Embracing Grace in Hot Yoga: A New Perspective

A New Year’s Eve hot yoga brain dump

Bikram Yoga is a practice I revisit frequently. Bikram, or 26&2, is a “90-minute open-eye meditation” in a room heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit at a humidity of 40%, where you perform 24 postures (asana) and two breathing exercises (pranayama), twice each. Practitioners are encouraged to stay in the room for the entire class duration. At seventeen, this was the first yoga I had ever tried, and I have never turned back (though I have expanded).

26&2 started as an extreme for me. I was interested in it because it seemed hard, and my friends who had gone confirmed that. This yoga class was a workout, and you had to be tough to do it.

Over time, I have learned to soften my practice. I don’t go to ‘get a sweat on’ or try to ‘burn calories.’ This awareness fully clicked yesterday when the teacher, Creston, said, “You don’t have to be tough. You’re all here; it already proves you’re tough. Can you now show yourself grace? Can you be gentle with yourself?” This concept of showing grace in the context of Bikram Yoga means acknowledging your efforts and progress, regardless of the outcome. It clicked; that’s why this practice is so important to me. What I initially did to harden myself has helped me develop other, more essential qualities.

Grace

The beauty of 26&2 is that it is the same every time. This consistency allows for a deep understanding of the sequence, fostering self-awareness and acceptance. Over time, more teachers stray from the exact dialogue, but you can expect the same sequence in every class. While consistency is welcome, there is no unknown; it also poses challenges. You can attend this class every day; each day will be different. One day, you can touch your head to your knee; the next, you can’t even stand on two feet without wanting to faint. Rather than being critical of myself, I allow my body to move as it can that day. If I’m feeling stronger in a pose, I will push it. If I’m comfortable and don’t feel like going further, I don’t. If I need to lie down for half of the class because I can’t control my breath, I have also done that.

Compassion

Everyone in that room is hot, and almost everyone experiences difficulties at some point during those 90 minutes. While it’s easy to be distracted by someone’s wobbling or put expectations on others to perform better, the moment we start to feel our imbalance and see our flaws, we begin to recognize that we’re all just human and trying our best. This realization fosters compassion towards ourselves and others and refrains from judging. I’ve learned to be kinder to myself and others and refrain from judging others and myself. We’ve all done the hard thing and showed up; there’s no reason to put ourselves down.

Stillness

Between every post, you practice savasana (dead body pose). You just lay, breathe, and exist. It’s easy to fidget during this time; staying focused and easing the mind is hard. These transitions have taught me to stay present and to practice stillness. I use the concept of these micro-recoveries throughout my day. Can I take 20 seconds to find my breath and reset?

Stillness within poses is also a challenge. Often, it is easier to continue to move around in a posture than to hold where you are. There is a push and pull that you must toggle to maintain that stillness and find your balance.

Self-Regulation

There are highs and lows throughout the series. Some postures spike your heart rate, and others bring it down. Don’t forget, you’re in a hot room. There can be moments of panic, especially in poses like Camel, where it’s “normal to feel dizzy or nauseous.” How we perform in these moments helps set us up for how we respond to anything. What do we do when our body starts to freak out? Do we also freak out? Do we react and give up? Or do we stay in the moment and find a way through? You have to make a decision and be deliberate about your actions.

Namaste

While 90 minutes in a hot room makes me sound tough, I realize the most important qualities I’ve forged center around making myself a better, more whole person. The hardest part about any training is often showing up; the rest is whatever we make it.

Until the next. 🧘‍♀️☯️🐪