№8 — Hot Yoga
Relaxing music was playing in the background. I lied down and watched her. ‘Begin slowly’, she said. It was hot, very hot. My heart was beating rapidly, I was beginning to sweat slightly. ‘Relax, it shouldn’t hurt’, she said, calming me down. I was eager to explore.
What sounds like the beginning of some very questionable erotica was my first try at Hot Yoga. My previous experience with yoga was limited to a few tries in high school gym class, so I was far away from being a yoga guru. Nevertheless, Juli, a friend from uni, told me wonderful things about it (“Make sure to drink otherwise you’ll black out”), which really convinced me to try it out.
Opening the door to the studio should have warned me enough as a wave of 28°C warm air rushed towards me, making me sweat all over in my winter clothes. Still, I couldn’t back out now. The girl behind the counter recognized my inaptness immediately and explained everything to me. “Probably not so bad”, I thought. I changed into shorts and t-shirt, and together with Julian I entered the yoga room. I though 28°C was warm, but the 37°C in there was something completely different.
People who know me, are aware that I sweat really easily and I am more comfortable with sub-zero temperatures than the tropics. Lying on my yoga mat (which for some reason I have), sweating profusely, I second-guessed my decision to be here. Then it started. The instructor already warned me that a bit of experience is recommended for the class but I brushed it off — I can do it. Turns out, I almost couldn’t. I managed to follow all instructions more or less but I definitely should stretch more after running.
After one hour, my towel was soaked — I am not exaggerating — and leaving the yoga room for the relatively cool lobby was the best thing of the day. It was an interesting experience I would do again. Still, I should do a beginners’ class in a normal environment first. Additionally, I learned that I do need to stretch more after running, it was a bit embarrassing.
If you are in Vienna, check out Hot Yoga Vienna. The instructor was very friendly and supportive, if you are a real newbie. And for five Euros, you really can’t do anything wrong.
Click here to see my list of past experiences and ideas what to do next. If you have a suggestion for future new experiences, feel free to comment or drop me a message.
