bikram yoga

[spook]

anybody do it? i started a couple of months ago and LOVE it. i have some complicating factors, but yoga has always been the best means of rehabilitation for me, and yoga at 105 degrees for 90 minutes is fantastic. i was a little taken aback by the semi-bootcamp-ish nature of the institution (IF YOUR NECK HURTS, YOU'RE DOING IT RIGHT!!!!), but once i ignored that and focused on my own limitations and idiosyncrasies, it's been great.

[snow_slider]

My wife is into Bikram. There's is not enough money on earth that you could pay me to set foot into such a hot environment to exercise. Totally NOT by cup of tea, but if it works for ya - rock it.

[irul&ublo]

There's is not enough money on earth that you could pay me to set foot into such a hot environment to exercise.

Sweaty, in shape women in tight skimpy clothes?

[snow_slider]

Sweaty women in tight skimpy clothes?

I'd slip on my own ocean of sweat when I tried to accost them.

[natty dread]

I do hot yoga and it has been amazingingly helpful, but I'll never do "bikram yoga" and in any way help that egomaniacal, lawsuit-happy asshole buy himself another rolls royce.

[pappag]

I do hot yoga and it has been amazingingly helpful, but I'll never do "bikram yoga" and in any way help that egomaniacal, lawsuit-happy asshole buy himself another rolls royce.

This.

Been doing power vinyasa for almost two years now and the benefits are unreal. And yeah, working out for an hour to 90 minutes fully surrounded by beautiful women in tight clothes is never a terrible thing.

[spook]

I do hot yoga and it has been amazingingly helpful, but I'll never do "bikram yoga" and in any way help that egomaniacal, lawsuit-happy asshole buy himself another rolls royce.

i'm pretty sure i'm helping plenty of other egomaniacal lawsuit-happy assholes with my various other consumptive practices, so i'm not going to get indignant about something i get a lot out of. i'm a hypocrite and a whore but i've known that for a long time.

[PNWbrit]

I try and avoid all forms of branded or trade marked exercise regimens. And those that are religions.

[natty dread]

i'm pretty sure i'm helping plenty of other egomaniacal lawsuit-happy assholes with my various other consumptive practices, so i'm not going to get indignant about something i get a lot out of. i'm a hypocrite and a whore but i've known that for a long time.

Sure I get that we're all hypocrites and I really don't care all that much what you do--my point is you can get the same benefits from power vinyasa as from bikram and have the added benefit of not supporting that prick.

[BrianH]

I went for the yoga babes and stayed for the workout.

Not Bikram per se, but all kinds of yoga. let me assure you if it hurts in any way you are not doing it right! Yoga is powerful and merits respect, but you should never feel pain.

The burn from pushing yourself? By all means, just don't hurt yourself. Chronic pain or joint dislocations are all possible form poor alignment and pushing too hard too fast.

Did I mention yoga babes?

[spook]

Sure I get that we're all hypocrites and I really don't care all that much what you do--my point is you can get the same benefits from power vinyasa as from bikram and have the added benefit of not supporting that prick.

i'm recovering from a car accident and the power vinyasa class i took was too much for me at that time. i like all yoga that i have done. bikram is new and i have a good deal at this studio, so i'll be doing it for a while.

[phishstx]

I did it for about 6 months last year until it got too expensive, been thinking about getting into some other form of hot yoga where it's not the same exact routine each time. I have plates and screws in my shoulders and some of the poses are just never going to work for me, but there was a noticeable improvement in my breathing and balance in other athletic pursuits, i.e. skiing.

[Horu]

i was a little taken aback by the semi-bootcamp-ish nature of the institution (IF YOUR NECK HURTS, YOU'RE DOING IT RIGHT!!!!), but once i ignored that and focused on my own limitations and idiosyncrasies, it's been great.

