Bikram: The Torture Chamber

One of the things I love about Bikram is how fellow practictioners gleefully refer to studio as 'The Torture Chamber'.   To me such a reference make me think of how, on its surface, Bikram is the antithesis of the traditional idea of yoga. Yet, ironically, Bikram embodies the yoga paradigm. It's this dichotomy that deepens my affection for the practice.

The Torture Chamber

In Bikram, the studio is typically heated to 105ºF with 40% humidity. Sometimes the temperature is adjusted for extremes in humity.  That means the temperature is higher with a low humity or vice versa. There are times when I enter the studio and the heat is almost pleasant.  I never know how to feel about this since I know I won't be burning as many calories. Still, the practice will be easier and I find I can challenge myself more on these days. Other times, I feel like I'm walking into an oven. The heat is suffocating and at points in the practice I truly have to resist the urge run out. This causes me to really focus on my practice--get through one asana at a time and focus on keeping my breath slow, steady and relaxed. Basically, when the heat anxiety hits, I use the breath to calm myself.

 

My Torture Chamber of choice


If focusing on the breath during the practice can't be managed, then it's helpful to know that certain areas of the studio are hotter than others. I tend to pick the hottest spot in the studio (which is on the front row where I practice).   It is the area farthest away from the entrance in the studio I attend and, since I like a full panel of mirror so that I can see an unbroken reflection of myself, the spot I choose tends to be directly under a vent. However, the difficulty of being under the vent is balanced when, at the end of class, the heat is turned down and I get the first blast of soothing cooler air.

Bikram instructors often advise new participants to choose the back of the room or the spot closest to the door (not so you can run out in our particular case but because of it tends to be cooler) or farthest away from the vent depending on how the room is set up.

Heat  Is Only the Beginning of the Torture

There is also the pain. Our instructors tell us that pain is a part of the process.  Still, you have to know your body well enough to differentiate between injurious pain and that special pain of weakness leaving the body. Most people can tell the difference and if not, my guess is that they will learn  soon enough.

In each one of the 26 postures we assume in Bikram holds its own specific kind of pain.  There is the pain from stretching the hamstrings, muscular pain from isometric holds, pain in wrists or knees, and pain from back bends.

There is also some mental stress--for me anyway--when I move through the balancing poses.  Standing head to toe pose causes me the most difficulty.  While I am able to extend my leg, my left foot pronates so much that I cannot maintain balance well enough to extend for the whole pose. I concentrate on evenly distributing the weight on my foot but that makes me feel even more off kilter.  So it's something that frustrating to me.



Standing Head to Toe Pose



Other poses induce anxiety. It's different for everyone but my instructors are always warning us about Camel pose which exposes the heart and hidden emotions.  Emotional pain tends to surface during Camel. Some people, I am told, even cry.  On the other hand, I have read instances of people achieving orgasm (or Yogasm) in this pose.  I keep hoping for that to happen to me. So far, no such luck.

Camel Pose

Camel doesn't usually bother me so much but when I first began Bikram and even sometimes now and again, I experience a great deal of anxiety and claustrophobia in Rabbit pose.  This is ironic since this is the one pose I get praises from the instructor about how beautifully I hold it.

There is also the anxiety of having to look at yourself in the mirror.  Looking at all my imperfections, avoiding comparing myself to others, resisting the urge to compete--dealing with these things can make anyone anxious. In fact, it usually does.

Rabbit Pose

It's Not Your Traditional Yoga

In Bikram, it's not uncommon to hear the phrase "It's supposed to hurt"--crazy thing to hear in yoga, right?  When we think of yoga, we usually think of peaceful meditation and universal oneness.  The stress induced by Bikram yoga on its surface seems to be a complete contradiction.

Yet I don't find it to be the case.  I feel like no matter what is going on externally, as long as I breath and focus on moving into and improving my postures everything else falls away.  The minute I start to think about the heat, the pain or allow my daily life in to the room that's when I suffer.  That focus, to me is meditation.  No matter what happens in the room, in the 'torture chamber', as long as I am focused on my breath--centered--I can deal with the pain and discomfort. In that way, Bikram practice is just that--practice.  Practice for staying centered calm and even blissful in the face stressful situations inside the room and outside in the world.

Bikram: Tired after Bikram Practice

Lately, I have been feeling wiped out after my Birkam practice.  I've felt this post-practice fatigue before. It became one of the factors driving me away from Bikram so long ago.  I didn't get how some many people went on about being so energized after practice when it was all I could do was get out of my sweat drenched clothes and into some pajamas before I collapsed crossways on my bed.  This time, instead of living with the fatigue or trying to work through it (Hey! I've got things to do plus my husband complains when I lay around and watch TV which, honestly, is all I could manage to do after a Bikram session), I would investigate and get to the bottom of this.

