I am sore.
I am not just post tough run lower body sore, I am sore in my back, my arms, my shoulders, my legs. And you wanna know something totally ca-razy? It’s from yoga. Bikram’s yoga to be more specific. For those of you haven’t heard of it, it’s also known as hot yoga. I will mostly refer to it from here on out as HOT DAMN YOGA! (I also toyed with calling it sweat-your-ass-off-yoga but that seemed a bit long. Kind of like this post.)
Basically Hot Damn Yoga is a 90 minute class that is done in a room heated to about 100 degrees with a humidity of 40%. It has 27 different postures that you perform either 2 or 3 times with 20 second rests in between each one. Each pose is difficult in itself but when done in a super hot room, it becomes so intense that you could pass out. The instructor of my class said, “If you feel nauseated take a break and lie down. It’s normal. If you don’t feel nauseated, keep trying maybe it’ll happen for you too.”
This dude named Bikram Choudhury created it. He has some good thought behind the room being heated and behind doing the postures more than once. I won’t get in to all that. You can google that at your leisure.
One of my besties JCru and I discussed doing this class on Sunday while the other bestie went to work. It was actually my idea to try it out and she’s usually game for this kind of stuff. We had no idea what to expect. We were told to bring towels and lots of water. We got a tad bit lost on the way there but finally found it.
We went into the class room and set up our mats with our towels on top of them. Apparently, we were going to sweat too much to just be on our mats. I can only imagine sliding around on them like a jelly fish without the towel.
The instructor was a large man who while on the one hand seemed friendly when we got there, became very intense and almost like a drill sargent when he got started. I instantly liked him. (FYI, I love authority and intensity. Especially in a workout!)
The class began with some breathing stuff. Which, as you know, I could do without. Breathing, smeathing, I want to sweat!
Oh don’t you worry kids, about 20 minutes in I was sweatier than I was at all of my summer time long runs put together. In fact when we finished JCru and I looked like we had just stepped out of the shower, but not a normal get clean and fresh shower, it was a stinky get stretchy shower. Gnarly! And intense! I love it.
The cool thing about the heated room is that your muscles get so warm that by the third time doing the posture you are like a rubber band. Touch my toes? No problem. Hey look at me! I can wrap my leg around my head! Take that Grandma Moses at the regular yoga!
Now, I am not saying it isn’t hard. It is. Extremely. And if you aren’t prepared for the intensity of Hot Damn Yoga then stay out of the kitchen. (Heh. Couldn’t resist.) Actually at one point I looked at JCru and she mouthed the words “I hate you” to me. I liken this reaction to child birth, not that I have kids, but I imagine it’s similar. During the process you hate everyone but after you feel all magical.
The only drawback is that 90 minutes is a little long. But the major plus side to this yoga was that at the end of the class he said, “This is the relaxation portion of the class. When you are done relaxing you may leave.”
What now what? No ten minutes of required relaxation?
Oh Hot Damn Yoga, you are the yoga for me.
YEAAA you liked yoga!! isn't it awesome!? Hard, yes, killer yes, amazing YES!!!
🙂
Sounds fantastic! Last week I looked up bikram near me, but most seemed like super crazy Scottsdale Housewives ones, haha!
I have always wanted to try this kind of Yoga! I have never done yoga before though. Do you think it would be too much? I have only heard great things about it! I would love to try it!
I love hot yoga!! We have a 60 min flow class that does all the postures in a shorter time frame… love it!! I have really noticed toning and overall well-being feeling from yoga as well!
lol. i can't handle the laying-there at the end either. i get sore doing my at-home dvd, i can't imagine from a real certified class!
90 min??? You are so hard core lady.
never done it. hot damn!
90 mins isn't a little long. it's LONG!
I only tried Bikram once and honestly wasn't a fan, it was a bit too hot in there for me. I DO prefer yoga that makes me sweat, though and that makes me SORE. I did a great power yoga flow class on Sunday morning and my back/shoulders/arms are killing me today. Love it. I don't like the boring, not painful kind of yoga 🙂
Drop and give me twenty. Do it. DO IT!