Anyone who told you 'if your neck hurts you are doing it right' gave you some horrendously bad advice. A lot of media has come out recently about the very real dangers of yoga; I'm not talking about strains or tweaks, more in the realm of strokes, brain damage and paralysis. Check this out: nytimes article

The yoga class I've been going to for the last couple of years has been awesome (usually vinyasa, sometimes more ashtanga), and I would encourage anyone to try it out. It can be great for you in a multitude of ways, but please, if the instructor says anything like "push through the pain" tell them to fuck off and leave. Don't bend your neck to 90 degrees, and be careful with your lower back.

[irul&ublo]

[butterscotch]

did bikram for 1.5 years back in the day. i've never been so flexible. and i've never been so consistently injured. not a fan of locking out my knees at all. looking back, it's pretty easy to over-do it with bikram.

however, when you get deep into some of those poses, it's a really intense feeling. camel always destroyed me. i remember feeling like i was melting into the floor at the end.

[Lev]

Yoga mat for sale!

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best...597736393.html

[spook]

Anyone who told you 'if your neck hurts you are doing it right' gave you some horrendously bad advice.

Haven't read the article yet, but that was my point. bikram's mentality is pretty antithetical to the yoga i have done in the past. that said, i have done many years of training and rehab from injuries from a sport where they encourage you to feel more pain, so i know my body pretty well and i would never follow that advice.

i don't have any trouble with any of the poses that i can't manage either through backing off or finding an alternative and the heat in the room is just what i need. and i'm not paying for it, so it's worth the time to explore it.

[idiot]

Yoga mat for sale!

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best...597736393.html

This is exactly what came to my mind when I saw the thread. classic!

[arewolfe]

I guess I am a pussy because I did Bikram once with my gf two years ago and it was so insanely hard. I'd rather break trail straight up a 30 degree slope in 2 feet of snow without stopping for 1,000 feet of vert before I face another 90 minute session of Bikram.

Actually, some of the chicks are slammin. Maybe I should reconsider now that I'm single.

[DeeAre]

Yoga's the shit, especially if you have the luxury of a hot room full of sweaty females. CorePower, Highlands, Denver,CO... the talent pool is appallingly deep most days.
I "began a practice" about 14 months ago and have really benefitted, most notably in being conscious of my breath when it really matters. Helps stretch them lungs.
Yoga is the perfect complement to banging heavy weights, if you're into that kinda thing.

[hafilax]

I hate saunas; can't breathe. Hot yoga ranks very low on the list of things I would like to do.

[spook]

i'm actually surprised that they don't have more medical issues in these studios. i see a lot of people who are clearly not in very good shape gutting it out in 105 degrees for 90 minutes. i know i'm suffering and the conditions and suffering are not foreign to me. there are some times when there are 50 people in the room when i cannot believe nobody is passing out. it's a great exercise in mental control/going too far.

[butterscotch]

Yoga has definitely quieted my mind in tense situations. And it has definitely aided my weight lifting as well.

Sadly, I have yet to attend a class full of hot women. It just seems like it's mostly lumpy, middle-aged women, both here and back when I did bikram in Tucson.

[Rip'nStick]

CRAIGLIST AD. Posted for those that don't click. This was really resonated because it was pretty much my experience 15 yrs ago in Hermosa Beach.

Yoga mat for sale. Used once.

Date: 2011-09-13, 10:32PM PDT

Yoga mat for sale. Used once at lunch hour class in December 2009. Usage timeline as follows:

11:45a
Register for hot yoga class. Infinite wisdom tells me to commit to 5 class package and purchase a yoga mat. I pay $89.74. Money well spent, I smugly confirm to myself.

11:55a
Open door to yoga room. A gush of hot dry air rushes through and past me. It smells of breath, sweat and hot. Take spot on floor in back of room next to cute blonde. We will date.

11:57a
I feel the need to be as near to naked as possible. This is a problem because of the hot blonde to my left and our pending courtship. She will not be pleased to learn that I need to lose 30 pounds before I propose to her.

