Sunday, March 30, 2014

My HOT Yoga Experience

One does not simply walk through a forest without taking in the scene and furthermore not become influenced to some degree by its lush leaves, it cool air, it's unique sounds, stirred up and caroused among the the trees and dirt path road. No, one can not miss the beauty and intensity of having ones soul held out before ones self in the forest, and one definitely can't miss the impenetrable experience of coming face to face with ones self in hot yoga. Try as you might, you will invariably find yourself amid a sea of skin clad, half naked yoga students, perched atop there yoga mats as moving tree, coming face to face with your variable spirit. Like night and day, you will come in with one intention and come out changed, moved and journey struck. Don't believe me? Let me tell you about my hot yoga class experience, on that I can nonchalantly say will not be the last yet bubbling up a smiling I wonder what crazy endeavor I will pursue to finance this new - imposing on The Matrix - blue pill.

My first day in hot yoga, was ironically enough, my first day in a yoga studio in 2 years, wait I lied 7 months (different studio - pract. Not that I hadn't been practicing my ego chimes, albeit half assed after a yoga experience where one deep pose had left me crying on my mat, not from physical pain but some emotional back energy that had been brought up during the session. "Ah yes, that's yoga" a teacher and colleague of mine would state when I addressed her about said experience, " go through it and release" ; "um no", I callously would reply albeit in my head, I came to stretch, not to have unexplainable Dr. Phil like sessions while I go through half moon and pigeon. So here I was, shoes off in a hallway that yes smells like corn chips, I think it was easy to say we all needed some baking soda for our shoes, as I peered over the desk at the smiling- HANDSOME- shirtless- shaved head young man sitting at the computer screen. This is my first time here, I don't know how things operate. Informing me that I had to register, I quickly delivered my information, excited post workout that I had one found the location  (thank you Hopstop) and two I had gotten there within the suggested fifteen minutes before class (thank you MTA). Are you here for Hot Yoga? Hmm... I thought, I technically came for your free class but I have been hearing a lot about this. Sure I respond, take my money. Often being unusually excited about trivial things, I was shocked when the man, soon to be known as the instructor would highlight some suggestions and advice. EGO TIME: I've got this I thought, I've taken a yoga before and usually found myself although challenged within a comfortable not so challenged position- eh it happens. With a knowing smile he informs me it will be different, out loud I quip , how's yoga in a 'sauna' different. Boy is it different.

I change up and head into the studio; I had been instructed as a newbie to place myself in the second or third row, the very thought made me cringe, I want to be near the mirror I whined in my head- damn it I've done yoga before like a child in my head I whine. I decide to warm up I. The already warm room, "it's not even hot" I think out loud, "I could go to sleep in this". "You'll be warming up real soon as we start, keep your water handy", it was the instructor/desk guy. I roll over on the mat, it's just yoga in a warm room, what's the big hype?

Flash foreword to the breathing exercise. This is the warm up?! I thought, we're just breathing and in the first set, as we opened our rib cages and expanded our backs. 'Water' I thought to myself as I glanced at my bottle which as if on cue the instructor informed us to refrain from for the first twenty five minutes. At thus moment I recall the instructors answer to my question at the front desk of people passing out and him stating, 'oh, only one in four thousand'. Here I was, an athlete, a partial yogini, about to be that one. "Is this how I die?" I thought as we progressed to poses, did I inform the studio officials that my ex is my emergency contact out here? Can you imagine the earful I would get from him? I sit down briefly, "given up?" I hear from a voice I can only describe as smiling. "No",I reply out loud and strongly "but I think your trying to kill me", the class giggles. As my vision returns to normal, I quickly pull myself up to complete the sequence with class.

I quickly found myself gulping down water when the water allowance had been called. "Not too much or you'll get sick" the instructor sing songs. 'Definitely trying to kill us" I thought as I gulped down a chunk, half a pose in my clothes dripping in sweat, the urge to die struck my body once more and I sat down, respecting my sensation, I noticed then that I was not alone this time, and as my vision refocused, I was up again, now realizing perhaps the bra and shorts unwritten dress code incorporated in the room now indeed made sense. 'Shirt off" I thought to myself, as I had indeed realized at this point, water was not my friend. "Release", for a quick second I was transported somewhere else, and then I was back as I moved with the class into the next pose, I remember thinking 'did I die?' , sitting down to slow the dizzying, I met my ego, respecting myself I was once again up. We ended in corpse pose, again the different sensations, feelings, openings and blocks were all amazing, including being brought to my knees, which is something given my fitness routine.

Class had ended. "You will feel this into tomorrow, Namaste". I went home, I felt different, I enjoyed it all, including my prisoner in the desert moments. The next day I was back in the studio. Vinyasa or Hot yoga. Hot yoga I replied. On the mat and over dressed I tackled that class with much more ease with all of the challenges if yesterday, stronger today, and with new challenges to face. When class had ended I thought to myself. Always take the blue pill.