a large cauliflower from the farmer's market last weekend, and Sarah suggested making cauliflower mash! For those of you who love mashed potatoes and are open-minded, try these! We blended up the cooked cauliflower in the Vitamix with some garlic, low fat cream cheese, parmesan cheese, and chicken bullion!  Oh my goodness, I would eat these over mashed potatoes any day! The Vitamix blended them into the texture of mashed potatoes and they were so much lighter than potatoes!  Sarah made this pork tenderloin dish with apples and it was so moist and flavorful! I am looking forward to adding these two recipes into our regular rotation!

It's been such a busy week that I can't even think of where to begin!  I aggravated my left leg AGAIN--chasing after a kid at work on Wednesday. That made yoga a blast all week. One of the physical therapists that I work with is trained in craniosacral therapy, and she sweetly worked out some stuff on my left leg. If you ever meet some one trained in this, have them put their hands on you! My leg felt so much better today during class! I am thankful for Nora P. telling me to take it easy because I feel like so often, we try to push ourselves, and it's nice to hear the verbal reminder!  Today's class was led by Gianna and probably 15 minutes into the class, some "visitor" said that it was cold so Gianna quickly fixed that! It ended up being a hot class but a good one! It's so interesting to see the transformations that occur daily when you do this yoga so much! It's also amazing how it makes your perspective change. When I first started this challenge, every class felt like it lasted for hours, and now I'm always surprised by how quickly it flies by. Tonight's class was one of the sweatiest but also one of the greatest! I'm very thankful for a shower after class, though, because they help rinse away that "Bikram yoga" smell!

"Sweat cleanses from the inside.

It comes from places a shower will never reach."   

- Dr. George Sheehan

OHHHH We're Halfway There!!

Well at least I am halfway there! Today marks my halfway marker in my 60 day challenge! And layered onto that, I've hit 36 days of eating gluten free!

Sarah bought me this asparagus fern 30 days ago to signify my journey through this challenge.  It's interesting because during the first week or two, some of the needles started turning brown and falling off.  Sarah was nervous that it would not end up being a good symbol of my journey, but we moved it and now it is flourishing! The really long branch was not there before we bought it.  I like to think that the needles "falling off" signified my left calf injury, but then the long branch growing so rapidly is all of the amazing change I have noticed! We did measurements yesterday and I am still noticing those inches decrease! Overall, I have lost about 2 1/2 inches in almost every area! Woo hoo :-) It sure does feel good to have to tighten that belt just one more notch!  I am sleeping a lot better and I even noticed that the bags under my eyes have almost disappeared! Lastly, my allergies *fingers crossed* have not been intense they typically are!

I saw today as completing a half marathon for someone who is training for a full marathon.  Completing 30 classes out of 60 is a pretty big deal, at least for me! So often, Bikram studios do 30 day challenges and if I was at a different studio, I would be done by now! But alas, I am halfway done!  Today was filled with so many great people and supporters in that hot room! I put my mat right next to the podium so I could enjoy Lisa's great energy!

She led us through a fantastic class and made me smile numerous times even when I was dripping in sweating and trying to slow that breath down!  Radio was literally two inches from me and it was great to cheers her during our "official" water party time and between the standing and floor series!  I am glad that I have these people to grow and learn with! It makes walking into that studio day in and day out enjoyable!  Amanda, one of the ladies that helps Pure run smoothly, shared some of her plantain chips after yoga---she must have read my blog because she mentioned that they were gluten free! Made me smile to know that she knew that about me when we just smile in passing almost every day! Only negative thing about my practice today was a tightness I felt in my left calf when I attempted to push myself in standing bow :-/  I just want that leg to get better! Today's triangle was probably my best so far, and I did not have that "run the eff out the door NOW!" feeling! It's amazing that when you really understand a posture and all of the minute details (which are really IMPORTANT factors), it's so much easier to do the pose!

Sarah made a tasty and healthy dinner for us tonight! There is something about knowing how healthy and fresh your food is that it gives you even more pleasure!  I could also eat an entire bunch of broccoli when it's steamed with lemon pepper seasoning!  I treated myself to a gin-less G&T and it was so refreshing!

I am excited about completing these next 30 classes with a smily happy and sweaty face!  See you at the finish line :-) I will be accepting strong adult beverages sans gluten!

Easy like sunday morning...

Day 35 of gf eating! and my 29th class :-) which means tomorrow is CLASS NUMBER 30!!!

Last night I was not sure if I wanted to go to yoga (just due to pure exhaustion) but I woke up BEFORE my alarm clock, so I crawled out of bed and into my yoga clothes! I ate half a peanut butter cookie Lara bar and chugged down my "sweat water" and an Emergen-C.  I have found that those three things make a great combination before a morning class! It only took me 29 classes to figure it out :-)  When I made it into the hot room, I really just wanted to go back to sleep so I laid down to enjoy the heat until class began.  I was still counting all of the reasons I didn't want to be there but since I finally caught up with my two doubles in one week, I didn't want to do a double unless I needed to!  As I opened my eyes to start the class, it was like Bikram had sent me a yogi angel--Radio was putting her mat down right next to me!  She gave me the strength and energy I needed to get through those 90 minutes!  Thankfully Tyler left me alone today and I was able to give it just some of my energy, not all 110% that I typically try to give! I did all 26 postures, I stayed in the room, I sweated and I put class number 29 into my report card! The instructors always say that sometimes, you go into that hot room and all you can do is just lay there, but at least you are there! I thought about trying to just lay there the entire 90 minutes, but I couldn't bring myself to do it!  Cest la vie!

