Yoga....

Went to Bikram yoga last night for the first time.  I've done plenty of Moksha hot yoga but this was my first introduction to Bikram - I'd only ever heard that they were quite strict - militant almost but this was my chance to check it out.

It was quite a full class and while the studio was nice it didn't measure up to my expectations from Moksha.  The studio had a carpeted flooring (like a gymnastics floor) that made me question just how much sweat from other people it contained.  I much prefer the hardwood that I know gets cleaned before each class.

The class was pretty full and I lined myself up in the third row - knowing I was fully familiar with most of the postures but realizing that it's been almost a year since I've done a class.  It hurt.  PRing on squat cleans the day before going to a yoga class for the first time in ages is not something I'd recommend.  I could feel the ache in my legs but my crossfitter mind was not stopping for anything even with all the sweat and struggle.

I made it through class but found at times that my breathing was quite off.  I struggled with the initial movements that focused on breathing at the start of class - different movement than pranayama breathing that we did a Moksha so I was more focused on what the movement was (there wasn't any explanation from the instructor) rather than on what my breath was doing.  Lacking this initial focus was a huge deal as it set the tone for the rest of my practice.

I enjoyed the sweat and being in the hot room but I felt that I didn't get the typical relaxed, internalized practice that I did with Moksha.  The instruction was very chipping in tone and constant 'go, go, go' so I wasn't listening as much to my body.  Given that there are no other alternatives for hot yoga in Perth I'd probably go back but I'll always love my Moksha more - time for a studio here.