Bikram Yoga/Hatha yoga/Hot yoga - Review!
Breaking all my inhibitions, ditching the free ladies night and with the enthusiasm of trying some break-through workout form, I finally warded off my laziness and jumped in enthusiastically to go for my very first class of Bikram yoga a.k.a hot yoga or popularly known as Hatha yoga. Indeed a very hyped and much talked about form of yoga offlalate.
Though being engendered from India, it is more popular overseas
and growing its popularity in Asian countries currently. Bikram Yoga originated in 1970’s, brought to light by Bikram choudhury, the founder of Bikram Yoga.
The process involves practicing yoga in a room enabled with 105* Fahrenheit (40*C humidity) with 26 different postures, not very difficult, but in a room so hot it feels as tough as climbing a mountain.
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| Immediately after class |
The class begins with breathing exercise (pranayam) involving inhaling and exhaling deeply and correctly to bring in fresh flow of oxygen and prepare your body for the exercises further.
To start with, there are certain etiquette to be maintained within the premises. There are very strict about the rules and regulation, so make sure to follow them whenever your in there,
Once you are in, you are not allowed to talk, not allowed to drink water as per your will, maintain a certain decorum. So the only voices audible in the room are that of the instructor, and the sweat dripping down from people's bodies. It's incredible! The first permitted water-break is after 25 minutes of of non-stop warm up, immediately after the “eagle pose.”
Cautions : During the yoga please do not shut the eyes, they say that repeatedly, but please religiously follow this warning as it may make you dizzy if you shut your eyes. Battering- yes, to shed off the sweat drops floating above your eyelids but shutting it for long, a complete no-no. Also don’t be surprised if the hot sweat beads enter your eye, or for that matter when you’re lying on the side of your ear, be prepared to feel some sweat beads slip into your ear as well, don’t throw a spasm, as anything can happen once you’re in there ;)
Like the instructor says “ come with an open mind and be surprised everyday”
Rule * Hydrate yourself! Drink gallons of water throughout the day, coz you are going to sweat it off a lot more; anyways. Do not eat heavy meals at least 3 hours prior to the class, though I ate fruit an hour an a half, I was feeling a wee-bit heavy!
Rule * Resistance! It's all about resistance and will-power. Standing tall in a heat infused room ain't easy...but u need to! A little touture and say buh-bye to bloating! Keep breathing and concentrate on your breath, that’s the key!
Rule* Posture! If you are a beginner make sure you are behind some one to mimic the postures, because if you’re postures are not right or you are letting it go, you are doing no justice to yoga. Well, I was yelled upon and later I realized I was in deep shit for not doing it right. So be extra vigilant!
WHAT U will feel mid-way through the class- Winner! After you've successfully completed the 45 minutes out of the 90 minute class, you've reached the summit, or you've crossed the main hurdle, as your body is now getting used to the heat. So your body is all pumped up for the real stretches.
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| After a nice shower |
The class ends with kapalbhati - breathing out hard and several times to throw out all the toxins deposited in your body, while sweating you do flush out the toxins anyways.
Lie down peacefully on the mat and slip into shavasana, the dead body pose with finally your eyes closed; relax :D
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