Yesterday marked my 15th day of yoga – I’m officially halfway through my 30-day challenge.

Not sure if I’m supposed to shout it from the rooftops, or be all Zen like. But, either way, I honestly feel amazing. (I’m going to speak a little bit more about yoga here than giving up consumerism because the later has been easier than the yoga).

I have to say – it’s been more like 15 classes of yoga, not days. Because as much as I hate to admit it, life happened a couple times. So, I’ve missed a couple days, going twice the next day to make up for it. (Totally acceptable according to the challenge “rules”). The trickiest part of the challenge has been just to make time for a yoga class every day. To schedule it before nighttime events, dinners or happy hours. To get up and go even when I’m hungover and feel like all I want to do is nap. To squeeze it in on my lunch, to run there in the middle of my day, shower, then run back to work. Speaking of showering – I have never showered so much in my life. Two showers a day, every day. And my skin has never been so clear. No joke. It’s so soft; it’s almost shocking. There’s something to be said about sweating out the toxins on a daily basis…it’s like instant $150 facials for free-ish.

A lot of people have asked me how I like hot yoga, and here’s what I say: the first nine days were a tug-o-war, a love/hate relationship with my body. I was hot as hell every class, a couple times feeling so uncomfortable that it was all I could do to sit in the class a minute longer. The last 20 minutes were agonizing as I mentally begged the teacher to open the door, questioned what the hell I was doing and why, and thought about how great the cool air was going to be when I left the god damn room. #$@%@

Then it was like a light switch day 10. No joke – as dorky as that sounds. Suddenly my body became a little bit more used to the heat, making each class more bearable. I challenged myself to personally let go of all the impatience I held in during the last half of class. I told myself to simply enjoy it. Just stretch. Just push yourself a little harder. Take each pose a little further. Just breathe.

And what emerged was a crazy, euphoric feeling that is INSANE, I tell you. Absolutely insane. I still have a bad, hot-as-hell, impatient class here and there, depending on my mood. But most days, I sail to class – hauling my yoga mat and pounding in flipflops to get there in time to reserve a spot next to the door, knowing that when I leave an hour and 15 minutes later, I’m going to feel like a million bucks.

It’s not even a question of IF I want to go. It’s no longer telling myself I HAVE.TO go because of the challenge. It’s turned into what time of day, and which class, I want to go to. And thinking about how great it’s going to be when I get back into that 104-degree room. (What the…?!)

It’s like hot yoga has turned me into Holly Go Lightly – which is just weird, I tell yah.

“Oh, golly, gee damn!”*

*”Holly Go Lightly” and quote is from this movie, if you’re not familiar

Currently Feeling: Hungry – but it’s 11p.m. Dangit! I’m never good at going to bed hungry. But that whole “don’t eat past 5p.m.” is a myth, no?
Currently Anticipating: Happy hour tomorrow at one of my favorite Ballard bars, and a salmon & wine dinner on Thursday at a friend’s new condo.
Currently Loving: Fage Greek yogurt – YUM. I’ve been trying all brands, and have thought about doing a mini review. More on that soon.