Natalie Tries: Bikram Yoga

• Tweet
• Pin It

The image of yoga for me is serene faces practicing obscure but gentle posing at a tranquil pace, and to be honest I’ve always found it mind-numbingly dull. But Bikram adds a whole new dimension. Sweating and panting to within an inch of my life, my only goal for my first Bikram session was to stay in the room without passing out. My preconceptions of yoga as a tame pastime were shattered.

What’s it all about?

Bikram yoga takes traditional yoga and turns up the heat, literally. The traditional yoga moves are performed in a heated studio of up to 105 degrees. The practice was developed by Bikram Choudhury in the 1970s and includes a set series of 26 moves to be performed over 90 minutes. It is thought that the heat helps to loosen up your muscles and lets you push yourself beyond your flexibility, which encourages blood flow around the body which aids the circulatory system.

You also sweat. A lot. This was more than I have ever sweated in my entire life. I like to think that the sweat is cleansing and is detoxifying my skin and removing impurities. But it’s quite hard to remember that when you’re trying to balance on one leg whilst being temporarily blinded by your own perspiration.

Bikram is not for the faint-hearted. The first few classes are a serious endurance test. What I loved is that the movement and the heat really elevate your heart rate so you get a cardiovascular workout along with the benefits of stretching. With traditional yoga I often find that my mind wanders and I start imaging what I’m going to have for dinner, or what I should buy in the Topshop sale, but with Bikram all you can focus on is breathing, moving and not being overwhelmed by the heat. It’s really calming to force your mind to focus on just one thing for a full 90 minutes.

The class

It would definitely help if you have some experience of yoga. The instructors are great at identifying newcomers and make sure to help them deal with the heat, but the classes are usually so packed that there isn’t the scope for individual assistance or for teaching the basic moves.

The speed at which the instructors talk is quite astounding, but it’s easy to pick up on what your supposed to be doing by looking at the people around you. The Highbury and Islington studio in North London is nicely set up with a fully mirrored wall, so you can see just how inflexible you actually are in true panoramic glory.

There is a set pattern of moves for every class, so the more you do it the better you will get. You will also get used to the heat surprisingly quickly. It doesn’t exactly get easier, but your body seems to acclimatise and after a few sessions you will be able to focus on improving your moves rather than just panicking about feeling dizzy.

If you do feel dizzy the floor will be your saviour. It’s apparently completely normal to feel nauseous or dizzy during the first few classes, but if this happens lying flat on the floor and taking a quick break is the key. It’s much cooler on the floor and you’ll be able to catch your breath and stop your head spinning.

Is it worth the sweat?

Bikram yoga leaves you with a feeling of exhilaration that’s hard to match. Stepping from the heat of the studio into the cool outdoors will breath life into your newly stretched muscles and you will float home feeling fantastic.

It’s amazing for sports recovery. I attended the class the day after a tough netball game, and the heat coupled with the intense stretching really improved the after-effects of the game. My muscles felt supple and pain-free when normally I will feel tense and sore the day after playing. I can’t recommend it enough if you play any sort of sport to a high level and give your muscles a pounding.

90 minutes is a long time, and doing the same set of moves can get slightly repetitive. As brilliant as it feels, I couldn’t commit to more than one or two sessions per week, because it really takes quite a big chunk out of your day, and if you work full-time this could become difficult. But I have to admit; I’ve got the bug. I want to get bendy and sweaty on a regular basis from now on!

Remember:

- Arrive at least 15 minutes before your class starts.
- Bring two towels and lots of water to class. Maybe freeze a bottle of water the night before so it’ll stay cool for longer.
- Showers are communal, so prepare to bare, or shower when you get home!

Bikram Highbury & Islington provides daily classes starting from 6.45am. As an intro offer new members can get 20 consecutive days for just £35, and then membership can be bought on a monthly or yearly basis. Visit www.bikramhighburyandislington.com for full details.

Natalie Morris, Sportsister
The Women’s Sport Magazine

• Tweet
• Pin It

You may like

• 

  Natalie Tries: Beach Volleyball
  Natalie Tries: Beach Volleyball
• 

  Natalie Tries: High Intensity Interval Pilates
  Natalie Tries: High Intensity Interval Pilates
• 

  Natalie Tries: Whipped!
  Natalie Tries: Whipped!

You must be logged in to post a comment Login