Some Classes Will Be A Total Shit Show.

I had the worst class of my life this evening. The WORST.

No... I wasn't hot. I didn't even "feel" the heat. I was sick. Acid reflux... Vertigo... All signs that I had something in me that my body was trying to detox.

I felt great at the start of class. But after a few repetitions of Pranayama in the first set, I started to feel sick.

"This is odd," I told myself. "I feel like I want to throw up."

Things progressively got worse in the second set of Pranayama. But I still pushed myself to do all the poses. In fact, I did most of them in the standing series, and did them very strongly. Shit, I even kicked out and got my forehead exactly to my knee in Standing-Head-to-Knee pose. (After serious encouragement from one of my favorite teachers, who was heading the class.)

But I did have to sit down. And any forward-bending killed. Half Tortoise? Rabbit pose? Locust? I could not do any of those. In Floor Bow, I was able to keep a hold of my feet. But I couldn't kick up.

After the first set of Fixed Firm, I almost left the room. Again, not because it was hot. But because I wanted to go into the bathroom and throw up. I didn't leave, though. I stayed.

One of the other regular practitioners was telling me last week how she had a bad class, and felt shamed because she saw it as "regression."

I told her she shouldn't feel that way. "EVERYONE has bad classes. I do. Teachers do. Not every class is the same. You're body is going to react differently each time. Some days will be a total shit how. Some days will be the best you've ever had."

Today was my "shit show" day.

I've written about it on the Bikram 101 blog... But I seem to have developed an intolerance to wheat and fried foods during this challenge. And at lunch today, I had vegetable tempura.

When will I learn? If something hurts my belly, don't eat it.

A Day At The Office.

I have my own office at work.

Four walls. A door. I even have a nice big window that faces a lot where a woman landed dead after she threw herself off the building two Summers ago. (I didn't work here then.) But even though I have my own personal space, I do find myself wishing I was back the days of "open concept" at my last company. Especially after watching this...

God. I really need to download some Back Street Boys. And I need to hang out with my team at work more often during the day.

Toronto Street Style: Fringe Boots & Plaid.

I know I should be finishing up a presentation and some other work that I have on my plate right now... But I can't stop thinking about these boots I saw the other day on the street in the Rosedale neighborhood.

Perhaps a little too "Pocahontas." But it was cute and unexpected look to see on a teen-aged school girl. This was definitely her attempt to make her school uniform a little more unique. And it was a fun contrast to the pleated plaid skirt she had on her frame.

Coveting: Geek-Chic Chanel Frames.

It's been nearly four years since I last had my prescription checked for glasses. FOUR YEARS! Normally, I wear my contacts. Every day. All day. But lately I seem to be seeing other stylish people rocking the spectacles Every day. All day. And I think...

"They look so chic!"

So I decided it was time to get a new pair for myself. A pair that I would want to wear out and about in my day-to-day world. A pair that would make me look geek-chic, just like one of my icons... Liz Lemon.

And here is the pair I decided to go with while out shopping yesterday...

Yep. Went with Chanel frames. Indulgent? Maybe. But I only replace glasses every three to four years. Figured it was worth the investment.

I do love these though. They have a "cat-eye" slight slope to them. And they are lined in white. So there is a "depth" to the frames. They're fun. And I can see myself wearing my glasses more often.

The Missus In Fashion - The Junior High Years.

I had the best fashion sense at age 12/13.

Yep. That's a hazy photo of me at age 13... Circa 1990. I don't remember who the guy was in the photo. But I was a little ball of perky energy back then (still am! though, it's punctuated with a lot of swear words) and was not afraid to be funky with my fashion.

Flirty denim skirt... A belt (which I NEVER wear these days)... Slouchy cardigan... HUGE glasses - which, back then, I didn't need to wear all the time... They were purely an accessory!

This was when fashion was fun for me. A year later, I was in high school. And fashion became much more planned precise. And two days a week, I had to wear cheerleading uniforms... So fashion was never the same after junior high.

I should really bring back the funky.

Hmm... Nespresso.

Question: How many espresso capsules a day are "too many?"

I ask because both yesterday and today I had four each morning.

FOUR!

And they weren't decaf or mild... They were the Ristrettos. The boldest and strongest offered...

On weekends, I go Nespresso crazy. It is so convenient and delicious... I walk downstairs into the kitchen, flip a switch, and out pours a shot of espresso.

This may sounds crazy and indulgent... But I am tempted to get one of these for my personal office at work. Oh, and I tempted to pack this in my suitcase in the Fall, when I go to Teacher Training.

Is that insane?

Badass Sophisticate.

