Cubapop
Life, Culture and Travels from the perspective of a Cuban
New to Bikram Yoga

Last night I survived my first Hot Yoga class. I am using a Living Social promotion that allowes me to go for 20 classes. The deal is unbelievably good and I can finally see what this famous Bikram yoga is all about.

There are so many types of yoga classes and studios to practice in San Francisco. That might be the reason I currently have three different promotions to use until the end of the year.

Yesterday I was one of those sweaty hot yoga people that you see in the internet videos, with their towels and bottles of water, talking about the benefits of this practice. Let get this clear, a Cuban does not get afraid when someone says it is going to get hot but the temperature got super intense inside that room, there was no breeze and I felt like if my eyelashes were going to burn. I am sure it is going to get better after the second or third class, but the fact that you are breathing a dense, hot air does not help. By the end of the class even the water left in my bottle was warm.

For all the Cubans out there, it is comparable to an extremely hot summer day in Havana but miles and miles away from the ocean, with no wind and after walking for two hours, with no water, under the 2 pm sun. The funny part is that they make you sign a paper agreeing that you will not leave the room before the class finishes.

All in all, I passed the test. I felt a little dizzy right before the 90 minutes and for about 10 minutes after the class. Some of the poses were new to me and it was difficult at times to focus on achieving the perfect posture because it was so hot that I could not think of anything else.

I think my skin will appreciate the sweating, I am needing the calory-burning side of it as well. The room was full of people and everyone was sooo into it. My only eye contact from time to time was with my boy, who was there with me, we suffered the first class together. 😉

Is it wrong to call Bikram Yoga the aerobics of yoga? I don’t know if that is the right word for it but so far my experience with other types of yoga had made me aware of my body, my breathing and my mind right away and in this particular case with hot yoga my heartbeat was raised, I had the feeling of a good workout but I did not relax or thought of my body the same way as before, I did not have the cool to enjoy the stretching, at least not on the first class.

I have avoided saunas my whole life. I was just never interested in sitting in a burning room doing nothing. Perhaps the process of adaptation is quicker for someone used to saunas. It is recommended to drink a lot of water a couple of days before the first class. My only tip is “be ready for hell and please, hold on”. You feel victorious when you are done and as for the results, I will have to see in a couple of weeks.

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