The Hot Yoga Experience

As a college student, I am looking to take advantage of anything that is free and legal. When I heard that East Lansing Yoga offered a free class every Saturday from 4-5:15pm at one of their locations, I decided to give it a try. The class offered is the FREE ELHY Slow Burn 75m. According to the website the class is “A more traditional practice, these slower Vinyasa flows coupled with slower, quieter music allow the practitioner time to find (or lose) themselves in their breath and asana. Heat is high, humidity is high, and mood is more meditative. Expect verbal instruction from the mat or from a roaming teacher, and maybe physical assists (if you permit them). A timed shavasana at the end insures you have the time and environment to finish your practice your way.” The practice of yoga is believed to help the overall health of an individual, from mental to physical. Some of the benefits of hot yoga according to Best Health Magazine includes:

• Flushing toxins out of the skin through the process of sweating (There will be LOTS of that).

• Your heart will get plenty of exercise because the heat in the room will elevate the heart rate (Trust me, your heart will definitely get a workout in, I’m sweating just thinking about how hot it was).

• You will develop strength, flexibility, and tone your body up over time.

I never had much experience with yoga and definitely not hot yoga, but being that I am trying to be as healthy as possible (and it's free) I wanted to try something new. The closest thing I did that pertained to yoga was wear yoga pants while stretching my arm to reach for my phone. With that being said, I did not know what to expect. So from one first timer to possibly another, I’ll share my experience with you.

• I walked into the small building that had a front room with a bench covered in comfortable pillows. The room was colorful, but not loud. There was also a cooler fridge filled with water and Gatorade as well as granola bars at the front desk. The ambiance was very welcoming, calm, and warm. I was impressed.

• As I was staring at the comfy pillows, eager to sit down a young man and woman standing at the front desk asked me if I was there for the free session. After a short conversation about dairy-free ice cream (I am not sure why or how we began to talk about that) I asked where I could get a yoga mat. The young woman pointed to the stack beside her and said they were $2, I made my purchase and sat down beside the other yogians

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• After a friendly conversation with some of the other 1st timers in the room I decided to go put my things in the cubby which was located the back room as well as find a spot for my mat before the crowd rushed in. As soon as I entered the room in which the class was going to take place, the heat hit me hard.

 

• After returning from the back room I decided to put my mat in the front of the class which was right in front of the mirror. Looking around and noticing the few people in the room, I saw that they were laying on their backs with their eyes clothes, so I did the same, which was pretty relaxing but I had to fight hard not to fall asleep. After about 20 minutes the instructor came in (the same young woman from the front desk). The class began and I was excited.

• The class began with slow stretches to warm the body up. I was confident in doing those because I am quite flexible due to my dancing background. But soon enough, my confidence ran out. We began to move outside your basic stretches and into more  of the core-working, strength exercises. As our workout session started to get more intense, so was the heat. The room temperature began to rise to what I believe was about 105 degrees. I was terrified about what I had gotten myself into.

• After a couple of intense core workouts, we started to move into the legs and glutes. We took little breaks in between in which we drank water and wiped our drenching faces in between stretches. As the session went on, I began to feel more empowered as I conquered the difficult poses (at my own speed).  I also began to feel a sense of calmness and clarity as I listened to the calming music in the background. It did not take long for me to see why people love to do this and my emotions went from terrified to peaceful.

• For about the last fifteen or twenty minutes we began to cool down. We went back to the basic poses and stretches that we began with while listening to Miguel, which gave me my extra push to make it through those last minutes, because I absolutely love Miguel.

• After the last stretch we were instructed to lay on our backs and close our eyes and think about good things. After about five minutes of good thinking we were dismissed from the class. It took me about ten minutes to recollect myself and get my body temperature back to normal. After I returned home, took a shower, and ate a light dinner, I felt like a million dollars. I just felt clear and healthy. Not to mention I slept wonderfully that night. I encourage everyone to try this, you might become addicted like me!

What you definitely need to bring:

• Yoga mat or the money to temporarily use one
• LOTS of water
• A beach towel or regular bathroom towel to place on mat
• A face towel to wipe off the gallons of sweat that will be dripping off of your face
• A quick snack to replenish your electrolytes (banana or a handful of almonds)
• Form fitting, breathable clothing (sports bra, capri shorts, tank)

Tips:

• DO NOT try to push yourself to the point where you are in pain
• Step outside and get some air if needed
• Try braiding hair to the back so it does not get in the way of the different poses
• Eat a light lunch about two hours ahead of time
• Drink tons of water starting the day before your session
• Relax and have fun knowing you're doing something great for your body

-LisaLenora