I was flipping through some photos from my trip to Amsterdam last Spring. All the beautiful colors of flowers at Keukenhof... They got me thinking about how Spring is on the verge here in Toronto. And how I intend to wear more dresses and killer heels once it does officially break.

I am craving colors...

I don't know that my fashion tastes will ever really evolve. I love edgy stuff with really feminine stuff. A "badass sophisticate"... That's how I refer to this look. Love it.

"Are You A Vegan?"

I asked this question recently of one of the Bikram teachers at the studio where I practice. At the time, she was eating from a glass container, which appeared to be filled with tomatoes, some kind of sprout and other veggies. But this wasn't the first time I had seen her eating healthy... A few weeks prior to this, I saw her with a container of what looked like beet and veggies juice.

So healthy!

So when I saw her munching on the salad, I had to ask.

She told me, "I'm a vegan raw foodist."

I was impressed. Though, not surprised. This is a teacher who has an AMAZING and OBVIOUSLY disciplined yoga practice. She is so encouraging when she teaches classes (as nearly all the teachers I have encountered in Toronto area)... And when you practice side-by-side with her when she isn't teaching, you are in awe.

So, no, it didn't surprise me that she was well-established in her food habits. But I was curious...

"When did you go to teacher training? And how long have you been a raw foodie?" I inquired.

She told me she had been a raw foodie longer than she had been teaching.

"But didn't that make teacher training hard?" I wanted to know. I mean, from what I've read, people who go will tell you to just eat whatever your body craves when you are at TT. How was she able to be so disciplined while at training?

"Actually, I was the only one at teacher training who didn't get sick," she said.

She explained that because she didn't eat heated foods, her body didn't have to work harder to get them out of her system. Likewise, her body didn't have to try harder to detox them while practicing twice a day at training.

"I ate only cool foods," she said. "And it kept my body cool."

That makes complete sense to me. But do I think I can become a raw vegan foodie before September?

Um, no.

But shit, it certainly gives me pause about what I put in my body during this challenge... And what I shouldn't be eating while away at training.

(So long Cheez-Its. There was a potential two-month reunion later this year. But now, I think Imma gonna have to quit you.)

Twitter Stream Quality & FourSquare Surfing.

I am a Twitter lover.

I tweet a good 20-plus times a day. There was a time when I would update my blog at least twice a day. But mama ain't got that kind of time anymore. So micro-blogging (i.e., Twitter) is where you can find my quips most days. However, my boss has had an issue with my tweets lately.

Immediately, I am sure you are thinking, "El Jefe is probably mad because you tweet so much from your iPhone during the day."

Well, you are wrong if you are thinking that. My job is actually to understand the habits and trends in the social space. And I can't very well understand them if I'm not tweeting, Facebooking, blogging, Digging, Buzzing, etc...

No. El Jefe's issue with my tweets is that the stream (which is what we call one's series of tweets) quality has become diluted.

"With what?" you may wonder.

With FourSquare.

FourSquare, to give a brief explanation, is a smartphone (iPhone, Blackberry, Android, Palm) application that allows you to check-in and share your whereabouts with those that follow you. Yes, it does allow people to stalk you. But it's fun. And you earn points and badges for checking in to places repeatedly.

And... If you check in to a place enough times, you can become the "Mayor" of that place and have bragging rights. Currently, I am the Mayor of Bikram Yoga Bloor and of my workplace. And because my job is to help people "be found" online, I even created a "place" on FourSquare called "Being Found"... Which I am now the Mayor of too.

But, as a result of my favorite pastime while commuting to work, FourSquare Surfing (checking in at random places while riding past them on the bus), I am now the Mayor of two random apartments...

Don't know if these ladies realize that I checked in at their locations multiple times and became the Mayor of their domains... But I feel it makes for fun Twitter conversation. Which brings me to the main topic at hand...

Twitter Stream Quality.

El Jefe feels that all this "checking in" has gotten a bit silly. And if you follow me on Twitter, you will see that I like to check in at a lot of places. My FourSquare feed is connected to my Twitter account. And so every time I check in some place, it posts it to my Twitter feed for all to see.

El Jefe feels that all these FourSquare check-ins make for a less exciting Twitter stream to read. He has threatened to stop following me.

But I know he won't do that. Because it is a very useful way for him to keep tabs on me... See when I arrive to work. When I leave. When I take a coffee break to go to Starbucks throughout the day.

If anything, he should be grateful for the dilution of my Twitter stream. The company at large should be too.

Pi Day = 3.14.

It is Pi Day. So, in honor of the occasion, I made pies for dinner tonight.

Well... Technically, one of them was a quiche. And there was a second pie, for dessert, which I bought.

