Bikram Yoga: If You Can't Take the Heat...

Now, I know I’m no yoga expert, but I’ve dabbled. It all started a year ago my friend and I joined a class for beginners. We soon realized that beginners meant kids 12-and-under. When I first walked in I was pretty embarrassed, but figured as a varsity athlete I would school these munchkins, right?! This was going to be a confidence booster! Wrong.

“Good warm up everybody, let’s get into some strength training!” the instructor cooed in a melodic tone. Warm up? I was sweating bullets. I looked around at all the teeny little bodies surround me, practicing hand stands and twisting into positions I didn’t think were humanly possible. Argh. Apparently, I had forgotten how limber children are. Oh, to be young again. After two humiliating classes, I thought I was through with this yoga business. That was until last Friday, when I decided to face my fear and try it one more time.

Two of my coworkers at AAHF have started doing Bikram Yoga, otherwise known as “hot yoga.” Basically, there are 26 different yoga poses you do in a room that is extremely hot and humid to increase your flexibility (I need all the help I can get in that department) and help you sweat out your toxins. They finally convinced me to give it a try, and blocking out the memory of my previous experience, I decided to go for it. At least I knew that it wouldn’t be another class full of freakishly flexible pre-teens!

I dressed in a sports bra and running shorts to prepare for the heat. Apparently, the room is recommended to be AT LEAST 105F degrees with about 40% humidity. Honestly, I think even if I was completely naked I would feel like I was wearing too much. For the first time in my life I was jealous of bald men. Walking into the room, my feet stuck to the damp floor. Bodies were sprawled out on mats and towel and mirrors covered almost all of the wall space. As I lowered to the ground I began to think about how this class was not 30 minutes, not an hour, but 90 minutes. What activity would I normally do for an hour and a half straight? Watch 3 episodes of Sex and the City. Actually, scratch that, I could watch the whole Sex and the City movie. Wow. I had to stop thinking about that…

At first, the positions were not too bad and were actually kind of relaxing. After about 30 minutes I felt myself sort of zone out. This, I believe, is what you would call “meditation.” Ohhmmm… Zen. Towards the end, I will admit, I wanted OUT! However, the cardinal rule is you may not leave. As I looked at the door I began to hallucinate Gandolph the Grey Wizard from Lord of the Rings bellowing, “YOU SHALL NOT PASS!” Frightening. Ok, it was definitely time for a break. I looked up at the clock and was relieved and shocked to realize we only had about three minutes left. Hallelujah! I made it! PRAISE GHANDI! Or whatever yoga god…there is… never mind.

It wasn’t until I left the room that I realized how much I had sweat. It was as if I had just stepped out of the shower, minus the horrible smell. Walking down the street I wasn’t even embarrassed because I knew people probably thought I just swam a few laps at the local Y. If only the guy sitting next to me on the metro knew… I must have sweat out all of my toxins because I not only felt stronger, but also cleaner. It’s hard to describe, because I was obviously filthy, but my body felt healthier.

The next morning I woke up extremely sore in muscles I wasn’t aware I had. But it was a good sore, an addictive sore.

My next class is going to be this Thursday and although I know it will be long and hard, the mental and physical benefits are definitely worth it. I suggest this type of yoga to anyone and everyone who is willing to try a new thing and test their body’s endurance.

The studio I go to is called Bikram Yoga Dupont, and it’s located at 635 Connecticut Ave. NW in Washington, D.C. The intro week, which is the package I bought, is only $20 and includes mat rentals. Here’s the website http://www.bikramyogadc.com/index.htm

Yoga provides the mind and body with countless benefits. The website, www.naturalhealthsciencenews.org, provides numerous scientific studies that detail the healing power of yoga. From nixing back pain and asthma, to curing anxiety and depression, this therapy helps many people with various health issues. For example, one study showed that meditation/yoga works as well as medication to beat depression. Pills with horrible side-effects, or yoga twice a week, the main side-effect: fitting back into those skinny jeans that you kept for "inspiration" all those years ago.

After researching alternative medicine therapies, it makes me wonder why U.S. health care doesn't promote Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) more. Alternative therapies are more of a lifestyle than a medicine. Changing the way you live not only cures illnesses, but protects you in the future. Living a life based on CAM is the key to being healthy because it really works to PREVENT diseases and illnesses. Small lifestyle changes can really impact your health in the future, not to mention your wallet.

Hey, if the queen of procrastination can start living healthy now to prevent diseases that loom in my future (hopefully, a very,very far off future), then you can too. And it's never too late to start. But first, I need to do all I can to make sure my choice to utilize CAM is protected.

-See you @ Bikram Yoga!

*Namaste*

H.H.H.