I have a cool pink T-shirt that says “Beautiful Disaster” on it. Every time I wear it I always think how could a disaster be beautiful? Today I found out.
You know how it is with exercise – maybe today, maybe tomorrow, consistency wains. For the last two and half years I have knocked consistency home. It paid off. I felt really good…until…
…the last five days. For the first time in these two plus years, I didn’t do anything for five whole days. No fit club. No Koko. I spent the last five days in NY having a great time with friends and family, but didn’t even visit the home gym or local Bikram studio even once. I admit, it was longer and busier than most of my trips due to car buying, March Madness and eye exams. The thought that I wasn’t doing anything exercise-wise floated in and out of my mind like an annoying mosquito. I knew I was going to pay upon returning home. I knew it shortly into my four hour drive. I was sluggish and didn’t feel myself.
I arrived home about 1:30 and instantly fell asleep. When I woke up I wanted to go right back to sleep. I knew my nutrients and hydration were way off. I also knew the only cure for this. Yup – Bikram. Oh this was not going to be pretty, but I got up and headed out to the 4:30 class.
When I got there I found it was going to be a Leslie class. Leslie is is a tough teacher. She runs a hot room, and all though she oozes sympathy, she doesn’t relent. Leslie is actually one of my favorite teachers. Through her I learned to not be afraid of the heat or of holding poses an extra second or two. I learned to approach each pose gently and quiet myself in between them. I knew today I’d need every one of those skills.
Sure enough. Made it til party time. (A short water break after the warm up poses.) Standing head to knee was more standing and not a whole lot of head to knee. This is the pose I fear even when I’m having a Rockstar class because if I go in and come out too many times I jeopardize my energy for the rest of the standing series. I sat out the second set of both standing bow and triangle. The first side of tree was all I could manage and sat and stretched my knees right through toe stand. My muscles were tight, sore and tired, and definitely dehydrated.
The spine series suffered, too. I laid still for one set of locust and bow. I DID manage both sets of camel, and for today, I consider that a win. The floor series ended uneventfully. Even though the room was hot, not once did I have a breathing problem. It was all tired, overspent, muscles. That means even it wasn’t so much the five days off as much as it was I didn’t pay attention to nutrients and water during those five days.
The Bikram disaster held a certain beauty. It brought me back to my early struggles in the hot room. Some of which I needed to be reminded of. There are hard times and there is perseverance to be found to get through them. I arrived home feeling better, in both body and spirit. Spent, but definitely better. Bikram class is definitely a beautiful disaster that never disappoints.
And so, as another day goes by, I’ll wear my shirt with meaning now, and…I have written.
Leave a Reply