I recently started attending Hot Yoga classes with some friends of mine. I think I might be hooked! I've gone the last three nights in a row and it feels great... not so much the first time I tried it, though. The room is about 120 degrees and after multiple position changes, coupled with my poor hydration habits and naturally low blood pressure, I was feeling pretty nauseated and light headed. I had to step out into the lobby and cool off for a while. After that first evening, I wasn't so sure I was going to like Hot Yoga, but I decided to give it another try and went back 3 days later. The last few nights have been amazing! I've prepared myself by drinking a ton of water throughout the day and eating something salty about an hour beforehand. During class, I use gatorade (or my own homemade version - details below***) instead of plain water. I also figured out that breathing properly can make ALL the difference in the world.
I tend to me a bit more flexible than most due to a collagen disorder. Usually I am not a natural at sports or other physical activities, but this just might be my gig! I am finding I can do some of the more advanced poses pretty easily. Balance is my biggest struggle, because the flipside of having flexible joints is that some stability is lost, not to mention I also have one leg that is noticeably longer than the other. But the workout is amazing! I am drenched in sweat by the end of the hour (and I am one of those girls that other girls love to hate - I usually don't sweat much at all). I feel stronger everyday, and amazingly, not sore.
Physical benefits aside, I really love the mental focus of the sessions. As some of my friends know, (and others probably wouldn't be surprised to find out) I was diagnosed with mixed-type attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) while in college. I won't go into all the details and symptoms that a mom with ADHD struggles with, but let me say that an hour in a warm, quiet, dark room is a welcome rest for my busy mind. And the physicality of the yoga only helps - with my body activated, and nothing else fighting for my attention, I am able to really "set my intention" (as the instructor says) on what I am doing in that moment.
This week, I am working on applying this concept to other areas of my life. Before I walk in the front door when coming home from work in the afternoon, I remind myself to set my intentions on my children, and focus on really giving them the warm, loving greeting they deserve. Something that should seem so obvious and natural for a mom, but if any of my readers struggle with attention disorders, you will understand how easy it is to breeze into the house and get distracted before even saying hello. Even as I sit here typing this evening, I find myself getting wrapped up in listening to the conversation my children are having about stocking stuffers, and losing my train of thought! But rather than become frustrated and ask them to be quiet or move the chatting to one of the bedrooms, I will try taking a few breaths in and out. I will set my intentions on this paragraph and finish it with proper grammar!
I am excited to have this new tool in my arsenal... I have opted to avoid stimulant medications at this point. Although Adderall worked wonders for my focus, it also gave me heart palpitations, decreased my appetite to the point that I lost 15 lbs (about 10 too many) and increased my normally low blood pressure to pre-hypertensive range. The final straw came when a childhood friend of mine suffered a sudden, unexplained death. The only possible cause the coroner could find was a severe adverse reaction to Adderall. There was no evidence of overdose or abuse. So, no stimulants for me! (Same goes for energy drinks - those things are a heart attack in a can!)
I also find plenty of time during the yoga hour for meditating on verses of Scripture, or praying. It is one way I have found to make my practice my own. Looking forward to sharing how it goes, and if I decide to stick with it. I have a few more days left on my introductory unlimited pass - then it gets a bit more expensive!
***Homemade energy drink***
3 parts water to 1 part juice or kool-aid
(make with stevia or other sweetener of your choice if you prefer low calorie. I prefer cane sugar. Do not drink or eat anything with high-fructose corn syrup in it if you can avoid it. It doesn't activate the satiety or "fullness" center in the brain the way regular sugar does and your body will not tell you when you've had too much the way it will with regular sugar.)
Salt, enough for 110mg sodium per 8oz. (sorry, some math involved).
Use a 50/50 combination of regular and "light" salt if you want potassium as well. I take a particular medication that can increase potassium in the blood, so I just use regular salt. (Good example of why it's good to know what you're putting in your body, why, and what it does to your body. This goes for any medication or supplement, even if it's labelled as "natural". Don't put anything into your body without being deliberate about it!)
The recipe isn't very scientific, but it gives you an approximation of the electrolyte and calorie profile of gatorade. Much cheaper. Experiment with flavorings such as lemon or lime juice, or kool-aid packets (there is "clear" kool-aid if you want to avoid artificial colorings, but it's a little harder to find sometimes).
You can also experiment with the water/juice ratio for more or less calories or flavor. The real test is how you stomach it during a workout.
No comments:
Post a Comment