Bikram Yoga-HOPE & impermanence

I have a lot to write about this today after my first Bikram yoga class. This record is about many things, but mostly about hope and mortality.

A few days ago my girlfriend's brother gave me a limited two-month pass for Bikram Yoga La Jolla that he originally bought for himself, but realizes he can not be used. I am very excited about going because I've never tried it before and I used to pass through the studio all the time since I took dance and zumba classes in A Time to Dance next. So today I went to the 4:30 am class right after work and find out what Bikram yoga. 2-3 years based on my experience with Vinyasa hot, I thought I knew quite what I was dealing with. Although I admit that it helps to know the position of the body and used to heat the space, is still far from what I expected.


First, I'm used to 1 hour of my classes with A Sun, Sun B, series flow, long savasana, and a whole lot of them chatarungas. This is completely different. 90 Minutes, there is a sun salutation, breathing exercise only one (see picture above) carried out three times, and then you dive to 105 degrees and 26 pose each performed three times, alternating sides, and savasana shortest (which I have been told is The most important part of yoga practice) I've ever experienced. It's taught is different as well ... in the flow of Vinyasa teacher has soft relaxing voice that guides you through, but this teacher has a microphone (reminds me of the 24-hour group classes) and sounded like the announcer at a horse race where he got faster and faster and louder and stretch! Release. Hm ... it’s not my style. And who does he think he is naming his own practice after yoga anyway? Bikram yoga is such an evil crime hot Vinyasa surrogate twins.

So as I have a class I (accidentally) have made a list of things I do not like because they do not like "my yoga." But I keep going despite the unbearable heat, head throbbing, my muscles trembling with dizziness. And finally we succeeded. Savasana ... I was so relieved. The teacher said something about coming around with a towel but I do not fully pay attention and THEN ... I suddenly felt the ice cold lavender scented soaking wet towel in my hand!. I put on my blindfold and BLISS immediately experienced. Not joy or relief. That's MORE than that. Two minutes with a few ice cold wet towel dripping down the side of my face is described. So it turns out the situation, I think, lies in happiness. Funny how 90 minutes of what I think hell can be justified by a 2-minute sitting there with a wet towel on my face ... surely the lesson of impermanence.