Week 1

Again, I can't talk about the content of the classes so this is more of a collection of personal anecdotes, but I hope it is still fun to read!

My roommate is a really nice guy from Chile. He speaks almost no English. He says my Spanish is pretty good, and we are able to communicate more or less. On Friday night I went out with him and most of the Spanish-speaking people at training - from Chile, Mexico, Argentina, Spain, among other places. I am having trouble thinking in English again.

Nutrition is equal parts careful planning and following your random cravings. Your body always knows what it wants, even if it doesn't know how to explain it to you. I had no appetite for most of this week due to a number of factors like nerves and shock at the change in lifestyle. Finally in the middle of the week I got my appetite back after I had some hot and sour soup. I think the spiciness reminded my body of my old diet, and after that I started to get hungry again. I got some pickled jalapenos for when I start to crave spiciness again.

On that note, I have become overly reliant and somewhat addicted to the overabundance of wonderful Asian food available in the northwest. a) It's delicious and I am used to the flavors and ingredients. b) I think I rely upon the high-sodium in many Asian recipes to keep my sodium levels high enough for hot yoga. This week I was low on sodium until eventually I just ate some sea salt chunks and I felt a lot better. Now I am more conscious about how much sodium I am getting and adjusting it with snacks like green olives and beef jerky.

On the note of sodium, balancing electrolytes has been a big challenge this week. If you ever get a really weird, consistent tingling feeling or numbness and muscle cramps, it is probably due to low electrolytes: sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. I knew this coming into training but I still wasn't prepared for how MUCH of them I would need. After a bad crash early in the week, I switched from my 16 oz. water bottle to bringing my 64 oz. bottle to class - and added in some electrolyte powder into the mix. I am still downing coconut water and bananas in between classes, but the extra supplements help keep me going throughout the day without cramping up. I am also drinking a lot more water than I expected. I usually go through my 64 oz. bottle about 3-4 times a day. That's a lot of sweat!

I am learning a ton and having a great time. I'm also meeting a bunch of really awesome people from around the world. It really is an amazing community to be a part of.

Until next week~