We were supposed to go to brunch with a friend but unfortunately the scheduling didn't work out so Sarah and I enjoyed brunch at Magnolia Cafe solo, and did some wedding planning!  I had an omelette with avocado, cheese, turkey and black beans! Tasty but I think later my stomach did not appreciate all that cheese :-(  I also enjoyed some coffee, hoping it would give me the energy I needed to get through my busy Sunday, but I don't think it did its job. Oh well!

I feel like I never stopped going today and I just wanted to nap! I am thankful for Sarah helping me get through this busy day and making the best Red Beans and Rice while I was at work study! We used some sausage from the Farmer's Market and it was such a great addition to an already delicious meal! I also enjoyed another snake bite with another Green's gf beer! It was the Amber Ale this time--the one from yesterday was a tad sweeter! Apparently this beer is made in Belgium, so it's no wonder it's better than the other gluten free beers!

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, 

but in rising every time we fall."

- Confucius

I am excited about rising to the half way marker tomorrow! Hopefully my yogi angel will be on the mat right next to me! One of my favorite teachers, Lisa, kicking my ass for 90 minutes! Bring it, #30!

Double success!

34 days of healthy eating, and I crossed off classes 27 and 28 from my list of things to do!

My alarm went off at 6:45 this morning,  WHICH IS WAY TOO EARLY FOR A SATURDAY! (in case you were wondering!), and I struggled to open my eyes! I feel like I operated with one eye for the first hour I was awake!  I very slowly gathered up my "sweat water," my Emergen-C, and Banana Bread Lara Bar and changed into my favorite outfit these days...spandex shorts and a dri-fit tank top...and out the door I went.

Afton was teaching the 8am and I was SO surprised by how packed the room was! It was also full of familiar friendly faces :-) I was glad to have Radio practicing just a few mats behind me!  It's really great when the people around you share their energy and their space with you! The lady next to me was super nice and scooted over her mat so I could be in the front! So grateful for that!  Afton led us through another great practice! She spoke a lot about having a "mental rolodex" and placing all of the little adjustments we put in there because there are so many corrections for every posture, and for every muscle! It's amazing how just pushing your hip this way or tightening your hand grip that way can change the posture so much!  There are so many things to think about, so I feel like I am learning things I haven't "heard" before or I've forgotten about!  Sometimes I think we, as humans, choose not to "hear" the things that make "life" harder, but really in the end will make something better or stronger!  So I am trying to listen better and apply things that I hear, even if it makes the posture hurt like hell!

After class ended, I quickly gulped down a coconut water--I am not really a fan of the ones by Naked Juice! Not nearly as refreshing as Coconut Juice! I also ate half a banana and had some of my salt water stuff.  I changed into another set of my "costume" and it was extremely hard to pull those spandex up over sweaty legs! Sarah came to join me for my double!  Lisa taught the 10am class and I asked her to take it easy on me, as this polar bear had already completed it's 60 mile swim once today, and the thought of doing it again sounded like a challenge!  Lisa was very kind to me and really helped me with two postures! At the start of the class, it was like I shot out of cannon and was ready to go! My body was like "Oh we just did this posture! Piece of cheesecake!"  But as the floor series came along, that savasana  seemed much more like nap time then recharge time! I felt like all of my energy had seeped out onto my mat and towel!  BUT I completed the rest of the postures! I told myself it was all mind over body now...just push through because at this point I had already completed 2 hours of yoga! No need to back out now!  So along I went, counting myself through the postures and telling myself I only needed to give my energy to X amount of postures and then there was a farmer's market with treats waiting for me! Woo Hoo! I survived! Minimal cramping was experienced and I did not feel that sick hungry feeling!  I had a Gatorade to help replenish some of those electrolytes that I lost in the sweat chamber! And after a quick shower, we were off to the farmer's market!

There is one stand at the downtown farmer's market that has the nicest people that work there, and they sell the best coffee and chai!  It was a nice change to start off my journey at the market with coffee, since lately I have been avoiding it, as I'm typically on my way to yoga!  We bought some fresh kale, sausage and the largest head of cauliflower that I have ever seen!  I treated myself to some gluten free Pad See Ew by this great company called Thai Fresh.  They make almost every dish gluten free and they try to make everything sustainable and local! Even better :-) For any of you local readers, they typically have a Groupon now for $7 for $10 and they also do cooking classes!  The meal was such a comfort food after busting my ass for 180 minutes! I will definitely be going back there soon ;-)

I felt like I was hungry for a majority of the day, but I guess that's what happens when you workout and don't each much in the morning.  I ate some more of my gf pizza to hold me over until we went over to Katherine and Rob's house for a home cooked gf meal! This meal puts my food to shame! I splurged and brought with us some gluten free beer and cider to make snake bites, because typically gluten free beer is not that fantastic but is much more enjoyable when masked by cider!  However, we tried this newer beer, I think, called Green's and it was so stinking good that I would drink it sans cider next time!

