So I went to a Yoga class today. I figured, since it is Vancouver's main pastime, I should give it a go!Now, there was a chance that I inherited a Terrible-at-Yoga gene. My dad lives and breathes yoga - it changed his life. My mom, after listening him rave about the benefits of yoga for years, decided to join a class. For those of you who haven't met my mom, she is a very fit lady, and can pass for 20 years younger than she is. 15 minutes into her first yoga class, she ran from the room to puke her guts out.
I thought I'd be okay, though. I figure-skated for almost 20 years, and had no problem with whirling at breakneck speed around the ice. My coach used to make me spin for 3 minutes straight, while timing me with a stopwatch. Dizziness was never an issue, and a lot of yoga poses are quite similar to figure skating poses.
I picked a Hot Yoga class, which I also thought would be okay. I love the heat. I'm more comfortable in 40 degree heat than I am in an air-conditioned room. I was in Greece in 2007 (remember the year with all the wildfires and the record-breaking heat?) and just loved it. I was the only one out exploring while my tourmates suffered, with the AC blasting, in their rooms. So, Hot Yoga - no sweat! (har har)
15 minutes into the class, I started to feel, well...funny. "Breathe it out, just breathe it out," I reassured myself. 30 seconds later, I was in the washroom with the dry heaves. 15 minutes later, I told myself, "Okay, you got through it, now finish the class!" 5 minutes later, I was lying on my mat watching the the room spin. That was the end.
I left, still clutching my stomach in agony, while all around me happy voices cried, "That was sooooooo much fun! I want to do it EVERY DAY!!!!!"
So, has this ever happened to anyone else, or do my mother and I need exorcisms, pronto?
Haha, I like the tags "puking" and "yoga" on this one. Definitely beats tags like "spirituality", "inner peace", "health" and "lifestyle" that one would expect from a post on yoga!
ReplyDeleteOne of the reasons why I prefer hot yoga of other studios over Bikram's is that Bikrams' teachers push you too hard, while I've found that others have emphasized the idea of learning to be aware of your body, and acknowledging that on some days you can push yourself while on others you may need to lay it back.
I've had a few classes when I felt very dizzy, though I've heard from some teachers that it is a common reaction, and that it is part of the detox process. One teacher said that there are some days when she does feel nauseous, and that's because the body is releasing the toxins that its been holding.
So don't fret! It's not genetic (in my opinion, which is not all that credible) :D
-Lucinda