Hot Mess

Yesterday I was thrown a little bit out of my comfort zone. Okay, a lot. I agreed to try Bikram Yoga.

For those of you who don't know, Bikram Yoga is essentially yoga done in a room that is 105 degrees. Hot yoga. Like, really hot. When I agreed to it, I didn't necessarily think that the plan would actually come to fruition. You know, when you're with friends and they say, 'Oh we should try that sometime!' And you respond with, 'Yeah that sounds like a good idea!' Then nothing comes of it. That's how I thought this was going to be. Ohhhh, no. No no no. This one came to be.

I happen to be off work on Wednesdays, and lo and behold, Wednesday was the day to do it! At 6:30 AM no less! That was a bit off-putting. I was told that the new people had to be there at 6 so that we could sign up. So I dragged my happy (kidding) butt out of bed at 5 to get ready to sweat.

When we arrived, the instructor was very nice and very welcoming. She was much more excited about us being there than we were. I could tell that all of my friends were a little apprehensive about it, as was I. Once we were all signed in and paid for, the instructor started going over how the class works. The first thing she said to us was, 'Now since it's your first time, your whole goal is to just stay in the room.' And immediately I'm on alert. I'm sorry, just stay in the room? How bad is it? What's going to happen? Stay in the room? So, naturally, that one worried me a bit. (Also, we were told not to eat for 3 hours beforehand, so that added to my anxiety as well.)

So we get all set up with our mats and go into the actual yoga room, and I tell you what, it is hooooot. Hot hot hot. Fortunately it wasn't a humid hot, but a dry hot. Then the class starts. Everyone has a towel over their yoga mat, because naturally people are already starting to sweat. The instructor tells us that for the first 30% of the class, try not to drink water, and allow your body to warm up. (Picture me giving her the 'WHAT' face here...) She also told us that if we felt off at any time, to just lay down with our feet facing the wall. Try to stay in the room. So of course by the time the class gets underway I'm thoroughly anxious for how I'm going to do and how the class is going to play out.

Now I'd done yoga a fair bit before- I'm definitely not a savant- but I knew a lot of the poses, so that was a benefit to me. We did each pose three times, and were allowed a 20 second rest period in between. We started with standing poses and then moved to sitting poses towards the end. The class as a whole was an hour and a half long. And to be honest, I have never sweated so much in my entire life. But the joyous thing was, everyone else was just as sweaty as I was. (Thank you, towel over my yoga mat, for not betraying me.) Aside from the obvious heat, it was a very comfortable setting. I actually ended up liking the class a lot, and afterwards, once I recovered a little and got some more water into my system, I felt great. Like I truly accomplished something, and it was no little feat. I'm actually going to go next week.

So, in conclusion, if you're considering trying Bikram Yoga, definitely give it a shot. Bring lots of water, a towel (or two) and a can-do attitude (even though I may have left mine at home). Don't be discouraged if you can't do all the poses or if you need to lay down for a bit- I definitely did a few times, and I am not ashamed! The feeling afterwards is great, plus the shower is one of the greatest showers you will ever take.

Go for it, try something new. If you don't like it, at least now you know, and you're not left wondering.

That's all for me, now I'm off to find something else to occupy my time while I rehydrate.

Be good,
KG