We started off with a yummy salad topped with homemade dressing and candied pecans! For the main meal, she made this brisket with peach bourbon glaze and placed it over creamy cheesy polenta! Holy smokes, I think I am going to dream about this dish!  The side dish was also delicious! It was pan seared brussels sprouts with apples, bacon, and other goodness!  I wanted to lick the plate but I don't think that would have made a good impression ;-)

Sarah and I tried our hand at some gluten free baking tonight.  We made an apple crisp from the gf cookbook LeAn sent us (100 best gluten free dishes)! And I can see why this recipe is in there.  It was relatively simple once we bought all of these weird sounding flours! I think everyone enjoyed it since there was none to bring home :-( :-)

I would have to say that today was an absolute success!  I am contemplating skipping yoga tomorrow, especially now that I know I can handle a double, because my schedule is so busy that the thought of waking up early again just makes me sad!

Learning to breathe...

33 days of eating gf and my 26th class of learning how to breathe!

Today was such a hectic day at work and I felt like I was going non-stop all day! Before I would allow myself to enjoy a smoothie this morning, I chugged 6 oz of my sweat water! I am all done with cramps ruining my practice! I have 34 more classes to get stronger and leaner, not to cramp up! Today's smoothie was probably the best one yet and I don't know what I did differently!

For lunch, I had my leftovers from yesterday and one of my co-workers, who does not like asparagus, tried it and agreed that it tasted like bacon! She was a fan!!  I made myself eat a Lara Bar because even though I didn't feel hungry around 3:30, I knew I'd want it around 5:30! I am still a fan of the apple pie bar! I am thankful to Amelia for letting me try her's several weeks ago, otherwise I'd probably still be trying to swallow those chalky Luna Protein bars!  I also had an Emergen-C with my snack to make sure that my electrolytes were good to go!

I happened to get a new spot that I have never tried before and it ended up being a great one! I was still in the front row but closer to the windows and it was a perfect combination of hot, humid and manageable!  Michael led us through a good class with laughter and insight!  I bet if you took a poll and asked people what the hardest thing about Bikram yoga was they would list off a number of different postures, but I have learned that breathing is almost harder than any of the 26 postures we do!  It seems ironic since we breathe in and out all day long and we have been doing it the entire time we have been on this earth! But Michael spoke about how important it is to be able to go from giving 110% of yourself during a posture to being in 110% relaxation during the savasana to gain all of the benefits.  Numerous teachers talk about how the savasana posture is your "yoga gas station" and it's where your body is repairing all of the damage we have done to our bodies.  So being able to learn how to control your breath is probably one the most challenging things for me, especially when it feels like my heart is going to explode out of my chest (say, after Triangle pose)!  If you can gain control of your breath, you can gain control over so much more!  There is a mantra that I say to myself while I am trying to slow my breath back to the "regular, slow" inhale and exhale...I try to inhale while I say "A calm and sweet surrender" and then exhale while saying it again! I came across this mantra when I was practicing in Baltimore and I felt like I could NEVER slow my breath and almost every class, I wanted to sprint out of the hot room the second it became hard (which was frequent, especially when Lynne, Kyle or Nicole were teaching!).  One day Nicole was talking about how we should find a "word" that would help us stay in the moment and to help push away all of the outside thoughts!  My mantra started out with the word "calm." I just needed to calm my ass down and realize that people do NOT die from Bikram, regardless of what my limbic system was trying to convince me of ;-)  A slowly pieced together the rest of the mantra "A calm and sweet surrender" and I always resort back to it when I need to regain my focus and set my intentions!  Because isn't that what this practice is? A calm and sweet surrender?  You are surrendering your body and mind to the change that you experience every 90 minutes when you step into that room, and hopefully you realize how sweet of a thing it is that you are giving yourself this gift!  So tomorrow all of my fellow yogis, try to focus on your breath and remain calm and surrender yourself sweetly to these 26 postures! Your body will thank you tenfold :-)  And for those of you who have not tried Bikram, please do! Come with me!

Sarah and I went directly to my cousin's high school soccer game (which they won!!) so I needed a quick dinner but one that was gf! Thank goodness for Z Pizza being in our backyard and having the best gluten free crust! It was great to eat pizza while watching some exciting futbol (in the rain too!)!

Okay ladies and gentlemen, tomorrow is my second double, but this time I am doing a back to back! Please send me good vibes and all of your energy! By 11:30am, I will have completed 3 HOURS of Bikram yoga! I cannot wait to reward myself with an epsom bath and hopefully some goodies from the farmer's market! Here's to having a calm and sweet surrender tomorrow! Namaste!

A room full of wisdom!

My 32nd day of 'no mas gluten' and class number 25!!

