Why Is Weekend Bikram Yoga So Hot?

I usually practice on weekday mornings. The classes are full, but not to the brim. The students are regulars, but the skill levels vary. Some people are old, some students are young, but most are somewhere in the middle, like me. The teachers are challenging, but caring, the rooms are hot, but not too hot, and it is all good.

Recently, I have started to practice on the weekends too. My husband has finally succumbed to my Bikram Yoga fever, and since he can only practice on the weekends, I have been going along for moral support. But class has been extremely challenging — because of the heat. So challenging, that we leave class spent, and exhausted, and this can last through the rest of the weekend. Clearly not the goal we were seeking.

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Birthday Yoga Is Fun!

February 9, 2016February 4, 2016 Hot Off The Mat Class Experiences, Yoga and Life Bikram, Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga, Yoga

I love practicing yoga on my birthday! I always seem to have an extra special class, like the yoga itself is a birthday gift. This year my husband came to class with me, making it an even more festive event. It was the hottest class I had taken in a long time and while I loved the class, it took me several days to recover from it! I think I let myself get too dehydrated. Maybe getting older isn’t so great after all. Sigh.

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Can You Do A Bikram Yoga Class in 60 Minutes?

February 2, 2016January 28, 2016 Hot Off The Mat Class Experiences Bikram, Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga, Yoga

My Bikram Yoga studio started offering classes of different lengths recently. Some are 60 minutes, some are 75 minutes, and most are offered in the early mornings or at lunchtime, when time is tightest. I hadn’t taken one, preferring my typical 90 minute class each day. But this morning my schedule was crazy and an upcoming conference call left me little time for class. I decided it was time to try a 60 minute class.

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One Week Off Bikram Yoga and I Can’t Sleep Through the Night

January 12, 2016January 28, 2016 Hot Off The Mat Self Improvement, Yoga and Life Bikram, Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga, Yoga

Before I began practicing Bikram Yoga, I awoke each night at 2 or 3 in the morning grinding my teeth and worrying about something. As my eyes snapped open, I knew I should drift back to sleep — I had things to do the next day — but often I laid awake for an hour or two with my mind racing. Sometimes I would even get up and walk around the house, trying to clear my head and reboot my thoughts. I hated it.

My Bikram Yoga practice changed all that. At first, I was simply so physically exhausted from the practice that I slept like the dead. After several months, I was getting into the groove of my practice, but my sleep stayed sound. It was life changing and remained so for years.

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Is 2016 The Year You Try Bikram Yoga?

January 5, 2016January 4, 2016 Hot Off The Mat Class Experiences, First Class Bikram, Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga, Yoga

This post first appeared on my blog in 2014, but I decided to post it again as we head into the New Year. Is 2016 the year you take your first Bikram Yoga class?

Everyone remembers his or her first Bikram Yoga class! And for good reason! It can be overwhelming, unfamiliar and a bit scary! But don’t be disheartened. Follow these easy tips to make sure your first class is as positive an experience as possible. And don’t be discouraged if it is tough. It should be tough! For many of us, it is the first time we have worked so deeply into our bodies. Plus, it’s 105 degrees in there!

Please don’t be scared off! You can read about my first class here. It was challenging, yet inspiring, and I am so grateful for it, because it led me to this wonderful practice that I have now enjoyed for five years. Here are my tips for a great first Bikram Yoga Class. Enjoy!