Okay, so back to bikram. Last post was concerned with the "before you get to class" introduction to the beginning bikram yoga series. This entry will detail more of the "during and after" parts. These are more of the things I wish I knew before I took my first class. Shall we?
1) Listen to your body first, your teacher second. Your instructor is using the same script for everyone in the room, whether they've done this only one time or a thousand times. He or she will say things like, "Lock the knee, lock the knee, LOCK THE KNEE", and you might be nowhere near locking your knee. You will find the sweat dripping down your face and stinging your eyes, and you might want to kill the teacher. Don't. Just back off. Do what you can. If you need to, sit down on your heels, or even lie down on your back. Get back up - SLOWLY - when you're ready to try more.
2) Listen and look diligently. Even though we've established that your body is the real guru, and you should only do what you're capable of, your teacher will be moving quickly through the postures. You want to keep tabs on exactly what they're saying, and exactly what your fellow students are doing. It's okay to copy off your neighbor here - it's expected. Form is more important than flexibility as a beginner. Do the postures as best you can, as perfectly as you can, by copying those around you and listening carefully to the teacher's instructions on where to put your hands, feet, hips, spine, etc. Keep those ears and eyes open!
3) The first part of the 90-minute class is a standing series of poses. These may or may not be the "harder" poses - I personally think they are - but it's good to keep in mind anyway. You will have a chance to sit down, even lie down, once you get these first grueling poses out of the way. If you're like me, and you like to know what you're getting into before you start, you may want to review the order of the poses before you go to class. Here's a good place to start, from Bikram Yoga Durham.
4) After you have suffered through your class - take advantage of the last savasana, or Dead Body Pose. Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like. You lie on the ground with your palms facing up and your arms by your sides, still as death. The last one will last pretty much as long as you want to stay in the hot room. Ignore the people hopping up immediately to wipe off their mats and run to the showers. Just be still. Enjoy how good it feels to stay still and let your heart rate return to normal. Two minutes, minimum. Five minutes is better.
5) REHYDRATE. The studio where I go is lovely and has popsicles waiting for us outside after we emerge from the hot room. This is great and all, but far from enough. Spend the rest of your day/evening drinking twice as much as your used to, in order to rehydrate. Coconut water - which has around 15-20% of your daily value of potassium per serving - is great for this. (NOT coconut milk or coconut juice...look for the pure stuff with no added sugar.)
Everything else? You'll learn as you go. Trust me, it's not easy. Don't go into this thinking you'll just be sitting around, lotus-style, meditating and saying "Om" a lot. It took me three classes before I really started "enjoying" it. But if you go in, well-hydrated, humble, and with an open mind, you may just find yourself with a unique new workout option. Go bikram!
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