I made myself one of those tasty "PB&J" smoothies this morning! It's so amazing how I can get a serving of spinach from my smoothie and you can't even taste it! I know how I plan on hiding vegetables whenever I have kids ;-) Hopefully that Vitamix blender will last for ten years!

One of the Bikram instructors and I were talking about how my gluten free journey and all of the positive things I have been experiencing this past month.  She has been gluten free for 4 years and has never felt better.  She told me of this product that is full of beneficial sea vegetables, which means so many good things that you have to go read about Body Balance for yourself! She gave me a sampler of it and I mixed it with 4 oz of water and enjoyed as a mid-day treat! I look forward to learning more about these lovely sea vegetables and aloe vera! I was just reading an article the other day about Adrenal Exhaustion, and Dr. Ulrey has mentioned that my adrenal glands are absolutely fatigued, so it may be a nice supplement to add to my routine.

For lunch, I treated myself to Chipotle because, surprisingly, a majority of their food is gluten free! They have a neat chart online that tells you all the things that are gluten free, vegetarian, diary free, etc.  I am happy to write that my favorite dish pre-GF life is 100% gluten free, so it was such a great treat to myself!

I made it into the 4pm yoga class with Afton and so many other smiley friendly faces! I swear, it's so amazing how having yogi friends can make the class that much better! During class, Afton was saying so many uplifting and positive things that my brain couldn't hold onto them AND concentrate on my breathing!  I told Afton that next time, I want to bring a tape recorder so that I can remember all the inspirational things she told us! I am going to try and rehash some of them but I don't know if I will do them justice! My favorite take home message was "The posture doesn't need to be changed, it's our bodies that need to be changed."  So often when we are standing there and cursing inside, we try to make little corrections to the posture because we "think" that our corrections will make it easier or better for us, but there is a reason for all of the things that are said EVERY single class, no matter who is teaching or where you are in the world!  Afton also spoke a great deal about the communication that goes on between the mind and the body! She emphasized how important is it for the mind and body to play nicely together because it is the only mind and the only body you have for your time here on Earth, so it's important to treat them right and learn how to find that balance between the two! I'd have to say that the best part of my practice today was not the physical component, but the mental growth I experienced today (although my arms and legs did feel lighter, and I really did feel like I could stand on one leg forever, if only I had better balance--aka, concentration!!),! I am feeling rejuvenated after yesterday's failure (in my eyes, damn mind) and I look forward to reaching that halfway marker! If I stay on my game plan, I will reach 30 classes on Monday!! Then I'll really be singing Bon Jovi's "Ohhhh, we're half way there!"

It was such a pleseant change to be home at the same time Sarah gets home to help her cook dinner! We had the best dinner ever tonight! I don't think we could have gotten a better dinner at a restaurant, especially because of all the love that went into our dinner! We grilled salmon on a cedar plank, and asparagus that had basting oil on it! We roasted some baby potatoes with that same basting oil and steamed some broccoli with lemon pepper seasoning! We tried something new for the flavoring of the salmon, and I think it was a nice contrast, but it may not be for everyone!  We made this citrus butter from the Vitamix recipes book.  It calls for half an orange, lemon, lime, parsley and butter!  It was pretty amazing that we didn't have to peel the lemon or the lime! It gave a great flavor to the salmon!  Oh and if you ever have the chance to grill asparagus that will be in the same grill as cedar plank, DO IT! You will want to devour the entire thing of asparagus! The flavor made it taste like bacon, but so much healthier! I cannot WAIT for lunch tomorrow :-) My mouth is already watering!

I am finishing up my night with some tea and reading a wedding magazine! Can't wait to sweat it out tomorrow to see what I will learn about myself! Who wants to do a double with me on Saturday?!?

Oh and read this blog entry: Why I will do Bikram yoga until the day I die... Shows even more how changing Bikram can be than it has been for me! Best part about it, her first studio was the Charlottesville, VA studio, which was MY first studio, about 4 1/2 years ago! Gotta love the great things Lizzie has done with that place!

DOUBLE TIME=DOUBLE CRAMPS!

I started off February 2012 with buckets of sweat!  I've been eating gluten free for an entire month now (31 days)! And today was my first double of the 60 day challenge, so classes 23 and 24 are finished!

I did NOT want to get out of bed this morning to go to 8am yoga BUT knowing that Lisa was teaching it motivated me--knowing the great energy she brings to that 90 minutes of sweating made it worth it!  I had a banana and an Emergen-C to give me some energy for the class.  I was feeling a little "ugh" this morning, thanks to lovely cramps! But I gave it my best effort and that is what it's all about.  I originally put my mat by the podium but it was super hot (way too hot for an 8am class) so I put my mat where it was yesterday.  Unfortunately, that spot became cold once class started. AH! I guess I just need to be happy with my first instinct!  There is a posture called Bow Pose and it is probably one of the most challenging postures for me, not because it is one of the more challenging postures in the series, but more because I have TERRIBLE motor planning!  I summoned Lisa over to help me figure out the motor planning for this posture and I must say her tip was helpful!

