The heat is on
An alternative form of yoga in Lawrence puts pressure not only on the body, but on the thermostat.
By Jared Duncan
Thursday, November 15th, 2007
Sitting on my towel and mat, I face myself in the mirror as I stretch my arms and legs forward. My face is flushed, my breathing is heavy, and a drop of sweat falls to the floor. The session hasn’t even started yet.
It’s my first time attending a Bikram Yoga class and my body hasn’t quite adjusted to the atmosphere. Bikram is like other forms of yoga in that it involves stretching and meditation, but the catch is that it’s done in a room heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. It may seem intriguing or even downright strange, but owner and instructor Elizabeth Marshall thinks Kansans can take the temperature.
“A lot of people are afraid of the heat,” she says. “But I like to remind them that summers here are at least 105 degrees with a 90 degree humidity.”
Bikram Yoga was started in 1963 by a man named Bikram Choudhury in Calcutta. Besides the heat, his form of yoga involves 26 different postures and two breathing exercises. He began opening practices around the world, including Los Angeles, where the world headquarters is now located. From there, Choudhury began teaching students the methods of Bikram Yoga and awarding degrees so they might spread the knowledge across America. This included Marshall, who in 2002 opened the first Bikram-certified studio in Kansas. And while Kansans may be accustomed to the heat, they might ask why it’s necessary.
“Heat softens up tissues of the body to prevent injuries,” Marshall says. “It also loosens up or melts all the fluids in the body to improve circulation.”
Getting Heated: What you need to start your Bikram Yoga session
Light and fitted clothing — Shorts, sports bra, or swimwear is optimal.
A towel, yoga mat and bottle of water — All are available for a small fee at the studio.
An empty stomach — Eat light about two hours before the session.
Punctuality — The doors are locked as soon as sessions begins, so be on time.
Source: www.bikramyogalawrenceks.com
Opening the door to the practice room is almost like opening an oven, only instead of being brushed in the face with heat, your entire body is immersed in it. But, a quarter of the way through my session, the heat is not nearly as oppresive as the stretches our leader, Brenda Kopmeyer-Kaspar, is asking us to perform. They say that anyone is a candidate for Bikram Yoga, but as a man who considers four bowls of Cocoa Puffs dinner and has never been able to reach his toes without bending his knees, I can’t help but feel that maybe I’ve made a mistake. I can barely hold my balance for one pose, when Kopmeyer-Kaspar asks the group to take it to the next level. I figure I’ll give it a try, but she can sense my struggle.
“Don’t even try it, Jared,” she says, proving why she’s a great practice leader. We continue on with various poses, many requiring us to grab and hold our legs or arms. Because of the sweat, my grip slips several times. Giving a quick glance, I’m relieved to see that I’m not the only one who has to regain my balance and grasp. Kopmeyer-Kaspar notices my wandering eyes and urges the group to look ahead in the mirror. Following her instructions, I become unsettled. My hair is a humid mess. My face has become a color wheel of white, red and purple. I feel dizzy, but push myself to try the next pose. Once again, Kopmeyer-Kaspar can sense my desperation and saves me at the last minute.
“If you’re struggling, take a break,” she says. “There are no Supermen in here.”
Feeling faint, I take a break for many of the remaining sets. My head is spinning and most of my joints are aching. The group does the last set and Kopmeyer-Kaspar dims the lights and asks us to relax and imagine ourselves on a beach. She ends the 90-minute session with “Namaste,” which is Sanskrit for “the goodness in me honors the goodness in you.”
Once I step out into the cool night air, the pain and stress I put my body through for the last hour and a half seems to disappear. I feel almost rejuvenated and maybe even ready to go back. My mind goes back to the stories that the staff told me about people who have seemingly been “healed” by Bikram Yoga, like the woman whose osteoporosis disappeared after two years of practicing, or the student who had been on Prozac for years and was able to quit after consistent practice. Patty Quinlan, supervisor of nursing at Watkins Memorial Health Center, agrees that yoga does indeed improve health.
“What we’re used to in western exercise is working on six sets of muscles,” she says. “We can look good, and we can feel good, but we might be missing parts of our body. The stretches can give a release in different areas.”
As for quitting the Prozac, Quinlan says that the yoga stretches can increase space for the lungs to breathe and the heart to pump, getting people oxygenated and thereby increasing attitude and mood.
I see another member of the group, Amy Brandt, outside who asks me if my first session was fun. My face falls and she quickly corrects her question: “Well, a sick sort of fun, right?” Brandt says that she’s only been practicing for one month, but already had lost weight, had more energy and felt less anxiety.
Marshall agrees that it may be a little tough at first, but once people start feeling the effects of Bikram Yoga, they will get addicted.
“Everybody gets over the heat and the strain,” she says. “We can’t wait to get in that room.”
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