Day 5: Bikram Yoga 34th Street

Question: What do you do when the universe graces your town with two and a half feet of snow (and this is Baltimore folks!), you're participating in a Bikram Yoga 60-Day Challenge, and your studio closes?

Answer: Pull out the space heaters, unscrew your mirror from the back of the door, roll out your mat, and practice at home!

I guess the other answer would be to double up on another day, but Sarah, who owns Bikram Yoga Hampden, sent out an e-mail and suggested we try to do the yoga ourselves and reminded us that:

The only thing you need to practice yoga is your own body and that is with you at all times. This is a good opportunity to remember that and experience a new connection.

I decided that although I would try to do the whole series, that I would only do one set of each pose. So I set up two space heaters, J.R. {my lovely and wonderful boyfriend} took the mirror down for me and set it up in the office, and I took a hot bath while the space warmed up.

It was an interesting experience.

The quiet immediately reminded me of a time when I'd taken a silent class at BYH about five years ago. Sarah stood with us and we moved when she did and the room was so peaceful. As I progressed through the series {silently counting up to a minute in the poses that we normally hold for that time} I started to hear the dialogue in my head spoken by all the different teachers I've had over the years and it was like a reunion. I am grateful for every teacher I have ever had. Considering how tight the dialogue is, it's amazing how much of themselves they give with it. I learn something new from each one of them.

The voice of the busybody ego popped up at one point: "You know this doesn't really count. You're not sweating very much and only one set isn't REALLY doing the whole series."


"Shhhhhhh," I said and it was silent. I smiled as I looked at the ceiling in savasana.

It did feel very different. Less heat and one set made me feel incredibly strong if not as flexible. I found that I could hold the standing head to knee and the standing bow much easier. In the standing bow I heard the line of dialogue about how with the right balance of stretching and kicking I should be able to hold the pose forever and so I held it for two minutes before slowly reversing out of it. And that felt glorious!

The snow has finally stopped and as much as I enjoyed today's practice, I'm looking forward to returning to Bikram's torture chamber with all the yogis and yoginis.

{hint, hint, nudge, nudge Sarah!}