But as they said…”BARELY!” On Superbowl Sunday, I brought 3 friends, one of which was my boyfriend Nate & challenged them to the 90 minutes of what they may now consider to be hell. I have been going to Bikram Yoga classes since December 29th & I am hooked. Almost everyone that asks what exactly it is and what they should expect, wants to try it. I would tell someone that hasn’t done it before that it is probably the most intense workout they have ever had. Seriously. I didn’t sugarcoat it at all, except letting them know that the benefits from this practice are nothing short of amazing.
We went to the 2PM class at Bikram’s Yoga College of India in Portland, Maine. We ate about 3 hours prior to class & made sure to drink plenty of water. I know from my own experience, that the first class is quite nerve wracking. You have no idea what to REALLY expect & all the anxious feelings do not help. I realized that there is a class full of about 30 other people that are there for the same reason you are & it really does not matter if you can or cannot do all of the postures. The important thing is that you got in your car, drove your butt to class & made the commitment to be there. The important thing is to just stay in the room which at times feels like your worst enemy at about 100 degrees Fahrenheit (but no more than 105 degrees Fahrenheit). All 3 of my friends achieved that goal & stayed in the class. There were a couple close calls when I thought I was going to lose them to the cool locker room, but I didn’t. They did an excellent job & maintained a positive attitude throughout the entire 90 minutes. I told Nate that if he remembers one thing to do throughout the practice, it is to be mindful of your breathing. You should breathe in through your nose and out through your nose & try to keep a CALM mind. I made sure to let him know that when you start breathing through your mouth, your nervous systems freaks the heck out & that is when you lose the mental concentration that you need to be successful in getting through the class without panting like a dog. I hope that everyone that tries one class, comes back! Don’t give up! It really gets easier the more you do it & the harder it is for you, the more your body NEEDS it! I think that my 3 friends were very proud of themselves for doing it, as they should be, but the question of the day is…Will they go back?
