After Brendan was born, I religiously practiced yoga everyday, in my living room, during his naps. Yoga is what led me to shed all of my baby weight...and then some. In fact, after Brendan was born, I was actually in the best shape of my life. Granted, I was only 21 years old, but yoga made me long & lean, strong and balanced.
I was a dancer all of my childhood. I think the 13 years of ballet, tap and jazz fueled my passion for yoga. In a way it makes me feel like I am dancing...in slow motion...focusing on my breath.
As the years passed, and I got busier....my yoga practice fell by the wayside. Although I have always gone back to it at different times.
Before I started feeling REALLY bad with my head, some of my girlfriends introduced me to Bikram Yoga.
For those of you not familiar with Bikram, it is a system of yoga that consists of a set series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises. Bikram is practiced in a room heated to 105°F with a humidity of 40%, causing it to be categorized as a form of hot yoga.
Now...at first I thought it was completely nuts to do anything in a room that hot....but after my first class...I "got" it...and was hooked....for a little while anyway. The heat completely loosens up the muscles and joints...I could do things with my body I hadn't done in years. There is also nothing better than to sweat all those nasty toxins out of your body!
Now as my head became more and more fickle, I decided the Bikram was just a bit too much. So, it was back to doing the Hatha, Vinyasa and Ashtanga types of yoga.
While on my LOA from work last year, I did a slow, relaxing yoga series every single day...along with practicing meditation.
Since being back to work the past 6+ months...I haven't done squat. It's difficult enough for me to even make it through the day!
But, after Dr. B. mentioned maybe doing some yoga might be beneficial to my head...I decided that I needed to pick it back up...last night.
One of the doctors I work with has been wanting to try Bikram...so being the brilliant (non-thinking) person I am, I offered to go with her.
So at 6pm yesterday evening, I found myself sweating my ass of in HOT HOT HOT yoga!
At one point, Dr. L. looked at me and told me to lay down as I was about to either pass out or throw up all over the place!
Of course I didn't listen. I kept right on going. And thankfully did neither of the two.
I did make it through the 90 minute class...in fact...I was quite impressed with myself. I limbered right up and remembered most of the postures.
But...I did end up with a WICKED migraine.
I came home after...took way too many pain pills, laid in the bathtub with ice on my head, and sipped mint tea.
Today...I worked 12 hours, breaking down in tears (only once though) from the excruciating pain radiating out of my head and walking around with sore, wobbly legs.
Jesse said perhaps Bikram is too much for me to handle right now...maybe the slow flow restorative type might be better?!?
7 comments:
Wow! I don't know how you handle the heat like that. I have problems with any heat... I get dizzy and/or get a migraine... and sometimes do pass out. I wish I had the passion about yoga that you have, though. I get bored so quickly with it. It sounds like it really works well for you, and that's great... Maybe stay out of the HOT room, though, huh?
Yoga sounds fantastic, but I don't think I could do Bikram. Heat just wipes me out! I have been wanting to try yoga for a couple of months now. I think I'll have to do the slow, easy one.
Hope your head is feeling better!
I miss yoga so much. I joined a wonderful class with an ideal instructor back in Minnesota that ended up spoiling me something awful. I still haven't found a class that works for me, and have given up the search.
I can see how doing yoga in all that heat could spell M-I-G-R-A-I-N-E. I hope you are recover quickly.
Know a lady in Italy that swears by Bikram yoga. but for me just the heat and humidity would start the seasick vomitting pronto.
Well...the heat and humidity does make me very ill...yet I still did it. I don't know if I can continue or not though. I so was dizzy, nauseous...almost fainted and had unbearable head pain on Monday and still feel terrible.
I might have to just settle for slow, stretching for now.
But it makes me sad.
I've always wanted to try Bikram yoga. I've only done the slow flow so far. Sorry it gave you a migraine. Maybe you just need to ease back into it.
Oh no! I hope you feel better soon and you are able to find a version of yoga that doesn't make your migraine pain worse.
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