Sweatin' to Oldies

So, I go to a bikram yoga class.......

With my friend Thom, .....

Do you know what bikram is?

It is an hour and a half of yoga poses in a room that can go to 110 degrees......

Really......

Hot yoga, the younguns call it.

First of all, Thom got me all scared telling me how hard and challenging it was....and how it could make you feel dizzy and sick to your stomach and maybe a bit faint....

And after this conversation I got off the phone....I don't even think I sounded like I was willing by the end of the conversation.....and turned to my husband and told him that I thought that I might die.

Then I called my friend Vicki.....she is a choreographer and a dancer.......she sounded skeptical and started to tell me how she went and because she is all a dancer , she pushed herself way hard.....and then she went home with a migrane and projectile vomited.....well.....aweseome.

I was actually quite scared by the time I got the studio .....and we had to go to a late class so the place was packed....about 35 people.....

All pretty much naked.

Really.

I was wearing pants and two tank tops and it looked like I was in a parka compared to everyone else....

There was a dude in a man bikini.....

And all I could think of as I watched him standing front and centre with his spray-on tan was.....

You come here to be naked and in your speedo .....and you have an excuse....

did I mention people were pretty much NAKED!!

I walked into the room to put my matt down before we started....to save my place and all.....and when I felt the wave of heat and the breathed in the humidity.......

I started to panic, but just a bit.

Then when we all got in the room and it was just jam packed.....

I panicked a bit more.....

Then the lady asked who was new to the class and 2 of us put up our hands....she said the most important thing was to not leave the room....it would be bad for your heart and is disruptive to the class.......so try and tough it out for the.....

HOUR AND HALF!

AHHHHHHH!

I was already sweating and trying not to run screaming from the room.....fighting the fight or flight instinct.

It was hard!

So, about ten minutes into the class.......a dude ran out....he just wanted OUT and someone in the class asked him to not leave the room....not even the teacher....you could tell he was freakin' a bit....then the teacher tried to talk him out of it...

LET THE POOR GUY GO FOR GODS SAKE!

I laid down about 5 times.....I felt sick about the same amount and felt like I was gonna pass out only once.

Not bad, eh?

There was a point when I was wrapped up in some position and the teacher said not to think badly of the person who brought you.....I looked at Thom....

he pretended not to notice.

But I made it....cue all of the applause.....I think that the hardest thing was trying to just be easy on myself and not try to push myself too hard....and honour when I had to stop....and really,  just to try not to run out of the room.

I sweat so much that my clothes weighed about 10 pounds and my hair was soaked....

but let me tell you something....

when it was done.....

this felt better than doing a great opening night show.

It felt like I had done something athletic, which has never been my forte....

and that I had conquered a fear....

And that I am a sweating machine.

So,.......

I went back today at noon.....yup I did!

I am nothing if not obsessive.....

And guess what........I did awesome...I only laid down twice......

and think I did  well on the poses for a beginner...

Although I got there early to get a good spot and this lady came in just as we started and stood right in front of me in the mirror....I wanted to say something but I thought that wouldn't be very yoga-ie of me.

I am proud and I only hurt a bit......I think I will do it again.

Doesn't that sound cracked?