As I researched, I began to remember that the post workout fatigue didn't happen only after Bikram but also when I performed any high intensity sweat-inducing exercise.  After a long run, I often found myself in the same condition--near comatosed or at least needing a long nap to recover.  Same thing with long bike rides. What I learned was what everyone else seem to already know.  It's not enough to be properly hydrated; though it's very important.  Our bodies also need to maintain adequate electrolyte levels.


When the body loses too much salt we can experience symptoms of moderate hyponatremia which include fatigue, cramping, headaches, and nausea.  This usually happens when a person drinks excessive amounts of water or participates in activities that cause excessive sweating.  Sound familiar?  I drink tons of water throughout the day and I avoid salt in my diet then on top of all of that I go to Bikram and sweat enough to fill a bucket.

Potassium, one of the body's most inportant minerals, is used to regulate our sodium or salt levels. If we don't have enough salt the body gets rid of the potassium through urination (If we have too much salt, for that matter, the potassium combines with the sodium and is released from the body through urination).  So, if you're depleting your sodium level by drinking loads of water and sweating, then you're body is dumping potassium as well.  This leads to low potassium levels which causes us to experience muscle cramps, dizziness and general fatigue.

Both potassium and sodium are a part of a group of electrically charged minerals called electrolytes.  Other minerals include: salt (sodium chloride), potassium, calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate of soda, phosphate, sulfate. The job of electrolytes is to conduct electrical signals or impulses in the body that control muscle contraction and nerve impulses. Sweating excessively makes it difficult to maintain  adequate electrolyte levels which leads to the unfortunates symptoms I've mentioned so far.

So what can help?

Here are some solutions that I've come across:

• Salt and potassium tabletsOne of these tablets before and after bikram class can help with the salt and potassium deficiency.  Some studios keep these on hand. (credit: www.bikramyoga.com)
• Coconut WaterContains high levels of potassium and antioxidants. Again, some studios sell these but they can be costly.
• Liquimins Electrolyte Stamina Power PakThis particular brand contains 1200 mg of Vitamin C, and most of the major electrolytes (potassium, magnesium, chloride and sodium), plus  ionic trace minerals.

I tried the Stamina Power Pak

I decided on the Power Pak based on user reviews of the product.  Also I could not find much information on salt and potassium tablets or the information was confusing. There are prescription grade tablets and there are over the counter tablets--which are right for me? The tablets didn't seem to be as chocked full of goodness as the Electrolyte powder either.  As for the coconut water.  I've tried it.  I like the taste well enough but it's just too expensive.

I mixed a packet of  Liquimins Electolyte Stamina Power to six ounces of water before my yoga class.  I felt a difference right away and I allowed for the fact that it could have been the power of suggestion or placebo effect.  I was eager to get in the room and get going. I felt kind of stoked.  But when I laid down to settle myself and center myself for class, I found I was suffering a case of Monkey Mind (or Mind Monkey).  It was a little hard to focus and bring my mind into the room.  During the practice, my mind kept leaving the room thus destroying my balance postures. But physically I felt good. I felt energetic.  I mixed another packet of the electrolytes in another water after class.

Overall I felt better following a Bikram class than I have in weeks.  I think once I acclimate to the increased mental energy, this may be the way to go for me.   I'll try it for a week and check back in.

More on Electrolytes
MedlinePlus
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002350.htm

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/fluidandelectrolytebalance.html

Bikram: Seeing some changes

 

A long time ago

I had been away from Bikram for several years. When I was at it back then, I fell in love with practice and I dreaded it. I stressed myself and my family so that I could make the evening practices. When I got there, getting through the practice was a drudgery and I found myself dreading the next day of practice while I was still in the middle of my current yoga session. At home after the practice, I felt too exhausted to do anything but lay on the couch.

Then came a day when my husband was travelling for work and I had no one to stay with my daughter. So, I missed a practice. I stayed home. It was such a relief! I had so much free time. Eventually, my practice tapered off until I reached the point where I couldn't believe that I let yoga take up so much of my time, my money and my sanity.

I focused more on my meditation practice and recieved certifications in Reiki I & II. But eventually, I gave up on those practices as well.

I tried other things to stay fit. I went back to running--something I love but suffered a series of knee injuries. I took up biking and spin classes and more or less stayed on track fitness-wise.

Still, I was looking longingly to yoga and meditation and Reiki. But I could not seem to find a way back.

