| I've just returned from hot yoga (still sweaty) and lived to tell the tale; and guess what the first thing was I ate when I got home? Hot soup. Is that weird? I guess the hotness ran its course or I'm some sort of heat freak, but my thoughts about the heated session?...It is a tough work out! I salute the people who complete a yoga session with complete poise and balance, you need a good deal of mental and physical strength and concentration. My arms are pooped out; but, I do feel completely relaxed and at ease in my own skin. Mission accomplished. Before the class, I wanted to know how many calories are typically burned during a session of Bikram yoga. I figured the most exertion would be the heat, but I was surprised at what I found. One site said I would burn around 600-700 calories! Is this possible? Well I looked up a nifty, little yoga calculator (who would have thought) and the results were similar! Try it below! Calories Burned Calculator | ||
| Estimate the calories you burned doing Yoga: | ||
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The yoga room smelled like incense and the lighting was dimmed. If the floor wasn't covered in yoga mats, I would have thought I was getting a massage (and I would have been okay with that). My initial reaction about the heat was Oh, it's not that bad. Actually, it's kinda nice. My friend looked at me Oh, just wait.
We began with some basic stretching and breathing. Everything was hunky dory until the repetition of downward dog (which my instructor was extremely found of; my hamstrings? Not so much). We would jump into a plank, go into a cobra stretch, into downward dog, and repeat x5. Planks, in general, aren't an easy task, so they're even more difficult when you're slipping and sliding in sauna-like heat. But I liked that everyone was at all levels and went at their own pace, so there was no pressure to keep up with instructor or the prized yoga students in the front of the room.
After the first 30 minutes, I took back what I said about the heat. I was wiping constantly wiping sweat off my face and trying not to slip out of poses. The heat itself didn't bother me, it was more of the sweat that was tricky. Plus I thought some of the poses were difficult. The instructor keep harping on our breathing, but it's hard to focus on your breath when trying to accomplish warrior stance, damnit! I think I would be a better breather with practice and becoming more comfortable with the poses. And I was right, I was a pro at Pose 13 (see below, it was called the corpse pose....it's a gift I suppose).
My favorite part was the last 5 minutes of relaxation. At this point, your body is jelly. You just lay down, close your eyes, and clear your mind. It was like adult nap time. I was so relaxed and at ease with my body. And besides being physically tired, I felt darn good.
I liked the Bikram yoga, but am not yet in love with it. I know each instructor is different, so I am going to give it another shot. It was a nice mix up from my regular work out routine (treadmills can get so boring), and I accomplished ultimate sweat levels that confirmed a successful work out. I recommend it to anyone, even men! You don't have to have good balance or be ultra flexible. Yoga is all about going at your own pace and setting personal goals. It works not only your outer limps but your soul as well. I hope to get hooked and keep nourishing myself in ways that only yoga can achieve.
