Day 3 of 365

Hot Yoga has never been very enjoyable for me in the past. I have tried Bikram and one other studio that offered Hot Yoga options, but it never has been my fancy. I think the whole idea of heating the room to 105-110 degrees F until now has felt like cheating to me (thats just my past biased personal opinion).

I have always practiced with a teacher that has had an Ashtanga/Vinyasa yoga background.
This particular Ashtanga style that I have been following for the past 4 years uses the inhale and exhale breath during practice of the various asanas for 1 1/2hrs to heat the body.

Whereas in Hot Yoga the external heat assists your body in moving with the breath. Either way as long as you get the same benefit whatever that may be for you is great!! As long as you are still using the breath as your guide and not allowing external stimuli like "heat"and beading sweat to distract your practice.

Before I arrived at this particular yoga studio today I made myself not have any past opinions affect my practice. I went to class with a new fresh perspective and no hidden agenda's of whether or not I was going to get my whopping $10 worth. I just enjoyed the flow with my friend's mat by my side and let loose.

Today was the third time and maybe it was the charm? As the hour long class went by I found myself not irritated by the heated room and not paying any attention to surrounding yogi's. It was just me, my sweat and my breath on the mat (Yuckie I know , but it you've ever been to one of these classes you know what I am talking about. It is another level of perspiration altogether).

Long story short yoga may have it's different styles, methods of practice and guruji's to follow. But if the end result is that relaxed connection of body, mind and spirit that everyone talks about then maybe you got it right?

Namaste,

Julie P