As the weekend kicks off, you might be more likely to work
up a sweat on a nightclub dancefloor, but I chose my ‘zen goddess’ over my
‘dancing queen’ and spent last Friday night doing Bikram yoga. That’s yoga in
40 degree heat!
It being a Friday, I assumed the class would be pretty quiet
as everyone else would be getting the weekend underway. After getting a bit
lost I managed to find the studio and buzzed to be let in. I made my way down
to a small reception area and joined the long queue of people who had also
decided to give Friday night’s drinking session a miss.
Once I reached the till, I filled out a registration form
(as I was a first- timer) and was asked whether I had enough water and towels.
A friend of mine had (with a knowing look) advised me to take two towels and a
big two litre bottle of water. I thought
that seemed a tad excessive, but ended up being VERY glad I had stocked up.
The reception area started to get very crowded by around
half past six, but soon enough, they opened the studio doors and let us in. I took a deep breath as I was dreading
entering the studio. I expected to be
hit with an overwhelming stench of sweat but I smelt nothing! It was incredibly
hot in there, but you would never have known forty people had just spent the
last hour and a half sweating like lunatics!
I’m not much of a prude (as I’m sure you will all know about
me by now) but as I entered the changing rooms I was not prepared for the level
of nakedness that faced me! Communal showers and small changing spaces led to a
lot of up close and personal moments. But
it didn’t seem to bother anyone, so I decided that if you can’t beat them, you
just have to join them!
Lisa, our teacher for the session, was really friendly and
made sure she knew who the first timers were before we began. She explained to
us that staying in the room for the full 90minutes should be our aim for the
session and that if we felt faint or a little light headed at any time it was
normal, so we should lie down. The lights were turned off except for a few
fairy lights that ran along the top of the mirror (it was a twilight class) and
the class began.
For those of you who have never done a class, Bikram is made
up of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises, one at the start of the class and
one at the end. Two sets of each posture are performed with a 20 second ‘Savasana’ (laying flat on your back to return
body to its normal state…that’s the best bit) between each set.
After 90 minutes of
stretching in 40+ degree heat, my heart was pumping and the sweat was pouring
off me. The class ended with a short prayer and we were allowed to lay in ‘Savasana’ until we were ready to leave. It was a pretty exhausting class, so I had a
lovely rest to round the class off!
Best bit – the positive feeling you have after the class all
that stretching is good for the mind! And the fact that you burn waaaaaay more
calories than a normal yoga class.
Worst bit – the communal showers and THE SWEAT!!!!!
Time – all ‘proper’ Bikram classes are 90minutes long.
Location – Vestry Street
(near Old Street tube) but also locations in West London, North London and
Primrose Hill
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