Who's Bikram?

This week I tried Bikram yoga for the first time. My experience was, interesting. I know about Bikram and have read tons about it but had not tried it and wanted to for a while. It was located in this beautiful mill building in Providence and the atmosphere and landscape were amazing. I was prepared for the heat, and poses but not necessarily the fatigue. Walking in the 105 degree room I immediately started sweating, that sweat that just glistens over and is sticky (ick). Once class started, with the standing poses I was feeling okay. The breathing exercises in the beginning I was not so crazy about. And the whole rule of waiting to drink water does not seem ok to me. The standing poses didn't pose too much difficulty to me at first but once the room got warmer, which it eventually reached about 115 with 40% humidity, I was feeling pretty light headed and nauseous. I was so relieved when he told us to get on our backs, but oh to my surprise that was only half way through the class. I struggled throughout the second half, the blowing up air when sitting up was a killer and poses I can normally do in any heated vinyasa class really were like torture during this class. I cannot express my gratitude of happiness once class ended.

To me yoga is about a mind body and spirit connection, to control your breath and call on your inner strength to hold poses and get in and out of them. It is not about rigidity or rules or protocols. It is about listening to your body and respecting it while also strengthening your body and your mind. Bikram is totally opposite of all these principles, and I think that is why maybe it was not my cup of tea. I also have to listen to my body because since I am training for a marathon my body is getting tired easier and is not used to the mileage I am putting on it. So making it to yoga has posed a struggle the past two weeks, not so much of one that I thought it would be but it is just that constant battle of finding a perfect balance between yoga and running for me (a lifelong one I foresee) Well overall it was an interesting experience. It is not my type of yoga but I am willing to try again and be strong enough to hold all the poses! (maybe after my marathon) and maybe not this week because after working 50 hours last week I am pretty beat. 

To touch on motivation once again, (and probably not the last time in this blog) I was lacking again this morning and after not being able to fit some long runs in this week, I have a chance this morning and tomorrow. Also with the impending snow on New England and the chilly 19 degrees I woke up to this morning, my bed was looking more and more like a best friend. Then Julie Weiss came on the today show, after running 52 marathons in a year, fighting the battle against pancreatic cancer which her Father died from. I have to say I did tear up and if she can do that, I can get out there and run today. 

How did your weekend go? Any good classes, yoga or runs happening around?