Re-cap on Week #2 (It's week 4, but yeah).
Today is the day we start week 3. I don’t ever want to show up to sign in early, ever again, so I am writing - even though I could be studying Dialogue. I have 2 new guidelines here:
1- Never show up early to sign in ever again
2- I’m not eating salad.
Week 2 started with a class that I don’t think I will ever forget. I can’t even believe it was a week ago, because in this Yoga-Unvierse, time goes fast and slow simultaneously. Monday morning was a great class by Bikram’s neice, and the last descendant of his guru - Tum-Tum. I really enjoyed her class.
Monday night was Bikram’s class. Bikram’s evening class was an inferno. It was the hottest class ever, and halfway through he referenced Acapulco Mexico training - as we lost about 15 people per posture to the outside of the room. I found by the 2nd or 3rd posture, I could barely execute the setups for the postures. I didn’t quite understand what was going on. I am loathe to blame it on the “heat” of the room ever, so I just assumed I was a fucking loser. Until I saw all around me, people were laying out, leaving the room, and my homie Gordon was equally struggling as much as I was (next to me). Finally I laid out. I couldn’t breathe. No air was getting to my body, and I could feel it. I kept trying to get back up and do the next posture, over and over again - only to be defeated. Eventually with all my up and down, I gave up. The floor was hot as hot can be. They START the teacher training room out around 110. I think it was somewhere around 120-130F, to be honest. I was tracking my heart rate and it was up around the rate where it is when I am running about 7mph on a road run. When it didn’t come down and stayed elevated for a good 10 minutes, I started to feel wonky in a way that qued me that passing out might happen. I do not leave the room here. I got up - and focused on walking a straight line and not falling on anyone - as I approached the door, Bikram’s staff all, as I walked by, looked me clear in the face and asked if I was OK. Not really even knowing what was coming out of me, I said, “yeah. Yeah. I’m good.” I don’t know how close to “good” I was, but I went off to the ladies room and pretty much took my heart rate one more time and realized it was dropping immediately following the fresh air. There was no oxygen in the room, and I’m guessing with all those bodies…… that’s a bad thing.
I had about a 10 second sob session for god’only’knows what reason. I felt so defeated, deflated. Came out into the lobby area where there were so many of my classmates laying out - being handed super-charged sugar/electrolyte drinks from the nurse. A weird feeling being out on the other side for any period of time while class was going. Sam, Bikram’s good friend from way back who I always say hi to, and laugh with a lot, saw me and said, “oh… don’t make that face. You look so sad! Smile!” And I burst into tears. For another 10 seconds. And then I was like, Whatever man. What is this? I got up to go back in the room, when I saw La-La, who was outright sobbing. Instead of going into the room again, I stopped to give her the biggest hug ever. I said something to her, I can’t remember what - but it was pretty much supportive. And after that, I picked myself up and headed back into the inferno. My towel was so hot I could have sworn I put it into the microwave (and 100% soaked). I got back in there and did every possible floor posture left, and actually finished the class semi strong. Gordon next to me, when I was about ready to lay out camel pose - looked at me and indicated to get up - to do it. So I did. The kind of friends I’ve made here are amazing. I only wish I knew how to put it into words. We’ve known each other for 2 weeks outside the yoga universe, and that feels like 2 years in the yoga sphere.
As far as that class. Bikram complained several times about how hot it was and what the fuck was going on. At first he was ribbing us for sitting out until the awful heat made it up to his sky high podium. I don’t think his AC up there was combating the inferno. About 4 postures away from the end of the series, Bikram said he had to pee and left. And did not come back. Turns out his class was initially 2 hours and 45 minutes that day - I really couldn’t tell. Also: He told us a vivid story about the runs he had when we got to lecture that night, but he had Eric finish out the class and Eric was amazing and got the postuers out clear, concise, and didn’t hold us long. Half of the class was gone anyway, right? A lot of people get annoyed at Bikram’s seriously vivid and all-details in, stories and body talk. I think they’re hilarious. He’s a lot like me in the respect where he will say ANYTHING to ANYONE and not really care.
