Hot Yoga Report #1

YOUR MISSION (if you choose to accept it):
Take a Hot Yoga class and make it all the way through and decide to go again 9 more times in 1 month

MISSION PREP:
drink lots of water before going to the class; make the many trips to the bathroom due to the increased water intake

MISSION GEAR/EQUIPMENT:
yoga mat, 2 beach towels, water bottle and $10

MISSION TEAM: vw, hw and kk

MISSION STATUS: 1st session - completed

MISSION LOG:
when i got to the yoga studio, i was excited but also pretty nervous b/c i didn’t know what to expect. in fact, that was the biggest reason i wanted to try hot yoga...b/c i just couldn’t imagine the intense heat that people talk about. i debated whether or not to bring both beach towels into the room w/me. it seemed like overkill and a lot of stuff to carry (2 beach towels, my yoga mat and water bottle), but vw suggested that i bring it all...so i did. and i was VERY HAPPY i did.

when we first walked in, it was definitely HOT, but i was surprised that it wasn’t as bad as i had imagined. i had imagined feeling like fainting or throwing up the minute i walked inside. instead, it was a nice toasty warm...kinda like getting into your car that has been sitting outside all day in the sun in hawaii. we got situated and i lay down to take it all in...it felt good.

then the instructor came in and the class started, it still wasn’t too bad. i realized i really suck at breathing. i can only inhale for about 2 seconds when we were supposed to inhale for 6. guess that means i don’t know how to breathe right. then we moved on to balancing poses. i started to struggle not b/c of the heat but b/c the balancing was hurting my arches. sweat was beginning to also trickle down my face and into my eyes and mouth...pretty gross feeling. starting to feel really glad i had another towel.

then we moved to the ground and that’s when the heat really began to get intense for me. maybe it was b/c i was lying still a lot and could only think about how hot it was and i could also hear my heart pounding too. that really shocked me! all we were doing was stretching and holding some poses, how come my heart was pounding so hard?!?! i took frequent breaks during that last session when we were on the ground. there was one point where we had to kneel and reach to the ceiling and i suddenly understood why people sometimes puke in hot yoga. i had to immediately sit down and lie down and focus on breathing which i again realized i suck at. but it passed and i kept doing as much as i could before taking a break.

towards the end i also began to understand why the instructor had told all the new people that the goal for your 1st class should be to stay in the room for the whole class. i thought she was joking when she said that you may feel like getting up and leaving but just sit or lie there and get through it...mind over body. i now understand why that should be your goal b/c it is hard to make yourself stay there when you feel like you’ve had enough for your first time.

but we made it through and the absolute best feeling was stepping out of that room and into the cooler air and drinking some of the cold water they have outside. sooooo GOOD! it was after the class that i realized how relaxed i felt and how good it will feel to go to sleep tonight.

SESSION 1 COMPLETED: it’s a good thing vw and hw signed up with me b/c we’ll need each other to keep accountable and to make sure we get our use out of this deal. plus, i want to see if it really does get easier and better with each time after. i totally give props to all my friends who do hot yoga on a regular basis...it is definitely a workout! i’m sorry i doubted it...my only impression of yoga before this was a 24hr class i took and i hated it b/c i didn’t feel like i got a workout and it made me yawn a lot.

NEXT MISSION DATE? tbd (maybe friday, anyone want to join us?)

POST-MISSION NOTE: i drank so much water after the class that i peed 4 times in 1 hr. crazy! but i feel so healthy!