Two VERY different Bikram classes in the space of 36 hours
Tuesday 6.30 am
Always love this class - cooler and quieter so I normally have an energising practise which sets me up for the day. Had to dash of after class but somehow this made me super focused and I felt very 'in the zone'. Also nursing a hamstring pull but decided to push it a bit to see how far I could go.
Result was a very precise well balanced practise. I got my head to my knee on both side in standing head to knee and was so chuffed. I also got my left hand off the floor for most of toe stand - still a loooong way to go here but given my terrible sense of balance generally I very happy with even micro improvements. Strong triangle set too. More space meant we could turn the mats so I got to see what I looked like in this pose for the 1st time. Answer..nowhere near as bad a I thought but it was great to get visual feed back for my adjustments.
Wednesday 5.30 pm
Tired after long day and my hamstring was giving me some gyp. I arrived to class early with the intention of getting a spot at the cooler end of the room and not pushing too hard. However things didn't quite workout that way... ! Very busy class and lots of new students meant I was moved to the feared spot right underneath the heating vents!! Queue very fast adjustment of my expectations for the class I knew it was now going to be pretty brutal
1. Tried not to feel too upset about my nice gentle class going out of the window.
2. Decided to let my ego go hang and be very careful of my hamstring.
3. Being open to new experience and seeing what came up.
Lessons learnt
Dealing with the heat
Initially the airflow from the vents felt very intense and almost burning. I was dripping by the end of pranayama breathing and worried about being able to survive the class. However during the standing series I gradually got used to it and by the time we got to standing separate leg stretching the airflow felt pleasantly cool! I was almost disappointed when we got to the first savasana as I was out of range of the flow! The rest of the floor series tough but not unbearable. I was pleased that I only drank about 125ml of water during the class. The 'scary' hot end of the room has lost it's fear factor. Not saying I'm going to be lining up there every time but will definitely be making my way up there again.
Dealing with the ego.
did several things in class that I would NEVER normally do.
Didn't pull on my heels in head to fee
Didn't kick out my right leg in standing head to knee
Took a short step in separate leg stretching and didn't pull on my heels
Sat out the second RHS of triangle
Kept my knee well bent in standing separate leg head to knee, and Head to knee pose
Just brushed my toes during the sit ups rather than pulling hard
The benefits of actually listening to my body were great (I know duh but I always find it hard not to just push as hard as I can!). I was very focused and careful so didn't have to much discomfort during class. The most surprising thing was afterwards had been expecting the pain to come back very quickly or start niggling overnight but it didn't the tissues felt 'realigned' and soft which continued the next day as well!
Always love this class - cooler and quieter so I normally have an energising practise which sets me up for the day. Had to dash of after class but somehow this made me super focused and I felt very 'in the zone'. Also nursing a hamstring pull but decided to push it a bit to see how far I could go.
Result was a very precise well balanced practise. I got my head to my knee on both side in standing head to knee and was so chuffed. I also got my left hand off the floor for most of toe stand - still a loooong way to go here but given my terrible sense of balance generally I very happy with even micro improvements. Strong triangle set too. More space meant we could turn the mats so I got to see what I looked like in this pose for the 1st time. Answer..nowhere near as bad a I thought but it was great to get visual feed back for my adjustments.
Wednesday 5.30 pm
Tired after long day and my hamstring was giving me some gyp. I arrived to class early with the intention of getting a spot at the cooler end of the room and not pushing too hard. However things didn't quite workout that way... ! Very busy class and lots of new students meant I was moved to the feared spot right underneath the heating vents!! Queue very fast adjustment of my expectations for the class I knew it was now going to be pretty brutal
1. Tried not to feel too upset about my nice gentle class going out of the window.
2. Decided to let my ego go hang and be very careful of my hamstring.
3. Being open to new experience and seeing what came up.
Lessons learnt
Dealing with the heat
Initially the airflow from the vents felt very intense and almost burning. I was dripping by the end of pranayama breathing and worried about being able to survive the class. However during the standing series I gradually got used to it and by the time we got to standing separate leg stretching the airflow felt pleasantly cool! I was almost disappointed when we got to the first savasana as I was out of range of the flow! The rest of the floor series tough but not unbearable. I was pleased that I only drank about 125ml of water during the class. The 'scary' hot end of the room has lost it's fear factor. Not saying I'm going to be lining up there every time but will definitely be making my way up there again.
Dealing with the ego.
did several things in class that I would NEVER normally do.
Didn't pull on my heels in head to fee
Didn't kick out my right leg in standing head to knee
Took a short step in separate leg stretching and didn't pull on my heels
Sat out the second RHS of triangle
Kept my knee well bent in standing separate leg head to knee, and Head to knee pose
Just brushed my toes during the sit ups rather than pulling hard
The benefits of actually listening to my body were great (I know duh but I always find it hard not to just push as hard as I can!). I was very focused and careful so didn't have to much discomfort during class. The most surprising thing was afterwards had been expecting the pain to come back very quickly or start niggling overnight but it didn't the tissues felt 'realigned' and soft which continued the next day as well!
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