I love Bikram yoga! I used to go once a week when I lived closer to a place that offered it. Miss it much!
I took my first hot "damn" yoga class recently… the heat nearly killed me and like you, I was brutally sore the day(s) after. I think I'll try it again though. Awesome workout. 90 minutes would be a bit much for me. (Mine was 60.)
I don't think we have anything like that here. 90 minutes is crazy long!
You are insane! 90 minutes in 100 degree heat? They'd have to carry this Canadian out on a stretcher at the end.
90 minutes! I got nauseous towards the end of 60… but liked it. I felt sore, but great for days after! Glad you liked it!
Sooo glad you reviewed this! I have only done yoga at home, by video…and let's just say I am not a stickler for making myself get into the poses perfectly. But I have heard about this and always wanted to do it. Do you think I would survive? Do you need to know all the poses to be able to do it? I love me some sweat – especailly now with the weather so cold! What do you think o' master of the Hot Damn Yoga?
Bikram yoga.
Love.
I took a yoga class a couple years back and I'd instantly fall asleep during the "relaxation" part (the class was at 6 in the morning and I took it while I was in college)… my wife would always have to wake me up… except for the one time she didn't and I woke up to find myself in an empty room.
Oh man, that is such a hard class, but oh-so-good too. I definitely have a love/hate relationship with bikram. My mind THINKS it loves bikram, but my body absolutely HATES it. While it's happening that is. Because when the class is over, all is right in the world. You feel the best you've ever felt, right?
hot yoga is amazing!
i heart hot yoga!
I was so worried about you doing this so it makes me happy that you made it out alive!!! LOL! There was no way I'd of made it, that is for sure! Waaaaaaaaay too many Shock Tops for this Redhead Saturday night! Can't wait to see you this weekend! Miss you!
i used to live across the street from a bikram studio and absolutely loved it! you should stick with it…so good for you!
oh, I know all about hot yoga, and it ain't easy.
I really need to get some yoga back in my workout rotation…I only wish there was a Bikram class out here in the boonies…
I haven't done hot yoga in a long time, but I did enjoy it..probably because getting all sweaty made me feel very productive
Find a local one for some of us to try…or I can get some shop lights and we could
i have heard many great things about this… i just cant get into yoga!! i neeeeed to though!
i've heard bikram is really tough! never tried it personally, i stick to wimpy yoga.
I tried yoga, not for me, but that was long ago. I heard that it helps a lot with running. Good Post.
half baked if you ask me… =;-)
I love hot yoga because I am not a flexible person naturally, but I did a lot better in hot yoga. For awhile my friend and I were addicted to it because we always slept so good that night and it was the best workout! Now that I moved I have not been able to find a place that I can go to. I will keep looking though because it is such a great workout!
I have toyed with the thought of yoga for a while. When my kids did it, they were always at their athletic best. But now I'm shaking in fear! I think I'll crawl back into my bed….
And thanks for the point about the hill at my 10K. It *was* quite hill – 200 feet. Over 2 miles! Arrrrgh! Total my fault for going out way too fast…..
Awesome. So glad you found something that works for you. I love hot yoga too.
Saw this and had to send it your way: Redneck Yoga
Haha… yay for Bikram! I do this a few times a month when I have the time. I love it. You should definitely try it again sometime soon. The first time is like traveling through hell. It sucks… but the next few times are better and better!
Oh man, I have heard SUCH great things about Bikram. I really need to try it out one of these days . . . although I'm slightly worried that everone in the room would drown, considering how much I sweat while working out in a room with a NORMAL temperature . . .
Hot damn yoga is pretty intense. I saw one of my friends go through it and he quit after the first class. Yeah, I'll sit this one out too! But you, you get on with your Bikram-ness! Much kudos to you!
I have always wanted to try it, but I don't know Germany well enough to walk into a studio here. When I move back to the states, I'm definitely thinking about getting a membership at a yoga studio to try out all the forms. I'm stuck with my power and abs yoga here for now which aren't bad by the way!!
Good job on trying something new! It sounds like it was fun!!