I’ve been going to Bikram Yoga for a while. It is very hot. It is very humid. And it is fantastic.

It is also expensive. Honestly, I wouldn’t be doing it if it weren’t for a few awesome Groupons and the generosity of Emily gifting me some of her visits. (Huge thanks Em!)

I love what it is doing for me. I feel really physically strong during class. I can tell how I am progressing in the practice over time. I can do some of the poses I struggled with in the beginning. I can go further, deeper, and longer. It is changing my body.

Bikram yoga is also helping me heal. I’m having some minor IT band issues (thanks to the stupid arc trainer) and it feels so much better after yoga. Between the heat an the stretching, I am healing my body. One instructor said that yoga is where we heal from the stress we put on our bodies in our other sports. And that makes sense to me. It’s why I go back.

And also? The calorie burn is nice.

I think hot yoga is scarier than regular yoga, which is kinda scary on its own. I want to ease your mind. I have learned a lot of things in my few months of practice that have made it more enjoyable for me. Some are “musts” and some are just my personal preferences. So just take what you will.

Before class

Must do: drink lots and lots of water.

Best idea: a fun cup and a straw.

Must do: Look at the poses so you know what to expect. Then relax, especially if it is your first class. Don’t be scared.

Best idea: listen to me. Believe me. You won’t be able to do all of the poses. Don’t be afraid to sit or stand still if you need to. Everyone is too focused on themselves to pay attention to you. Truly. Believe me. You will be fine.

Gear:

Must have: a mat. Plain and simple.

Must have: a towel. A regular towel will work, buy I really suggest one of the bigger towels. I have a “hot yoga” towel that I only bought because it was $8 at TJMaxx. I love it, though. It’s thin and soft and exaclty the length of my mat.

Best idea: a handtowel as well. I wipe my face a lot. And I drape my handtowel over my water bottle so it’s always nice and cold.

Must have: water

Best idea: 2. With ice. I take a big bottle in with me and leave a little bottle in my gym bag. There’s a water fountain there, but I’m usually rushing to get somewhere.

Must have: clothes that aren’t cotton. I sweat a lot. Everyone does. It is pretty gross. And cotton sticks and bunches and makes me miserable. Tech gear is best.

Best idea: wear as little as you are comfortable wearing. Most men wear just shorts. A lot of women wear sports bras and little shorts or bathing suits. I can’t stand the feeling of wet sleeves so I’m in tanks as often as possible. But I’m always in capris. Because I love how they make my legs look. And I’m looking at myself for 90 minutes, so liking what I see is important. Again, everyone is looking at themselves. We have to in order to get the most of the practice. No one is looking at you. Be comfortable, but you don’t have to be modest.

Must do: don’t forget to wash your face. You don’t want to look like Alice Cooper.

When you show up:

Must do: Expect the room to be very hot. And very humid.

Best idea: Stay anyway. It may take your breath. You may start to sweat before you take 2 steps in. Remember that the heat and humidity helps your practice. It makes you mroe flexible. Don’t let it scare you away.

Must: Pick a spot in the room. If your studio has lines on the floor, the line should bisect your mat horizontally. Find a spot where you aren’t directly behind anyone else. It is important to be able to see yourself in the mirror.

Best idea: Keep a few things in mind when choosing your spot:

• Notice how the door opens. I try to pick a spot close to the door, on the side it opens to. Sometimes when it gets really hot, the instructor will open the door to let some cooler air in. I want to make sure I’m in the prime spot to get this draft. (If you come to Bikram Lexington, please don’t steal this spot from me. I can recognize a blog reader. I will shoot you a dirty look.)

• Pay attention to where the mirror panels come together in the front of the room. You dont want your reflection to be at the seams. It’s hard to focus on myself and keep my balance when I am looking in two slightly different mirrors instead of one smooth one. I’ve learned this from experience. And I didn’t learn the first time.

• For your first class, try to be behind a few people who look experienced. The instructor gives verbal instruction but does not go through the poses. It isn’t all that important to be right infront of the instructor. Look for “serious” participants and get around them.

During class:

Musts: I was told there were only 2 expectations: breathe and don’t leave. If you do these 2 things, your practice will be a success.

Best idea: Try. Really try. But be realistic. I can’t get my heel to my costume in tree pose. It may be years before I get to toe stand/Padangustasana. but  I do what I can. I push myself as hard as I can, but I’m smart about it. Don’t be afraid to sit out a few poses completely. I’ve seen instructors sit out poses I consider easy when I practice. Listen to your body.

Must: Don’t panic. Really. You will survive.

Best idea: Remember that whatever you are feeling is normal. There have been times where I have been really dizzy and had to lay down through almost all of the standing series. That’s okay. Some classes have felt really easy for me and others have been a struggle the whole way through. That’s okay. Really. Learn from the class. Take what you can from it. And be ready to start fresh the next time.

What I really love about Bikram is that I’m learning to listen to my body. I’m learning that sometimes I can push myself farther and sometimes it really is far enough. I’m learning that I don’t always have to be as good as yesterday to be good enough. I’m learning that I can learn something new even after I’ve done the move dozens of times. I finally understood what “kick back” meant during bow pose last night and I almost freaked out. In my head, I was screaming “I get it! I get it! I can do this!” I’m learning that when it feels hard, I take it easier. And when it feels easy, I push harder.

I’m trying to incorporate these things into my life. My running, my work, my time management. Just like the benefits of running don’t stop when I stop running, the benefits of Bikram keep going too.

I’m curious if you try it or if you’ve done it before. I’m curious what you think.

Because sometimes? Between running and Bikram? I almost feel like maybe I just like to feel fatigue and exhaustion. Who knows.

I don’t know if I can answer any technical questions (I’m such a newbie!), but if you want to know any more about my personal experience, feel free to ask away!