After class, I was not really feeling like eating because my stomach was still kind of bothering me so I settled for a Lara Bar and a coconut water! I tried the Peanut Butter Cookie today and it is so tasty! And the best part is that it only has THREE ingredients: Dates, Peanuts, Salt!

For lunch, I had the rest of the parmesan carbonara and I made a delicious salad to accompany it! I was drinking plenty of water during the day knowing that I had another Bikram class in my schedule.  For my afternoon snack, I had some raspberries and another Emergen-C and was feeling pretty excited about getting into the hot room since my stomach was feeling better and I felt mentally and physically prepared for the 5:30 pm class.

I walked into the hot room with no time to spare but I was able to see some friendly faces before we started! It's great to have a bunch of "Double Jerks"in there :-) especially several that were doing doubles as well! About two postures in, I was feeling a little woozy, which is not what I wanted to feel starting my double! Apparently, I did NOT eat enough and started feeling pretty hungry, so much that my stomach was growling!  I decided that I needed to use mind over matter to get through the standing series, but it was a challenge for sure!  As we laid down for the spine strengthening series, I could feel almost every muscle in my body cramp up! Ouch! The pain that I was feeling in my back, legs, and feet brought me to a halt several times.  I tried to breathe through the pain because teachers have said that "if you have pain, control your breath and it will help ease the pain."  That did NOT work for me today because I think there was too much mental stuff going on.  I had to suck it up and get a Gatorade during the spine strengthening series, and unfortunately I chugged too much, too quickly :-/  For the majority of the remainder of the class, several postures made me feel like I was going to throw up if I pushed myself any further :-X  I was really looking forward to completing 4 camels in one day, but the nausea feeling I had kept me staring at myself in the mirror instead of doing a 360 backwards bend.  There was something about red Gatorade all over the new girl behind me that didn't sit well with me. So, needless to say, I learned a LOT of lessons from this double.  EAT more, drink my sweat water (I need to make some more of it!) and let go of the mental b.s.  I am glad that I can say that I am done with it, but the cramps that keep coming through my feet and legs all evening are not fun to deal with.

I treated myself to Whole Foods for dinner since I still had some of my gift card left over!  I went to a different side of the store and found better success in finding some gluten free friendly stuff! Apparently there is a "raw food" bar where all of the food is made from raw foods.  Go figure! I had an indian inspired dish, which consisted of spilt peas daal, brown rice and steamed root vegetables from Johnson's Backyard Garden.  Sarah and I like to get a lot of vegetables from Johnson's Backyard Garden at the farmer's market, so it was refreshing to see that Whole Foods uses veggies from them! I also bought some gluten free SOY SAUCE and TERIYAKI SAUCE! Woo Hoo! Can't wait to try my hand at making some asian inspired dishes at home!  I also treated myself to a Lemonade Italian Soda since my body was craving something with a little zing!

That Austin magazine will be my bed time read to learn about planning the best wedding in ATX! Can't wait for that big day! 247 days :-)

Stomach, stomach, stomach!

30 days of gluten free and 22 classes of sweating!

I woke up way too early, and ate half of a Lara Bar and drank an Emergen-C, in an attempt to hold me over for my 8am class! I was pleasantly surprised to see Gianna standing on that podium! She sure knows how to make yoga fun especially when I still have sleep in my body!  I tried a different spot in the room than usual because everyone says the spot by the podium is the hottest and that's typically where I put myself.  It is hard to judge if that is true or not because the room was not nearly as crowded as usual!  Every day, I hear the phrase "Stomach, stomach, stomach!" or "Suck that stomach in!" or "Pull your belly button back to your spine!" and each class I try to make it my mission to keep my stomach muscles engaged, but boy, is that hard to do for 90 minutes STRAIGHT! However, I am definitely feeling that my postures are getting stronger and better each day!

Thankfully, Sarah ended up coming home for a hour this morning and walked in the door at the perfect time. I was racing around the house trying to get ready for work, so she scrambled up some eggs and toasted some Udi's for me! I also enjoyed a coconut water with my breakfast. I have tried several different ones over these past couple of weeks and I have to say that my favorite one is called Coconut Juice by Amy and Brian...check it out! I had a Zico coconut water today and I was wishing it was the Coconut Juice by Amy and Brian!! (I was so excited when Sarah came home with four of them today :) :)!!)

My lunch and snack consisted of the chicken from last night and some more roasted bell peppers, and I enjoyed my hummus during the afternoon with the bell peppers and those tasty Wasa-like crisp breads! One of my co-workers commented that she wanted to eat gluten free because she loves all of the food and snacks I bring in!

It was kind of weird not going to yoga after work but it was nice to come home and start cooking WITH Sarah :-) We made one of my family's favorite dishes: Parmesan Carbonara! This became a fast favorite of Sarah's a couple of years ago, so I know she will fit well into my family ;-) We made two different batches of it so that I could have mine with gluten free noodles! I am still not finding these quinoa noodles everyone keeps suggesting.  Tonight, I used Schir's noodles but I look forward to trying it with those quinoa noodles, especially since a patient's mom told me she almost prefers them over regular noodles!

And for our vegetable, we had wine ;-) It's purpleish. Like eggplant!

I am looking forward to finding some tasty and easy gluten free recipes using my present from the Parkers! Thanks so much LeAn, Tom and Hayden!!

Since I am going to attempt a double tomorrow (I need to make up those two classes that I decided to skip! ), I am going to go snuggle in bed with my new book and try to get mentally prepared for THREE HOURS of Bikram! Way to start off February!!

This quote couldn't be more appropriate for the end of this month of the 60 day challenge:

"Yoga re-energizes, reorganizes and revitalizes."  

- Bishnu Charan Ghosh

Thank goodness!!

English Bulldog Determination and Bengal Tiger Strength!

29 days of eating the right way and 21 days of sweating it out!

I tried the same smoothie from yesterday but today I used a fresh banana, almond butter, and added some coffee.  It was a little bit different than yesterday's smoothie but still a nice way to get some healthy things inside your body along with with the caffeine :-)

My lunch was the leftovers from yesterday but unfortunately the sushi rice did not hold very well from last night so I was still needing some food to hold me over! I decided to roast some red and yellow bell peppers and make hummus!

I may or may not have put too much garlic in there but it's still super tasty, and those roasted bell peppers were to die for! I put some hummus and bell peppers on a Schir crisp bread and I must say, it was a perfect snack!

Mardy was teaching with her bling on to represent the Beverly Heels! It was a packed and humid class, so much that Mardy even turned the humidity down, which never happens ;-) I met two new people that I see pretty frequently in the same area.  One of the ladies drives all the way from San Marcos, which is at least a 30 minute drive without traffic.  Talk about determination!  Mardy talked a lot about using  your English Bulldog determination and your Bengal Tiger strength to get through some of those tough postures! She was quite witty tonight and several times it made me laugh out loud and have to rush to get into the posture on time :-) There are a lot of postures that require you to lift your chest up, and to help with that task, Mardy gave us the suggestion of imagining you were trying to give the mirror a chest bump! Great visualization that helped and made me smile! Whenever you can get a smile in that hot room, take it! Hold onto it!

For dinner, Sarah roasted some chicken with this tasty garlic seasoning mix! You'd think with all of this garlic today that I was trying to fend off bad omens (or whatever garlic is good for)! I know that during my class today, all I could smell/taste was all of the garlic from my hummus! Thank goodness we only breathe in and out of our nose so that no one had to smell it but me!

Okay time to get into bed since I am doing the 8am class tomorrow!

1/3 of the way there!

Day 28 of eating good-for-you food! AND MY TWENTIETH BIKRAM CLASS!!

So, I tried to make it to the 8am and the 10am classes this morning, but there is just something about laying in bed and hearing the birds chirp that make it so enjoyable to snuggle with the pup and your person! Instead we hung up our bird feeder and put out the bird bath!

Sarah and I came up with a new smoothie today! I want to give it the name of "monkey business!'  It had a frozen banana (thanks to Amelia's suggestion!), a scoop of chocolate whey protein, fresh blueberries, peanut butter and a cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk! Holy Moly! Talk about tastiness in your mouth! Dairy Queen, you better watch out because this smoothie was way more refreshing and healthier than your blizzards!  I tried the Lemon Bar by Lara Bar before class, and I'm not such a fan of that one.  Not because it wasn't flavorful but it was just dates and nuts with lemon juice in it.  It was much more a texture issue than anything for me! I would have rather had those same things in a trail mix than mashed into a bar! Sorry, Lara!

I fall more and more in love with the Pure Bikram people as each day goes by! The 12pm class was a full one today but I got an awesome spot so I was pleased with it! Gianna asked me at the start of the class why Lisa calls me "polar bear" and for the remainder of the class that is what she called me! It still makes me smile and gives me the encouragement and strength to complete all 26 postures! My left calf was still bothering me and kept me from doing several parts of the postures that involve the left leg.  Last night, Sarah and I had a couple's massage (Thanks to PFL!!!) and I told the lady about my injury.  She focused half of the massage on hitting all of the trigger points and, boy, did I want to let out a yelp a couple of times! It's still tender but hopefully by not trying to push it during class, it will get better sooner than later! Gianna gave me several good tips, per usual, during class today and I finally figured out the motor planning for Standing Separate Leg Head Pose so I am looking forward to improving that posture! It's just so amazing to see how much progress I have made in 20 classes! I am sure there will be even more growth in the next 2/3's of this challenge!

After class, I treated myself to an epsom salt bath and read some of Jane Lynch's Happy Accidents.  It's a great and funny read! Thankful to Sarah's sister, Rachel, for getting it for me!  I am really enjoying these baths and I think I will make sure I get one a week to reward myself :-) I had such a tasty salad for lunch! I find myself wanting to lick the bowl because that Sassy dressing is so delicious!

I started my work study position today at the studio so I went back to the hot room, but this time in normal clothes! It was a neat experience to see how everything operates from the other side! People are still friendly even when you are cleaning! And surprisingly, the studio is cleaned so frequently that it's not really a hard job! The only challenging thing about it was trying to get it all done in a short amount of time on my first day!

