Awhile back during a wonderful massage in Florida, the masseuse recommended to me that I should try Bikram Yoga. What is Bikram yoga I asked? The girl explained it as a yoga class in a very hot room. Hmm....let me think? No thanks! I'm not a yogi at all and actually have never even taken one yoga class!
Fast forward two or three years to my friend Shannon and I sitting at the local pub talking about yoga. Shannon is a yogi! She practices 3-5 times per week at local studios and at home! So I thought, who better to ask about "hot yoga" than Shannon. Turns out, she had done it once and loved it! She explained it to me as a series of 26 poses each done twice in a very warm studio. Ok, a HOT studio! Right there at the bar we decided to go to a class together. I think I may have also committed to coming to a regular yoga class with her. Maybe the alcohol was talking some?
Our plan was to jump right in and go to the studio near us that only does hot yoga. It's called Laughing Buddha Hot Yoga studio. I should have known from the ominous title that this was going to be 'no joke'. I did a little research before we went so that I wouldn't look like a complete fool. I actually found a few very helpful posters like this one below that show each of the 26 poses:
It made me feel a little better prepared but I was still nervous that the instructor would be calling out positions like "Downward dog" and "pigeon pose" and I would be standing there clueless.
Our class was at 7:45pm on Tuesday night so we arrived early as instructed to get "adjusted" to the temperature in the room. As we walked into the studio I kind of wondered what the hell I had gotten myself into! But in I went! The room wasn't as hot as I had imagined it - at least not while the door was open. Shannon and I stood there chatting a bit before class started. Once the instructor came in I immediately told her that not only was I new to hot yoga, I was new to yoga in general! She was very excited to have a newbie on her hands.
We did a few warm up breaths and then we got started. The first pose involves linking your fingers under your chin, breathing in and out and trying to fold your elbows up to the top of your head. HA! My elbows were parallel to the floor as opposed to the desired perpendicular position. Shannon of course was able to bend and contort herself into this odd position. In the back of my mind I was reminding myself of my inability to flex or be flexible!
As we moved on to the second pose, I became more confident. The instructor was extremely helpful and would correct me when needed. I was thinking how Shannon had said when she had done hot yoga before she didn't remember sweating in the class but she was soaked with sweat when she left. As we went into the end of the second pose where you fold yourself forward and hug your forehead to your CANKLES, I realized I was dripping with sweat! Literally, sweat was dripping off of my head and onto the mat! At first I was a little embarrassed until we rolled into the next pose and I realized every one of of the other 6 ladies in the class was just as sweaty as me.
We continued on through the first 13 poses without too much difficulty. There was one pose (#7 above) where I was able to get fully into position and my taller, leaner friend had a little struggle. (I quietly patted myself on the very sweaty back!) As we transitioned to the seated poses I realized we were half way or 45 minutes through the class. At that point I started to feel a little fatigued and light headed. I sat out one pose to just compose myself and catch my breath. I didn't feel nauseous but I also didn't want to get to that point.
As the class finished, the instructor graciously opened the door and windows and a rush of COLD air came flowing in! I wanted to get off my sweat soaked mat and make out with this woman! I've never been so hot or so sweaty in my whole life! Oddly enough, half way through the class I thought to myself "this is how sweaty I would be if I had sex all night long without a single break!" I don't know why that is what I was thinking about as I was drenched in sweat - but I like where my head was at!
We left class in relief and both agreed to do this again! We loved it. I loved it! I was shocked. I expected to tolerate it enough for the class and I hoped that I would like it but I was surprised with how much I really, truly loved it. Maybe it was the "high" from being so dehydrated after sweating profusely for 90 minutes.
I expected to be a little sore after hot yoga and I was. Yesterday I felt sore in my neck and back but I'm used to those areas being sore after almost any physical activity. I was more exhausted than anything! I couldn't believe how physically exhausted I was! And I still am wiped out from the class. Today I felt a few more muscles become sore. Muscles I was sure didn't even exist in my pudgy little body! It's not a painful sore but a "I got a good workout" kind of sore!
