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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| Absolutely depends on my mood  |
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| For two weeks I've been trying to do Bikram five times a week. So for the first week I managed it fine. It just got boring, and I was glad after five straight days to take a two day break. Then this week I went four days in a row, but by the fifth day, Friday, I felt so tired and so very unwilling to practice that I decided I should not. I've already hurt my lower back in Rabbit pose this week, and the fifth lumbar is definitely out, so I decided that I would not go Friday night and would take a gentrler class on Saturday (The class is called "Gentle Yoga".)
So I went home and watched a couple DVDs and went to bed at about 9:00. This morning I woke up a few times as a couple storms rattled through. But when I finally opened my eyes for real, it was 8:45 a.m.! I haven't slept that many hours in a row for years!
I feel terrific. But what's the sleep factor in yoga? Is adjustment to sleep an expected result, or is this me just accommodating to heat and exercise?
Is there any literature available on this? I've read other people who say they sleep LESS now that they do yoga regularly.
Whereas yesterday afternoon I felt pretty low, this morning I feel really good and am looking forward to class. Does anybody havev any matching experience?
Jeri |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| Jeri - with the amount of Bikram you are doing I would expect you to need to sleep more. I think the less sleep thing comes after years of practice for most people. We had storms last night, too. Definitely spring weather! |
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| tourist - 2005-04-02 10:15 AM
Jeri - with the amount of Bikram you are doing I would expect you to need to sleep more. I think the less sleep thing comes after years of practice for most people. We had storms last night, too. Definitely spring weather!
Ooooh...*YEARS* of practice. Okay; maybe I am a bit premature here after just two weeks of 5x/week
But you don't see any harm in five times a week?
Jeri |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Jeri, I did Bikram for 3 months straight - every day. Only a couple of times did I skip a day during that time. Now I practice Bikram 2-3 x's a week, sometimes more if I make the time for it. The first 2 weeks I took a nap right afterwards for about an hour, then I would go chow down on some food. I've been doing Bikram for a year now and don't have too many problems except when I go to the studio, sometimes I mess up my alignment. At home, I can do more or less on my time which is the way I like to practice best. If I want to push harder, I do, but I find that if I'm well rested and balanced, my practice is sooo much better. If I'm tired and not feeling good, I take it easy that day, don't push myself and it turns out good too, but if I push hard on a hard feeling terrible like crap day, then I feel it bigtime. So, the body is different and changes every day...so does the Yoga practice. Some people say Bikram is boring because of the routine...I find that every time I do the series, it is most definitely different every single day or time. I love Bikram, I just don't like 105 degrees and prefer around 100 and NO more. That may change one day, but not today. Sorry about your back in Rabbit Pose. This one is my favorite after Camel - it clears my sinus's out and stretches my lower back. This is another one that you could adjust and just take it easy, then ease back into it.
Oh yea, I sleep less now and have so much more energy. I would never be able to sit here and type on this forum if I didn't do this practice, due to all the responsibilites I have in my life and country living. Not to mention, spring is coming and I'm glad I got the energy to be able to do what I need to get done, Bikram has helped me in so many ways and also, I am so much more organized and structured. It's pretty cool. Hang in there! |
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| Well, here is my list of amazing physical changes from Bikram Yoga. I started out doing it 2-3 times a week, starting the last week in December.
First two weeks: incredible "hot patch" down the front of my throat, not like a sore throat. More like a surface hotness. It was on the left side of the throat. Lasted two weeks, then slowly disappeared.
Fourth week: Everybody at work gets killer flu, I get very mild case.
Seventh week: Got my period only two weeks after previous cycle, very easy time with it, which made up for being so annoyed at getting it two weeks early.
11th week: Got my period 1 day late and had cramps through the roof.
12th week: Incredible nausea and stomach cramps that lasted for two weeks. Eased by being in Bikram class, but I suspect it was a result of Bikram class. Lasted through the 13th week; now the nausea is intermittent but infrequent.
12th week: Developed acne in the lower right quadrant of my face. One huge crater and a few small speckles.
13th week: slept 11 and a half hours one night , a record for the last decade.
And that's my story---so far
Jeri |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| See, I can't give an opinion on 5 times a week because I couldn't do it once! Maybe you should just keep making your list and see how many positives you get and decide if they balance out the negatives. 2 weeks of nausea is a lot to take if you aren't pregnant  |
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| The good stuff is that my back is more flexible, and I have been able to slowly start kicking again. That outweighs all the other discomfort. |
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| Five times a week for me, six or seven when I can fit it in. I've gotten to the point where I just don't feel normal unless I'm taking a minimum of four classes per week. |
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oh yes, same here.
i do as many as possible per week. and i feel great!!!
on good weeks i will do 7-9 (and float through life)
average week, 5-6 classes.
anything less and i miss it.
BTW...Cyndi, how do you manage to create the heat at home?
Dee
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | You know what?? I'm getting to the point where I want to go back to 3x's a week too! If I don't do this practice, I feel it bigtime. The reason I don't do as many as I used to is because of the time...I spend so much time outdoors, gardening, beekeeping, homeschooling, hiking in the mountains, etc, etc, I live in the Nantahala which means "land of many uses"...I love having this variety.
Dee, I live in a small mountain home. The guy who built it, put so much insulation on the roof, that the upstairs does not take much to heat. I use space heaters, run them for about 2-3 hours before I practice - it works really good, although my electric bill has quadrupled. I can't wait till summertime. I also fill the bathtub with with hot water. My house is really small so it provides enough humidity. I pretty much made me small yoga studio - I have 2 huge mirrors that provide me with a front and side view. They are 5' x 5', which is plenty for me. It's so comfortable here and I have a nice mountain view and it is so quiet here that you can concentrate. That is what I like about home practice, there aren't many distractions except for Yoda barking at the cats. |
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Bikram Yoga as Therapy.
