Last night my dinner plans fell through and I was close to a Bikram (hot) yoga studio in Astoria. I have taken yoga before. I am not good, but I enjoy it. OK – to clarify, I enjoy the feeling after I finish a yoga class and am back in my apartment feeling Q to V proud of myself.
Why not try a new kind of yoga in another language? I didn’t see why not.
Well, in retrospect there are actually lots of reasons. Especially if you do not bring twelve towels with you to mop up your sweat.
According to Wikipedia, Bikram yoga ideally is practiced in a room heated to 105°F (40.5°C) with humidity of 40%. OK, maybe that is ideal, but I estimate it was more like 100°C in my studio. I rented a towel and mat (I know, kinda gross) and walked into a room jam-packed with yogis. The women on average were super cute and sporty and the men were sporting nothing but speedos. One had the decency to wear a jammer.
The studio was crowded, but I was able to find a space next to a man who curiously had a five-foot radius of empty floor around him.
Mistake number two. I sat next to dragon man.
Breathing plays a big role in Bikram yoga. I cannot tell you more than that because I didn’t understand one word of the class. Every so often, the instructor would lead the class in a session of short, abrupt breaths. Mine were barely audible. Describing the guy’s breathing next to me as dragon-like is denying the power of his lungs. I have never heard noises like that emanate from a human being before. And I have been in the psych ward of a hospital (passing through, not admitted).
Mistake number three. I didn’t bring my watch.
I did not know how long class was supposed to last – it could have been five hours for all I knew (it felt like it). At one point I was so hot and dizzy that I lost track of time altogether. I eventually awoke in child’s pose crying for mercy in Sanskrit. Okay, I don’t know if that is true, but the class is a little blurry.
In related news, I feel great this morning! Maybe I’ll try Bikram again. Crazier things have happened.
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Julie at Equinox would be proud of you.
ReplyDeletePuszi!!
Dragon man sounds like a dreamboat.
ReplyDeleteUnattractive men in speedos...kinda reminds me of the Dartmouth men's swim team.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE HOT BIKRAM YOGA!!!! Ah, so glad you got to "enjoy" it. I have definitely been known to "breathe" obscenities during exhale.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, I joined a gym when living in Italy, and would frequent aerobics class often, though I had no idea what Marco, the instructor, was saying. However, I understood very well that he was a hot, hot, hot Italian stallion man who was very comfortable showing innocent American girls how to perfect their stretches.
Keep the post coming!! xoxox
Please tell me the address of the studio! I really really want to try bikram too :)
ReplyDelete