A good friend of mine is in town and while she is here she suggested we do Bikram Yoga... aka 105 degrees, 90 mins, 26 yoga poses that make you sweat... ALOT. (www.bikramyogabuffalo.com or www.bikramyogawilliamsville.com) The theory behind it is that the heat warms your body and muscles allowing you to get a better stretch, better blood flow, and sweat out toxins built up in your body. I was all in, I used to do yoga at least 3 days a week, but as I got busier and busier between jobs and school I just lost the time and passion for it, so this suggestion was WONDERFUL!
First class, 7pm, was amazing, walk upstairs and slip off your shoes immediately. I loved looking at all the different footwear and then guessed which belonged to whom, but that's not the point. You relax, barefoot, walking around, a big comfy couch to fill out paperwork in and a staff of extremely friendly calm people, who are also all instructors.
In a mirrored room with a touch of humidity and a cozy 105 degrees you lay your mat down with full sized towel over it and lay in dead body pose until class begins. Now it's 90 mins long, and you sweat just by sitting so needless to say you really do sweat a TON!!!! I loved the first class, the instuctors would point out if you were doing something incorrectly in a way to encourage you and not put you down, everyone kept their eyes on themselves (well except newbies who look at the person in a front row as an example. At the end the instructor congratulated us and then we all got to rest in dead body for as long as we wanted with the lights off... It was splendid
Today I went, in the morning, 9am, not too early but.... and this is a big but, you are supposed to go on an empty stomach (2 or 3 hours before class no food or water) hmmm. Incase I haven't mentioned it before... I LOVE FOOD!!!!... well I woke up at 7am and realized no breakfast, no nothing, of course i cheated and had a banana but i can't starve myself that's not healthy. Anyways, class was awful!!! A different instructor who was much more disciplined and drill sargent like rather than peaceful and soothing like the other one. I was dizzy, slipping off myself i was so sweaty, i turned white and wanted to puke. I pushed and made it through the whole class but felt so ill after. So here is my warning. Unless you wake up at 5am and have time for a full breakfast and plenty of water DO NOT GO TO EARLY CLASSES wait until later in the day after you've had time for food and drink because that's what gives you energy to do the 90 mins of yoga with.
If you are interested in yoga, it is a great way to channel your mind to shut off your mind. Our drill sargent teacher today said "Feel the pain in your back, it is good because a pain in your back relieves the pain in your heart." He was not lieing about the back pain, the first few times you ache all over the next day, after you get used to it you ache during the pose because you are using muscles and parts in ways you never do to stretch and contract them. As for the heart part. I was set off because my heart is not in pain, I am truly happy and in love...but then i got to thinking, not during class of course because you turn your mind off and concentrate on breathing and such, but afterwards i thought about it and realized you know what... heart and soul and mind are all connected so if one hurts it affects another, so although my heart is in love and happy it can still hurt when i am troubled, stressed, etc.
All in all, i highly suggest yoga. If you are a beginner Bikram is full of beginner poses, readily doable my all ages and body types, it is great...if you don't mind sweat coming from every centimeter of your body, and having beads of sweat drip, or pour in some male yogi's case, from your body. Do not attempt an arobic yoga like ashtanga right away, it will be rough. If you find a yoga center or class and you aren't sure of the style just ask to see a chart of poses, or the difficulty level of the poses... because there are some crazy poses that after 3 years of yoga i still can't do... although i do attempt them hehe
Most of all, if you try yoga remember this... It is not a competition, find your comfort level and then push yourself just enough to feel it but not be overly painful (some pain is good gain). Also everyone has different flexibility, I can't do some poses at all, like touch my head to my knee in any pose, although a majority of people can, however i can palm bend like crazy and twist by back and spine more than some who can touch their knee to head... so everyone is different and has their own strengths. don't get discouraged by feeling behind, just breath, be calm and know that no matter your yoga level you are doing something wonderful for your body and mind.
5.7.09
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I enjoy Yoga also. I started with a class at NCCC which used Hatha Yoga. Bikram seems to be more commercialized. Bikram himself made a ton of $$ from it.
ReplyDeleteI also like watching: http://www.yogatoday.com/ or Namaste Yoga on Fit TV.
Bikram is commercialized, which goes against yoga in a way, but he spread the word and the way and it caught on so I still find it to be a positive thing. Not all sell outs are bad sell outs.
ReplyDeleteI've never watched yogatoday, i'll have to try it out.
Oh and you just reminded me... My first yoga classes always said "Namaste" at the end and we all did a final relaxation together for 15 to 20 mins... i loved it. That was my least favorite part of Bikram being commericalized... our instructor said "Peace" and left the room, and 80 percent of people hurried to pack up their mat and towel and go... it's like they teach the pose but not the release of the mind and rest of the body... just one more added errand American people add to their list to get done. Milk,Post office, bank, e-mail, stop by to see sick aunt, yoga, dinner, CHECK!