Heat it Up!
As an opportunity arose to teach in a Hot Yoga Studio, not Bikram’s; I’m told there is a difference, I decided it was time to try out “hot yoga.” I have to admit, if there wasn’t an opportunity to teach I probably would have continued to actively procrastinate on trying out this style of yoga, for many reasons.
1) I’m not a heat person, don’t like it, it doesn’t like me and chooses to tell me this immediately, so I therefore avoid it as best as I can. Needless to say, summer is not my favourite season!
2) Everything I have heard about Hot Yoga from sweaty people rolling around in their own sweat, to the smells of the floor & the studio itself. I personally think the “smell” of the floor is important, since you get your nose right down there!
North Shore Elements YYoga Infrared Sauna
3) Injuries, having been teaching for awhile now I’ve had lots of students tell me that they injured themselves doing hot yoga, for various reasons of course, but the possibility of getting hurt doing one of the things I love is enough to make me steer clear.
And then, things happen, thoughts change & you go out on a limb & try something you thought you never would. Mind you, I also have the people who have told me all of the opposite points as well, that they LOVE hot yoga & gives them everything & so much more! Just like any yoga practice or anything in life, you have to see for yourself, so off I went.
[Image Source:North Shore Elements YYoga]The first class was a Saturday morning, as soon as I walked in it was stuffy, another thing I hate is breathing warm air, instantly I had to turn my head around & say give it a shot, maybe you’ll get used to it. The class was fantastic, the heat didn’t like me so much, I spent the next day and a half in bed with a killer migraine, perhaps I didn’t drink enough water before, during or after or perhaps, I was right, my redheaded self doesn’t like the heat. Nevertheless, with believing in giving everything a second chance, I made my way back. The second time with two bottles of water in tow, and an optimistic attitude, with the sweat dripping & the feeling that you are working, I survived through a second class unscathed, no migraine to be seen of woohoo!
However, I haven’t been back since, decided that maybe teaching this “hot yoga” is not the thing for me, with the unknowing if the migraine was a coincidence or the not having one was the coincidence, so at this point I’m completely undecided. But with my Passport to Prana in hand & lots of choices of Hot Yoga and Bikrams to try out, perhaps this is my year to finally decide if I am ready to “Heat it Up!”
How do you feel about Hot Yoga, fan or not?
