I've been feeling down lately, and I felt I needed some physical activity that would help me get a clear head, and at the same time 'detoxify' to get rid of all this negative energy and built up toxins in my body, yoga would help address these concerns.
I've done some yoga before, and I enjoyed it, but what I really wanted to try was Bikram Yoga. Bikram Yoga, or hot yoga involves a series of 26 poses done in a 38-42 degree celsius room, with about 60% humidity. The heat supposedly warms the muscles to make you feel a deeper stretch, and improve the circulation of blood in your body. The heat will also make you sweat, and aids in eliminating the toxins from your body. And of course, the other benefits such as stress reduction, flexibility, calorie burning etc...Sounds good right?
So, I braved storm like rains and mini floods to get to the Bikram yoga studio at 88 Corporate Center. I was determined to get to class because I felt that I really needed it. So, I got there, soaking wet, and quickly changed into my yoga attire. Take note, for Bikram, DO NOT wear jogging pants, it is HOT. I wore capris and a light fitted shirt. Most of the people wore shorts, and sleeveless shirts. I never felt body conscious or anything, even though I was easily the biggest one in the room. :P But anyway, I digress.
To start, the instructor gave me a few pointers, the class lasts 90 minutes, once you're in, you're not allowed out. Drink water, if you feel dizzy during the class, just keep breathing etc etc. I just kept nodding, eager to start the workout. He set up my mat and I walked in, and sat down, waiting for the class to start. The heat was bearable, I figured it wouldn't be much of a hindrance, so i just regulated my breathing and tried to acclimate myself to the temperature. Two minutes in that room, and already I was starting to sweat.
The class starts with a breathing exercise, and then quickly moves to a standing pose with your arms over your head and then bending from side to side. Already, I felt the 'burn', for people who haven't done yoga, it's not just simple bending, it's the stretch and forcing yourself to hold the stretch that's the challenge. I was very quickly made aware of just how the humidity and heat were contributing to the difficulty of the poses.
I was feeling all right for the first 5 or 6 poses, I'm not saying I did any of them perfectly (except maybe the first 2), but I was able to follow the instructions. But the humidity was getting to me, sweat was pouring out from every pore from my body, my hands were slipping when I gripped my ankles or feet or whatever, and the constant movements made me feel lightheaded and slightly nauseous. After about three more poses, I had to take a braek and just kept inhaling and exhaling, I swear I would have collapsed if I didn't take breaks between poses. I joined in again after brief rests, and for the next 7 or so poses, I did one iteration, rested, skipped the next one, and tried the next pose. The humidity was almost unbearable, it felt like I couldn't take in much oxygen. I was red faced, sweating, lightheaded and could barely move because if I did, I felt the room would spin. I wasn't the only one having trouble, it was common to see people taking breaks between the poses, so I didn't feel particularly bad that I wasn't able to do all the poses.
When we started the lying down poses, I tried one, and then quickly abandoned it. I could only lay back and raise my legs briefly before stopping and practically hyperventilating again. My heart was beating so fast I thought everyone could hear it. It came to a point where I asked the instructor if I could leave, I swear it was just getting too hard to breathe.
But he didn't let me go, just three more poses, he mentioned. He told me to take deep breaths, I calmed myself somewhat, figured that I was just losing focus. It helped. I was able to do the last three poses, although I still had to skip the second iterations for each, but at least I was able to get back to it, even though I felt I was almost ready to give up. I think I wasn't mentally prepared for this yet, but I'll get there eventually.
And finally, we were asked to lay back, the lights were turned off, and after a chorus of 'Namaste' class was over. I survived! I rested a few seconds, fixed my towel, rolled my mat and walked out of the room, avoiding the small puddles of sweat on the floor, and trying to keep from slipping. I know it sounds gross, but believe me, everyone was sweating during the class and you'll be focusing so much on the poses and breathing that it wouldn't bother you after a while.
As soon as I felt the slightly cooler but still warm air outside, I instantly felt better. I was still lightheaded, but I also felt relaxed and more focused. I know I definitely 'detoxed' while I was there, and I could feel the muscles that the poses 'stretched' already start to ache. But it's all good, no pain no gain right? Anyway, I was told that it was exceptionally humid in the room this evening (maybe because of the rain), and it's not usually that hard to breathe...I'm hoping that that's true, since I will be coming back on Saturday for another class, and this time I'll be more mentally prepared and my goal is to complete at least half of the poses. :)
If you want to try something new and instantly feel the benefits after just one session, I would suggest you try Bikram yoga. It's very challenging but mainly because of the heat and humidity, but I think once you get used to it, it can help you get a better stretch. And if I can do it, I'm sure you can too. :) For more info, check out their website, http://www.bikramyogamanila.com
Now let's see if I'll be able to get a really good night's sleep...and hopefully, my muscles won't be too sore tomorrow.
Namaste. :)
