As I lay on the mat, sweat began to bead on my forehead, the storm clouds gathering in a portent of perspiration. Okay, so 110 degrees is pretty hot. Not hot like the southeastern humid summers that oppress, but a lighter heat, something like your idea of Arizona or dry heat, a term of condescension leveled at non-Southern heat. It envelops your body, loosening muscles up and inducing a state of relaxation– until you look back and realize that you made a classic rookie mistake- you set up your rented yoga mat right in front of the heater. This was all before my first class in Bikram yoga on the downtown mall.

Charlottesvillians of several different age groups and descriptions entered the room: lithe U.Va. students next to experienced female practitioners, and the guy in the corner who should not liberally interpret the shirts optional for men. Everyone was loosening up, lying down, and adjusting to the heat (some better than others) and waiting.

Our super-friendly instructor Michaela entered the room and we warmed up with some breathing exercises. As I exhaled the stale air from my lungs, my classmates did the same, making a kind of huffing sound to push the air out. We began with stretching, and then my recollection of the various movements gets kind of blurry. It could have been the heat or the workout, but just as likely I may have grayed-out from the toxins (read: alcohol) that I was sweating out from the past month. I stared at the front mirror in tight tunnel-vision focus to maintain my balance and make sure I wasn’t going to pass out. Toward the end, we did several floor exercises with lying rests in between, named as such because you would lie to yourself and say, almost done.

When class finally ended, we did some final breathing exercises and one of my own- a sigh of relief and exhaustion as I swigged down my water, which was at a low boil. The lights were turned off and I lay on my mat, having one of those holy shit moments, a combination of relief and triumph for having pushed through the 90 minutes of muscle stretching, compression, and contortion.

In the end, it was a fantastic experience and I would recommend giving it a shot. This was my first yoga experience, and I was really overwhelmed by the intensity, exercise, challenge, and relief. The movements, while very challenging, were accessible. You will learn quickly with the instructor’s help and by observing your more experienced classmates. I’ve tried my fair share of sports, etc. from playing division I rugby to rock climbing, and I have to say that this was one of the more challenging physical and thus mental workouts I have ever had.

A drop-in week costs $20, and that means you really have no excuse not to try it out. Good luck– and if you see the inflexible young guy staring in the mirror in class, you’ll know who it is.

Popularity: 3% [?]