Bikram Yoga: Too Darn Hot for Me

Since moving to Vegas, I've taken advantage of the wide variety of yoga options. Most recently I decided to try Bikram Yoga. Bikram has messianic devotees who seem to love its practice. (To watch a 60 Minutes interview with founder Bikram Choudury click here) I admire their focus and commitment but after 2 classes, I've decided it just isn't the right style of yoga for me. They do a set series of poses in order which makes for great discipline, but I couldn't help but miss so many of my favorite asanas. I thought I'd developed a better tolerance for heat since I moved to the Mojave desert, but the humidity makes the heat index too extreme for me to feel healthy. The heat does increase flexibility and certainly makes you be present and live in the moment because all you can do is think of the Kiss Me, Kate song, "It's Too Darn Hot!" If you love to sweat profusely then you may love Bikram, but I felt exhausted from dehydration. As a singer living in the desert, I just don't think it's the right fit for me. Finally, I missed having music to guide and enhance my practice. There was no restorative meditation in Bikram's so-called "torture chamber." So my exploration of yoga styles will continue. I'm enjoying the journey but I hope I'll soon find a studio to call my own.