Hot Yoga-too hot!
For those of you still following my blog, I have just emerged from my month-long combat with paperwork, both at work and at home. Having spent almost three weeks away from work in April, May was a challenge.
I had my first ever session of hot yoga yesterday and it was HOT, HOT, HOT! I was okay for the fist 15 minutes but then again, I was lying on the mat and the class hadn’t even started yet! The class started at 10:30am and I was fine for the fist several poses (all standing ), then about 15 minutes into the workout, I could feel my had going dizzy and my eyes got wobbly. I thought about carrying on but that lasted for about 5 seconds before I told myself that it’s better to sit down than fall down. So I sat on my mat and after a minute, I was still dizzy so I lay on the mat on my back and I could fell myself feeling better. So I got up and did some of the poses again before having to lie down again from the wave of dizziness. And talk about sweating – or should I say “glistening.” When my girls were young, I used to tell them that girls and women don’t sweat. They glisten. So I was glistening like crazy!
After 30 minutes of standing poses, the instructor then switched to sitting poses which was a lot more tolerable – at least I didn’t feel like fainting. I got through those poses with some degree of ease but I can’t say that I thought my stretches were any more better than not being in a furnace-like room. I was surprised when she said the class was over because that part wasn’t as bad as the first part but then I may have gotten somewhat acclimatized with the heat.
I laid there for about 5 minutes and it was a cool feeling to step out into the room temperature area. My hair looked like I had just taken a shower and had not dried my hair and of course I had no comb to fix it. Sharm and I left a few minutes later and the early morning coolness in the air when I left home was suddenly refreshing with no coat and only my exercise clothes on.
A nice cool shower at home was just what I needed to complete the experience. I have to say that I tried it but do I love it? NO! The instructor did say that the room was hotter than it usually is and the poses were intermediate and advanced so I was pleased that I actually stayed for the whole class. My pleasure dissipated this morning when I talked to Sharm and she said her boss was surprised that I would even do the class because hot yoga is for young people. I don’t even know how to interpret that. I thought yoga was for everyone and doing it in an overheated room is no more youthful than doing it in a room-temperature room. And is he implying that I am old? Apparently he is a couple of years younger than me so I don’t know what that means. Thanks Gar. I’ll have to invite you to join me on my half marathon walks.
I’m glad that I didn’t know the room was unusually hot, or that the poses were more difficult or that hot yoga was only for young people (whatever that means). I felt a sense of accomplishment because I have heard that hot yoga is either something you love or something you dislike. I don’t love it at all but I can’t say after one class that I dislike it. So guess what? I am going back for two more classes – Wed. and Friday – and then I’ll decide whether this is something that I would do again.
I have tried to keep up with my training for my walk but I am not feeling as prepared as I want to be. The plantar fasciitis is still quite a bother but I tell myself that if Dad had to deal with 2 major cancer surgeries and 42 sessions of radiation over the course of 5 years, then a 21k walk with an aching foot is tolerable if it means that the money I raise will go toward funding much needed research. I am up to $1251 of my $2000 goal and I have 12 days to raise another $750. Can I do it? Not without your help so share the challenge website with friends and family. In case you forgot, here it is:
have a great week
sandra
