I’ve sampled a lot of yoga in my day. I’ve practiced in gyms & cabins, done
Flow & Yin, tried classical & tantra, and seen the best and worst of
Ashtanga & Iyengar. After a decade
or more of searching I’ve found a yoga style that I enjoy practicing and
teaching in Embodyoga. But I have a
secret- sometimes I sneak out to a Bikram class.
If there is a spectrum of yoga practices, the tantra “yoga
from the inside out” nature of Embodyoga is about as far as you can get from
the “classical yoga-meets-MTV” style of Bikram.
In my regular practice every movement starts with the breath and
pranayama is just a regular part of life; in Bikram, you get breath in the
first two minutes, the last two minutes, and for the 86 minutes in between you
are on your own. When I practice each
posture is a learning opportunity and chance to explore; in Bikram you pretty
much just follow the rote commands of the scantily clad person on the podium at
the front of the room. Embodyoga always
asks you to soften your knees; Birkam commands you to lock your knees, lock
your knees, lock your knees.
None the less, I still find myself in a Bikram class from
time to time. Here’s why:
Mental Disengagement: When I explained my yoga background
to my first bikram teacher, she said “you can forget all that, this is
basically ‘Simon Says’ for 90 minutes.” Frankly
it’s too hot to think about much. Spending
that much time not worrying about the past or the future, just being in the
moment? Score.
Calories: At my size I burn around 1000 calories in one
class. That can make up for a lot of
dietary sins.
Meditation: I get to class early so I claim a favorite
spot in the back. That 15 minute wait in
a hot room with subdued lighting and gentle murmuring of students is my most
reliable meditation time.
Orgy Atmosphere: Spending 90 minutes in a room full of
half-naked, writhing, sweaty people is nice break from the mundane. It’s a close as I’m likely to get to a Roman
orgy.
Hydration: I drink about a liter of water before class, a
liter during class, a liter right after class, and a liter within an hour of
leaving class. So long, toxins! It also helps with…
Keeping it Regular: Right in the middle of the practice
when it’s getting hard to focus I always hear the instructor say “this posture massages
your colon”. They are right. You are guaranteed to have a skip in your
step the next day, after a few bathroom breaks, of course.
Warmth: I live in New England; in the winter it gets dark
at 4:00 and it is cold all the time. My Bikram
class card goes untouched between April and October, but when the cold sets in I’m
ready to head back to my 105 degree class.
Now if someone can just explain a Japanese Ham Sandwich I'll be set.
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