Monday, 30 June 2008

Feelin' Hot, Hot, Hot!!!

The off season is now here for me so I thought it would be fun to do something other than the usual swim, bike, run. Well, okay, I’m also still in recovery mode, so yet another reason to do something different yet fun.

On the menu tonight – hot yoga! I met my friend Katie, who will be racing in Ironman Switzerland in a couple of weeks, at the hot yoga joint. It was a bit muggy out this afternoon so when I got to the studio I was already sweating.

I’ve gone once before with Katie, but it was early in the year, so I wasn’t sure just how limber I’d be. Personally, I love yoga. I’m all over the ‘aum’ state of mind. It just seemed that throughout my training I never fit it in.

The first thing that hits you when you walk into the actual yoga studio is the heat. Holy Hannah it’s hot in here! Not to mention humid. Likely that was due in part to the humidifier that was cranked. Just walking across the room I started to glisten.

I’m kind of a ‘back of the class’ kinda gal, so I scoped out a spot in the back row. It just happened to also be beside a handsome tattooed fellow that was practicing his lotus position. Exceeellent.

So the second thing I noticed, or rather third if you count the cute dude, was the smell. Seriously, carpeted hot yoga rooms should be outlawed. My sensitive majestic Dutch nose was twitching immediately…it only got worse as the class went along and we were doing poses very close to the floor. Gack. I was trying very hard to concentrate on the pose and not dry heave.

We started off with some moves from the sun salutation. I know this one, so was feeling pretty comfortable with it. Admittedly after the first downward dog I was questioning my location in the room. As I bent over I noted the view…my backside. My spread out, bent over backside to be precise. It was being reflected back in the mirror, big as life, behind me. Oh my! Not the best view!! I was happy to note that my shorts did not become ‘see through’ as they were stretched to the limits!

It didn’t take long before the sweat was coming off me in rivulets. It was nuts. I couldn’t hold some of the poses, like the tree pose, because I was just slipping in my own sweat. I couldn’t even keep my hands clasped. You'd think I just got out of the lake or something!

The downward dog pose was beginning to be my nemesis. Aside from the ‘baby got back’ view, when I was in this position the water that had been running down my face, reversed and ran into my nose. I was suffering a brain enema from my own sweat! Not good. It was even running in my ears. Eep.

The next issue I had with the downward dog pose and the sweat was my foot position – I couldn’t get there after a while. Have you ever spooked a kitty cat on lineloleum? You know how their wee feet move rapidly as if they are running, yet they aren’t going anywhere? Almost cartoon like? Well this was what my feet were doing as I tried to hold the pose. It was really hard for me not to burst out laughing at the thought of what I looked like. This was a yoga room though and some in there were very serious…

You know how I could tell they were really serious? Their breathing. I focus on my breath in yoga – I just don’t do Darth Vader breath. Now folks, do we really need to do this? Can’t we just breathe to ourselves people? I’m trying really hard here not to giggle!! ‘Luke, I am your faaather..’

Oh and remember the rather handsome bloke I mentioned earlier? Well I think he was experiencing some sinus issues in there. Perhaps the smell was getting to him as well? Or the sweat was running up his nose?! Every once in a while I’d hear a snort…and once, I swear, I caught him blowing his nose…INTO HIS HANDS! Ewwww!!! Hmmm, would it be obvious if I moved my mat away? Oh, and he kinda wiped them on his mat…Eeeeeek!!! Shuffling sideways away from the mat now...

All in all I had a great time in there aside from the smell and booger dude. The heat started to get to me near the end, but I loved all the stretching and bending. It felt wonderful and my body needed it badly. I have a lot of work to do in the area of my hips and knees as they were super tight– so I think I’ll keep this up. I’m going to find a studio that doesn’t have carpet though. I shudder at the thought of the mass quantities of sweat that has been dropped and is now trapped in there. Yikes!

Peace out my friends – AUMMMM...

7 comments:

  1. Hot yoga is merceless! I cannot do it without feeling faint. Good for you!

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  2. Small world, Katie is a great friend of mine as well. We have done two IM's together and she was suppose to being IMLP with us this year but didn't get in.

    Hot Yoga...yikes. You are a machine...a bendy/flexy/endurance machine with rock hard abs. (I'm shamelessly exploiting you from the picture I saw)

    Good to see you are still enjoying yourself after IM and having a grand time.

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  3. I must correct you on that...I'm sooo not bendy flexy, haha. However, I do have the balance of a ninja princess! haha.

    I didn't know you know Katie!! She is AWESOME! She's the machine I think.

    I think I'm still on cloud nine from the race - I have never felt so good in a race before so it's super exciting for me!

    And stop with the abs...you are making me blush, haha. Seriously, if I could just get my legs like that!!! LOL.

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  4. My massage therapist warned me about hot yoga. The thought of such a studio having a carpet just boggles my mind. There's a studio near MacLeod Trail and Canyon Meadows that has a nice wood floor. Not exactly convenient for you....

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  5. lol darth vader does yoda??? I mean yoga, ha ha ha ha.

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  6. Hahahaha -- Love the description of your downward dogs! Bum in mirror, then slipping all over the place AND stinky sweaty carpet --- You could star in your own sitcom! LOL!!

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  7. i would not have been able not to LAFF!!!!

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