Time Management and Bikram Yoga

One of the reasons I hesitated to begin a regular Bikram practice for so long was the enormous time commitment. The class is 90 minutes. It takes me 30 minutes from home and 45 minutes from work to get to the studio. I can't really work in errands after a class because I have to get home and shower. So, all told, it is about 3 hours of my day.

Once I began practicing,  I did have to make adjustments to my schedule. All of which I was more willing and much more easily able to do than I first thought possible.

First, I found I didn't need 10-12 hours of sleep anymore. 8 or 9, with an occasional 10 hours was fine- and much closer to what I've heard is a normal amount of sleep. Second, I stopped watching as much t.v. (I was addicted to HGTV and the History Channel). Now I only watch a couple of shows I really like- and I can watch them on Hulu so I don't have to think about scheduling around them. Third, I let some things go- I don't clean my house quite as often (I am fortunate to have a helpful husband and I still manage to do my part- just not on a schedule), I only check my email once a night. I was concerned that my work might suffer, but that I actually have more time for because I have the energy to invest. So trading some time for energy and giving up certain not-good-for-me-anyway activities, has made it possible to make that 3-hour time commitment.

I practice 4-5 times/ wk, but the days and times I go fluctuate a lot. My guidelines for myself are that I do three days in a row as often as I can and that I don't go for more than two days without a practice- and I try not to have too many two-day breaks too often. This gives me flexibility in my schedule so that if I have a meeting that goes late or an evening commitment, I can relax (at least about getting to yoga) knowing that I have tomorrow to go. Having my guidelines keeps me on track though, as I could otherwise spend a lot of energy deciding whether or not to go to a class, coming up with excuses, feeling guilty about not going- and then regretful that I didn't go.

I have never regretted going to a class- even the ones that were hardest for me- but each class I have opted out of "just because" I really have regretted missing. It felt like a great opportunity lost. 

My responsibilities are not the same as the next person's and my solutions for managing the time commitment won't necessarily work for anybody else. But one concept Bikram addresses and demonstrates consistently is becoming flexible in your thought as well as in your body. It asks you to move out of your comfort zone, try things that are uncomfortable or hard for you, redefine what is possible for yourself. If something is stopping you from beginning a practice- or doing anything you want to in life- ask yourself what it is and then just begin to look at it differently- like "This is something I can change" instead of  "This is just the way it is. I can't change it." There's a line I use as positive self-talk "What if we just acted like everything was easy?" For me this line helps me shift my thought- it's subtle, but effective- to a more positive, lighter point of view. I have spent a lot of time and energy thinking about how hard everything is- this line gives me permission to let go of that perspective. This line doesn't make it harder by demanding that I look at things differently; it just supposes "what if?" And it doesn't say "you can make everything easy;" it just says "what if we tried acting like it's easy." I've read that smiling when you're sad can physiologically improve your mood; I think this is the same thing.

Responsibilities present real challenges that can't be simply mantra-ed away, certainly- at least not right away. I don't have children of my own but I know women with children who struggle to find the time for Bikram (or any time for themselves.) I would just urge you to keep looking for solutions- a babysitter, a neighbor- if your children are old enough, take them with you. Start by setting your intention to look at what might be holding you back. One thing to consider: It's doesn't have to be selfish to make the time for Bikram- you could think about it this way- you take care of yourself, so that you can take care of the others in your life. You become a positive role model in yet one more way to your children, showing them the importance of taking care of your body and mind, taking responsibility for yourself and empowering yourself.

Bikram practice has been a big time investment for me, but the yields have been and continue to be tremendous. 

Recovering From a Cold

Before Bikram, I was almost always sick. I would have colds that lasted days or a week or longer. Just when I felt a bit better I'd get some other cold or flu. Since beginning Bikram yoga I've had very few colds. When I do get them they last only a day or so and the symptoms are much less severe.

I've found that going to class near the onset of symptoms of a cold makes me feel better by the next day. I've had that experience once a few months ago and again this week.

