I have wanted to try yoga for a very long time. I haven’t been working out in several years, except the runs I have every now and then. When I was enrolled in Fitness First years ago, I would always peek at the yoga class and thought how gracious the participants were and how easy it looked. Maybe I can also try that at some point.
Recently I enrolled in KFIT, an online app of thousands of activities at hundreds of gyms/studios (Php 999/monthly). I scheduled for a Bikram Yoga class at the date and time I preferred, at a studio nearby home. Its how convenient this app is.
Before going to Evolve Yoga & Fitness in Alabang, I made known the things I would be needing. I bought my own yoga mat, brought 2 large towels (1 for use on top of the mat, and the other 1 for taking a bath), brought my own toiletries, water bottle and padlock (I forgot this, but they let me borrow). I ate a little and hydrated myself 2 hours before the class. I dressed into my dri-fits, I was nervous but I thought I was ready.
Before the class began, the 3 of us first timers were briefed by Coach Lorena the do’s and don’ts on the floor. No pressure if we can’t do the position or we can catch our breaths and just sit if we can take it anymore. At first I thought I was doing okay, but as the class went on I thought about quitting halfway into it. Bikram Yoga is typically 90 minutes and has 26 positions, and believe me, these dragged on. It felt like forever before we finish one position. It was a hot yoga (read: no ventilation whatsover), the room was stuffy and every pore in my body sweat like crazy, even my palms. I was dizzy and felt like throwing up at one point. I couldn’t follow when it got to the harder positions and suddenly had a bad chest cramp 70 minutes into the class. I whispered to Coach that I was having cramps, and she stretched my arm a bit and told me to lie down and rest. I rested for about 10 minutes but followed again to finish the rest of the class. It was by far, the most exhausting thing I have ever done in my life.
I decided after the class that maybe yoga is not for me. Maybe its the stuffy room, or maybe because its my first time, but god I never expected it to be so difficult. I felt like I went there to punish myself. I’m not closing myself for a yoga in the future, but for now, I just can’t yet. ☹️
leerenah 