The following is by blogger Seouldiva:
If you’ve ever done a Bikram Yoga class, you’d probably say, “What kind of crackhead do you need to be, to want to do TWO of these classes back-to-back?”
Yep. You read correctly: 2 Bikram classes back-to-back. 180 minutes in the hotbox.
While most of us don’t opt to do this on a daily basis, if you’re doing a 30-day or a 60-day Bikram Yoga Challenge, there is an allowance that states:
- During a 30-Day Challenge, if you miss a day of class, you may double up on another day. But you cannot double up more than TWICE during a 30-day. (hell, life happens, right?!)
ASSESS YOUR BODY AFTER THE 1ST CLASS
- Be honest with yourself. Don’t do a double just because your hell-bent on it.
- Assess how your body feels: if you feel great, give it a shot. If not, then there will always be another day.
IN-BETWEEN CLASSES
- Most studios will have 30 minutes in-between the end of the last class, and the beginning of the next class.
- After your final savasana, I recommend leaving the room to cool down slightly and normalize.
- HYDRATE. (duh.) In addition to drinking regular water, I really like drinking a coconut water.
- My home studio (Bikram Yoga NYC) carries Zico, but I just got tuned in to VitaCoco which
(at least to me) tastes like it has a little less sugar than Zico.
While it’s nice to have a little sugar for energy, drinking something
sweet can sometimes make you more thirsty. So generally speaking, the
less sugar the better.
- Don’t forget to pee before the 2nd class. On the real.
ENJOY THE RIDE!
- If I’m doing a double, during the first 15 minutes of Class #2, my mind is grumbling things like, “Holy crap, what was I thinking?,” “Oh damn, this is gonna be a long freaking class…,” “Get. Me. Out.”
- Let it go….Once you learn to accept the fact that you are committed to be in the room…the fun begins.
HOW DO YOU FEEL?
- EUPHORIA. The second class is euphoric. Your body is already warmed and stretched out from the 1st class, so the 2nd class is less stiff.
- YOUR MIND IS QUIET. One of the reasons for hatha (physical) yoga is to quiet the body, so that the mind can be quieted and prepared for meditation. The 1st class helps you get all the “noise” out of your head. The 2nd class, you experience a focus, awareness and “present-mindedness” that is indescribable.
Namaste.
A few other things to consider when doing multiple classes a day:
ReplyDelete- Add a little sea salt in your water to help you retain water to stay hydrated. A little, too much and you won't want to drink the ocean water you have created.
- Consider spacing out the classes, this gives your body more time to normalize and re-hydrate.
- If you space the classes out, during your break eat water dense foods and rest or at least keep activities at low physical, mental and emotional intensity.
- For me, getting through the standing series is what I focus on when doing multiple classes. Once I am through that I know I get to be on the floor the rest of class.
- I find my focus and enjoyment of classes to be intensified during my second, third, etc. classes of the day. It is totally worth it to me.
- Once you've done multiple classes in one day, be proud of yourself. It is a great accomplishment.
I pace myself in the first class and feel like a rock star the second class. I always feel better second class. My body is warmed up and ready to go.
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