My First Bikram Yoga Class

My breath, a mirror, and sweat (everywhere). I have been hearing about Bikram Yoga for sometime and was more interested after reading Just Here. Just Now.

After taking a slow flow class this morning where my monkey mind was racing, I realized - it just came to me like truth bubbling up from the source - that I would attend a Bikram Yoga class this afternoon.  After my flow class, I drove to the Bikram Yoga studio in town and saw that yes, of course (thank you, Universe!), there was a class this afternoon.  I went home and started drinking water (not enough...)

Nada has created such a wonderful community and environment - it felt right from the moment I walked up and saw the half wine barrels painted lavender.  Beautiful. Inviting.  She is a clear, direct communicator and I knew I would be guided through my first Bikram Yoga experience in a safe, disciplined way. I feel good - I successfully stayed in a 105 degree room (is that right?) for ninety minutes without puking or passing out.  The community held me -- Nada addressed my "first time" experiences and one fellow student said "stay".  And I did. With each breath.

It was a gift, actually, to find a state of dizziness and do the thing that was most kind to myself - I sat. I stayed with my breath. I didn't judge myself. I tried to get up a number of times, but the spinning feeling met me halfway up each time. And so I sat. I stayed with my breath, one breath at a time, through the nose (not the mouth, though I wanted to gasp a number of times).

The variety of students - all beautiful - was an inspiration. Young and supple to mature and careful.

I am learning a great lesson in life right now about stillness and healing - and this Bikram Yoga class was an experience perfectly aligned to the idea of being exactly, imperfectly who I am, without apology.

I'm going back tomorrow.

Also, I love my mom so much. She is the most amazing caregiver and doesn't even realize it.