March 3rd, 2016 | Uncategorized
With the Premiere League basketball season finished, my teammates Kelsey, Avril, and I are constantly looking for a new workout to do. Together we already do TRX training, circuit training, and on other nights just regular sessions at the gym. We like to always change up the workouts to keep them interesting and new.
With that being said, we decided that we would try Bikram Yoga. For those of you who don’t know what Bikram Yoga is, you’re going to think we’re nuts for trying it. Bikram Yoga is also known as “hot yoga.” We thought yoga would be good recovery after the season, and the heat would make it more interesting. It is a 90 minute yoga class that is completed in a 40°C, or 104°F room. The best part of it all is that once the class starts, you cannot leave until the class is over. The main advice we got from people was “whatever you do, do not panic when you’re in there.” How reassuring..
Needless to say I was a bit concerned about the whole thing. For starters I have never done yoga, which would make this even more interesting than it already was going to be. I also equated the hot room to be similar to a sauna, another thing that I don’t particularly love. The more I write about this, the more I wonder why I thought this was going to be a good idea. But my thought process was, I should try everything once, I’ll never know if I like it unless I give it a shot!
Surprisingly, I really enjoyed the class! It was definitely the most I have ever sweat before in my life! It added extra difficulty to the already very challenging yoga poses. To say the least, the three of us stuck out like sore thumbs trying to do these poses in a room full of experts.
Regardless of our skill level, the heat, poses, and the overall vibe in the class created a very relaxing environment that left me feeling very refreshed and calm. I also woke up this morning with soreness similar to the feeling after lifting weights. I wasn’t expecting yoga to yield results similar to lifting weights.
I will definitely be back for more sessions, and who knows maybe I have found a new hobby!
Victory Scholar: Sarah Benedetti
Present University: University of Limerick
US League: NEC
Club/Community Partner: UL Huskies
Alma Mater: St. Francis College
Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland