Doing something new

In North Perth (just a 20 minute walk from the Student Village) is a Bikram Yoga studio. I've walked by it for volleyball training and took the bus by it countless times into the the city but as of yesterday it is no longer a landmark on the way somewhere else but now it is the destination.

My gym membership expired last week so instead I have signed up for a 10 day unlimited pass for Bikram yoga for only 20 AUD.
I am not a complete novice to yoga for I have dabbled my fingers in power yoga, yoga videos and a few drop in classes here and there.

However, Bikram is taking yoga to a whole other playground. One that happens to be very hot. In Bikram each practicing studio is heated up to 38*C/100*F. Each session has participants transition through 26 postures (two rounds of each) to compose the 90 minute class.

For comparison sake, think forward to the middle of summer when it hits the first 100 degree day. It's a little hard to gather energy, and when you grab a cold beverage out of the cooler there are condensation droplets being born immediately; soon to monopolize the entire surface. Well, in Bikram that surface is your skin. Places you can never remember sweating from before like the tops of your feet are now dripping so that when you reach forward from triangle pose into impossible-to-hold pose you look around to see sweat rivers cascading off reaching arms and strained necks. Sound fun?

I don't mean to deter anyone from practicing Bikram it is calming (towards the end), strengthening, endurance building, and something new!
I mean, hey, I'm going back today so that must be saying something (smile).
If you would like more information feel free to visit the studio's website:  http://www.perthbikramyoga.com.au/

Cheers, from a sweating but intrigued girl

p.s. photos via wehearit.com