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Stuff you put in your mouth? water…lots and lots of water.
Do you enjoy punishing your body for extended periods of time until you feel the need to a)VOM b)pass out c)crawl for your life…? Well you can put away those hand cuffs and whips, and instead sign up for a Bikram Yoga class (Bikram). This is a fairly traditional style of Yoga with classic poses and breathing, but it is practiced in 105 degree heat.
When I entered the slightly run down building, I was immediately smacked in the face with the scent of mildew and wet socks. This was hard to take at first, but I acclimated to the humid, stinky place and vowed to plow on through. I would have to remind myself of this vow many times in the coming hour.
The class was quite full, requiring some students to move around to accommodate me and the 5 or so that followed me. The “regulars” seemed overtly perturbed by the disruption of their pre-class meditation. These “expert” students maintained a bit of a superior attitude for the entire class. For 90 minutes, we huffed, puffed, and dripped our way from chair to cobra poses. The instructor reminded us to not be diverted by others “wiping”, as in wiping sweat out of their eyes. At several points, we would raise our arms up to the sky, and in the process of doing so, I would see a spray of sweat fly in rainbow formation off of someone’s arm and rain down on my classmates. We were a slippery bunch. At many points, I had to stop and wait for the black to clear from the edges of my vision and for the feeling to come back into my fingers.
Ultimately, I stayed in the room for the full 90 minutes, an accomplishment in itself. 105 degree heat is just as hot as you think it is. Despite my silent griping and swearing throughout the entire class, I thought it was fantastic. The workout was no joke, the sweat seemed to immediately clean out every pore and purify my body of toxins, and hours later I still feel that pleasant “worn out” feeling. Be prepared for one of the hardest 90 minute periods of your life. I look forward to it again tomorrow.
