Session 2: How to Lose a Liter of Water in 75 Minutes

Want to know how to lose a liter of water in 75 minutes? I'll give you a hint. It involves Day 2 of hot yoga, a hangover, and a liter of water. Mix the three together and you get pools of sweat on your yoga mat significant enough to twist an ankle.

By 60 minutes into class today I was sneaking glances at the empty 24oz. water bottle, which was sitting there teasing me from the top corner of my mat, and just hoping that the next move wouldn't send me running for the faucets. It wasn't just that I was committed to maintaining my concentration, I was also pretty sure that I would vomit if I moved suddenly. So, trapped on my mat, I grinned and bared it- knowing that every motion, every breath, brought me that much closer to shavasana.

The remedy? A towel, any towel will do, and preferably a full liter of water. Lesson learned. (Article on 10 things to know about Bikram yoga)

Earlier today I woke up with a refreshing sense of determination to approach Hot Yoga - Day 2. The birds were singing, it was sunny outside, and I knew I could take a nap when I got home. I forgave myself for arriving home after 4am thanks to a long night in Providence. The night was a total blast, but ended when I gave my oldest friend Katie (we've been friends since we were 5) a concussion thanks to a failed spin move while shuffling to 50s music in a dive bar. The result? Her head was bleeding and I kinked my right ankle and wrist in a way that left us both in pain, doing the yoga warrior series at 3am while eating pizza, and keeping her awake long enough to know she wasn't going to slip into a coma. Man, my life is not normally this exciting, but I wonder how it bodes for the rest of the year!

Today this was by far my best pose.
Photo Courtesy of Benefits-Of-Hot-Yoga.org

The class itself was just as challenging as the day before, but with the aches of yoga past coupled with the mild wrist injury and intensive sun salutations pushed me to spend a lot of time catching my breath in child's pose. Actually, I was quite literally chasing breath.. which was strange since aerobic exercise is not something you typically associate with calming, meditative yoga, so I'll give you a little more on that.

One of the unique focuses of this particular practice (which initially turned me off of the studio) is that it is very physically demanding. It's kind of like taking a regular yoga class, placing it in the deep rainforest, and demanding sprints in between poses while balancing on a mountain face. If you're not consciously aware of what is going on, it's actually pretty easy to overextend and wind up in a protective ball (i.e. child's pose), grasping the ground, and crawling to your water bottle just for relief. It's certainly not something for everyone, but knowing what you're in for is a good place to start.

Child's Pose. Photo courtesy of YogaXTC.com

With all of that said, I was still surprised to find myself searching for breath in child's pose while the other "all levels yogis" in my class jumped between downward dog and mountain pose with excited jubilation. They weren't just saluting the sun, they were saluting the entire year while I lay in a ball on my mat try to stay alive. Shortly after the sun salutations, the instructor recommended we do an arm balance. I emerged from my ball and looked at my mat.. and that's about as far as it got.

So my lesson for today is all about the resources you need to get through class. It's one thing to show up, mat in hand, and be content with yourself.. it's another to be prepared for the task at hand. You're far less likely to reach your potential if you don't have the tools you need to get there, and having a hand towel and full liter of water is a good place to start.