A busy weekend after a long period (a month) of working without taking a day off was too much for me, I think.* Yesterday I began feeling a scratchy throat and headache, stiff muscles and congestion. I went to class this morning and struggled through- it seemed extra hot (which was good for my achy muscles, but hard for breathing) and I felt tired and weaker than usual. I needed to sit out one posture one time and I felt lighted headed almost from pranayama breathing, but I persevered, knowing I would feel better later. I did all of the postures (except one set of balancing stick) as best I could, without getting too lighted headed. My recovery was much longer than usual- I needed to stay in final savasana for almost 10 minutes and felt tired immediately after class. But after a shower and a good lunch, I was able to do all of my pre-Thanksgiving errands and now I feel almost completely recovered and well again.

I'm careful, when I'm not feeling well, to not share my germs with others in class. I just keep to myself a bit more and don't touch anything but my own belongings.


*One thing I've had to adjust to is the change in my energy level. It is far greater since beginning Bikram, but still I can push myself too hard. I'm able to accomplish much more with less effort, exhaustion and fuss. Still, I have limitations which I need to respect. However, I don't see these limitations as set in stone anymore- over time I expect continue to increase my energy levels and immune response. I find I can test my current limitations with less concern (that I'll be put out of commission for days) and more curiosity about how much better I might respond.

Why I began to Practice Bikram Yoga

I have always been a bit of a hot house flower- sensitive to changes in my environment and routine, quick to catch whatever cold or flu viruses are floating around, easily fatigued and overwhelmed- physically and emotionally. I have lived with arthritis and chronic fatigue for many years. My increasingly annoying, frequent and persistent catchphrase was "I'm so tired." Maybe it's just my genes. Perhaps it began when I contracted the mono virus when I was just ten years old. Doctors have never been able to give me clear answers- maybe there are none to give- or recommendations that helped. I went through periods of anger and frustration about my condition and finally I think I just resigned myself to believing "this is just how I am and how I feel- deal with it."

In March of 2009 my mother passed away after years of living with emphysema, which restricted her life to smaller and smaller realms, taking more and more of her gifts, abilities and connections to the world and people she loved. After seeing her in chronic discomfort and pain for so long and finally losing her to such a cruel degenerative disease, something in me shifted. I would not just give up on myself and leave myself vulnerable to the degenerative illnesses of age; I would not let this final lesson, this final gift from my mother go unheeded.

My friend, Robin, had been practicing and teaching Bikram yoga for many years and lovingly persisted in telling me about the benefits of regular practice. I believed her. I wanted to- I just couldn't figure out how I could do it. I barely had enough energy to make it through my days as a teacher. I needed 10-12 hours of sleep to recover enough to get through the next day. How could I, after a long school day, drive the 30 minutes to the closest Bikram studio, work through the tough 90 minute yoga routine, drive home- and still have time to unwind from my day and get my requisite hours of sleep?

A year after my mother's death, almost to to day, I pushed aside all of my excuses- all of my real concerns about how I could manage this- and took the first class of what would become my regular practice. After a few classes, I signed-up for a year-long package. I made a year-long commitment to this practice, which, I suspected, after only a few classes, could be the first thing to make a real difference in my health.

I enjoyed the mental challenge with which the teachers framed the practice. Positive and supportive, but unyielding in their rules to "stay in the room," "try harder," "find your edge and hold it," "go past your comfort zone," the teachers and their dialog resonated with me.




After class, when I looked in the mirror, my eyes looked brighter and my skin seemed to glow. After the first few classes, I felt more alert and awake. I felt less exhausted, even though I had pushed and exerted myself through the hot, uncomfortable 90 minutes of postures. I felt lighter somehow- happier. This seemed something more than the endorphin rush of cardiovascular exercise, which for me only lasted a few hours at most. This was a happiness sustained, a contented bliss that stayed with me.

I was hooked.