My gateway back

Enter my friend Bianca, a Bikram neophyte. She was aglow with the newly converted's enthusiasm. In the midsts of a 90 day challenge, Bianca was telling me all of the new things she was discovering about herself and her body. I was cynical at first but I kept it to myself. I shared only my positive observation from the time I used to practice.

Slowly but surely I began to remind myself about what I loved about Bikram. First, Bikram is a hell of a workout. My heart rate monitor usually showed me burning between 600 and 800 calories. Second is the joy of discovering how my body is being shaped by the practice as well as learning to appreciate my body.

I remembered the lessons that I learned in the room were also lessons I could apply to my everyday life. An important thing I learned--and Bianca helped me to remember this--was to focus my attention on myself and not compare myself with others. When I practiced those years ago, I heard the words when the teacher spoke them but they didn't really take root. Sometimes I enjoyed looking at myself in the mirror but then my eyes would wander to my fellow yogis. Some were getting deeper into the poses than me. Others were flailing in the practice. How much better or worse their practice was determined how good I felt about my own practice. I would see girls with beautiful bodies and when I looked back to my own image, I would cringe. I had missed the point completely.

The lesson in this is to focus on yourself appreciate where you are and who you are in this moment. The lesson is to focus on realizing your own challenges and making progress in conquering them. The lesson is that each and every one of the people in the room with you have their own challenges and are at different points of progress. Otherwise you are basing the value of your practice on outside forces that you cannot control or fully understand. Ultimately, Bikram is a very personal practice even though its done in a group setting. 

So the more we talked about Bikram, the more I missed it.  And there was also my knee which I had injured yet again running.  I figured why not go back and give it another try if only to heal my knee and get back to running. 

 

Starting again

I was determine to start out slow this time and not go 'all in' right off the bat. That meant no 10, 30, 60 or 90 day challenges.  That would have been a sure fire way for me to become burned out and probably keep me away from the practice for another 3 years.

Also, after the first day I found it helpful to get to class 10-15 min ahead of time to set up my mat and to lay in savasana.  Laying in savasana with my eyes open allowed me to bring my focus into the room, to check in with how I am feeling and to direct attention to my breath.

This was a time for me to focus on my intentions.  The first couple of weeks my only intention was simply to move through all of the poses without having to sit.  Then on some days, I would set my intentions to go deep and find my edge. On other days, my intention was to find beauty in my practice--to look at myself, my body and see how beautiful it is in different poses (I especially like to see myself in standing bow pose. There is a little curve at my waist leading into the hip of my standing leg that looks so beautiful to me).  I always look to find joy in my practice. I even remind myself to smile.  It's not a big smile--just something to help me relax my facial muscles.  It's surprising how that little correction brings me back to that one intention to find joy in my practice.

Changes

So now, I'm seeing some changes.

1. After 3 months, my knee is so much better.  I can sit for for hours at work (well I do make sure to stand and walk around every 20 minutes).  I don't wake up in the middle of the night with my knee aching. And walking up and down stairs?--No problem.
2. I mind my own business. In the room and in my own life.   Im less judgemental and compassionate with others and myself.
3. I clean more.  I know that sounds weird but now I find that if I see something out of place, I don't step over it I just go ahead and put it where it should be.  It's nothing compulsive and I don't do it all the time but I'm noticing that more often I am taking care of stuff that needs to be done.  It's kind of like going to Bikram.  Sometimes I don't feel like going but I go anyway and I always feel good about it.  So I guess that translates into whether I want to do something that needs doing or not, I just do it anyway and I'm usually glad I did.
4. I'm noticing a six pack in my abs when I do triangle pose.   I don't particularly like triangle--it's hard but I always look forward to seeing my six pack.  So far that's the only place it shows itself to me.
5. Now my practice is more than a work out to me.  It's a communion with my body.  It's a time I can check-in emotionally and physically and see how I'm doing.  It's a time where I can show my body my appreciation for all it does for me. I can look at  and love my body without feeling ashamed or conceited. 
6. I don't beat myself up for not being a certain size or weight.  I think I'm great the way I am and if I happen to slim down and become leaner as a result of my effort that would be wonderful.  I continue to strive for that but until then I look marvelous, darling.

7. Now I'm seeking other spiritual forums.  I'm trying different yoga styles and I am really ready to assume my meditation practice none of this for the sake of accomplishing any kind of change but just for the pleasure of it.  The change will come on its own and I know it will manifest in unexpected delightful ways

Taking it easy

So now I'm taking it easy. I'm learning to be flexible and resist the urge to do any kind of a challenge that might extinguish the joy I feel with the practice right now.  I take 10 classes per month.  Im flexible about the schedule.  I'll just go with the flow for now.

Namaste.