I Survived Bikram!

Bikram Yoga Manhattan

150 W. 30th Street (near 7th Ave)

www.bikramyogamanhattan.com

After years of fear about walking into a 100 degree yoga room and being forced to spend a whole hour and a half there, I did it! And it wasn't nearly as dramatic as I expected it to be. I spent all morning downing water so that I was sufficiently hydrated. When I walked into the asana room, it was hot, but not unbearable.

I visited the newly relocated Bikram Yoga Manhattan studio near Penn Station. The studio was smaller than I expected, but cozy and serene. It had the standard mirrored walls and carpeting. I have often heard horror stories of the smell in Bikram studios due to the perspiration soaking into the carpet. I found my room to smell perfectly fine, but wondered if that would be the case several months down the road.

As we started class my instructor, Amanda, suggested we all take a drink of water as our first water break didn't come until 25 minutes into the class. Uh-oh, water break? You mean we can't just drink whenever?

I had spent some time before class looking over the 26-posture series and knew that it began with some simple standing poses, moved to advanced standing poses and ended with seated and lying poses.

As we moved through the sequence I struggled to decide how I felt about the practice. Despite the heat, my body did not enjoy the intense backbending or the instruction to "push, push, push" deeper. I also didn't agree with the idea that "the whole point of stretching is to pull." What happened to the whole idea of just being where you are?

As the class began to wind down, I could feel the detoxifying effects, almost as though my body was a little bit lighter. (After losing 3-4 lbs of water weight, it probably was). I could see the draw for those who like the cleansing or appreciate the warmth it provides in the cold winter months.

Personally, I can't see doing the same 26 poses every day. Maybe it's a product of my generation and growing up with too many options, but I think I would get bored. I like the idea that there are endless ways to sequence the postures. For me, yoga is a lifelong journey that includes not only asana, but pranayama, meditation, the yamas and the niyamas.

So if Bikram is meant to be practiced on a regular basis, is it wrong to pop into a class here or there?