My Adventures in Moksha Yoga: Is It Hot in Here or is it Just Me??

Much to my extreme delight my work schedule has calmed down for the next few weeks as projects begin to wrap up and new ones don't kick off till the fall. Being somewhat of an opportunist, I decided that a miscellaneous vacation day was in order.

I mean, who doesn't love a long weekend for absolutely no reason right??

I started out my Friday with a trip to my favorite spin studio. This place is pricey and not exactly conveniently located, so the fact that I go there often is a testament to how much I love it!

Fifty sweaty but invigorating minutes later and I was ready for the next part of my day (Side note: don't you love getting your workout in early so you have the rest of the day to do anything you want!?)

Weeks and weeks ago I had purchased a WagJag for a 10-class package to hot yoga here in Toronto. Admittedly I had no clue what I was getting myself into, as I had never been before, but I'd heard so much about it and the price was too good to pass up ($40 for 10 is completely amazing right??)

Now because I had the rest of the morning and the whole afternoon free, and because "clean the apartment" has been lingering on the to-do list for a while, I decided to head to yoga and give it a try.

:Let's just say I was nervous. I am not a sauna/steam room kind of girl. In fact, a super hot shower can leave me nauseated and running for the exit. I made sure to hydrate (thanks to great advice on Twitter) and asked some questions beforehand to ease my uncertainties.

The instructor, who had been briefed that he had a newbie in his 12 o'clock class, was actually shocked that I was uneasy. His exact works were "What? You do all kinds of other things. You are in great shape. You'll be more then fine"

I'm in great shape says the yogi? Cool!

What, you don't practice in the change room before class? Weird....

Entering the studio , I thought "Hey, not too bad...warm but manageable" and proceeded to assume savasana and wait for class to begin.

Then the instructor came in and turned up the heat.

Uh oh.

Truthfully, I was more worried then I needed to be. It was a flow class so we moved through poses fairly quickly and while it was hot in there I actually felt pretty good. My muscles felt more limber and I felt like I was able to breathe deeper. (Yogis: Is this normal for hot yoga?)

Twenty minutes in and just as I had been warned, I was dripping with sweat. I was more soaked then I have ever been while running or spinning. It was dripping in my eyes, my towel was drenched and I was forming small puddles around the edge of the mat.

And I loved it.

If you know me, you know I love to sweat!

Class went on and while I new to this practice I felt like I got the hang of it. I felt strong and calm and could imagine the negative toxins dripping from my body. When I got a little dizzy (which I did twice) I just rested, drank water and resumed when I was ready. Not once did I feel the need to bolt from the room gasping for breath, as I had imagined I would.

And then before I knew it, the hour as up.

My thoughts post-class were: I love it, I want to do it again, boy am I thirsty, ow! my muscles are sore. In precisely that order.

I will most definitely be taking advantage of the other 9 classes and will probably incorporate it in my fitness routine after the package expires.

I love finding new ways to keep my body healthy and in this case, my mind as well. Hot yoga for the win!


So tell me, what's your favorite way to spend a day off work? Have you tried hot yoga? Did you love it too??