Fitness Roadtest: Bikram Yoga Kingston

Posted on 7 August, 2014

It’s my belief that great things are born from great love.

I was recently reminded of this when I met with Zoe, Ally, and Chat, the founders of Bikram Yoga Kingston in their beautiful studio on the top floor of what was formerly the Cusack Centre in Green Square. These three friends are practically bursting with love – love for their practice, for their business, and for each other. They were kind enough to not only let me trial a Bikram Yoga class, but also to offer me some insight into what exactly Bikram is all about.

If you don’t know what Bikram Yoga is, allow me to enlighten you. It’s 90 minutes of yoga, in a studio set at 40 degrees, with 40% humidity. It’s very hot. Practicing in this environment is great because the heat causes your body to increase oxygen supply to your muscles, increases flexibility, has a detoxing effect on the body, and is a great cardiovascular workout.

The benefits are wonderful, but let me be clear: Bikram yoga is uncomfortable and challenging – both physically and mentally.  The heat is intense and unrelenting, and just being in the room can be challenging. If you’re going along to your first class, I recommend that you leave your expectations – of the class, and of yourself – at the door.

Ally says “your only goal is to get used to the conditions. It’s hot, it’s humid, it’s fine to sit down. If you feel light headed, sit down and take care of yourself. If you start to feel ok then stand up and join back in”.

This is exactly what happened to me during the class. I’m not sure whether it was the run I did the previous day, or just the heat, but about 15 minutes into the class I started feeling shaky, with dizziness and blurred vision.

These sorts of symptoms are normal, says Ally; “that’s why we give you that 10 day trial because you’ll see that very quickly your body will acclimate to the conditions. A lot of it is detoxing as well, but with two weeks regular practice, with all the sweating, a lot of that clears and you start to feel better. A lot of people come back and work through that initial stage and get past that point; they’ll be saying to others, ‘just trust the process.’”

One unique element of Bikram is that every class is exactly the same in terms of the series of postures. Zoe explains “because it’s the same all the time, you can pay attention to the subtle differences that you’re experiencing; changes in your body, be it physical or mental. You have that foundation of sameness to be able to see what is different”.

Be warned: you will pour sweat. My advice? Forgo makeup or bring along wipes. I made the mistake of going with multiple coats of mascara, and sat up from a forward bend looking rather demonic. Don’t expect to walk out of the class looking pretty – although there are lovely change room and shower facilities to freshen up after.

In saying that, while you’ll see some beautiful people, with beautiful bodies at Bikram Yoga Kingston, it’s very much not about how you look.

“We don’t care about that here” says Ally. “All of that might change through your physical practice, but eventually you’ll come to let go of all those negative, self-sabotaging feelings that you hold for yourself. To even be noticing that you’re harbouring unhelpful, unloving feelings toward yourself, they’re the things that you should be working on in there, until you can get to a place where you look at yourself and love what you’re seeing, no matter what you’re seeing, and be kind to yourself and everyone else in the room”.

Chat, Zoe and Ally talk about getting rid of judgemental and negative thoughts, and it’s something that you really come to work on in the studio. During the class I became aware of some of the thoughts I was having, like being critical of how my stomach looks in a certain pose, or wishing that my body was more like the gorgeous lady next to me. Being aware of these thoughts and bringing your mind back to the mat, back to the practice, is a really powerful thing.

This mindfulness is something that comes with you when you leave the studio. Zoe agrees, “it’s an underlying attack to get to the rest of your life. You might go out and change different habits, and we don’t tell you what to eat or drink, we don’t tell you anything other than how to get in and out of a posture and breathe. When you go out, you take that to every other aspect of your life and wellbeing and that’s where it’s a holistic process – that transfer out of the room”

This is definitely something I noticed coming out of the class. After leaving, you’re more aware of your body and of your wellbeing. Even little things like the feeling of cool air on your skin again – it’s a lot easier to be ‘in the moment’. You certainly don’t want to put unhealthy, processed food into your body after you’ve spent 90 minutes honouring it, and I can see how regular practice would have a positive influence over your wellbeing.

It’s hard to explain the feeling that you get from Bikram, not least because it’s such an individual experience. As Ally puts it, “you get from the practice what you need from the practice”. For me, physically , it felt a bit like being wrung out – twisting and stretching my body, wringing myself of tension and stress (and a whole lotta sweat). And on an emotional level, wringing myself of some negative, dark feelings and instead soaking up a bit of self-love.

I’d love to be able to continue with all of the amazing fitness activities that I’m lucky enough to try out, but unfortunately I just don’t have the time. Bikram Yoga, however,  is something that I’ll definitely be making time in my week for. I loved every minute and I’m looking forward to seeing Chat, Ally and Zoe again soon.

READER OFFER

Bikram Yoga Kingston is offering HerCanberra readers a 20% discount on any purchase or pass during the month of August. You must mention HerCanberra to qualify. Offer available once only.

the essentials

What: Bikram Yoga Kingston
Where: Level 2, 27 Eyre St, Kingston.
When: View the class schedule online
Phone: 0429632658
Email: info@bikramyogakingston.com.au
Web: www.bikramyogakingston.com.au