Hot Yoga: Part II (the attitude adjustment)

I went back to work on Monday after my horrendous hot yoga experience on Friday night (See Hot Yoga) and was told that I went to the wrong class, with the wrong teacher on the wrong night. I was also told that I might need a bit of an attitude adjustment.  Apparently, I am used to being in an advanced class and used to doing one type of yoga over and over again. I have gotten used to know exactly how class is "supposed" to go and what the room is supposed to look like. At my studio there are lots of people of varying shapes and sizes, but they all wear prana tights or shorts and racerback t-shirts. A person in a bikini would be very out of place at my studio.

So, I went to a different class at the Hot Yoga on Monday night. It was a modified Bikram type class.  There were some issues. First, I was really overdressed this time and suddenly realized that the nakedness was not an excuse to create a girls gone wild video after class ended. I was wearing my racerback t-shirt and long black tights and I felt like I was going to start melting into the floor by the end of the class. "Ah" I thought, "people wear fewer clothes here for the same reason that people who live in San Diego wear less than people in Seattle". I am smrt, as in Homer Simpson.

Second, this class was completely different than my regular yoga class. The poses were different, the breathing was different, etc.... It was great for my body, my mind etc... to have to learn new ways of moving. However, it was not a great day to learn these new ways of moving. Unfortunately, I had been at the eye doctor a couple of days earlier and am not allowed to wear contacts for a week. So, I was stuck in a hot room without any ability to see the people around me. This was a problem when the teacher kept saying, "look at the person next to you or in front of you if you need to see the pose demonstrated."  All of the poses looked exactly the same from my vantage point: body blur.

Still, despite the problems, the atmosphere was great(there were no leerers or groaners, well at least none that I could see). I had to focus a lot to keep up with the class since I was completely dependent on the teacher's instructions to do the correct movements.  The sweat was refreshing and I was sore for two days after the class (I always take sore to mean: turning into iron woman.)

I am not sure I am a hot yoga person. I love my studio and tonight I smiled and sighed a happy sigh as I was working through my sun salutations. However, I think I will change it up every once in a while to try something new and adjust my often temperamental attitude.

namaste.