I Went to a Bikram Yoga Class
.....upon entering the class was sweet mother of god its hot in here. Warm, humid air pungent, with the distinct aroma of perspiration, a smelly phantom lingering unseen. Im questioning my decision to try this as I find a place to lay out my mat and towel. *sigh* Right in front of the instructor. I feel like Im in a scene from an 80s teen movie, Ferris Beuller perhaps, based on my decision making process to leave this morning, much like Cameron sitting in his car , anguishing over skipping school . You have to understand IM one of those people that poke fun at Yoga. The name sounds awfully close to yogurt and the poses look silly. If I had my choice Id go take Tai Chi but its hard finding classes with hours to accommodate my schedule so Yoga here I come. Impress me.
I first had to print off the registration and waiver form which took me four tries and a reboot of the printer....which gave me four forms. It had the usual information. Name, address, phone number, next of kin( in case you became hopelessly stuck in a pretzel like position and died for some freakish reason ), health issues.....I very nearly put down 'I dont want to be shaped like Kung Fu Panda' but stuck with my back as a major concern. So, with mat, towel, water and a change of cloths I rushed out the door to class. There was a certain amount of fear of being the last ...or late to class and the subject of some obscure and arcane Yoga hazing ritual if I was.
Its approximately 20 min to the class and I passed the miles dutifully drinking the suggested water and listening to the Satellite radio which started the trip by playing Young Blood and Slow Poison. Between the printer and these songs Im feeling a little uncertain now but Im going for it. Do or die Im not stopping! My body and mind are rebelling. The body is telling me how much it loathes physical exertion, never mind the fact that its part of my job.It reasons that its recreation and that its supposed to be 'fun' . My mind keeps telling me its Saturday and my routine is get up, go to Starbucks and get a venti Vanilla Latte and a bakery treat,. I reassure my worried mind we will. I lied....well....half lied.
So class begins. Its an hour and a half long. No breaks. No talking other than the instructor. There are 26 poses, two repetitions each and two breathing exercises. You may drink water in between poses. You cannot escape. There is a high barbed wire fence patrolled by dogs and armed gaurds. Ive mentioned how hot it is and I could tolerate that(or so I thought) as Im in it at work all day. My second observation was how quiet it is. Even for early morning it was serene. I really didnt know if there was something I should be doing like stretches or meditation as but I feel I fulfilled the role of newbie quite well.
Once things started it was a blur of pose, rest pose, rest then onto the next. There were others there with creaking, popping bones so I dont feel so bad. Some I did well, others not so much. A few would have ended in certain death for me. I was winded after 45 minutes, my god was that tiring. By the time we went into the floor poses I was ready to tag out and then... my back popped. It felt both wonderful and painful and I hesitated to move for concern my upper body had separated from my lower. I dont think Ive ever sweated so much in my life.
Relief came as the class ended and we began the relaxation. The only time you ever feel even somewhat cool is when your prostrate on the floor where the cool air stays. Once we began to cool down the instructor brought us cool, damp towels scented with lavender. I was tempted to remove all my clothing and drape myself with them it felt sooooooo good. I changed my clothes once class was over, paid for the month and headed for my latte. I wasnt hungry and my body did complain slightly at the denial of a classic coffee cake slice.
A few observations I had while driving home were a) I dont know hen I sweated that much. Ever! In fact I didnt stop sweating until I had been home for awhile. b) My muscles were tight and tired like I had been doing some serious physical work outs. They quite literally quivered, in a good way, from my first class. c) I felt very energized. Really. Im annoying myself with how peppy I am right now. So. The description promised a workout equivelant to a 90 minute jog and it delivered. I feel a little more loose and my backs feeling better. I apologize to all those who practice yoga, I have been schooled and humbled.
I first had to print off the registration and waiver form which took me four tries and a reboot of the printer....which gave me four forms. It had the usual information. Name, address, phone number, next of kin( in case you became hopelessly stuck in a pretzel like position and died for some freakish reason ), health issues.....I very nearly put down 'I dont want to be shaped like Kung Fu Panda' but stuck with my back as a major concern. So, with mat, towel, water and a change of cloths I rushed out the door to class. There was a certain amount of fear of being the last ...or late to class and the subject of some obscure and arcane Yoga hazing ritual if I was.
Its approximately 20 min to the class and I passed the miles dutifully drinking the suggested water and listening to the Satellite radio which started the trip by playing Young Blood and Slow Poison. Between the printer and these songs Im feeling a little uncertain now but Im going for it. Do or die Im not stopping! My body and mind are rebelling. The body is telling me how much it loathes physical exertion, never mind the fact that its part of my job.It reasons that its recreation and that its supposed to be 'fun' . My mind keeps telling me its Saturday and my routine is get up, go to Starbucks and get a venti Vanilla Latte and a bakery treat,. I reassure my worried mind we will. I lied....well....half lied.
So class begins. Its an hour and a half long. No breaks. No talking other than the instructor. There are 26 poses, two repetitions each and two breathing exercises. You may drink water in between poses. You cannot escape. There is a high barbed wire fence patrolled by dogs and armed gaurds. Ive mentioned how hot it is and I could tolerate that(or so I thought) as Im in it at work all day. My second observation was how quiet it is. Even for early morning it was serene. I really didnt know if there was something I should be doing like stretches or meditation as but I feel I fulfilled the role of newbie quite well.
Once things started it was a blur of pose, rest pose, rest then onto the next. There were others there with creaking, popping bones so I dont feel so bad. Some I did well, others not so much. A few would have ended in certain death for me. I was winded after 45 minutes, my god was that tiring. By the time we went into the floor poses I was ready to tag out and then... my back popped. It felt both wonderful and painful and I hesitated to move for concern my upper body had separated from my lower. I dont think Ive ever sweated so much in my life.
Relief came as the class ended and we began the relaxation. The only time you ever feel even somewhat cool is when your prostrate on the floor where the cool air stays. Once we began to cool down the instructor brought us cool, damp towels scented with lavender. I was tempted to remove all my clothing and drape myself with them it felt sooooooo good. I changed my clothes once class was over, paid for the month and headed for my latte. I wasnt hungry and my body did complain slightly at the denial of a classic coffee cake slice.
A few observations I had while driving home were a) I dont know hen I sweated that much. Ever! In fact I didnt stop sweating until I had been home for awhile. b) My muscles were tight and tired like I had been doing some serious physical work outs. They quite literally quivered, in a good way, from my first class. c) I felt very energized. Really. Im annoying myself with how peppy I am right now. So. The desc
By:
Verwandlung
Age:
41-45
,
Male
