Daily yoga obstacles

Today is my 3 year anniversary practicing Bikram yoga.  My body acts different in each class, but the one constant is the high I feel after completing a class. I am more focused, positive and alert when I am practicing.  If only I could get myself in the studio more often I would be super woman.  In the past few months I have struggled with the same issues in regards to yoga class.  Well to be honest, I have struggled with the first two items since I started. 

1.) Walking in the door to the yoga studio.  I make it to the parking lot, sit there until the last minute and ponder what I could be eating instead of going inside.  About 70% of the time I make it to class and the other 30%, well use your imagination (hamburgers, burritos, cheese).  

2.) Finishing class and finding myself picking up food on the drive home.  The ten minutes of drive time from my yoga studio to my home are challenging.  Finding myself in line at In-N-Out Burger (which I don't even like that much) or in line at Chipolte (and not for one of those healthy bowls) is a common occurance.  I think it must be similar to when people try to stop smoking....oh I'll just have this one and then I'll quick.  I head home and self induce a food coma while watching a beloved TV show.

3.) Speaking to the new hot instructor.  Yoga is suppose to be a time I can escape from my social anxiety and other anxieties of the world.  A new hot male yoga instructor has screwed this up.  When he teaches, he greets you as you walk in the studio with his Austrialian accent,  wearing his tiny spandex shorts that hide very little of his perfectly sculpted body. Normally I am not a fan of a man in spandex.  Come to think of it, I never think I have ever found this look remotely attractive until hot male yoga instructor.  During class he walks around and gently touches you to adjust you in a pose and whispers words of encouragement in your ear.  Each time he attempts to adjust me I fall out of my pose and I have trouble regrouping. 

If I could only find a way to overcome these 3 yoga obstacles, I think I might be able to get in tip top shape.  Any suggestions? 

Sandbagging

Michael is one of my yoga instructors.  When I see his car in the parking lot, I often consider not walking into the studio.  The truth is he challenges me more than the other instructors.  He always knows when my mind has drifted off or I am not giving it my all.  It reminds me of how my Dad would bust me in mundane lies as a teenager.  After a recent class, he commented that I was "sandbagging."  I had to go home and search the term on google.  Here is one of the definitions I came up with "To deliberately perform at a lower level than you are capable of."  This is a metaphor for the past four years of my life.  I have been sandbagging through life.  It is part of why I haven't pursued many things.  I have been considering entrepreneur ventures, but I am more aware of my road block.  The darn sandbag attached to my ass.  

I truly believe and preach that if you are not happy with your current situation, you and only you have the power to change it.  I believe this with all that I am, yet fine myself stationary.  What will it take for me to go pursue these things? I know that I cannot depend on a company for income. For security, I must create ownership over a skill etc, that I can be lucrative at even without an 8-5 gig.  

 Only I have the power to change this.  Operation ditch the sandbag begins (or continues). 

Proper yoga attire should be required

I managed to make it inside the yoga studio tonight even though it is 105 degrees outside. This is a big accomplishment for me.  I often make it to the hot yoga parking lot, and never into the hot yoga studio.  Choosing food over exercise is a never ending battle in my world.  I am apparently the only one using the excuse of the outside heat not to go to yoga because the studio was packed.  Sweaty yogis filled the studio with mats laid out only about a foot apart from each other.  This can get uncomfortable in a 105 degree room.  Proper etiquette is to only look at yourself during class.  I don't want anyone looking at me, so I do my best to follow the rule. I couldn't help but notice an attractive man probably in his late 30's was in front of me.   I didn't notice him until standing bow pulling pose. Here is an example of the pose. 

As his leg flies up into the air, his sweaty, hairy balls fall into my view.  He wore running shorts instead of the appropriate, tight fitting yoga attire.  This is the reason yogi's wear spandex! Nobody needs to see sweaty, foreign balls in their face while trying to find yogi inner peace.  I tried not to look, but how could I not?  I noticed the lady next to me focus on the balls as well.  She nodded to me with a look of sympathy.  Was this really happening?  Yes. Onto the next pose. 

And there again, sweaty balls in my line of vision.  There is no way I can concentrate on a pose viewing genitalia.  I stand still, awaiting the next pose as I hear the instructor call my name. 

"What are you doing just hanging out?  Get back in the pose!"  

I wanted to motion her over so she could see exactly what the problem was.  Instead I attempted to get back in the pose again.  This time, my body starts to shake.  My laughter takes over my body.  The harder I try to hold it in, the more my body shakes.  My laugh is not soft and feminine.  When I laugh, conversations stop.  It is a loud, sometimes shocking type of howling noise.  I walk out class, not finishing with visions of sweaty, hairy balls haunting my thoughts.  The more I try to black them out, the more I see them.  Please consider others when dressing for yoga. 

Starting Bikram Yoga

Yoga changed my life.  I am a yogi junky.  Three years ago a friend dragged me to my first Bikram yoga class.  Ninety minutes of yoga in 105 degree heat with humidity.  It was awful.  The longest 90 minutes I could possibly have imagined.  I felt sick and light headed through the entire class.  When we left class, I was mad at her.  How could she possibly enjoy this and who did she think she was dragging me to the class?  The next day she dragged me back begging me to trust her.  She promised it would get better.
The second class was still difficult, but not as bad as the first.  After class I felt energized, happy, and inspired.  Had I just found a form of exercise I enjoyed?
Bikram yoga has changed my life.  I sleep better, it helps control my appetite (aka emotional, binge, overeating), decreases the frequency of migraine headaches and most importantly keeps my depression under control.   I could keep going on and on.  When we consider moving to another city, the first thing I check is if they have a Bikram studio.  If they don't, I'm not going.  It may not be for everybody, but if it could change your life the way it has change mine isn't it worth a chance?