Let’s talk about hot yoga for just a minute. I’ve wanted to do it for as long as I’ve known about it, but have always let finances and lack of time keep me from it. Oh, and that little thing called ‘fear’. Yes, fear was also a factor; even though I used to run 7-8 miles every day and do an hour of weights and 30 minutes of stretching afterwards, I was petrified of hot yoga.
All of this changed yesterday. I gathered up my courage and went after hot yoga like white on rice. Or yellow on a banana peel. Or green on a Granny Smith. You know what I mean. I got after it despite my unfounded fear of the heat.
I now have a very clear understanding of how and why hot yoga is an addiction. I was a hot sweaty bendy mess, and I loved every second of it! Within minutes of laying on the floor in the room waiting for the class to start I could feel sweat trickling down my scalp. In the first forward fold I saw the beads of sweat on my arms in the light of the window. Want to know the crazy part? It was beautiful.
My sweat was beautiful.
The whole class I found myself praying, praising God for the body he’s given me, repentant for the harm I’ve done to it in the past, and truly sorry for not realizing how blessed I am. I pushed myself and I loved myself and discovered that above all else, I am thankful.
If that’s not reason enough to go back, I don’t know what is!
what a beautiful post. i think yoga has a place in everyones life and im so glad that it provided you with such positive emotions! if only we all were reminded of our beauty, strength, and reasons to be thankful everyday.
LOVE hot yoga! It is very addicting – and expensive… there are a lot of hot yoga and Bikram studios in my area, so my trick is to sign up for the “New Student” special and when that expires, go onto the next studio as a new student! It helps if you have Groupons too. I have a regular studio now though – I think all the yoga people talk and they realized that I was not “new” anymore.
I know EXACTLY what you mean! I am addicted to Bikram and I didn’t even think I would like yoga.
I was extremely nervous to go to hot yoga the first time too, but loved/hated it – I will definitely go back when my ankle is healed!
Did you try Bikram yoga or was it another form of hot yoga? 🙂 I used to be addicted to Bikram but finally stopped because it was costing me so much (I was doing laundry daily which didn’t help my electric bills either). I go back occassionally – especially when I feel like I need a good sweat or simply to stretch my muscles. That is so awesome that you tried it! 🙂
i just did regular hot yoga….I think for Bikram the instructor has to be trained at the founder’s place in India…? either way it was still fantastic!
I think I have this fear you speak of. I need to get out there and just do it!
Yoga has a special place in my heart 🙂 So glad you loved it! I just finished my graduate degree while working full time and the #1 thing I’m looking forward to is more yoga time, especially hot yoga. Yoga has a way of opening our hearts and exploring ourselves in ways we hadn’t before.
I find that gatorade (I love the G2 rain lime flavor!) or coconut water is best after a hot class to help replenish some of the electrolytes.
Happy yoga-ing 🙂
Hi Heather!
I have stumbled upon your blog a few times and I just had to comment on this post. I am a yoga addict! I moved to Madrid, Spain within the last year and hot (specifically Bikram) yoga saved my soul.
Homesick went away in that hot room where I could bend and strentch and truly be thankful!
I went from “runner’ to “yogi” over 4 years ago and have never looked back! Your body and soul will thank you! Hope you are having an excellent week!
I would love to try hot yoga out sometime. It definitely sounds like something I would enjoy. Glad you got to try it!
This is my favorite post I’ve read all day. Thank you!
Ohhhhhhhhhh this is awesome!! The first post I have read in a long time about how AWESOME hot yoga is!! Soon… I’m going to go soon!! 😉
Isn’t a strong, healthy body such a gift?? I was thinking the same thing on my run tonight. 🙂 Good for you for trying hot yoga! I have yet to try it. I suppose I need to get the hang of regular yoga first…
What a beautiful post. Thank you.
As a recovered “hot-yoga addict” I have numerous reasons to avoid hot yoga;
1) it is addicting
2) regularly practicing reeks havoc on ones ligaments
3) people often do not properly hydrate afterwards
4) the extreme heat makes people more flexible than they normally are (which can feel great) but often causes one to overexert themselves, resulting in injury
… these are just a few but after speaking with a number of trainers and my orthopedists I have become knowledgable of the negative effects.
Hope this doesn’t kill your yoga-high but I had a hard time stopping and wish I would have known this before I became hooked
thanks Lindsey…it’s good to know everything we possibly can about what we put out bodies through. i definitely appreciate knowing that, like all exercise, there are dangers to hot yoga. i don’t think the point was to necessarily say that I am going to practice it every day or even consistently for that matter; my reason in writing this post is that sweating through that practice was a catalyst to show me again how blessed i am to have a body that is capable of moving. i just had to share 🙂
Sooooo glad you loved it!! I knew you were going to do awesome in there! 🙂
I thought Salah might have had some influence, hehe. So glad you tried it, yes to sweat!
While I’ve never tried hot yoga, I have started anusara yoga and have completely fallen in love. While in downward dog for the 20th time last night, I got a good look at my thighs (mymost critiqued body part) and I saw them in a new light. It was kind of amazing.
I went to bed feeling all sorts of happy thought abouts my body. I’m sure I’d be happy just doing yoga the rest of my life 🙂