Bikrams Hot Yoga

So if you have been following my Youtube videos you will know Matt and I started up our groupon for Bikrams yoga. The groupon allows for one month unlimited yoga classes. We activated it a week ago and I have been 5 times so far. For those of you that are unsure of what Bikrams hot yoga entails it usually is a 90 minute class in a 105 degree Fahrenheit room (40.6 degrees Celsius). In the class there are 26 different poses and most of them you do two sets of. To say the least its a room full of hot sweaty stinky bodies..really.

I have been pretty cautious with many of the poses as I don't want to hyper-extend any joints, (I mean I am signed up for 3 full marathons this year) gotta be careful and make it to the start line for Toronto. Many trainers have mixed feelings on hot yoga, many saying it is extremely dangerous for the body, and a few say it can be good for the body. I am unsure where I stand on this, since I do think it is possible to hyper extend joints, pull things, but that's only if you are not careful.

So after a week of this, how do I feel? Pretty darn good! Flexibility is key to a healthy body. It is something MANY runners hate to practice, but the benefits really out weigh the cons. What are the cons? It *#&ing hurts. The benefits? greater range of motion in your joints (therefore better joint health), (if you a runner) it can improve your time as it can improve your cadence, improve posture, increases blood and nutrients to tissues throughout the body, improved muscle coordination, and lastly, everyday activities become easier. So why do many of us avoid flexibility training again? it hurts? wuss just do it.

I feel my hips are much more open, making running MUCH more enjoyable. My skin feels AMAZING after the amount of sweating that goes on in that 90 minute class. I feel myself walking slightly taller. I am getting better at meditation and learning to thank my body for all the hard work it helps me do. To say the least, I am loving hot yoga but don't get me wrong.. I am not zooming into the yoga studio everyday! I somewhat dread the heat, as I am a naturally warm person as it is. I overheat super easily. But I know how amazing I feel afterward so I just bite the bullet.

Lastly, I have become addicted to Kombucha! I used to buy it at Whole Foods when I lived back in Vancouver, but here I get it at my local Thrifty's or at The Market. It can be a little pricey so it is something I only have once in a while. It is a cold tea that has been fermented. So it is bubbly, and it comes in a number of great flavors. But I must say, multi-green is not my favourite :P. It is full of antioxidants, so good for the digestive system and detoxification.

So far so good! I wish I bought the earlier groupon they put out a while back!