Overall score for Hot Yoga - B+! I could do without the exhaustion that follows (and I hope it goes away after a good night's rest tonight) but all in all, I can't wait to do it again! So if you get a chance, go try it for yourself and let me know what you think!
Fast forward two or three years to my friend Shannon and I sitting at the local pub talking about yoga. Shannon is a yogi! She practices 3-5 times per week at local studios and at home! So I thought, who better to ask about "hot yoga" than Shannon. Turns out, she had done it once and loved it! She explained it to me as a series of 26 poses each done twice in a very warm studio. Ok, a HOT studio! Right there at the bar we decided to go to a class together. I think I may have also committed to coming to a regular yoga class with her. Maybe the alcohol was talking some?
Our plan was to jump right in and go to the studio near us that only does hot yoga. It's called Laughing Buddha Hot Yoga studio. I should have known from the ominous title that this was going to be 'no joke'. I did a little research before we went so that I wouldn't look like a complete fool. I actually found a few very helpful posters like this one below that show each of the 26 poses:
It made me feel a little better prepared but I was still nervous that the instructor would be calling out positions like "Downward dog" and "pigeon pose" and I would be standing there clueless.
Our class was at 7:45pm on Tuesday night so we arrived early as instructed to get "adjusted" to the temperature in the room. As we walked into the studio I kind of wondered what the hell I had gotten myself into! But in I went! The room wasn't as hot as I had imagined it - at least not while the door was open. Shannon and I stood there chatting a bit before class started. Once the instructor came in I immediately told her that not only was I new to hot yoga, I was new to yoga in general! She was very excited to have a newbie on her hands.
We did a few warm up breaths and then we got started. The first pose involves linking your fingers under your chin, breathing in and out and trying to fold your elbows up to the top of your head. HA! My elbows were parallel to the floor as opposed to the desired perpendicular position. Shannon of course was able to bend and contort herself into this odd position. In the back of my mind I was reminding myself of my inability to flex or be flexible!
As we moved on to the second pose, I became more confident. The instructor was extremely helpful and would correct me when needed. I was thinking how Shannon had said when she had done hot yoga before she didn't remember sweating in the class but she was soaked with sweat when she left. As we went into the end of the second pose where you fold yourself forward and hug your forehead to your CANKLES, I realized I was dripping with sweat! Literally, sweat was dripping off of my head and onto the mat! At first I was a little embarrassed until we rolled into the next pose and I realized every one of of the other 6 ladies in the class was just as sweaty as me.
We continued on through the first 13 poses without too much difficulty. There was one pose (#7 above) where I was able to get fully into position and my taller, leaner friend had a little struggle. (I quietly patted myself on the very sweaty back!) As we transitioned to the seated poses I realized we were half way or 45 minutes through the class. At that point I started to feel a little fatigued and light headed. I sat out one pose to just compose myself and catch my breath. I didn't feel nauseous but I also didn't want to get to that point.
As the class finished, the instructor graciously opened the door and windows and a rush of COLD air came flowing in! I wanted to get off my sweat soaked mat and make out with this woman! I've never been so hot or so sweaty in my whole life! Oddly enough, half way through the class I thought to myself "this is how sweaty I would be if I had sex all night long without a single break!" I don't know why that is what I was thinking about as I was drenched in sweat - but I like where my head was at!
We left class in relief and both agreed to do this again! We loved it. I loved it! I was shocked. I expected to tolerate it enough for the class and I hoped that I would like it but I was surprised with how much I really, truly loved it. Maybe it was the "high" from being so dehydrated after sweating profusely for 90 minutes.
I expected to be a little sore after hot yoga and I was. Yesterday I felt sore in my neck and back but I'm used to those areas being sore after almost any physical activity. I was more exhausted than anything! I couldn't believe how physically exhausted I was! And I still am wiped out from the class. Today I felt a few more muscles become sore. Muscles I was sure didn't even exist in my pudgy little body! It's not a painful sore but a "I got a good workout" kind of sore!
Overall score for Hot Yoga - B+! I could do without the exhaustion that follows (and I hope it goes away after a good night's rest tonight) but all in all, I can't wait to do it again! So if you get a chance, go try it for yourself and let me know what you think!
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