My Bikram Journal Day Two

My alarm clock rang at 6:30am. I woke, my body ached, and I was for sure dehydrated. The 2.5 – 3 liters of water was clearly not enough.  Although my muscles hurt slightly and I had a head ache from lack of water, I felted enlightened. I was ready to head back to Bikram class after work and try harder. I nibbled on some peanut butter and jelly toast, packed my yoga kit, and headed into work.

My Bikram Journal

The day went quite quickly and I managed to drink almost double the amount of water that I did the previous day. I felt motivated and inspired by all the beautiful yogi tears I saw on Pinterest and the life-changing articles I had been reading online. Come 5:30 I couldn’t wait to head into that 105 degree room again.

My Bikram Journal

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I lay on the floor on my yoga mat staring at the mural on the wall that was before me. I arrived to the class 20 minutes early so my body could get used to the heat before I started. The mural was of a chariot and wild horses, it was so big and captivating that I asked the person next to me if they knew what it was about.

They told me that this is an ancient yoga text “The Driver and the Chariot”. You imagine that you are the driver of a chariot harnessed to five unruly, strong horses. You need to drive the chariot to your chosen destination with control.  You have to become the driver and take control of the horses. The horses are your senses – the eyes, ears, tongue, nose and sense of touch. To succeed in life you must be able to control your senses. If your senses are unrestrained like the wild horses, pulling you in all sorts of directions, you’ll never have a meaningful direction in life. With that, the instructor entered the room and the 26 postures started.

my bikram journal

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The ancient yoga text lingered in my mind throughout the class; I was stronger and determined to try every posture to its fullest, I chanted in my mind throughout the class “stay focused” and found a point in the mirror which was my belly button to help me attain this.

My yoga kit

My bikram journal

Product: Fold Over Frill Legging, Sports Racer Back Bra, Vintage Tribe Yoga Bag , Russell Runner Sneaker

Although not every pose was 100% correct, I tried to my fullest and it felt great. I lay in the final shivasanna feeling happy, focused, and in tune with my inner self.

Day two was a great class, I wonder what tomorrow will hold. If you haven’t read day one yet go here: My Bikram Journal Day One

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11 years ago

I’m enjoying following this story. Also, AWESOME yoga bag!

Have a beautiful day!

Cheers,
Savannah Marie
http://everybodysbuyingvintage.blogspot.com

Morgan
11 years ago

Great job! By day five youre going to rock that yoga class! Keep up the great work and also thank you for the awesome post! Just remember to also keep drinking a lot of water throughout the class as well!

11 years ago

I think it’s so great that you are doing this! Fully supportive of you in your yoga endeavors. Makes me miss Bikram so much – the way you feel when you walk out is well worth the entire struggle.

Lucy Sinclaire
11 years ago

I really enjoy following your challenge Jemma!

11 years ago

@Morgan drinking a lot of water during class isn’t actually that beneficial. It takes approximately 45 minutes for water to be absorbed and if it’s cold water, it will just cause stomach cramps. I recommend taking sips to wet a parched mouth.

Been practicing 4 years now, it sure is a life-changer! Remember it is not about going the farthest you can in each posture, but having the correct alignment and with control.

11 years ago

I love it!! Can’t wait until I do bikram again!

BC
11 years ago

Spending $500+ on a yoga bag isn’t very “yogi” LOL.

Sarah
11 years ago

This makes me miss Bikram so much! I just can’t afford it anymore, with the price of heating the room (not to mention the ecological impacts). One helpful thing my instructor recommended was drinking coconut water after class, as well as eating avocados. If you don’t like plain packaged coconut water (as I don’t), they have a naturally flavored chocolate variety which is quite tasty. It’s very easy to get dehydrated, even if you drink lots of water, so something more than water is necessary if you’ll be going to class every day. Also, not sure how long those leggings are, but in Bikram yoga it is vital for the instructor to be able to see your knees, no fabric covering them!

Sarah
11 years ago

Also, that item list isn’t all-inclusive- you need to bring a sweat towel to class as well as a big bottle of water!

11 years ago

WHERE is that dress in the first two pictures from?! I need to have it!

11 years ago

I was going to wait until it cools down here in Australia and start then, but after reading your posts I got so inspired that I immediately booked myself in for a Bikram challenge. I need to detox, change the way I eat, calm down. Thanks again for this so much, you are really inspiring.

Anonymous
11 years ago

SO incredibly disappointed by this entry. Bikram is NOT yoga. Bikram Choudhury is not a yogi and (much like Richard Haynes, Urban Outfitters CEO) is so untrue to the image he sells. The girls that write for this blog are NOT a reflection of Bikram (or even Haynes for that matter) but you guys should do some research before you go around promoting this. While you girls might like the idea of yoga, you should listen during the classes, read the Yoga Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita, take classes that are more than ashtanga, take restorative, meditative circles… etc. Yoga is not just poses, it is a way of thinking.