Hot yoga baby!
Earlier today I went to the Bikram Yoga Ann Arbor studio with a friend from nursing school. I've always been interested in yoga, especially after going to India, but I've never gotten around to doing it. Let me tell you, this is not a recovery type yoga.
The first mistake: I went into the place after riding some time trial intervals and lifting weights. I thought that it would be a great chance to stretch with lots of pretty ladies around. You know, the typical guy in a yoga class scenario (unless you are a time-tried yogi), but it was different to say the least.
Walking into the main room, I was hit by a wall of 120 degree Fahrenheit air with 60 percent humidity. It felt more hot and humid than it felt walking out of the Mumbai International Airport when I first smelled the hot, monsoon-season breeze in India. Lying down into the starting position, the sweat began to steadily drip.
We began doing poses, or Assaas, by standing on one straight leg and pulling our legs back while leaning forward. I'll be blunt, it was hard as hell on my tired, worked legs. From there, I started slurping down water.
Sitting down, the stretching on the mats would have been refreshing had I kept hydrated, but I was on the path to being the first ever person to bonk while doing yoga. I kept taking breaks by lying down in the "Homeostatic position" while others manipulated their bodies into seemingly in-human Asanas.
Trying to regain my wits, the sound of my elevated hear rate beat as my head lie against the once mat turned pool of sweat. My breathing didn't even seem to soothe my body with sweet oxygen, the air was too thick and steamy. Trying different Asanas, I could only hold them for a couple of seconds until I felt out of energy and breath again.
Lying down for the umpteenth time, I began to feel chills take over my fluid-less body. I grabbed my bottle of water to save myself, but found one last gulp of warm water.
I barely hung in to the end of the 90 minute session. I actually got up at one point, feeling that the chills may make me pass out, but the yogi master sat me down and told me to stay, lecturing that I needed more self-control and that I would be happy if I completed the mind-body-spirit experience. I almost plowed her down in front of the class while justifying my case, but she saved the situation by tossing me a water bottle. It helped a great deal, driving me to the end.
Do yoga to stretch, but bring water if its Bikram yoga! Check out the studio at BikramYogaAnnArbor.com. Enjoy the sweat fest if you dive in.
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3 comments:
Was she cute?
Sit in the back.
It might be warm.
Don't pull too hard.
What about the girl?? You know, the "cute" one that invited you? How did your bonking play with her?
You guys are too funny. The bonking didn't really help any part of the situation. Next time I'm going to bring hammer gels and heed, haa. She's just a friend though, not much chemistry. Maybe next time I'll meet a cool yoga instructor or something.
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