A Runner Slows Down

As predicted by Monday's post, I found myself inspired; inspired to take my first ever Bikram Yoga class. Let's make that my first ever yoga class of any kind. Yes, I was inspired to be locked in a 105 degree room with 50 percent humidity for 90 minutes. Why? Well, I figured A) it'd be a good supplement to my running and B) it can't be that hard; I've danced in un-airconditioned gyms in high school and played tennis in Texas during the heat wave. Oh, and C) it supposedly burns up to 600 calories per workout. Um, sign me up.

For those not as well versed on the different types of yoga, here's a little background on Bikram Yoga:

Bikram Yoga is a series of twenty-six Hatha Yoga postures and two Pranayama breathing exercises designed to provide a challenging, invigorating, rejuvenating and effective yoga experience. During the 90 minute class, every muscle, tendon, ligament, joint and internal organ in the entire body are worked, giving you an incredible sense of well being. Supposedly, these 26 postures systematically work every part of the body, to give all the internal organs, veins, ligaments, and all muscles everything they need to maintain optimum health and maximum function.  Each component takes care of something different in the body, and all work together extending the benefits.

Yoga changes the construction of the body from the inside out. Bikram Yoga heats the body up to soften it and make it flexible. Traditional Hatha Yoga flushes away the waste products, the toxins of all the glands and organs of your body and provides a natural irrigation of the body through the circulatory system, with the help of the respiratory system. It brings nourishment to every cell of the body. Bikram Yoga also employs heat to further that cleaning process. Conducted in a heated room, Bikram Yoga detoxifies the body through perspiration, tones the muscles and flushes every cell and organ in the body.

The practice is named for Bikram Choudhury who is a life-long student and practitioner of Hatha Yoga. After a weight lifting injury, he spent three years working with western doctors and scientists at Tokyo University Hospital perfecting his comprehensive system of 26 postures suitable for all ages and levels of fitness. Apparently, yoga has the potential to regenerate tissues and heal chronic ailments. (According to one article I read, Mr. Choudury is now a celebrity yoga instructor with his main studio located in Beverly Hills and franchises available. He drives a Rolls Royce and wears a Speedo and diamond studded watch during class...isn't the American Dream great.)

I've never felt compelled to seek out a yoga class, mainly because I'd rather pound it out on the pavement, running as fast as I can, where I feel the bad stuff being pounded away with every step. I've also never been one of those people who can completely clear their mind and meditate. That's just slowing down WAY too much and I don't really like to slow down. However, since I'm now a resident of the Far East where this kind of stuff originated why not give it a whirl on their home turf. As per my usual, I chose probably one of the most difficult types of Yoga to start with. Why? Um, 600 calories remember!? That and I actually just really love to sweat (when I'm dressed appropriately for it of course). I Googled around online for Bikram Yoga studios in Seoul and discovered Yoga Palace.

Yoga Palace in Apgujeong

Image from Yoga Palace Website

Yoga Palace opened its doors in December 2008 and is owned and operated by three Thai siblings: Ball, Fair and Fame Rattanapong. What uplifting and inspirational names and perfect for yoga instructors. It is located in the young and incredibly trendy area of Apgujeong in the Gangnam district of Seoul. I love Apgujeong. This was one of the first areas I discovered on my second or third day here and it's VERY reminiscent of Soho in NYC. It is a flourishing area surrounding the Galleria and Hyundai Department Stores (I still need to write about my trip to Hyundai) and is often referred to as Koreas's Rodeo Drive, with glittering businesses ranging from designer shops to unique vintage clothing ones. The young and fashionable gather here, so as you can imagine people watching is superb. Apparently Korean celebrities frequent the area so star-sightings are not uncommon (if I only knew what they look like). There are dozens of clubs and bars, so during the day it's a somewhat quiet area with an underlying energy that you have to come back at night to experience.

Yoga Palace is located on the 3rd floor of a glass building, sharing space with a coffee shop and what I think is a stylist or magazine because there was a group of incredibly stylish girls in stilettos hauling out bags of worn Dior, Chanel and Louis Vuitton and delivery stickers on the outside of the bags...typical scene in NYC where bags of clothes from designers are delivered for photo shoots then returned by eager interns.

Image from Yoga Palace Website

90 Minutes in a Simulated Texas Heatwave (aka a Torture Chamber)

It was hot. Oh my God was it hot. No wonder this practice is good for focus and mental health, it's too hot to think about anything else. Also, good thing I wore my workout clothes made from the least amount of fabric possible. Next time I might wear a bathing suit. In addition to being hot and humid, the room was incredibly spacious, probably room for about 15-20 students, but there were only about 10 of us in this first class of the day. It is a very peaceful environment, as there is no talking at all when you are in the room, even before class begins. Our instructor was great; Powerful and forceful in direction but motivational in tone. She did not do the poses with us in front of the class, instead she talked us through each sequence as she walked through the room. Obviously the sweat starts pouring immediately, from every possible place it can, making it a little difficult to hold some of the positions. There is no need to go get facials if you partake in this class, every pore was flushed clean. I only got a little dizzy and "weird" feeling a couple of times and you are encouraged to rest if you do start to feel sick or nauseous, as this is apparently common if you're a beginner. I powered through each position with only a few corrections from our instructor. Oddly enough, the one position that was most like a "dance position" was the one I could do the least and had the most trouble with as far as balance. I guess it has been  12 years since high school dance team, so I won't take it too much to heart.

90 minutes later I was completely soaked and couldn't wait for the final "Dead Corpse Position" to lie flat on my back letting my hands and feet fall where they may. As any good sweat and workout will do, I felt completely cleansed and very proud that I finished.

Post-Torture

It's now five hours, one nap and two Advil later and I definitely feel like I did an intense workout this morning, but without having to engage in vigorous motion or weights. Amazing! Best part is my skin is still glowing. I think I will definitely start to practice Bikram Yoga regularly at Yoga Palace, one to two days a week, in between my daily runs. As for the flushing of waste products and toxins completely from my system? I'm drinking a Dr. Pepper and eating pretzels filled with peanut butter as I write this. I'll probably start drinking more water as a result of my new practice, but I will not give up Dr. Pepper. Isn't that the point of working out anyway? So you can eat whatever you want?