So why did I go to Bikram? I was getting too bored and I had a free pass, so I decided to just try it. It helped to see a real-life testimony too. The person who gave me the pass has been going to Bikram for just over a year now. She attends a class daily and the result is astounding. Much more toned, fitter and of course the weight loss.
Before going to the class, I researched more on it and the benefits of hot yoga compared to the usual hatha or ashtanga yoga. The testimonials looked fantastic, especially for those whose health got better. I was willing to give it a try as my cervical spine seemed to be acting up recently (e.g. pins and needles on left leg once i sit on the floor, numbness on left arm and a soreness on the left thumb) and I still have yet to find a good chiropractor I can trust in Singapore. I think my C4 and C5 are getting pinched again.
So how did I find Bikram Yoga? It was certainly different. The room was heated to 40C and the mat given was actually a towel mat and regular towel was not allowed in the room to mop up our perspiration (I don't understand this rationale, need to ask why in future). Big bottle of water was a must.
I went at 2pm and it was a small class with only 6 students (I love off-peak hours), hence the instructor could really pay attention to your poses. The stretching poses were fantastic, especially the "half-moon" pose. I could feel myself being stretched and muscles relaxed. It almost felt like getting a massage. The other poses were ok, some were challenging for me, and some were do-able. There were 26 asanas (postures) in Bikram yoga.
The worst pose was the "camel" asana. I felt so nauseous that it was so hard to do the rest of the asanas. Good thing that was the 22nd posture so it was toward the end of the session. It took a while for me to regain my equilibrium. Apparently it is normal to feel light-headed, bad, nausea in Bikram, especially for beginners. The instructor said it was usual to feel bad after the "camel" posture as it was to expel the toxins in the body. Then I felt hungry too. Nauseous and hungry, how bad was that? :p
Well, I survived my 90 mins of Bikram yoga and didn't even realize when the session ended. Hahaha. The last part was the savasana (corpse pose) and though I did hear them say "Namaste", it didn't really occur to me that it was the end. Lol. So I stayed on for another 10mins in savasana to recuperate after the "camel" asana.
Despite the nausea, I felt totally relaxed after the session. But I also felt chilled in the changing room, with the change in temperature. It took me another 10-15 mins of slow drinking of water and getting my heart rate down before I could even contemplate hitting the shower. I loved the shower gel/shampoo Bikram Yoga stocked in the shower. It had a heavenly rainshower head too. Fantastic! It was organic and had no LSL and all that jazz. It was citrusy and contained sweet orange oil, Italian lemon, mandarin and verbena. I could use it on my hair and it didn't dry out at all. Druide is the brand and is from Canada (now I wonder why I never see it in Canada at all or maybe I never pay attention).
Unfortunately I didn't have a good night sleep after that. In fact, I woke up a few times. I wonder if it could be because I didn't go to bed right away? I was tired but I didn't sleep as well as expected.
And now my body is aching all over. Bikram yoga really worked the entire body. Nothing is spared. The 90 mins spent was a real workout.
I am still deciding if I want to sign up for the trial week cos you will see some difference if you go daily for at least 4-5 days? And more if you give 2 months to Bikram.
For more information, see Bikram Yoga Singapore.
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