So I guess I didn't really make pies for dinner. But I made the effort. And that's what counts.

Dinner was asparagus, gruyere and leek quiche.

And dessert was an apple pie from Whole Foods.

Next year, I will plan better for Pi Day.

Absolutely Alice.

I have about 30 days left in my Bikram yoga challenge. And while the challenge prevents me from taking care of some beauty habits I have (such as coloring my hair - as the color would just bleed out from a daily practice), I am able to take care of at least one grooming habit I have...

Pedicures.

The last time I had a pedicure was at Miraval in December. I haven't had much spare time to do anything lately... Between work, dental appointments and the challenge. But yesterday, I took two hours out of my busy day and sat down at a fancy neighborhood nail bar (Lux Spa) where I watched the Sex and the City Movie and had my toes painted a sparkly aqua blue.

Silly, I know. But I was captivated by the color. With so much rain and cloud coverage this weekend, I was dreaming of a sunny Caribbean beach. The rest of the gloomy colors just didn't appeal to me. I wanted the sparkly blue... Or, "Absolutely Alice" as it is called, by OPI.

If you haven't seen Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, I think you should. I know not everyone is happy with it... But I adored it. The colors... The dresses... The silliness... The interpretation of the story... I liked it all.

And I like my pedicure. Will definitely be going back to Lux Spa next month.

"..Like A Tea-Tray In The Sky."

My life is very busy lately. But despite everything I have going on right now, I managed to find time to get my sister Red's shower invitations printed out and put together...

Yes. It's a bridal tea shower. But she doesn't know where yet. She doesn't get to find out until she receives the invitation later this month.

I hate showers, normally. I didn't have a bridal shower myself. And if I ever have a baby, I don't want a baby shower either. I find most showers tacky, with all the games and whatnot.

Don't get me wrong... I LOVE parties. With great food. And wine. And conversation. And amusing games. But let's face it... Shower games are TACKY to the Nth degree. So, of course, I will not allow them at my sister's shower.

Not sure if she wants them. I didn't ask. Since I am hosting, I am making the decision... No tacky shower games. Instead, we will have a lovely afternoon tea. And champagne cocktails.

Tacky champagne cocktails.

The Ten Plagues (In Mask Form).

I'm not much of an "impulse purchase" type of person.

I don't chew gum. I buy my magazines at the bookstore with my discount card. I don't crave the candy bars usually lining the pockets near the register.

I am "strong" when it comes to resisting the impulse suggestions retailers try to throw at me... Usually. But tonight, I couldn't resist something hanging in front of me while checking out at Whole Foods...

A bag of masks representing the 10 plagues of Egypt.

I have to say... My favorite is locusts.

Need Less Detergent.

Eww.

Great Bikram class tonight. Great class. But, there was a bit of an issue...

First, I noticed it in Triangle pose. In the studio where I practice, we turn on our towels when we do a few poses. So when we do Triangle, we are spreading our legs length-wise on our towels. And in tonight's Triangle, my left foot (close to the top of my towel) kept sliding.

"Why is my towel so slippery tonight?" I wondered.

I figured it out by the time I was in Camel pose... That's when I saw the foam trail on the top part of my towel. It appeared that I hadn't gotten all the detergent out of my clothes when I washed them the other night.

In Rabbit pose, I managed to get some of the detergent into my mouth... And I began spitting and raspberry-ing it out of my mouth through the remaining postures.

It was nasty.

From now on... I may only wash my practice clothes with hot water and vinegar. No detergent at all. I don't ever want to taste that again.

Bikram 101: 60 Down. And A Decision Made.

I had a dream the other night... I was on a swing. It kept swinging back and forth.

Back and forth. Back and forth.

I've been in between choices. For a while now. My heart was truly split between two things. And I was afraid to pull the trigger and make a choice. But having gone through the first 60 days of the Bikram 101 challenge, I now know that the time is right for me to finally move forward with something I have wanted to do over the past three and a half years...

Go to Bikram Yoga Teacher Training.

Yes. I was supposed to go last Fall. But there were too many changes going on at once in my life that I decided I needed some stability instead. I didn't want to take off and go into debt after buying a house, just to pay for teacher training. I also wanted to establish a work history here in Canada. So when a job opportunity- a good one - presented itself, I decided taking it was the right thing to do.

And it was.

I was able to re-save for training. I was able to establish myself at my job, and work out a way to leave for a few months to go to training... And have a job when I come back. And we will have had the house for over a year at that point.

I am much more comfortable going away now. I am ready.

So the decision has been made. No matter what, I am going to Bikram Yoga Teacher Training this Fall. Even if it is still in Vegas.

Time to start studying that dialogue again.