Bikram Yoga Blog

Long overdue, I have decided to start Bikram Yoga today. I have been interested in Bikram Yoga for a while now, and I have finally committed to a 10 day trial. Over the next 10 days I will go to as many sessions as possible. I will be posting about my experience and progress. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Stay tuned…

This is the studio I will be going to: http://www.bikrambondijunction.com.au/bikram_yoga.htm

I went to bikrams in whistler twice and both times I came soooo close to puking. It just kicked my ass large!

I did 2 sessions of Bikram Yoga over a 10 day trial period and OMG I was shattered at the end of it!  The heat (37 degrees) just drains you like nothing rise. I didn’t realise how tiring it was to hold a pose/stretch.  I was suffering from a cold at the time so I was already pretty drained, but the yoga sessions finished me off. Haven’t been back since the 10 day trial period finished but once I am over my sickness (I have the worlds most stubborn cold?!) I might try and do it 2 times a week.

Thanks for the confidence guys! 

Just to update, we are starting our classes tomorrow (Wed). We got delayed by a couple of days… 

SESSION ONE:

I came into the first session with a lot of nervous energy. Having heard negative comments from friends and colleagues, I really wasn’t sure what to expect. Over the next ten days or so, I’m going to log my progress and thoughts in this thread. I’m going to rate a number of components (strength, flexibility, energy etc…) every session, on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being the worst).

Firstly, the smell really isn’t that bad. It smells like a steam room; obviously it’s not the most pleasant smell in the world, but it’s definitely bearable and not really much of a thought after the first few minutes.

Our instructor was really nice and helpful and I felt confident being under her guidance. The room was hot and I started sweating from the moment I walked in. The temperature was uncomfortable at times, but again very bearable. At no point in time did I feel like I was going to pass out from over-heating. Apparently it’s pretty normal for beginners to feel light-headed during certain poses, and they told us just to sit down on our mat if we felt light-headed. One person did have to sit down for a bit, and I’m happy to say I was able to participate through the entire session.

The session goes for a full 90 minutes. The first half hour was really tough, it was a real challenge to keep up with the class and I occasionally needed to take a few seconds to rest my body (due to lack of strength in certain poses). The whole time I could really feel how good Bikram Yoga is for my body. Bikram is a full body workout, not just for flexibility but strength as well. I felt myself stretching in places I have never felt before. Overall it was a very positive experience, I have a lot of work to do, but I am satisfied with my first session. I am already looking forward to going back and improving on my first attempt.

Energy before class: 9

Energy after class: 3

Session one flexibility: 3

Session one balance: 3

Session one strength: 4

Session one endurance: 4

If you have any questions please let me know. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Sweet mate sounds like you did a good job.  Hope your not to sore today.  If you are the best thing to do (unless your injured sore) Is get your ass back in and stretch it all out some more.

Really good review, Im sure Bondi bikram would love to have a write up of it all when your all said and done.

Keep it up cant wait to see and hear about your progress

SESSION TWO:

Overall I felt really good this session. I improved in pretty much all areas. My flexibility and balance definitely improved noticeably. The heat didn’t bother me as much and I felt pretty calm throughout the session. I was able to do some poses which I really struggled with last time. I still had problems with a few poses, mainly because of my lack of flexibility in the shoulders (have injured both of my shoulders snowboarding), but I feel I will keep improving and my shoulders will be in better condition because of yoga.

After the session I had significantly more energy, almost with a bit of an energy buzz after class. I feel really positive about my effort and progress, and at this stage in time I want to return to Bikram after the 10 day trial is over. I feel really good!

Energy before class: 8

Energy after class: 6

Session two flexibility: 4

Session two balance: 4

Session two strength: 4.5

Session two endurance: 5

Any questions, let me know…

nice work Jezz - sounds like you are making some progress! A friend of mine said it took him 3 classes to really get used to the heat so if you are geting better after 2 classes, thats a great sign!

I just started the Bikram yoga on Wednesday too. I too am going to write out my progress over the next 10 or so days using the same outline as rider26.

Session One

Energy Before Class: 5/10

Energy After Class: 3/10

Session One Flexibility: 6/10

Session One Balance: 4/10

Session One Strength: 3/10

Session One Endurance: 4/10

The first session as soon as I walked in I was overcome with the heat. I later found out after the class that the heat was set higher than normal so I didn’t feel so horrible

Going in I felt pretty calm and good about the whole experience. Once we started I felt like I was going to collapse. I realized how weak I have become over the past year and where all my weak points are. I feel that my shoulders are really weak, along with my feet and quad muscles.

After the first hour we moved to the mat work and that was a lot easier. It was more based on flexibility rather than strength. I felt my flexibility was pretty good and the heat made it even better.

Once the class was finished I was so exhausted that I went home, ate, took a shower and went straight to sleep.

I’ll let you know how the second session goes.

So after a break of one day and my body feeling really sore, we started our second session.

Session Two

Energy Before Class: 2/10

Energy After Class: 6/10

Session Two Flexibility: 7/10

Session Two Balance: 5/10

Session Two Strength: 5/10

Session Two Endurance: 5/10

Going into tonight’s class I wasn’t feeling too great, I had a headache and was feeling a bit dizzy. Also over the past 2 days I was feeling pretty sore from the first session.