11:58a
The shirt and sweats have to come off. I throw caution to the wind and decide to rely on my wit and conditioning to overcome any weight issues my fiancée may take issue with. This will take a lot of wit and conditioning.

11:59a
Begin small talk with my bride to be. She pretends to ignore me but I know how she can be. I allow her to concentrate and stare straight ahead and continue to pretend that I don't exist. As we finish sharing our special moment, I am suddenly aware of a sweat moustache that has formed below my nose. This must be from the all the whispering between us.

12:00p
Instructor enters the room and ascends her special podium at the front of the room. She is a slight, agitated Chinese woman. She introduces me to the class and everyone turns around to greet me just as I decide to aggressively adjust my penis and testes packed in my Under Armor. My bride is notably unfazed.

12:02p
Since I do have experience with Hot Yoga (4 sessions just 5 short years ago) I fully consider that I may be so outstanding and skilled that my instructor may call me out and ask me to guide the class. My wife will look on with a sparkle in her eye. We will make love after class.

12:10p
It is now up to 95 degrees in the room. We have been practicing deep breathing exercises for the last 8 minutes. This would not be a problem if we were all breathing actual, you know, oxygen. Instead, we are breathing each other's body odor, expelled carbon dioxide and other unmentionables. (Don't worry, I'll mention them later.)

12:26p
It is now 100 degrees and I take notice of the humidity, which is hovering at about 90%. I feel the familiar adorning stare of my bride and decide to look back at her. She appears to be nauseated. I then realize that I forgot to brush my teeth prior to attending this class. We bond.

12:33p
It is now 110 degrees and 95% humidity. I am now balancing on one leg with the other leg crossed over the other. My arms are intertwined and I am squatting. The last time I was in this position was 44 years ago in the womb, but I'm in this for the long haul. My wife looks slightly weathered dripping sweat and her eyeliner is streaming down her face. Well, "for better or worse" is what we committed to so we press on.

12:40p
The overweight Hispanic man two spots over has sweat running down his legs. At least I think its sweat. He is holding every position and has not had a sip of water since we walked in. He is making me look bad and I hate him.

12:44p
I consider that if anyone in this room farted that we would all certainly perish.

12:52p
It is now 140 degrees and 100% humidity. I am covered from head to toe in sweat. There is not a square millimeter on my body that is not slippery and sweaty. I am so slimy that I feel like a sea lion or a maybe sea eel. Not even a bear trap could hold me. The sweat is stinging my eyeballs and I can no longer see.

12:55p
This room stinks of asparagus, cloves, tuna and tacos. There is no food in the room. I realize that this is an amalgamation of the body odors of 30 people in a 140 degree room for the last 55 minutes. Seriously, enough with the asparagus, ok?

1:01p
140 degrees and 130% humidity. Look, bitch, I need my space here so don't get all pissy with me if I accidentally sprayed you with sweat as I flipped over. Seriously, is that where this relationship is going? Get over yourself. We need counseling and she needs to be medicated. Stat!

1:09p
150 degrees and cloudy. And hot. I can no longer move my limbs on my own. I have given up on attempting any of the commands this Chinese chick is yelling out at us. I will lay sedentary until the aid unit arrives. I will buy this building and then have it destroyed.
I lose consciousness.

1:15p
I have a headache and my wife is being a selfish bitch. I can't really breathe. All I can think about is holding a cup worth of hot sand in my mouth. I cannot remember what an ice cube is and cannot remember what snow looks like. I consider that my only escape might be a crab walk across 15 bodies and then out of the room. I am paralyzed, and may never walk again so the whole crab walk thing is pretty much out.

1:17p
I cannot move at all and cannot reach my water. Is breathing voluntary or involuntary? If it's voluntary, I am screwed. I stopped participating in the class 20 minutes ago. Hey, lady! I paid for this frickin class, ok?! You work for me! Stop yelling at everyone and just tell us a story or something. It's like juice and cracker time, ok?

