sorry for being MIA lately. there has been a whole lot going on. I am about to blog about some of those goings-ons, so, please, let out the exclamation you have been holding in.
two weeks ago on wednesday, i started going to bikram yoga. for those of you uneducated folk, this is yoga in a 105 degree room. let me start by giving you a run down of my first day.
I did my research- hydrate, bring a towel, yoga mat, and water. wear tight fitting clothing. class starts at 6:30, doors open at 6 pm. i showed up a little before 6 and waited outside the door. i wanted plenty of time to get settled in because, well, i was flippin nervous. i have NEVER done official yoga before let lone willingly spent an hour and a half in a room that is heated higher than 72 degrees.
welcome to bikram yoga- is this your first class? well, yes, it is. okay, how about you sign this form that states that if you pass out or lose an eye ball, its your own damn fault for being looney enough to do this in the first place. sure- i'll sign that! no prob! okay cool- it's 20 bucks for a week of free yoga, and you should come every day. (yeah right, everyday, as if i have time for that). class is an hour and a half, once you get inside, there is no talking and you can't leave. (Dear sweet Lord, please help me. what am i doing? no escape!) if you start to feel dizzy or nauseated, just sit down, it's totally normal for your first class. okay, i think i can handle that. awesome! just go put your stuff in the locker room and take your shoes off- you can bring your towel, mat, and water into the room. okay, thanks for everything, dude.
i went to the girls locker room. I use the facilities one more time before class, put my stuff in a locker, took off my flip flops, and headed into the room.
HEADS UP PEOPLE. the one thing they DONT warn you about and you DONT sign a contract about is the smell of the room. it smells like a combination of the zoo (like the worst parts of the zoo- the poop and animalness) and body odor and sweat. oh and did i forget to mention---- IT IS HOT AS HELL IN THERE.
i managed to take a few shallow breaths of zoo air and humidity. I set my mat on the floor in the back row. and then i sat there. then i fidgeted. then i rolled over on my back. it ended up being a good thing that i had time to adjust to the smell and the heat. I think class would have been even more difficult had i not done this. I have gotten there early for all subsequent classes for the same purpose- extra time to suffer through that smell and the heat so that i dont notice it once class begins.
Class begins with this funny breathing exercise. Stand up. Feet together. Hands clasped under your chin- they dont move. Breathe in, bring your elbows up (hands/knuckles still on your chin). suck your belly in, you should see your rib cage. Exhale making a soft "ha" sound - elbows down slowly til they touch. head tilts back. do this a million times.
After this breathing exercise, there are 26 poses- the first half standing and the second half seated. In my first class, i had to sit down a few times. my head was swimming- i just knew i was going to throw up. somehow, i made it through all the poses. You finish with another breathing exercise, but i dont feel like describing it. go try bikram for yourself.
FACTS:
1. i have never sweat that much in my life
2. i definitely thought that i was crazy multiple times during this class (and all subsequent)
3. i thought my heart was going to explode at a few different points.
4. there are old people who can do this shit better than i can.
5. i had a tank top on, but after 5 minutes sitting in the room before class, i took it off. it is best to go to class in a sports bra and shorts.
6. did i mention that you sweat? every pore of your body sweats. when you bend over, a stream of sweat pours off your forehead.
7. sometimes you have to grab your feet or your legs but your body is too sweaty to get a good grip.
8. i have never felt so energized post workout- it's this strange fresh feeling.
I have gone to a few more classes. I haven't made a whole lot of progress other than being able to actually make it through the class without sitting down.
and i like it. i know, i really am nuts. however, i will say, that class would be a millions times better if the room smelled like honeysuckle.
ultra love.
I started Bikram in January! I love it a lot, and yes I was soooo freaked out the first time. Greg and Lori are great.
ReplyDeleteHah! Bikram is super fun, but I can only do it like once in a big while. Also try Ashtanga. I feel like an effing rockstar after. There's like 700 million pushups and it's the same sequence every time, so it's sort of like a dance class (think Groove Theory style). And, bonus, my arms are sicko.
ReplyDeleteLOL - hilarious post on your first Bikram class. I'm reading your whole blog now from where you are now and where you started. Love seeing the progression!
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