Surviving Hot Yoga

For the past month, I’ve been going to the Hot Yoga in Kirkland.  They have a nice $10 for 10 classes package that I highly recommend.  The lessons are usually 60 minutes for the most active Power Yoga, and 90 minutes for the Bikram Yoga, less motion, more posing.

During the class, it feels sometimes like you’re melting. Your body begins to sweat even before the first posture.  Shortly afterwards, your body becomes drenched with thousands of droplets escaping furiously from every pore of your body.  Basically imagine exercising in a sauna and you kind of have an idea of what to expect.  So getting enough water is crucial to survive the class, or at least without some serious trauma.

The Yoga instructors sometimes seem like sadistic drill instructors yelling out commands to bend your body to eye popping positions and pushing you to the brink of exhaustion.  Sometimes as many as a quarter of the class could be seen dropping to the floor, unable to continue.  But for those that finish, it’s very satisfying mentally & physically.  And after a while you might even notice new muscle tones that’d make going to the beach much more enjoyable.

Note: Speaking from personal experience here.  Winter is coming.  So don’t linger outside too much afterward.  The drastic change in temperature when you come outside can temporarily wreck the immune system and cause a nasty cold.  And if you do get sick, stay home, relax, recover, and avoid spreading the germs to others.