Union Yoga San Antonio Virginia

As I close in on the finish of my third 60 Day Challenge at Bikram, I wanted to share some of the benefits of the practice, so will post my “Top Ten Favorite Things” list over the next few days. I came to Bikram not by choice, but because I had to stop the Krav Maga training that l loved due to a congenital neck problem that wouldn’t resolve without surgery. I loved Krav, but not enough to operate on my neck. I had been intrigued by the challenge of Bikram, so took a 90 minute class on a Friday afternoon. WOW. I thought I was in good shape, but the heat kicked my ass. I followed the Bikram advice of coming back the next day and haven’t looked back. I have to admit I was a “yoga hater” for many years, thinking of it as “just stretching” and not exercise. One class demolished that belief. It’s not the perfect, only exercise you need to do—additional strength training helps, but it is a great cardio, flexibility and strength workout with mental health benefits I’ve never experienced in 25 years of exercising.

12-Holding standing bow for the whole posture without falling out. That doesn’t happen often for me, but when it does, I feel like I’ve arrived as a yogi. The downside is I’m usually so tanked I botch the other side!

11-The sweaty, detergent-y, bleach-y smell of the towel when you finish the standing series. I’ve made it to the floor, and that wet towel is my best friend. I know that smell well, and it’s a comforting odor. A mélange of me, Bikram, and whatever detergent was on sale at Costco.

10-Flexibility. This is the first thing everyone thinks when you say you’re doing yoga, and consistent practice does help increase it (I can touch my toes now and my posture has improved-when I remember to stand up straight), but that’s not why I do yoga. It may be why I started, but it’s not what keeps me coming back.

9-Core strength. People think yoga is just “stretching, ” and it may be on the Type II diabetes drug ads that all seem to show restful, fit, Type II diabetics (not sure who does their casting) but Bikram is about strength first, and it will show you how heavy your body weight is to hold up for 20 seconds. I was in good shape when I started Bikram, but my body fat percentage is down 5% from last year, and I can start to see ab definition where there used to be just belly. If increasing strength is your primary goal, there are better workouts to do than Bikram, but you DO get benefits in the practice.

8-Mental Toughness. You’ve got so many opportunities in every class to challenge yourself and your desire to quit. I hate most of the standing series—in a good way—and think hard about taking a posture off, or half-assing it. Toughing out each one of those postures is a great micro-challenge. Never take off Triangle pose. Never. Then you’ve got the macro-challenge of the heat. When the heat and/or humidity is cranked up (almost every class, although it does vary) just staying in the room is a 90 minute challenge. I must say, the heat can be unpleasant, and over two plus years I’ve never “gotten used to it.” At the same time, I’ve never left the room. Fighting through the postures and the heat gives me a quiet confidence that leaves the hot room and carries through the day.

7-Head rush in camel. That is a great natural high. Oftentimes I’ll get a trance-like state towards the end of class—I’m in the room, but at another level. I’ve had postures in the floor series where I “open” my eyes in the second set and have no recollection of the first—which I just completed. The closest analog I can think of is runner’s high, but without the damage to your knees.