After the class got started the heat started to relax me and the dizziness started going away. I was able to stay up the entire class and only had to correct my balance a few times.

I felt that my endurance and strength was much better tonight than the first session. It’s nice to have the difference in instructors as well, changes it up a bit.

The room wasn’t as hot this time but you still get a really good sweat going. There was a time during the class that she opened the window and all this cold air rushed in. My body temperature went from boiling hot to freezing cold in a split of a second. It was a nice little change though.

I feel really good after the class and I walked out with no headache and feeling really good. I feel that I am still pretty tight in my hamstrings but I think that just comes from the soreness of the strengthening part of the class.

All in all it’s going really well and I’m feeling good about continuing. I’ll keep posting, our next class may be tomorrow.

Session three starts in 30 minutes… 

SESSION THREE:

I felt improvements again, but overall this was the hardest session yet. I’m not sure why, but I really struggled at times and even had to lie down for an extra minute for the first time. The heat effected me more than the first two sessions and my endurance wasn’t as good. I don’t think I was adequately hydrated before class and I suffered the consequences. We were also in a bit of a rush and only got their a couple of minutes before class. I’m sure this also had an effect on me. Our other sessions were in the late evening but this one started at 4pm; not sure if that makes any difference.

We had a new instructor again and she was really good. So far all the instructors have been very helpful and really know their yoga.

Given this session was difficult, it was still very positive. I’m really happy we made it to class and toughed it out for the full 90 minutes. I had a real sense of achievement after class. I feel as though I got a really good cardiovascular workout in this class. As tired as I was, I still had a bit of a mental buzz going on. We even made it to a one hour hip hop dance class, one hour after yoga. This is the most exercise I have done in a while.

At this stage I can safely say I want to continue Bikram yoga till I leave the country at the end of October. Even then I want to find a good yoga studio in Whistler. The main reason I am taking yoga in the first place is to help with snowboarding, and that keeps me motivated to keep going back.

Energy before class: 8

Energy after class: 5

Session three flexibility: 4.5

Session three balance: 4.5

Session three strength: 5

Session three endurance: 4.5

Looking forward to my next session… 

Today was session number 3.

Session Three

Energy Before Class: 2/10

Energy After Class: 6/10

Session Two Flexibility: 6/10

Session Two Balance: 5/10

Session Two Strength: 4/10

Session Two Endurance: 3/10

Today was the hardest out all three classes for sure. I think it was a mix of being really tired from the weekend and rushing into class with a full load on the brain. I had to sit down a few time during the class to just relax and calm myself. I have a bad shoulder so that flared up pretty good. I think after the next session it will be really good and I think all my ratings will increase. Lets see how it goes with session 4.

SESSION FOUR:

Today’s session was really positive. I made significant progress with certain poses. My endurance was about the same, but my flexibility and balance improved (interesting this was the first session I didn’t wear the Power Balance band). It’s really encouraging to make progress each session, no matter how small the progress is.

We brought a friend with us today and I think he struggled a bit. I guess Bikram can be pretty full-on if you don’t know what to expect. He tried to sneak out after 60 minutes but our instructor wouldn’t let him.  I think everyone should be aware that it’s a pretty intense 90 minute workout. It works your cardiovascular and muscular systems; at times I really get out of breath and my heart rate goes really high. You have to stay calm and relax your body whenever given the chance. Breathing is a very important part of yoga - something I am still getting used it.

I’m going snowboarding on Friday and I’m looking forward to seeing how my progress in yoga has helped my riding.

Energy before class: 8

Energy after class: 5

Session four flexibility: 5

Session four balance: 5

Session four strength: 5

Session four endurance: 4.5

This is from Friday, September 3, 2010.

SESSION FIVE:

I had a really busy week, so I went more than a few days between session four and five. My body really started to feel stiff and sore after a few days of no yoga. I assume the yoga loosened up my body more than normal, and returning to normal did not feel good. By the time Friday rolled around, I knew I needed to go in for a session. I went in early and did some light stretching in the heated room.

I felt pretty good throughout the session and I continued to notice improvements in flexibility, endurance, and ability to hold poses. At the end of the session I felt incredible - the best I have ever felt after a session. All my joints were loose and moving freely, which was the exact opposite of before the session.

I should also mention I purchased an additional one month pass, and I will continue to practice Bikram Yoga till I leave for Whistler. There is no doubt in my mind how beneficial Bikram Yoga is for your body and mind.

Energy before class: 6

Energy after class: 7

Session five flexibility: 5.5

Session five balance: 5.5

Session five strength: 5

Session five endurance: 5

I have now completed nine sessions of Bikram Yoga. I can honestly say I have felt great improvements in flexibility, balance, and strength. I am a lot more relaxed in class and in recent sessions I have noticed that I have much better control over my breathing and I can relax even during strenuous moments. I can now achieve a lot more in the set poses i.e. I can recline fully back, or touch my toes in certain poses - when I couldn’t before.

I am pretty committed to keep going back to yoga, in fact I have a class this afternoon. I’m not going to keep blogging after each session, but I will keep you posted on my overall progress.

If you have any questions I would be more than happy to answer them.