Ok, back to the beginning. Rock Climber Larry asked me if I wanted to do Bikram Yoga with him. I knew two things about this: 1) it was yoga; and 2) it was in a room that was 105° F. I have been curious about yoga for awhile--people just *rave* about how awesome it is. However, I had two major concerns about it:
1) I've never actually tried yoga, but you all remember how well Pilates went (when I still weighed almost 100 more pounds). The yoga-esque moves were physically impossible for me to get into because of the extra weight. Now that I am Erin 2.0, I figured I should give it another try.
2) I was not sure about the heat being okay with my doctors because I am on prescription blood thinners. Well, I called and they said it was cool to do, just be sure to stay hydrated.
Done and done.
Additionally, Bikram Yoga Columbia offers an intro package where you pay only $25 and can go to as many classes as you want (or can handle) for 10 consecutive days. One class (without a membership of some sort) is $18. I love me a bargain. With Devon's approval, I was *in*.
We were talking about it in front of our friend Aleria today. She wanted to come to! So, the three of us were off! I can say that I was scared (and I think Aleria was too!).
To take a small step back, here is the wikipedia description of Bikram Yoga:
Bikram's Beginning Yoga Class runs approximately 90 minutes, incorporates a series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises, and is ideally practiced in a room heated to 105°F with a humidity of 40%...It is common for beginners to experience dizziness and nausea.
You bring (or rent) a mat, a full-sized bath towel, a smaller towel for sweat-wiping and lots of water! You also wear the skimpiest workout clothes you have because you sweat like nobody's business! I had thought it was only 60 minutes long until this afternoon, so I had *some* time to mentally prepare, but not much!
I think I did pretty well. I couldn't do all of the poses, but tried every one and successfully (to some degree) completed most. Here are some highlights of the good, the bad and the ugly:
Pranayama Series (Standing Deep Breathing): Nailed it.
Savasana (Dead Body Pose): My favorite.
Dhanurasana (Bow Pose): This would be "the ugly". Just wasn't happening.
Ustrasana (Camel Pose): Made me feel a little bit nauseous. I went back to Savasana for this portion of the workout. :)
So..I survived! I will definitely go back during my 10-day intro deal. Larry, Aleria and I are thinking about doing the Sunday 4pm class. I can only go if the plumbers who are coming "after 10am" are done by then. The yoga instructor told me that if I believe they will be done in time, they will be. Ri-i-i-ight.
I feel good. Tired. I am not sure if my muscles feel relaxed (like post-massage) or sore (like post-workout) but I feel them. Not bad...just feel them. Especially my shoulders and upper back region. I am curious to see what tomorrow will bring.
Speaking of tomorrow, I'll be lifting! Namaste! (that's a yoga word I learned...look how relaxed and zen I am now...)
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