by Steph
7/9/2009 8:38:00 AM
I attempted my first ever Bikram Yoga class yesterday. 90 minutes of stretching and balancing in strenuous positions in 109 degree heat, surrounded by other heavily sweating yogis. Having practiced yoga for 17 years (some years more than others), I am comfortable trying a new style, but then there’s GREAT AMERICA.Every summer when I was a kid, my parents would bring my sisters, brother and I - and one friend each - to Great America. It was quite the special event for us, back in the day. We would wait in line for hours to ride each and every ride. Mom would hold our stuff and dad would escort EVERYONE tall enough on the rollercoasters - being “too scared” was not an option in our family. One time, when I was about 10 years old, I was in line with dad and Debbie Januchowski (my first best friend), when I started seeing spots and blacked out. I woke up on the ground with my dad smiling down at me, telling me everything would be alright. I wasn’t scared; some water and shade fixed the problem, and we blamed it on the silver barrette in my dark hair, attracting too much sun. But my potential sensitivity to extreme heat and dehydration has persisted throughout my life, having fainted a handful of times since. I was, therefore, never interested in tempting fate in a HOT YOGA class, until my friend Ed lured me there with a $29 one-month trial and a promise to join me. Class began with 15-20 minutes of warm-up, where you are recommended NOT to drink water. I was fine through that, but next came the balancing on one leg with the other up over my head while seeing spots… which felt torturous and dangerous. I ended up lying down 3 or 4 times during class, feeling slightly faint and icky. But I made it through! I think the toxic release and the deep stretching was beneficial, and I feel really good today. I am vowing to make it at least five days per week for the next month… we’ll see how it goes.
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