Dying In Bikram Teacher Training

[Anna Isabel]

Hello everyone--

I just finished my first week in Bikram yoga teacher training, and I have been experiencing a lot of nausea + d. Does anyone out there have any experience with these symptoms during hard core exercise? I know I need to eat a lot of food, and I've been trying to eat as much as I can, but my body doesn't seem to be processing anything. I am used to eating a lot of vegetables, but I can't seem to get too many of those down, so I have been trying to eat good grains like quinuoa and eggs and beans and tempeh, but nothing seems to agree with me. I have also been a vegetarian for 11 years, but have never had any problems like this ever since being gluten free. I am sure I haven't gotten any gluten b/c I have been preparing all of my food myself.

Thanks guys, for any advice you might have.

[billcorno]

Could it be stress? Or a new surroundings? I guess the only solution would be time and to relax a bit.

I wish I had something better to say. Good luck.

BillCorno

Hello everyone--

I just finished my first week in Bikram yoga teacher training, and I have been experiencing a lot of nausea + d. Does anyone out there have any experience with these symptoms during hard core exercise? I know I need to eat a lot of food, and I've been trying to eat as much as I can, but my body doesn't seem to be processing anything. I am used to eating a lot of vegetables, but I can't seem to get too many of those down, so I have been trying to eat good grains like quinuoa and eggs and beans and tempeh, but nothing seems to agree with me. I have also been a vegetarian for 11 years, but have never had any problems like this ever since being gluten free. I am sure I haven't gotten any gluten b/c I have been preparing all of my food myself.

Thanks guys, for any advice you might have.

[tarnalberry]

Hello everyone--

I just finished my first week in Bikram yoga teacher training, and I have been experiencing a lot of nausea + d. Does anyone out there have any experience with these symptoms during hard core exercise? I know I need to eat a lot of food, and I've been trying to eat as much as I can, but my body doesn't seem to be processing anything. I am used to eating a lot of vegetables, but I can't seem to get too many of those down, so I have been trying to eat good grains like quinuoa and eggs and beans and tempeh, but nothing seems to agree with me. I have also been a vegetarian for 11 years, but have never had any problems like this ever since being gluten free. I am sure I haven't gotten any gluten b/c I have been preparing all of my food myself.

Thanks guys, for any advice you might have.

Congrats on the teacher training! I'm going to do the same thing next year (though not Bikram).

A couple of thoughts come to mind:

1. If they're keeping the room as heated during the entire training as practice, electrolyte balance is going to be a problem that you'll have to be very careful about - just drinking enough water won't be enough. That can definitely be causing and/or exacerbating the problem.

2. Assuming that your training is anything like the training that I did a week of at an Iyengar class, you're doing a lot of practice at the same time, and that means - particularly in Bikram - that you're breaking down a lot of muscle tissue. The lactic acid build up and protein needs are going to be higher than normal. So if you haven't increased your protein intake, that may be a problem.

3. Meal frequency. Gah - meal frequency during yoga teacher training is a pain. Asana or pranayama with much in your system is ... unpleasant. But waiting and having large meals is also ... unpleasant. The only thing that I could do was very frequent, and very small meals. Like 100-200 calories at a time, every time we had a break, and 300 calorie 'meals' unless it was the end of the day.

4. Changes in the content of food you're eating. The increase in physical demands probably caused you to make some shift in the types/quantities of foods your eating and exactly what it is may be enough to push you over your limits on things that you are somewhat sensitive to. For instance, your body may be able to handle the amount of soy you usually have, but if you're eating more than that now, all that tempeh may be giving you protein, and the diarrhea.

Good luck on your continued training and practice!

Namaste~