MIND & BODY
Slim with us! Our disastrous dieter turns up the heat with a month of Bikram yoga
I could write a litany of excuses. An ode to procrastination. Justify. Explain. Defend. But it really just comes down to this: I moved house this month and haven’t tried hard enough to lose weight. And furniture shopping is much more fun than running in 36 degree heat. Not to mention how time-consuming playing house is – have you ever been to the DEWA office? Unfortunately, I can’t see the diet situation getting better – living with two other people can force you to up your game a little on the healthy food front, but
FOLLOW MY BLOG ON…. http://dubaidietdiary.wordpress.com
now I’m going solo I have visions of eating golden syrup off a spoon and surviving on toast. If no-one sees it doesn’t count. However, in the name of research, I started Bikram yoga at Club Stretch and it has kept me sane during the dark days of waiting for IKEA to show up. The ‘hot yoga’ sessions were attributed to Madonna’s frankly terrifying arms so I was looking forward to checking out my fellow classmates and their veiny limbs. There were, of course, a smattering of super-bendy types but it wasn’t as intimidating as you’d think. It was, however, as hot as Ravi’s in August in the studio. Each class lasts 90 minutes and you are taken through 26 postures and two breathing
exercises – standing then on the mat. It can’t be over-emphasised how difficult it is to focus, balance and use strength in the 43 degree heat. Also, I have what the French call ‘il y a du monde au balcon’ (translation: the whole world on the balcony or, if you prefer, a large chest) and some of the postures are near impossible. My favourite is number 13 – Savasana, or ‘corpse pose’. This involves lying on your back while mentally pleading with the instructor to open the studio door just an inch so some delicious cool air can creep in. The point of the heat is to warm your muscles properly so your flexibility is increased and you’re less likely to injure yourself. It’s also an efficient way to tick ‘taste own sweat’ off your bucket list. Yes, you sweat. A lot. After the first class I had to sit in the car with the AC on for 20 minutes before I felt physically capable of driving. Recovery 92 WHAT’S ON JUNE 2010
time is swift though, and most people (thankfully myself included) get a great natural high afterwards, with sleep patterns improving and skin looking brighter too. That may be due to the fact you neck water like a parched possum. What was particularly surprising was the addictive nature of Bikram, and I found myself thinking about classes a lot, dragging friends along and chirping about ‘how amaaaaazing you feel afterwards’ only to get glowering looks as sweat dripped of the ends of their noses. It’s a little cultish and something I would do again – maybe taking instructor Brian’s suggestion and doing a ‘30 Day Challenge’ with a class every day for a month. In the meantime though, there are boxes to unpack. Club Stretch, Al Mina Road, Satwa, Dubai, Dhs70 per class or Dhs100 for a week of unlimited classes (first-timers only). Tel: (04) 3452131. www.clubstretch.aw