The Yoga Life: Behind-the-Scenes with Bikram Yoga at Her Active Life

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The Yoga Life: Behind-the-Scenes with Bikram Yoga

Posted November 13, 2007 at 04:00 PM by Alexandra Haller

Section: Her Fitness, Her Health, Injury & Rehab, Her Motivation, The Yoga Life

Yoga I am trying to draw my forehead to my shins in Pade Hastasana, the forward bend posture, and I notice the tops of my feet are dotted with marbles of sweat. Actually, rivulets of sweat are cascading down from my knees. Class started less than five minutes ago and I’m already perspiring in copious amounts in the least expected of places. A refreshing swell of energy increases in me and I suck in my belly, pull it tight to my thighs, grip my hands under my feet and use the strength in my biceps to pull my head even farther down. I slowly try to straighten my legs and feel my hamstrings stretching to their most taut limits.

This is Bikram Yoga. It is a vigorous practice of Yoga that is carried out in a room heated to about 105 degrees with around 30% humidity. The idea behind the heat (what some call the torture chamber) is that the muscles take less time to loosen. This means one can delve deeper into the 26 postures with increased flexibility, along with minimized muscle strain and a reduced chance for injury. The intense sweating during the 90 minute class is supposed to be cleansing and provide numerous detoxifying health benefits. (I will note that at around $15 for one class, it can range on the pricey side.)

As with most varieties of exercise, people will either hate it or love it. The temperature could seem stifling and overwhelming or it could seem like an immediate, enjoyable way for your body to unbind itself from the strain of the day. The continual verbal instruction from the teacher could seem pedantic and obtrusive or it could be helpful. Obviously, my feelings fall into the latter categories. I literally feel that someone plucked my idea of the perfect exercise from the depths of my brain and came up with Bikram Yoga. I take pleasure in the 90 minutes of intense stretching because it is the only time during the week when I am allowed to truly unwind and let my body do just what it is amazingly designed to do—move, reach, stretch, pull, and lengthen.

I enjoy the teachers with their different sayings that make you focus on often unnoticed parts of your body. For example, a teacher at my local studio, Sarah Weckerle, 27, once said “This is a great move for your heart and your elbows. How often do you think of your elbows, and all the work that your heart does?” If you’re like most people, not very often. However, I think it’s delightful when she points that out. Gratitude for your body is a large component of yoga practices.

Weckerle realizes that seeing people get in touch with their bodies is one of the reasons she is passionate about teaching. “I love people. I love seeing how people improve and begin to understand their own bodies through the postures. I love that no matter what one feels before or during a yoga class it’s always an improvement when you are finished.”
Bikram Yoga
She has a cheerful presence that is evident from her wide smile. You can tell by her upbeat that she is happy to share the practice with others. A drill sergeant she is not, even though she will challenge you to push yourself to your limits. If you are still new to the idea, this is her advice. “New people can expect to feel overwhelmed, frustrated, as if everyone else in the room is a little crazy. But just like anything else, doing something for the first time is always challenging. You would not expect to walk onto a tennis court or soccer field and be an expert, so don’t beat yourself up about your yoga practice, especially your first day. Be patient with yourself and have fun with it and before you know it you will love it.”

I sincerely agree. It takes repetition to become used to the sequence of 26 standing, sitting and lying down poses. You will learn new terminology, such as the cobra, the standing bow (Dandayamana Dhanurasana) and awkward pose (Utkatasana). You will discover the joy of a pose, in which your heart and lungs get married! The benefits are many and varied. According to Weckerle, “The overall benefits are a pain-free, happier, and healthier body, increased flexibility and strength, and an overall sense of well-being.”

Keep in mind this is not the soporific yoga where you bring a blankie to class and listen to Enya while nag champa wafts through the room. You will raise your heart rate, sweat immensely, firm your muscles and experience an unrivaled sense of accomplishment and pride in what your body can do. I truly believe you only have one body for 70, 80 or 90 years---treat it like it matters. It deserves Bikram Yoga.

For more information on the practice, see http://www.bikramyoga.com/.