Needless to say, we survived that. Next few classes were impossibly hot, but it turns out one of the fans broke and there was no airflow. We were getting a mild oxygen deprivation. But the show goes on in the Bikram world. And it did. And it humbled a lot of students who have never taken a knee, never left the room, never did this, never did that.
By the end of the week, the fan was back (they had to order another one).
By the end of the week, I was getting annoyed at myself and my lack of form in the postures. And somehow I started to feel overly bloated and at my own throat. I was less snappy at others than myself on Saturday. Especially since I missed a sign in on Tuesday morning by showing up too early to class. I was there 40 minutes early, checked back to sign in twice, clipboards were still turned over. Damn. Then I went and had some great digestive situations, and totally forgot to go back when it was open. They announce “Team Saturday” make up class, non sign in people - at the beginning of class. When I heard my name over the great sound system, I was like, “what?” Fuck. For Christ’s sake. Of course they check to make sure you are there and then you make up the class anyway. My Tuesday morning class wasn’t that great because I just could not focus. I was crestfallen.
I meant to post this particular post soon, but here it is. Better late than never. Now I can be all caught up and get into week 4 if I have a spare moment or on Sunday.
Here are a few more run-downs:
Posture clinics started. They're hardcore. We are currently doing at least one posture per day. First part of awkward pose for me went smooth, however - I FREAKED out Wednesday night before delivering the 2nd and 3rd parts of awkward pose. As in, melt down. Eric advised no paragraph for paragraph memorization for me (my friends decided to push me towards staff Eric even before I was done crying. Great... jeez). Feeling pretty cleansed at that point of self frustration. That's a good thing.
Eagle pose - I noticed I wouldn't lose the whole posture, just the middle. The leads in my posture clinics pointed out that they noticed I could at least SEE the bodies, even if I didn't have the dialogue. That's a good sign...... a LOT (most) I guess don't see the bodies as they are beginners, so that was some positive feedback. Those were my tiny notes and all I have time for this morning before class - it's almost time! I gotta get my water together!
PS - I also need to write the salad story sometime too... oops.
-Angela
1- Never show up early to sign in ever again
2- I’m not eating salad.
Week 2 started with a class that I don’t think I will ever forget. I can’t even believe it was a week ago, because in this Yoga-Unvierse, time goes fast and slow simultaneously. Monday morning was a great class by Bikram’s neice, and the last descendant of his guru - Tum-Tum. I really enjoyed her class.
Monday night was Bikram’s class. Bikram’s evening class was an inferno. It was the hottest class ever, and halfway through he referenced Acapulco Mexico training - as we lost about 15 people per posture to the outside of the room. I found by the 2nd or 3rd posture, I could barely execute the setups for the postures. I didn’t quite understand what was going on. I am loathe to blame it on the “heat” of the room ever, so I just assumed I was a fucking loser. Until I saw all around me, people were laying out, leaving the room, and my homie Gordon was equally struggling as much as I was (next to me). Finally I laid out. I couldn’t breathe. No air was getting to my body, and I could feel it. I kept trying to get back up and do the next posture, over and over again - only to be defeated. Eventually with all my up and down, I gave up. The floor was hot as hot can be. They START the teacher training room out around 110. I think it was somewhere around 120-130F, to be honest. I was tracking my heart rate and it was up around the rate where it is when I am running about 7mph on a road run. When it didn’t come down and stayed elevated for a good 10 minutes, I started to feel wonky in a way that qued me that passing out might happen. I do not leave the room here. I got up - and focused on walking a straight line and not falling on anyone - as I approached the door, Bikram’s staff all, as I walked by, looked me clear in the face and asked if I was OK. Not really even knowing what was coming out of me, I said, “yeah. Yeah. I’m good.” I don’t know how close to “good” I was, but I went off to the ladies room and pretty much took my heart rate one more time and realized it was dropping immediately following the fresh air. There was no oxygen in the room, and I’m guessing with all those bodies…… that’s a bad thing.
