Hot Yoga - Bikrams Twenty Six

Even though the world population has shifted from mainly rural to mainly urban in the last decade, there are still lots of folks like me who live in the sticks. Doing things like taking a yoga class becomes a different thing in our case from driving to the neighborhood gym. Since I live 40 miles from the nearest town large enough for yoga studios, when I decided to take a class, I was more interested in the schedule than I was the type of yoga. I couldn't afford to be picky if I preferred not to wait around for a couple hours after getting off work. So I looked in the phone book, and didn't pay attention to anything but the schedule. There it was: M-W-F at 4:00. Perfect. I don't know what rock I'd been living under, but the word "Bikram" writ large across the ad in the yellow pages didn't trigger the term 'hot yoga' in my mind, and that left me in for a big surprise.

I showed up with a comfy pair of sweatpants and a long- sleeved t-shirt. As the woman at the desk was giving me a little orientation information - explaining that the room was heated to about 100 degrees Fahrenheit - I realized that my concept of yoga clothes weren't going to work here. Apparently, I wasn't the first to make this error. Susie told me they had loaners. Now, it's been a while since the last time I wore hot-pants, so when she handed me the little scrap of shorts, I thought, "No way." She said, "Trust me, you'll fit right in."

Susie continued, giving a few more orientation tips, which started to seem like a set of warnings. "Our first-time students are encouraged to rest whenever you feel you should - kind of take it gradually. The instructors just ask that you do your best to stay in the room for the entire time." What? Were we still talking yoga here? I'd seen pictures. Sure, I might not be able to balance on one leg while holding the other one over my head at my first try, but come on. How hard could it be to stretch as far as I could go and stop there? Why would I get desperate to leave the room?

Her next suggestion: "OK, I see you brought a bottle of water. That's good, but you'll be tempted to drink a lot, and I recommend you just drink sips - not too much at a time." Hmm. What was I getting into here? It sounded like I was facing some kind of ordeal - not what I had in mind at all since I was thinking of yoga as a peaceful, low- impact way just to stretch and keep my aging body flexible and strong.

Once I was dressed in the little bit of shorts, I opened the door to the yoga studio and was met with a rush of hot, stultifying air. Oh goody. I walked to an open space, spread my mat, lay on my back, and understood exactly what she meant by asking me to at least stay in the room. I was already dripping sweat, and we hadn't even begun the class.

Ninety minutes and twice through the 26 poses later, I was indeed still in the room. In the non-competitive, supportive atmosphere I had been completely guided to go to my edge, but not so far that I would be turned off by struggle. In fact, I was exhilarated. I lay on my back at the end, eyes closed in the peaceful, very hot room, and knew I'd be back for more.

Carina Snowden is a contributing author to Apex Yoga News the leading resource for yoga information. Visit Carina's archive of articles at http://www.apexyoga.com/

---

Eight Amazing Benefits of Teaching Yoga

Every challenging occupation yields some sort of satisfaction, but the... Read More

Yoga is Unity

Experienced Yoga practitioners often feel discouraged when a naturally gifted... Read More

Paths of Yoga I

With dozens of Hollywood celebrities following in their Guru's lotus... Read More

Total Concentration(samadhi) of Mind

A true Yogi(practitioner) is one who has acquired self-knowledge and... Read More

The Fountain of Youth & Your Hormones

Everyone has heard of the mythical "Fountain of Youth", but... Read More

Yoga and Weight Training ? Never the Twain Shall Meet?

Yoga has become part of Western fitness training techniques. However,... Read More

How to Find the Right Yoga Teacher?

I am often asked by beginners about how to evaluate... Read More

Christian Yoga?

There is an interesting article in the September 5th issue... Read More

Secrets of Teaching Yoga

What you are about to read applies to teaching, in... Read More

A World of Infinite Opportunities

Many people feel that there is a limited amount of... Read More

Mind and Thoughts

Yoga is controlling of thoughts arising in the mind. When... Read More

Are You Willing To Follow Eight Yoga Exercises For the Lower Back?

EXERCISES FOR BACK RELIEFMany people believe that rest is best... Read More

Hatha Yoga

One of the many subsets of the 5000 year old... Read More

Yoga and Low Carb Diets

Yoga is an ancient system of movement designed to generate... Read More

Will Yoga Help You Lose Weight?

I suppose it was only a matter of time before... Read More

Yoga and Christianity a Conflict?

Being a practicing Christian myself, there are very few things... Read More

What is Self Mastery? ? Part 3

The next large component of self-mastery is mental health, and... Read More

Stress - How To Manage Effectively

Stress is very common in all walks of life and... Read More

The Benefit of Pilates

Pilates can benefit your overall health and sense of well-being... Read More

Ayurveda and Yoga, Ancient Sister Sciences

Ayurveda and yoga are sister sciences that have been united... Read More

Muscle Fitness ? Can Yoga Make You Stronger?

Many people wonder if yoga can improve their muscle fitness.... Read More

Yogic Way of Controlling of Thoughts

As described in my earlier article... thoughts in the mind... Read More

The History of Yoga

The history of yoga is long and steeped in tradition.... Read More

Yoga Clothes for Comfort, Functionality ? and Lets Not Leave Out Fun!

Yoga clothes should be comfortable and functional. They should allow... Read More

Yoga - The Solution for Insomnia

At one time, or another, all of us have experienced... Read More

Nine Things You Should Know About Yoga for Children

Here are some guidelines and realistic expectations for parents, who... Read More

Yoga for Fun and Profit

Stress levels around the world are on the rise. In... Read More

Yoga Position ? What Does Each Type Do?

I often wondered what the value of each type of... Read More

Yoga For a Beginner

Yoga for a beginner is an exciting time when you... Read More

Using Yoga to Manage ADD

Exercise is a powerful tool for ADD management. Medical professionals... Read More

Pain and Sorrow

Patanjali in his Yogasutra describes that people are afflicted with... Read More

How to Find the Right Yoga Class For You

There are many types of yoga, some with more emphasis... Read More

What is Self Mastery? - Part 1

Self Mastery, alone, sounds like a selfish term; but if... Read More