30 Healthy, Happy and Wise hot yoga tips
Hot yogi and teacher Jaime Cahalan combined a 30 Day Challenge with green smoothies and raw foods.
The result was POW! A real one-two health punch, times 30.
Jaime is a graduate of the Integrative Nutrition Institute and she has worked with Brad's Raw Foods for years, often leading raw foods cleanses. She knows her diet stuff. Many of us want to know what you get by combining hot yoga with healthy eating - especially as we head into the holidays - so now is a good time to revisit Jaime's wisdom. .
30 Things I Learned on My 30 Day Hot Yoga Challenge
by Jaime Cahalan
1. Deciding to do this challenge on January 1st was the best decision I ever made!
2. I transformed my body physically, mentally, and emotionally in more ways than I could ever imagine.
3. Only 1 time in 30 days I thought I had to leave the room to pee. I didn’t though - I sweated it out instead. Its pretty easy to do in a room that’s 100 degrees.
4. Waking up at 5:30am to take a morning hot yoga class feels really crazy in the moment but when its 8:15am and you are done with class, you feel so happy and proud!
5. Smoothies after evening classes saved my life and my sleeping patterns!
6. Taking a nap on Sunday afternoon after class is pretty awesome
7. Even though I did this on a few occasions, I do not recommend missing a day of class and doubling on another day. It just doesn’t feel right - or normal.
8. Having an accountability partner, like we have in Teacher Training, is key. I have the best message from Zach still saved on my phone: he is yelling into my voicemail “Only 6 more days!!”
9. When you feel like shit, go to class, you will feel better.
10. When it's that time of the month (sorry boys), GO TO CLASS. It makes the whole experience a lot better (if there is such a thing).
11. Doing Standing Bow Pulling after Standing Forehead to Knee really feels good on your lower back.
12. Kick back harder, way harder. Reach forward stronger, way stronger. Even though you think you are about to fall on your face.
13. When you think you are at your edge, push yourself just a little bit more. You will surprise yourself.
14. Somedays your hamstrings are tight and sometimes they aren’t. It doesn’t really matter if its Day 1 of your challenge or Day 30.
15. Some classes don’t feel as good as others... it doesn’t really matter. You went to class and worked to your edge that day. That’s an accomplishment.
16. I did a lot of laundry during my 30 day challenge. Remember to buy laundry detergent in bulk prior to doing any challenge like this.
17. I had no idea the entire yoga studio would be cheering me on. That was pretty awesome!!
18. Rhonda is always right.
19. You start to look forward to doing sit-ups because that means you are actually sitting down.
20. Become a camel... literally. Drink lots of water. More than you think you need.
21. Awkward Pose is just not my friend. Even after 30 days.
22. Your skin starts to get soft and glowing around Day 15.
23. When your body feels like it can’t take one more step into a hot yoga room, it is just your mind playing tricks that it can’t finish a challenge. Its just messing with you. Take your class.
24. 90 minutes goes by faster than you think.
25. I still don’t know what the word challenge really means
26. There are characters on the ceiling at Riverflow Yoga.... no, really there are! Don’t lie... you know you look up at the plastered ceiling and see faces just as if you are looking up at clouds. My favorite guy is above the floor propane heater who I very loudly greeted one morning before 8am Saturday class!
27. Touching your forehead to your knee before an 8am class sometimes feels wildly impossible.
28. By 30 days you can definitely start seeing new muscles popping out in different places.
29. Showing up to class and lying on the floor still counts. That was your challenge for the day. Don’t ever, ever give up.
30. Savasana is definitely the hardest pose of the class. Try and stay just one extra minute more than you did the day before. You'll be glad you did.
Rhonda Uretzky, E-RYT
Reader Comments (3)
Thank you, Jaime, and congratulations. It is inspiring to learn how others embrace classes and grow. I never know what will come up during class---physically, emotionally, spiritually--but I know that I'm always glad I practiced.
I love this! #2, #7, #9, #15, #16, #17, & #18 are spot on!!
I laughed with #26 - about the characters on the ceiling! I have a friend above the heated carpet - he wears a helmet and is warrior/action figure with a big chin... it's hilarious!!
I agree with all of these!!!
And I'll add one here: whenever a sense of 'obligation' arises about other things in life, just say this: 'whatever it is, it will wait until after -AND BENEFIT FROM- my yoga challenge.
Give yourself over to the challenge with no inhibitions, and it'll give you back your life with better revealed potentials, strengths, and joys to pursue.
Then you'll have the energy and confidence to embrace them and activate them in life.
Anyone who is toying with the idea should JUST DO IT!! :-)
Thanks for the encouragement to do a 30 Day Challenge, Melina. I don't know anyone who has done one who hasn't had a physical, emotional or spiritual epiphany.
As for the characters in our yoga studio - two friends used to save each other spots in class under the profile of Richard Nixon - the exact best spots in the room, according to Celeste and Leslie, right there under Tricky Dick.
There are always new tricks and surprises waiting for you in hot yoga...!