I'm not into yoga. I'm really bad at it. I'm not that flexible and for some reason I just can't hit poses for that long or bend sideways with my leg behind my head. (Sounds easy right?) But yet - despite knowing all of this, I decided to take Bikram Yoga this morning on my President's Day off.
I'm not a 100% newbie to yoga. I took a class a few months back at Area Yoga in Brooklyn. More of the Vinyasa style. Moving, but not sweating. Relaxing and yet I got a workout. I liked it but it wasn't a "workout" to me...compared to what I normally do for fitness: 2-3 high intensity SoulCycle classes every week, and runs around Central Park when it's warmer out.
But that said, I knew I needed to do something different. Everyone says you need to switch up your body workouts, change it up a bit so it hits different muscles. So I did.
Bikram is interesting. There's definitely a smell. There's a vibe. There are sounds people make that you don't understand and there is a lot of skin showing. But it's good. You SWEAT. My friend Matt told me I'd probably look down and have a pool of sweat underneath me. He was correct. You hit 26 posts. (Found them
here on Pinterest naturally.)
I probably hit 3 out of the 26 poses properly, but I am told that's OK. I felt relaxed at the end and had a clear head. They are very good to newbies and are helpful and understanding. I mean, not everyone can hit those poses right away. I also understand why they tell you not to drink alcohol before. Going in there with a hangover would be absolutely brutal.
If you're interested in going check out
Bikram Yoga NYC. They offer a newbie deal for the first week - $27 = 7 days unlimited. One class is $25 so it's pretty much a deal even if you go twice.