I am a yoga novice… seriously novice. I am not very flexible, I am much better at cardio and weight lifting and such. But apparently whatever sports you are not very good at are better for you physically than ones you’re already good at. Like the girls that already can every single yoga move with their eyes closed without breaking a sweat are NOT going to get as much out of a yoga class workout than those of us that are trying our hardest to make our bodies bend and move in ways that we wish we could…
Follow me?
I have done a few basic hatha yoga classes and some Yoga In Daily Life classes. I like these as they are not too impossible for me to do most of the moves. In fact if yoga weren’t so darn expensive I’d probably go more often.
Bikram yoga is a little different, it’s a type of “hot” yoga where you complete a set of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises in a heated room for about 90 minutes. Depending where you go the rooms are heated at 40% humidity to about 104 F or 40 C. It’s hot!
I have never tried Bikram yoga before… frankly because I’m flat out too scared to do it on my own and I don’t know if I could handle the heat and the pressure of feeling like I want to fit in and not fall on my face. haha.
But Bikram yoga still intrigues me and I like to read about people’s experiences with it. Many people have had great results with becoming more flexible, losing weight, getting clearer skin, better sleep, lowering their stress levels and much more.
It’s one of those sports that people either LOVE it or they HATE it and couldn’t be more vocal and convincing about it. It probably has a lot to do with people’s expectations, their fitness level and how helpful/intimidating their bikram yoga teacher is.
Everyone has good and bad experiences.
So I wanted to share this article I found online for those that are interested in trying bikram yoga for the first time, but are a little hesitant. You kind of wish you knew what to expect and if you’ll feel out of place if you can’t do some of the moves, or if you need to leave the room because you’re so hot etc.
The article is here: http://justherejustnow.wordpress.com/2012/07/24/bikram-yoga-beginner/
It’s got some great tips on what everyone should know as a bikram yoga beginner. Apparently leaving the room because you are too hot is NOT a good idea, or you can pass out from getting up too quickly and trying to get out. It’s better to just lay back and relax and be calm if you cannot manage to do anymore of the postures. It’s not about finishing every single posture, it’s about staying in the room and training your body to be able to handle it.
Very interesting!
Let me know what you think.
I am pretty new to Bikram Yoga. Tried it first with a friend who had bought some classes with a Groupon. I knew enough to dress in as little as I felt comfortable in, drink plenty of water the day before, and not eat much that morning (it was an 830am class). The instructor who greeted us gave us some valuable information when he told us to only breath through our noses. This was very helpful. I have now taken 5-6 classes with several different instuctors at 2 different studios. Even though the classes are exactly the same (the instructors actually have a script they follow) their personalities are different and sometimes strong accents or fast speaking can make them difficult to understand. I love the feeling of being drenched with sweat from head to toe. Its a wonderful feeling when its over. I feel clear, detoxified, and just generally healthier and more limber. I am a little skeptical about whether these feelings are brought on by the right circumstances (ie a good workout vs. simply the artifically heated room) but I am very interested in continuing with Bikram and improving my ability to work hard there.