Bikram yoga: most expensive way to toss your cookies

I got up in the wee hours of Saturday morning (8:30 am…weekend wee hours are different than weekday wee hours) – tore myself from Husband and Puppy snuggle – put on spandex shorts and yoga top then covered up in head to toe sweats to brave the snow outside and went to my first session of Bikram yoga. What is Bikram yoga? Its’ the most popular form of hot yoga – it’s 90 minutes, 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises – all done in a room heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit with 40% humidity. My co-worker and I got it into our heads that we should try it out. It’s definitely the ‘in’ thing right now – we’re so modern and granola trendy!

Being first timers the instructor told us to take as many breaks as we needed – I’ve heard this in other work-out classes and I’ve always kept up fine, so I realize that I would sit/lay on my mat for probably 1/3 of the class! We started with lacing our fingers under out chin and raising our elbows up to the ceiling and breathing – easy peasy, right? Hardest part of the class! I was lightheaded (note to self – drink more water and eat something light before going) my arms hurt, breathing was a work out in itself. I had to leave thinking that I’d be sick, but ended up just rested on the cold tiles of the (immaculately clean) dressing room before going back in. I was impressed with myself at how well I could do all the poses, but I was slipping from so much sweat, I surely wasn’t tight everywhere I was supposed to be. I made it to the end, but the last 20 minutes I just lay most of the time. We ended with a breathing exercise to relax and finish off the work out – the instructor had to ask if I could do it cause I was still just lying there (I couldn’t do breathing!) so I sat up and did it, then promptly got up at the end and emptied the nothing that was in my stomach – since I hadn’t eaten nothing came out, but my body kept trying...very relaxing end of work out.

Even with the up-chuck I liked it – but I didn’t feel like I got a good workout, even though it kicked my trash. And I was really sore. Maybe I did get a good workout, I’m just embarrassed that my arms were sore from having to lift them over my head. And I’d maybe like it more if I was better hydrated and had eaten a little more (you’re not supposed to eat for two hours beforehand, well two hours beforehand I was in REM…heck, 20 minutes before I was still snuggled up to Husband and puppy). And I’d likely get more out of it if I could hold the stands better – isn’t that true of so much exercise, if you were good at it you’d get more benefits and enjoy it more…but until you get there you hate life.

The specifically used and ordered 26 poses are supposed to have huge and specific benefits – things from helping with flexibility and mobility (duh) to stimulating liver, kidney, intestine and spleen function. Pretty cool (if it’s true – here’s an interesting freakonomics article on it) and it’s a great detox (I think I sweated my total body weight – the towel over my mat was soaked! My orange sports bra was a uniform drenched darker orange). My skin looks clearer this week (that could also be because I’ve been implementing some new facial stuff…or because my dog licks my face, that’s probably it).

In synopsis: most money I have ever spent to toss my cookies. But I think I’ll try it again.

In other exercise news: I’ve been going to the chiropractor and he said that he thinks he can get me running again! What what?! I am so excited! I ran a mile and it whopped me, but that’s just cause it’s been a year and a half since I hurt my knee and have been off the roads. I learned this two days after doing Bikram yoga, definitely lessened my desire to try out the yoga again and out my time and effort back into running!