I've been doing Bikram yoga (aka Hot yoga or the Bad kind) for about 6 years on and off. I've had such a love/hate relationship with it. I discovered early on that it is fantastic for my arms and if I'm doing it regularly, my arms and hands don't hurt in my job. Bonus! Doing massage with pain-free hands and elbows is a good thing. When I stop going to yoga for more than a couple weeks, the pain returns. I've tested this over and over again when I get slack about going.
I never entirely understand
why I get slack about going because I know how much it benefits me. I just start to think about how hard it is, especially in certain poses, and that whiny 3 year-old in my head takes over - I DON'T WANNA! - and I opt out.
So I did a 30-day challenge in June, which was incredibly hard, but also much easier than I thought because it took the decision making out of going. I didn't have to make that choice every day because I had committed to going, and the only decision there was was which class I was going to attend.
Since I've finished the 30 days, it has become more challenging again to get myself there. I planned to go 5-6 days a week for several more months to keep up the momentum, but it has been more like 4, and since I haven't been feeling well the past few weeks, it has been more intermittent.
But I've been taking a workshop this weekend which breaks down all the poses and discusses what they do for you, which muscles, joints and even chakras they affect. It is also reinforcing the idea that there should be no expectations going into class. Every class is your first, so it doesn't matter where you got in a pose yesterday or last week, it is all about where you are today. It's really freeing, providing you can turn off your ego and brain, and even what the teacher is saying to you, and just go with it. Some instructors have said this in the past, but others are always trying to get you to go further and further regardless of what's going on with you at that exact moment.
The class is surprisingly small - I guess spending an extra 8 hours in a hot yoga studio during a heat wave and long weekend isn't appealing to everyone - but I especially wish more instructors were in attendance. There's some profound shit going on and I wish they could pass it along to lots of people.
I had an amazing class yesterday after the workshop, and left feeling like I'd been hit by a Mac truck, but in a good way. I'm not sure I buy into all the stuff they're saying as my new-age-bullshit detector went off a couple times, but I'm willing to suspend disbelief for a bit and see where it gets me.
Namaste!
Labels: Yoga
