Tonight I attended a Bikram Yoga class. I was told that it was one of the more difficult types of yoga but I really had no idea how the class would go. It is hardly surprising that I will have a difficult time with it cause not only is the class conducted inside a heated room, I haven't done eny exercise aside from strolling around the malls for more than a year now.
It was a 90 minute class but it seemed like eternity. Half way through it, I wanted to quit but then the instructor knows how to handle sedentary quitters so I was subtly persuaded to stay.
Nabola, ika nga.
Minutes into it, every sweat gland of my body was worked up. My skin was moisturized in the same way it would be if I slathered Body Shop's body butter thickly on it. I was given a fresh towel to line my yoga mat and I noticed half way that the towel quicly became drenched with sweat. It was a potent combination of the heated room and the challenging poses that made it so difficult and yes, fulfilling. I was initially a bit scandalized when, while I was waiting to be called at the waiting area for the start of classes, our instructor stepped out in his trunks, only his trunks, parading his body to be envied. I quickly saw the sense of it when we were all sweating profusely inside the sweltering hot room, puddles of sweat forming just about anywhere.
"This is the start of change... Think about what you can do for your body and your life... No one who has started this and stuck to it didn't get good results... It is more difficult the less fit you are, and all the bad things you do to your body makes it more difficult for you to do this.. But if you keep on attending, and work hard for it, things will change... I will not devote so much of my life int oit if I had not believed in it."
Or something to that effect.
I must say he handles the class well. He puts a lot of effort to correct our poses, and tells us techniques how to do things right. I was quick to warn him that I've never done any yoga in my life and that I haven't been exercising. And so, after the class, everybody knew that I was "May" as he would call my attention quite frequently - "May, you have to relax, May, you have to breathe correctly, May, you do this. I appreciate it all , of course. He did say that I did quite well for someone who's doing the class for the first time. Geesh, that's so good to hear.
Needless to say, after dizzy spells and outbalanced poses, I finished the class, and yes, felt really, really good about it. I'll be back tomorrow.
Let's deal with the sore muscles later.
