Yesterday I went to my very first HOT YOGA...
I don't know if anyone has ever done this before but it is a very intense experience. Basicly the room is set to 105 degrees and you do yoga for 90 minutes. My friend Jack does hot yoga, personally I have never heard of it, so I decided to look into and see what it was all about. I checked a few web sites around town and decided on one place that I thought would be best for me. I can't really explain why I felt right about this one but I just did.
Well I got there about 30 minutes before the class was scheduled to start and I meet with both Yoga instructors and we talked a bit and I let them know that this was the first time that I have ever done anything close to this. I explained why I was doing this and listen to them tell me all the benefits of completing these class. I went ahead and signed up 10 classes to make sure that I would follow through with this. I have three months to actually use all 10 classes so I am thinking once a week to start with and maybe add more often later down the road. I even bought my own personal yoga mat.
Since I was so early for class I went ahead and went into the class room to relax and wait for everyone else. This was a mistake..... It is good to get there early and relax your mind before you get started, but you don't want to sit in the room that is 105 degrees for 30 minutes before the class starts and then spend another 90 minutes working out. Well maybe you do, but I surely don't, and I want ever again.
The instructor came in and once everyone was settled in she introduced me to the class and showed me how the first move went and we all got started. The range of skill levels in this class is huge. I didn't feel so uncomfortable once I saw how many different levels each of us were on. There were some people that were experts and others that have been doing it for a while and then there was a couple of people like me...first timers.
Christina started everyone off slowly, basically stretching and breathing and I thought, yeah I can do this. About 45 minutes in I thought, Yeah I can't do this! It was so hot in there and I was sweating like a PIG!! I only had on nylon shorts and was I completely drenched in sweat from head to toe. This is when I started looking at the clock on wall and wondering if I was going to make the entire 90 minutes or not. I mean what do you do, just get up and walk out of the class, my mama raised a better man then that? I kept looking at the instructor and I think she could see the concern on my face and she kept giving me encouragement and kept telling me how good I was doing. She did tell us that if we felt like we were over doing it then to stop and rest for as long as needed. Well I kept pushing myself and forced myself to focus on what I was doing and just breathing. After a few minutes I got over my need to flee and finished the class.
I was burned out when I was done but it was worth it. When I got to the health club, I weighed myself and when I was done, I weighed myself again. Remember when I said that was sweating like a pig...well I lost 10 pounds of water weight in 90 minutes. I was pumped up now and really ready to go. I took a cool shower and went back and chatted with the instructors again and asked them how they though I did. She said most people get up and leave about half way through the class...duh!! I am so glad she told me this after the class was over because this would have given me an excuses to stop. I told them I would be coming every Tuesday night for the next few weeks and maybe increase after that.
With out all the things I have been through in the past few months and all the all the stuff I have done to make myself healthier, I never would have been able to complete this 90 minute class.
So my final thoughts on Hot Yoga is that when you go...
First - don't go in the room til it almost time to start the class
Second - Take your time and rest when ever you feel like you need to
Third - You must push yourself and stick with it. It is all good in the end!!