1:20p
It is now 165 degrees and moisture is dripping from the ceiling. The towel that I am laying on is no longer providing any wicking or drying properties. It is actually placing additional sweat on me as I touch it. My towel reeks. I cannot identify the smell but no way can it be from me. Did someone spray some stank on my towel or something?

1:30p
Torture session is over. I wish hateful things upon the instructor. She graciously allows us to stay and 'cool down' in the room. It is 175 degrees. Who cools down in 175 degrees? A Komodo Dragon? My wife has left the room. Probably to throw up.

1:34p
My opportunity to escape has arrived. I roll over to my stomach and press up to my knees. It is warmer as I rise up from ground level - probably by 15 degrees. So let's conservatively say it's 190. I muster my final energy and slowly rise. One foot in front of the other. One foot in front of the other. Towards the door. Towards the door.

1:37p
The temperature in the lobby is 72 degrees. Both nipples stiffen to diamond strength and my penis begins to retract into my abdomen from the 100 degree temp swing. I can once again breathe though so I am pleased. I spot my future ex wife in the lobby. We had such a good thing going but I know that no measure of counseling will be able to unravel the day's turmoil and mental scaring.

1:47p
Arrive at Emerald City Smoothie and proceed to order a 32 oz beverage. 402 calories, 0 fat and 14 grams of protein -- effectively negating any caloric burn or benefit from the last 90 minutes. I finish it in 3 minutes and spend the next 2 hours writing this memoir.

3:47p
Create Craigslist ad while burning final 2 grams of protein from Smoothie and before the "shakes" consume my body.

4:29p
Note to self - check car for missing wet yoga towel in am.

[Tye 1on]

i'm actually surprised that they don't have more medical issues in these studios. i see a lot of people who are clearly not in very good shape gutting it out in 105 degrees for 90 minutes. i know i'm suffering and the conditions and suffering are not foreign to me. there are some times when there are 50 people in the room when i cannot believe nobody is passing out. it's a great exercise in mental control/going too far.

I'm a big fan of whatever yoga floats your boat. There are many roads that all can end up at the same destination. Took my first class 14 months ago, and have taken ~120 classes, 5-6 workshops and a five day retreat since. For me personally hot/Bikram doesn't work well, i'm not a big fan of heat/saunas. Also a little suspicious of some of their claims, such as 'sweat out toxins'. Seems like technically toxins are filtered by liver/kidneys and peed out. Not to say i don't 'feel' like i've sweated toxins out tho...

And the 'if your neck hurts you're doing it right' is a standard line in a Bikram TM class. I agree that you should listen to your body and not cause it pain, but there's a difference between feeling sensation and pain, and hopefully the Bikramites shoot for the former, not the latter.

I've tried many styles. Jackson has some really really really good teachers, like all three that are on Yoga Today, plus another dozen that are also really top quality. I'm currently trending toward Ashtanga-oriented classes, sometimes led Primary Series, sometimes vinyasa. I like the Primary Series because, like Bikram, it is the same poses in the same order, so i can check in and see how some are better, some worse each time...It is a difficult practice physically, but does get easier over time. I also like the lineage that it is derived from, and the philosophical aspects. Will probably take a teacher training this fall.

Yoga has definitely quieted my mind in tense situations. And it has definitely aided my weight lifting as well.

Sadly, I have yet to attend a class full of hot women. It just seems like it's mostly lumpy, middle-aged women, both here and back when I did bikram in Tucson.

I love the combo of yoga+weight/crossfit. They both help each other.

Happily, I don't think I've taken one class that hasn't had at least one hottie. Typically a dozen or more, with like an 8:1 girl/guy ratio. In Bozeman have you triedthis studio? And while running shorts/t-shirt work fine, i gotta admit that yoga specific shorts/pants do work better. Friend of mine started this line of men's yoga duds, at prices half or less than the big companies. He teaches at Centered City in SLC. If you want to push yourself, show up for D'ana's Core class there [9th and 9th] at 8:30 then do her Power 1/2 class at 10. That first beer with lunch tastes sooooooo good...