How to survive 90 minutes of Bikram yoga?

My second lesson of Bikram Yoga in Milan was as tough, hard and "terrible" as the first one last week. Just after 15 minutes I started to feel dizzy, Few times during the class I felt like fainting and once I almost got panic. All because of the heat. But I wasn't alone in this. Some people just sat the whole class while some where more dramatic and started to hyperventilate.,tried to rush out (but was stopped by the teacher and dragged in again), someone (I guess?) vomited and some panicked but manage to stay inside anyway.

The teacher kept saying that people in much worse physical and mental shape than us has survived Bikram all over the world so why should't we do it? And I kept that in my mind, I am fit, I am light, I am quite strong and quite flexible so I just must be able to survive the Bikram yoga class and I did. I tried not to think of how hot it was even if it hard. Like last time I did do all

Suggestions says that during Bikram yoga it is important not doing any extra movements at all. The idea of Bikram yoga is to hold still each pose as long as possible and then catch up the breath during the resting pose (standing or lying still) that comes after each yoga pose. To do some extra stretching my yourself, fixing your clothes, your hair of whatever is just total waste of well needed energy.

Everyone sweats a lot. We are walking out in clothes and with a towel as wet as if they had been thrown in a pool. I actually sweat more than I have ever done in my whole life. But that is normal so no need to waste energy thinking about it, get distracted about it or try to dry it away with your towel.

Another important thing to keep in mind is to always keep the eyes open. It is easy to feel like closing them but it won't help at all, actually it can just make you feel dizzy and to loose your concentration.

Yesterday I felt much better after the class than I did last time. I think it was because I drank a water mix of salts and minerals both before and plenty of it afterwards. And thinking logically, with with the sweating we all loose not only liquids but also salt so some extra salts during the day might not be a bad idea. And then it is obviously important to both eat and drink well during the whole day both before and after the Bikram yoga class.

xoxo

Seafood ragu

Tonight I have cooked seafood ragu for myself and Anna. It was the first time I made it and I didn't have high expectations but it turned out very good (Anna might have helped just a little...)

Very very nice dish and in the end also very simple to make with just six ingrediens plus any kind of pasta:

- Perch fish
- Squid rings
- Big shrimps
- Cherry tomatos
- White wine
- Onion

It takes some time to cook but it is well worth the time.

Good night

Enoteca Letteraria A. Bacardi

Tonight I went to this cozy little enoteca for a after work aperitivo with colleagues. It is just the kind of place I love; small, cosy and characteristic. Had a glas of wine and lots of small typical Italian snacks they kept bringing us.

Good to know we have such nice place close to work. I will go back for sure. Oh yea, just to add, it is in Bollate, slightly outside central Milan.

xoxo

dancing and omelette

Today the body pump class was extremely hard and I legs where shaking when I entered the dancing class. One hour later and the fun dancing class was over I was almost creeping out of the studio. But it was the best part of my day anyway, so much fun.

Back home I made myself a massive omelette with zucchini, had a long bath and now I am one the phone with my mum hearing the latest gossip of the new family member, the dog Stella.

xoxo

IKEA vs Maison Du Monde

Love this lamp!

 (Ikea is full of Swedish books, I wonder when they gonna start selling them...)

 (free swedish coffee for IKEA family members... poor people, it is disgusting)

VS

Maison du Monde

And some dinner on top of that...

Today was one of those day I could had stayed in bed all day. I have been really tired all day and the weather is just crap. Few degrees and a humidity level in the air so high it felt like raining. 

But Torri manage to get me out of bed and meet up with him some some window shopping at IKEA and Maison du Monde in San Giuliano outside Milan. 

I love IKEA. Maybe because it is Swedish and all the names are in Swedish I feel like home. But I love it also because it looks the same all around the world. They sell nice things for nice prices. 

Maison du Monde cost a bit more but the style feels a bit more personal than IKEA's. The white wooden style that I love is one of many the interior styles they got and there are so many things I would like to buy.

In the end, thinking of them both I would bay more big furnitures from IKEA and smaller staff plus maybe the bed and the sofa from Maison du Monde. 

I have fun walking around them both today. Then we had a quick piadina dinner in a shopping center on out way home and now, even if it still early, I gonna go to bed. 

Good night!

xoxo

Tex mex at Joe Penas

I've soon tried all Mexican restaurants in Milan. But I must say the few Mexican restaurants that exists are very nice. Not like the Thai places in Milan that are nothing in comparison to the thai in London or Stockholm for example. No, the Mexican over here are very nice!

Yesterday Stefano and I went to Joe Pena's in the Tortona area. It is one of the oldest Mexican restaurants in Milan and it actually felt very characteristic. The food was good, the prices ok and the  evening was nice.

xoxo

Warming up at Bianco Latte

The afternoon plan today was to have a walk to the market. But when Milan offered an afternoon with zero degrees and a mix of snow and rain in the air the afternoon market visit felt quite stupid. So instead we I met up with Anna and Isabella at Bianco Latte for some hot drinks and yammi cakes. Do I need to say it again....? I LOOOOVE BIANCO LATTE! :)

xoxo

Pasta carbonara with zucchini

This is one of my new lunch favourites. It is a simple pasta with carbonara sauce but using zucchini instead of bacon/pancetta. 

- Any types of pasta (as you can see I changed it in the last second)

- Zucchini to fry in the pan while the pasta is boiling

For the carbonara sauce there are millions of recipes, I do it like this

- 2 eggs

- some milk (just a little)

- Parmesan cheese (a lot)

- Salt and pepper

When doing it with zucchini I normally also add some chili. 

Easy, fast and delicious. 

xoxo

Morning leg killing

That I like to start off my weekends with a morning workout have I told you many times. But today I did it slightly different. I did a morning leg work out. One hour only for the lower body; legs, bums and abs. I normally never concentrate on the legs so I know I am doing well pushing me doing it from time to time but I don´t really like it. Today I did and I feel good about it.

After the gym I went to the supermarket and carried home lots of heavy things on my shoulders, double up for the legs :)

xoxo

Friday drink at Ricci

Nice and calm Friday night. Meet up with Anna for an aperitivo and a nice cocktail at Il Ricci.

Now I am off to the gym.

xoxo