Hot Yoga Insights
Y'all, I grew up in the south with mild winters and sweltering summers, but even I think calling it hot yoga is putting it mildly. Have you ever tried it? Within minutes my skin is glistening and my breathing a little heavier. But you know what? I love it. And there are so many health benefits, from building muscle tone to flushing toxins from the body, that I can't help but keep going back for more.
In fact, I used to attend hot barre classes religiously with a friend, but when life got busy and she moved away, I found myself quickly scratching that off the list. It seemed easier to eliminate something that left me sweaty and in need of a shower, than to figure out how to re-arrange my schedule to accommodate work, kids sports schedules, family time... AND me time. Little did I know however, that continuing to neglect this valuable me time, would also effect my quality time with family and friends. You see, the benefits of taking care of yourself is that you then have more energy, sustainability, and positivity to offer others. The less I worked out and devoted time to the gym the more sluggish, heavy, and moody I felt. I found myself quickly snapping at others and never feeling like I was getting enough sleep no matter how many hours I slept each night. So a couple months ago I started making small changes.
As an avid runn(er...jog)er, I've learned over the years that what you put into your body really does contribute to performance and endurance. But again, during this season of taking a little less care of myself, as well as a babying a stubborn knee injury, I found I was also getting lazy about what I ate (notice a pattern yet?). Fast forward almost 30lbs later and I was feeling pretty uncomfortable in my own skin. And with a petite 4'11 frame, the smallest amount of extra weight makes even my joints ache. If my new found love handles hadn't already bothered me, my joints sure did. So, I decided I could either continue on the path I was on, or make a change that would positively impact both my health and energy as well as my relationships with others.
Casey, being the supportive partner that he is, started to make small changes with me. In August we decided to go gluten-free and in September we completed Whole 30. I discovered significant changes in my health and wellness after changing my eating habits alone. I discovered that added sugar gave me headaches and mood swings, dairy made me incredibly tired, and excess in gluten left me feeling tired, irritable, and bloated (often followed by nausea and a sour stomach). It was enlightening to say the least. By November I was even able to begin running again, albeit small intervals, but running all the same. And now, in December, group fitness classes have entered my life again! With Casey by my side (literally, on the yoga mat next to mine), I'm sweating it out and loving the small changes to get back to a healthier lifestyle as well as learning to give myself grace along the way.