Tomorrow, I will have completed my 30-day “introduction” to Bikram yoga.

Now, more than ever, I’m 100% positive I want to stick with it.

There’s just something magical about the hot room. Some people have church…or music…or art…and I now have yoga.

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Though I’m nowhere near where I want to be, I can already see improvement in my flexibility, balance, and concentration. Just the other night I realized I could bend much further than (and actually grip my ankles) I was allowing myself during the Ustrasana (camel pose). I also was able to balance nearly the entire time during Dandayamana-Dhanurasana (standing bow).

That first session, I wanted to die (or, more accurately, I thought I was going to die and wanted to be put out of my misery very quickly)!

I was dangerously close to passing out and vomiting—and I felt so self-conscious while others in the room made everything look easy.

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Fast forward a few days and—and add more than twice the number of people—and I began to thrive on the energy from others crowding the room.

I love that the room is full of the young and old…the uber-fit and the not-so-athletic…the seasoned professionals and the novices.

Though we’re in the hot room for different reasons (stress management, weight loss, recovery from injury, etc.), each of us achieves something immeasurable from both the asana and the physical/mental challenges.

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I hope I continue to benefit from the practice and even make some like-minded friends along the way.

If you’re like me and have struggled to find a fitness routine you actually enjoy, I urge you to give Bikram a shot. It won’t be easy, and even if you struggle through most of the postures and sit out half of them, you’ll want to keep going!