I had been curious to try Bikram or hot yoga for a while. The benefits of yoga for the golfer are many: increased flexibility, coordination, balance and focus to name a few. Having tried it in the past and being a little bored after a class or two I dismissed it as not for me. But hot yoga seemed a little more exciting.
For those who are unsure what it is, hot yoga is yoga performed in a heated and humid environment – over 100° Fahrenheit. The heat allows for greater flexibility and an increased load on the cardiovascular system.
Two things finally got me to try hot yoga:
1. A great Groupon deal for Sol Yoga
2. A stingray sting through my Achilles tendon which I thought might benefit from the hot yoga
Chrissy’s and my first class went better than expected and felt great on the body. Chrissy described the feeling afterwards as the same as after having a massage. I felt calm and relaxed yet strangely energized.
If you try it, you will sweat. A lot. I never knew my eyelids could sweat before I tried hot yoga! They do. A lot. There is something very cleansing about that though. The body rids itself of toxins (and hopefully lingering stingray venom) through sweat.
I just completed my third class yesterday morning and am still enjoying it greatly. Looking forwards to tomorrow’s class.
Having done a beginner and advanced class and having found the beginner class slightly harder, I am certain that the more advanced a yogi (what a great word) becomes in his/her practice, the harder they can make each asana or pose. So I look forwards to becoming a more proficient yogi.
More to come on this soon!!!
If you want to try a hot yoga class, go for it!!! The whole yoga environment is very non-judgmental and easy to get into.
If you have any joint issues, cardiovascular problems or hyper mobility, speak to your instructor beforehand.
Photo Credit: Photo from Wikimedia Commons.
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