I like a hot Bikram Yoga class — the feel of the sweat on your skin, your pores opening to let out the toxins (kind of), and your muscles stretching farther than they would normally go. But the humidity – you can keep it. Maybe it is the changing of the seasons, but class has felt incredibly humid lately. This is good news for the overzealous ladies who set up in the hottest corner of the room and blast the humidifiers into their face throughout class, but not for me. I like a more modestly humid class, so I can focus on the postures and my meditation instead of simply trying to breathe.

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It is only October, and already I miss summer. Days filled with humidity and warmth, sundresses and sandals, and my shoulders relaxed carelessly down my back. As the weather turns colder, my shoulders shoot right up to my ears. Walking down the street I constantly remind myself to relax my shoulders — back and down, just like in yoga — but before I take 10 steps, they are hunched and knotted back up at my ears. Is this my body’s way of warming me up, or is simply a rebellion against the discomfort of the cold? Ugh. Either way, my neck is already sore from the misalignment. How will I make it through winter without a full-on crick in my neck?

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It was one of those nights – a little too much to drink, a little too much to eat, and a little too little sleep. A recipe for disaster for Bikram yoga class the next morning. When I woke up, I could barely speak, my body felt weak, and my stomach was in knots. As I lay in bed, trying to muster the courage to begin the day, I wondered if I should go to class or just call in sick. But then I remembered about sweating out the toxins. That was exactly what I needed to do. I dragged myself to class, and I am so glad that I did. But is it really possible to sweat out toxins?

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