Any Top Tips for a great Bikram Hot Yoga class?
Top Tips for a great Bikram Hot Yoga class.
BYC students are known for their focus, good humour and dedication. Here are the different ways they achieve those great qualities.
BIKRAM HOT YOGA CLASS TIPS
- Come to class well hydrated. After Eagle Pose, you can drink between the postures, but try to take small sips of water. The closer your water is to your body temperature, the quicker it can be assimilated by your body to hydrate you. That’s why we don’t advise bringing cold or iced water into the room.
- Make sure you come to class fully fuelled. Everyone has a different eating window: some can eat straight before class, others need to leave it 3hrs. Rule of thumb: make sure you’ve eaten something at least 2hrs before class. Never come on an empty stomach, you need the fuel.
- Leave your hand towel at home – you do not need it! Of course your hands will feel sweaty, your brow will feel sweaty, but practise allowing the sweat to fall. If we use a towel to grip, how are we ever going to get strong enough to work without one? Practise makes.. well, more practised and able! Following this ‘path of least resistance’ can help you achieve incredible strength and focus. Everytime you wipe the sweat away, it will just return. Conserve your energy for the postures and learn to let your sweat do it’s job. It’s your bodies way of keeping you at the right temperature. If you notice yourself getting frustrated, see if you can be aware of that feeling passing through you and let it go!
- It’s advisable to avoid the front row in your first class, however, as you progress, please feel free to move forward, don’t be scared. The front row can be an invaluable visual guide for new people practising behind. You don’t have to be perfect, (who is?!) but we simply ask you know the postures, before you make the move.
- Try to practise in different places around the room – mixing it up is fun! Come to class without preconceived ideas about where you’ll be in the room or about what the class will deliver. Let life surprise you!
- If you need to take a break during class, kneel down or sit down and join back in when you are ready. Stay in the room, that way you are still getting the benefits of class and building your stamina for your future classes.
- Be still between postures. Learn not to fiddle with your mat/clothes/hair in class, conserve your energies between postures. Focus on regulating your breathing in and out through your nose, calm and slow. Breathing is the key to your class. Master this and you will fly, quite literally ?
- Listen to your teacher. Everything you need to know is in their words. Every class you will hear something different because, as your practice deepens and your body opens, you will find yourself building deeper connections between the words and your body.
- Breathe (we’ve touched on this already but, it really is quite important this breathing malarkey! So, worth a second note). Never hold your breath in postures. Breathe in and out through the nose for the entire class.
- Make sure you come to class clean and fresh, in comfortable, appropriate clothing. Feel free to shower before class.
- Respect each other. If you need to blow your nose during class, please keep the tissue you use ON your towel.
MIND-BODY CONNECTION
- Don’t worry about what anyone else in the room is doing – focus on yourself and your breath for 90 minutes. When in life do we ever get 90 whole minutes to focus on just ourselves?
- Let go of judgement: of yourself, of others – every class will feel different. It should – you are evolving all the time!
- Be mindful of your fellow yogis. As a wise yogi once said ‘Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.’
- Always try your 100% best. Whether you are doing 1% of the posture or 99%, if you are following the correct alignment and giving it your all, you are getting 100% of the benefits. This is not to say push into anything that is painful or past your capabilities. Be honest with yourself and always listen to your body. We spend so much time listening to our minds, in class, listen to your body, it is speaking to you in so many ways.
- Come to class ready to accept whatever happens, with commitment, focus and patience.
- Move together and with the words – group energy in yoga is a powerful thing. Once you know the postures, if you move out of time, it means you are letting your mind get in the way. You aren’t present. You are cutting yourself off from the benefits and asking your fellow yogis/inis to work harder to maintain their focus.
- Everybody is different and every journey is different – enjoy yours every class.
HAVE FUN
