Monday, January 23, 2012

I want to be a Yogi...

Sunday Funday in the hot room and the lessons learned are always inspiring.
#1 - Not everyone is cut out for the hot room - mentally.
#2 - Everyone is cut out for the hot room - mentally.
#3 - Its all mental.
First thing is first, it was hot, it was humid and it was crowded. Perhaps due to the humidity outside, the humidity in the hot room seemed ten fold the norm. Before class I was chatting with Stacy another 60-in-60 Challenger and I was sweating sitting on my mat and towel before any of the postures began. It was sticky hot.
To address number one; lots of newbies in the hotroom with lots of challengers - I know this because Edy did a poll before class started. During the standing series one gentleman (a newbie) stood up and walked to the door. Before Edy could stop him he was out the door - he said that he couldn't breath. Not everyone is cut out for the hot room - mentally. As Edy explained to us later and as I've heard many times before in the hot room, the difficulty breathing part is actually worse if you go out of the hot room into the cold. Its better to stay in the room and lay down if necessary just don't leave. Our newbie could have made it through the class but he mentally was out the door.
Another factor in my own practice was the annoying teenage boy in the row just behind me, right next to Stacy. I hope he didnt bother her too much but he was irritating the hell out of me during every single posture in the standing series. If you want to be a yogi then act like it. I know you might be new(er) to this yoga, you are trying this out with your buddy next to you who is brand new today but you are acting like a jackass baby boy that needs his momma to cut the crust off his bread and has been handed everything he's ever wanted in life on a silver platter. Not in the hot room my friend, you do it for yourself so get over yourself and check out of your ego. Bikram is all mental and you are ruining my practice today! Ok...now that I'm done ranting - he was obnoxious and I had wished he walked out of the room, I wouldnt have to focus quite so hard on my own two eyes in the mirror. My new friend didn't commit to the do each posture to the best of his ability and instead of bowing out and sitting down or standing still in between postures he provided extra movements to showcase his "I can't believe i'm doing this again" feelings to his friend.  As you can tell I was not impressed.
We moved to the floor series of postures so I no longer had to fume over my ego-tantrum yogi poser neighbor and I could bask in the deliciousness of all my favorite postures. :) Enter person #2 to stand up and try to escape the hot room. Edy coaxed the woman to sit back down on the towel and rest. She couldn't breath and wanted out.  Insert earlier story about the hot room vs. cooler lobby area and breathing. Edy asked the woman her name, Sheila. Next obvious question, "Is today your first day?" - "No, it's my 21st day." Turns out Sheila started Bikram and started right in on the 60 day challenge with the rest of us crazies. During the next savasana we all heard Edy, "Sheila, what are you doing I thought you were resting and you are already over there doing the postures again?" The best line I have heard in the hot room ever which is my new inspiration for when I feel like I can't catch my breathe and I just want to flee the room came rapid fire from Sheila, "But, I want to be a Yogi!" Enter lots of applause and laughter in the middle of savasana.
You are Sheila, you are a Yogi. You are proof of #2, everyone is cut out for the hot room - mentally.
In the end, #3 its all mental. You can work yourself up or you can work yourself out of anything. You can mentally assault a not-even-trying in the hot room-er or you can put all your mental energy into your own two eyes in the mirror and get deeper into your own practice. You can be a yogi and keep trying or you can be a human and fall out. The second Sheila turned around and took a moment on her mat instead of leaving the room she became a Yogi. In Bikram and in life - when you fall out, get right back in!

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