We met up with a friend for dinner at this place called Zen that is supposed to be "Japanese fast food."  They have a whole menu dedicated to their gluten free options and had at LEAST six sauces that are gluten free! What a pleasant surprise! They also use local ingredients and the meat is from farms nearby! So neat :-) I got a salmon stir-fry bowl with their miso sauce (YUMMY!) and it had the best vegetables (squash, carrots, broccoli, edamame, and onion) in it!  I also got a veggie roll with avocado, carrot and cucumber! Can't wait for lunch tomorrow! I splurged on a soda for dinner because I had at least 4 Nalgenes and coconut water today!

Okay that is all for this busy day! I need to get some rest so I can have energy to complete the next 40 days of the challenge! This was the quote for our challenge inspiration today and I found it very appropriate and encouraging!

"You must keep your body healthy, your temple pure--if you're sick or you die, how are you going to fulfill your destiny and experience the joy and well-being you deserve?  Your body knows how to heal itself, and when you practice your Bikram Yoga, you will experience optimum, radiant health for the first time."  

 

- Bikram Choudhury

Beer-tation

Day 26 of not eating gluten and, unfortunately, no yoga today...

This week has flown by and I feel like I never really slowed down...hence the no yoga today.  I came home from work and had about a hour before class and I could not find the mental or physical energy to rush around and get myself into the hot room.  I really just needed a few hours where there was no RUSHING.  I know that may come as a surprise to many since I am typically a go-go-go kind of person but every once in a while us doers need to press "stop" immediately.  That's what tonight was all about.  Yes, now I have to do two doubles but I am kind of looking forward to that challenge, and this relaxing evening was exactly what I needed! Sarah and I went to Hop Doddy because I was craving a burger and I knew they had gluten free buns.  Tonight was the first time I've been tempted by a gluten-filled beer--they have all of those local tasty ones on tap! It was pretty torturous not to be able to indulge in one of my favorite local heffes!  I was grateful that they use Bona Dea buns for their burgers, but my mouth was watering over Sarah's gluten-heavy bun! Check out Bona Dea, though, because they are doing a Kickstarter project and have great reasons and a meaningful purpose!

We finished off the night watching "Friends with Benefits" while drinking Bedtime tea to try and help with this sore throat I am feeling.  Oh, the joys of working with snotty and coughing kids!

My quote: "When you are in tune with the unknown, the known is peaceful."

I've been grateful to have this relaxing evening to recharge! Maybe my yoga practice has given me some insight into finding relaxation, and allowing myself to enjoy it fully! Feeling more ready than ever to hit that hot room tomorrow!

Minor improvements!

My 18th sweaty class and my 25th day of eating the right way :-)

I did not want to get out of bed this morning! There is just something about a down comforter blanket and having a pup snuggled up with you that makes you never want to leave! At least I had yummy breakfast to get out of bed for!  One of my smoothies and gf waffles from Nature's Path! Check out the wild berry flavor and add a little agave -- it's divine!

I struggled to drink water today...I would drink half of my water bottle and then I would add "fresh" cold water to it to convince myself it would quench my thirst! I was getting a little nervous as 5:30 was quickly approaching! At lunch, I went to People's Pharmacy and picked up some freshly made gluten free food- a stuffed tomato with tuna salad and some salad-like vegetables! Since I wanted something crunchy, I had a handful of these Food Should Taste Good White Cheddar chips! Three of my co-workers walked by my office and thoroughly enjoyed them! One of my co-workers even said that she always looks forward to what I bring for lunch! Also I got a cup of organic chicken noodle soup that was so tasty! If you buy soup, you get a free piece of gf corn bread and it was so moist! I want to figure out the recipe so that next time we make red beans and rice, I can have corn bread!  I know it seems silly because it's called CORN bread but yes, it can have gluten in it!

My afternoon snack consisted of that tasty nectarine that Sarah picked up for me and half of a Lara Bar! I love fresh fruit :) Today's flavor was apple pie and it's so yummy! I can just close my eyes and imagine it's my dad's brown bag apple pie! Okay, maybe it's not that good but it gets the job done!

I love walking into the studio and seeing happy people, especially since I was kind of in a pissy mood thanks to Maya getting into my birthday present from my oma and opa! She ate some hummingbird food mixture and bird seed! Thankfully she hasn't seemed sick from it! Okay, back to yoga (sorry for the tangent)! It makes me smile seeing familiar faces walking into that hot room! Radio did her first double today and I am so proud of her! She was so chipper after class, whereas, I felt like I was going to fall over if I didn't hold onto something! Gianna worked me hard tonight, but all for the better! She spoke about how she could see that we were all making minor improvements to our bodies! It really brought home a good point to mediate on...just because I may not be able to do X posture all the way or I may still have X amount of weight to get rid of, the most important things are all of the little accomplishments along the way! For example, my leg felt really strong during standing bow tonight! If only my mind had left me alone, I could have stayed there for the entire posture! Soon :-) I think that's what is going to give me peace this evening--that I am making these tiny changes to my body, my mind and my practice!  If I did not mediate, concentrate, and show determination, I would be too blinded by all of the mental bullshit to notice these things! I am so grateful for the mental component I get from this yoga, just as much as the physical aspect! Sometimes I am more grateful for the mental part, especially on days like today when I walked in there with the wrong attitude! That bad attitude checked out of the class after several postures, when Gianna called me out for not attending to the posture! Thank you for that, Gianna :-) My practice tonight was a great challenge! Can't wait to get in there tomorrow for number NINETEEN!