I had about a 10 second sob session for god’only’knows what reason. I felt so defeated, deflated. Came out into the lobby area where there were so many of my classmates laying out - being handed super-charged sugar/electrolyte drinks from the nurse. A weird feeling being out on the other side for any period of time while class was going. Sam, Bikram’s good friend from way back who I always say hi to, and laugh with a lot, saw me and said, “oh… don’t make that face. You look so sad! Smile!” And I burst into tears. For another 10 seconds. And then I was like, Whatever man. What is this? I got up to go back in the room, when I saw La-La, who was outright sobbing. Instead of going into the room again, I stopped to give her the biggest hug ever. I said something to her, I can’t remember what - but it was pretty much supportive. And after that, I picked myself up and headed back into the inferno. My towel was so hot I could have sworn I put it into the microwave (and 100% soaked). I got back in there and did every possible floor posture left, and actually finished the class semi strong. Gordon next to me, when I was about ready to lay out camel pose - looked at me and indicated to get up - to do it. So I did. The kind of friends I’ve made here are amazing. I only wish I knew how to put it into words. We’ve known each other for 2 weeks outside the yoga universe, and that feels like 2 years in the yoga sphere.
As far as that class. Bikram complained several times about how hot it was and what the fuck was going on. At first he was ribbing us for sitting out until the awful heat made it up to his sky high podium. I don’t think his AC up there was combating the inferno. About 4 postures away from the end of the series, Bikram said he had to pee and left. And did not come back. Turns out his class was initially 2 hours and 45 minutes that day - I really couldn’t tell. Also: He told us a vivid story about the runs he had when we got to lecture that night, but he had Eric finish out the class and Eric was amazing and got the postuers out clear, concise, and didn’t hold us long. Half of the class was gone anyway, right? A lot of people get annoyed at Bikram’s seriously vivid and all-details in, stories and body talk. I think they’re hilarious. He’s a lot like me in the respect where he will say ANYTHING to ANYONE and not really care.
Needless to say, we survived that. Next few classes were impossibly hot, but it turns out one of the fans broke and there was no airflow. We were getting a mild oxygen deprivation. But the show goes on in the Bikram world. And it did. And it humbled a lot of students who have never taken a knee, never left the room, never did this, never did that.
By the end of the week, the fan was back (they had to order another one).
By the end of the week, I was getting annoyed at myself and my lack of form in the postures. And somehow I started to feel overly bloated and at my own throat. I was less snappy at others than myself on Saturday. Especially since I missed a sign in on Tuesday morning by showing up too early to class. I was there 40 minutes early, checked back to sign in twice, clipboards were still turned over. Damn. Then I went and had some great digestive situations, and totally forgot to go back when it was open. They announce “Team Saturday” make up class, non sign in people - at the beginning of class. When I heard my name over the great sound system, I was like, “what?” Fuck. For Christ’s sake. Of course they check to make sure you are there and then you make up the class anyway. My Tuesday morning class wasn’t that great because I just could not focus. I was crestfallen.
I meant to post this particular post soon, but here it is. Better late than never. Now I can be all caught up and get into week 4 if I have a spare moment or on Sunday.
Here are a few more run-downs:
Posture clinics started. They're hardcore. We are currently doing at least one posture per day. First part of awkward pose for me went smooth, however - I FREAKED out Wednesday night before delivering the 2nd and 3rd parts of awkward pose. As in, melt down. Eric advised no paragraph for paragraph memorization for me (my friends decided to push me towards staff Eric even before I was done crying. Great... jeez). Feeling pretty cleansed at that point of self frustration. That's a good thing.
Eagle pose - I noticed I wouldn't lose the whole posture, just the middle. The leads in my posture clinics pointed out that they noticed I could at least SEE the bodies, even if I didn't have the dialogue. That's a good sign...... a LOT (most) I guess don't see the bodies as they are beginners, so that was some positive feedback. Those were my tiny notes and all I have time for this morning before class - it's almost time! I gotta get my water together!
PS - I also need to write the salad story sometime too... oops.
-Angela