Monday, April 25, 2005

10 Things I like about Bikram Yoga:

1. Heat - the room is heated to about 105 degrees. Crazy? Yeah, I thought so at first, but actually, heat is the key.

2. Sweating - I drink plenty of water and a glass of Kumazasa before going to the class, and during the class, I usually finish a big bottle of water. Before doing Bikram yoga, I never knew how good it feels to just sweat your ass off! It's excellent for your skin too! It gives you that inner-glow you always wanted.

3. Hard Work - The class makes you work harder than you ever thought you could. As a beginner, I suffered. Well, I still suffer. Sometimes the heat drives me nuts. But as long as you work hard and do your best, you feel like a million dollar baby after you get out of the 90-minute torture chaimber (I didn't name that, that's from Bikram himself!). Believe it or not, the class makes me feel better than an hour massage session does.

4. Effort Counts - The most important thing is doing your best. It's not Yoga Perfect, it's called Yoga Practice.

5. Extreme Stretching - I wasn't always flexible. In fact, I couldn't even touch my toes with my legs extended. But through practicing Bikram yoga, I got soooo flexible and it feels so good to stretch!

I love Ashtanga yoga too, but it doesn't make me stretch like the Bikram series can. So when I'm feeling stiff, I definitely go to a Bikram class. In my pre-Bikram days, I was often bothered by lower back and shoudler/neck pain, but it's gone. GONE!

6. Energy - Bikram yoga class works like a gas station. You go to the class empty and leave the class with full of energy. Seriously, after the class, my body feels 10 pounds lighter and I always feel like jumping around because I have so much energy!

7. Detox - You sweat all the toxins out. At first, you can literally smell your body detoxify. But I think with a regular, continuous practice, your body gets cleaner inside. I don't stink like I used to during the class.

8. Weight Control - Regular practice definitely keeps you in a great shape. You actually gain a lot of muscle doing yoga. My legs and arms are buff!

9. Inner Peace - Through practicing this yoga, you learn how not to stress yourself out in a stressful situation. I think now I'm able to handle myself better.

10. Ageless - They say yogis are ageless. It's true! I've met so many yogis who look way younger than their age. Hopefully I age well too!

This list is not in any sort of order, it's just a random list I came up with.

Next post is going to be the Benefits of Ashtanga Yoga. Stay tuned.

2 comments:

Ami said...

Yeah, I went from REALLY stiff to very flexible, so I think he loves the transformation. :)

Ami said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.