I am loving this grill that my dad got us, and I am loving that Sarah likes to cook :-) even after she went to a work happy hour! My gratitude will never be expressed enough for her help! She made grilled BBQ chicken and brussels sprouts along with the last of that rosemary garlic bread! It's funny because last night on Top Chef, the challenge was to cook something healthy and one of the chefs said adding fresh herbs helps add flavor without adding calories.  Try it! It's so true! You can flavor your brussel sprouts with as much basil or oregano as you want! Just be mindful of those basting oils and mixes that have salt/sodium in them! Don't go crazy on those! I treated myself to a Hansen cane soda tonight after I gulped down two nalgenes of water and a coconut water!

Time to go snuggle in that blanket of mine! Can't believe this week is almost over! Seems like just yesterday I was starting my third week of this 60 day challenge!

Let this quote leave you with encouragement, as I know I have needed it these last several days, since I feel like my energy bank needs to be replenished!

"Nothing is impossible, 

the word itself says 'I'm possible'!"
 

- Audrey Hepburn

How much does air weigh?

Day 17 of torturing my muscles (in a good way!) and day 24 of soothing my insides!

Last night around 2:15 a.m. (2:22, according to Sarah, who looked at her phone), a vicious storm swept through Austin and disturbed my sleep! For those of you who don't me, there's one important thing to keep in mind during storm season. I am a scaredy cat when it comes to thunder and lightning! I had to wake up poor Sarah to calm me down several times (due to the local cable channel's well-intentioned warnings about tornadoes!). Needless to say, the amount of sleep I got was not sufficient for my day! I just wanted to snuggle with a majority of my kiddos and hope that they just started talking on their own! Good thing a bunch of them have Autism and need the deep pressure! Sarah pushed me out of the door with freshly made scrambled eggs, rosemary garlic toast and coffee!

Thankfully I found out early on in the day that my last kiddo was actually coming over lunch, so I could begin hydrating quickly! I made the most amazing salad for lunch, and again my coworkers were so jealous. There's something about avocados that makes everything you put them on delightful! Leftover pasta made everyone in the room wishing that they didn't have fast food for lunch! My mid-day snack was another Lara bar--this time the blueberry muffin. For the record, it was tasty, but the peanut butter and jelly is still better!

There is something about a 5:30 yoga class. If you want to get your ass kicked, then make into the hot room at that time! If you want a leisurely workout, do not enter, do not pass go, do not collect 90 minutes in a hot room! Just like last night, it was packed to the seams, with every mat touching on all four sides! I think I swung sweat on my neighbor 10 times! She didn't really appreciate it ;-) I swear Tyler must be a member of Cut Copy or moonlights as a radio DJ! Something about his voice and his arm movements just make you smile! Tyler's sweeping hand gestures with every direction help you get the visual you need to push yourself further in a posture, or full your lungs even more with hot, humid, sweaty air. During the floor series, it felt like the air weighed 20 lbs and it took every ounce of energy and then some to leave my savasana! That humid air just lays on you and teams up with that "mind monkey" and tells you to stay on your mat! It says you're not strong enough to complete that "double jerk" (i.e. a Bikram sit-up). I almost allowed that monkey to just lay there and appreciate the toasty nap I was about to receive. But then, Tyler with his radio voice and his sweepy hands, guided my lazy self off that mat! After I crawled out of the hot room (or at least I felt like I did), I rewarded myself with a trip to Whole Foods--courtesy of Caren and her awesome birthday present! As I strolled through Whole Foods, I was slightly disappointed by the limited signage indicating gf food! They had plenty of labels yelling 'Vegan!'  and 'Vegetarian!' and 'Healthy!,' but when you're sweaty, exhausted, and starving, it's not the most fun thing to peer through every label to see if the item contains wheat. My teriyaki salmon bowl (sans the teriyaki, because apparently Whole Foods doesn't carry gf teriyaki sauce) was okay, but not delicious. I think the biggest challenge of my gf journey has been eating out, as so many sauces contain gluten. Why can't people learn how to make sauces sans gluten? If anyone knows, I would love to learn, as I'm beginning to get a bit bitter about it :-)

I wrapped up my evening watching Top Chef! Go Paul! Way to represent ATX! Afterwards, Sarah drew me the best epsom salt bath! It burned a little at first (I may have looked like a lobster for a minute) but my left calf is feeling much better than it did after tonight's standing series! That girl truly is the best cheerleader to have on my team as I go through this journey! I'm also so grateful to those of you who read this and give me hugs and encouragement at yoga, and discuss it with me at work! I am truly a blessed person!

Crossed fingers for no thunderstorms tonight! I need some sleep! Only 3 days til I'm one third of the way done!