Have you heard of ‘hot yoga’?
Well, this week I tried it out. I have been reading about this style of yoga for sometime and when I got the chance to try 5 classes for a great discount, I jumped at it! “Hot yoga” has been credited to Bikram Choudry but there are apparently some differences as this style has evolved. The basics are you perform (or attempt in my case) 26 poses (each one twice) in a room heated to 105 degrees. Yes, you read that right, 105. Each class is 90 minutes.
So, as a plus-size woman, I was immediately aware upon entering the sauna, err, room, that I was physically unlike the others. But, regardless of that fact, I was determined to do as well as I could. Afterall, yoga is for anyone who wants to try, not limited to thin, lithe people. I want to emphasize that you should never feel that you can’t do some activity just because of your size – there are always modifications to try.
I was glad that I knew the postures but the heat was quite intense. On the first night, I only managed to actually do 10 poses. I spent the rest of the time just being in the room. The instructor said that should be my only goal the first time. And it was tough! My second class was Wednesday morning and while the room temp was the same, it really felt better. I did about 20 postures and felt really pleased with that.
I’m planning to attend one class a week for the next month and looking forward to seeing my flexibility and stamina improve. I enjoy trying new things and this is definitely a challenge! If you are looking to try a yoga routine, there are some dvds featuring plus-size instructors, such as Megan Garcia 
). Are you trying any new activities this summer? What has been fun? Let me know.
On The Run... 