When I walked in the room was warm, warm enough to be a sauna. I thought to myself, “How am I supposed to do yoga in a sauna for 90 minutes?” The room began to fill and soon enough yoga mats covered almost the entire surface area of the floor.
The class started with two breathing exercises. “Breathe, I can breathe. This is doable.” By the second breathing exercise sweat was dripping down my arms and forming drops at my elbows. The perspiration continued as I moved into the next posture. My hands were stretched overhead with my palms pressed together and my fingers clutched while I tilted from side to side.
It felt like 120 degrees by the time I reached the 12th and final standing posture, but I sighed with relief as my back crashed to the mat. After two minutes of rest I continued the next few poses on my stomach and the room began to feel hotter than it ever did. It felt like noon in Florida on a summer day. I could feel my heart pounding and I struggled to maintain deep blood-oxygenating breaths.
Eventually the hour and a half passed and crisp La Jolla air entered my lungs. As I left the studio my intention was to never return to the hot room anguish ever again.
One session of hot room torture didn’t keep me away because the benefits are life changing. We are a pill popping society and we don’t always think about the consequences or side-effects of our prescriptions and over-the-counter medications. All we care about is getting rid of the pain and discomfort. Yoga is a natural form of healing, but it requires time, dedication, focus and faith. Try it for yourself and maybe you will be the next success story!
Thank you, San, for being a great model and wonderful teacher.
