Experiments with self

Now we have 25 sickness free days (an all time record for the month of March especially since this Blog is a living record).

Facebook has not been touched.

Blogger has been visited twice in 20 days.

The average sleeping time has increased from 5 hours per weekday to 7 hours per weekday.

There has been at least one fruit included in the daily diet. No coffee for the last 25 days. Maximum one glass of tea per day (1/2 cup in morning and evening.. sometimes switched to Horlicks). Fried stuff has been knocked down to a minimum in the daily diet.

There has been at least one shower a day (yes.. shocking as it may seem there was no time for showers or shave on some hectic days in the past)

Now, there is one other addition.

Bikram Yoga for the last 25 days. We (the MIL and me) have been attending a 90 minute hot yoga class every morning from 5:30 to 7:00 for 25 of the last 26 days!

That means we get up at 4:45 and take off. Neither of us were sure if we will continue after the first ten classes but the changes in the body and mind after ten days in the torture chamber were obvious.

People at work who first saw me after 4 days said things like :

Are you wearing makeup? your face is very clear and fair now!
You are very calm instead of your usual trigger happy self. What is going on?
You seem to be very stoic and are quiet in meetings? Are you quitting?
Looking very happy? What is going on? and it was anyone who had not met me in days or weeks.

Had lunch with an old colleague last week (we met after a year) and he said "you somehow look younger this year than last year in-spite of wearing glasses!"

The change was noticeable on the inside as well. There was a feeling of lightness all around, a freshness that hasn't been felt since sitting in that hot spring in Manali last year and a self check mechanism every time the mind was about to launch into an expletive or two be it work related or with the wife and kids at home.

The question that is being asked by some close folks is "Are all these changes because of the Yoga or because of all the other changes like good food, more sleep etc.?"

The answer is definitely "Bikram Yoga". All the other changes and the discipline to make those changes are a direct result of the Yoga class.

Initially there was skepticism about the Hot Hatha Yoga because of what we read on the internet about Bikram Choudhury and the Hot Yoga. For every 10 positive articles there is some gripe about how this is not proven by western medicine etc. etc. After a friend successfully checked this out in Seattle, we went to check out the local studio and see for ourselves.

This is an amazing treat that one can give to ones body and mind.

Have lost 9 lbs in the last 25 days, have a much smoother softer skin. Have had one knee sprain last week (because of overdoing a stretch.. all my doing not the Yoga's) which has since healed by going back into the hot room.

Jr. and the little one cannot stop smelling me. Apparently daddy smells real nice after a shower post Yoga sweating! Even the kids in Tamil school complimented me on how nice Teacher is smelling!

Planning to do this at least 7 times a week from now on. This is the best thing that happened to me since the little one's birth...

A big thanks for this new found happiness goes to the MIL. She joined with me to help her broken ankle mend (while my broken hand builds strength) and even if I felt down on day 2 and 3 and was about to call it a day, she dragged me to class and made sure that I don't quit.

Long live Bikram Choudhury. He has definitely given me a new look at my body, mind and spirit and a second chance at living a contented life.

ps. Do not be intimidated by the fact that you have a big round belly and everyone in the class looks like a cross between Zeus and Urvashi. Just keep trying to do the routine in class and everything else fades away.. including your belly!

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