With 90 minutes of 105 degree heat, 40 percent humidity, and 26 yoga poses, Bikram Yoga certainly offers a change-up from the usual February weather in Illinois.
According to Doug and Agata O’Neil, owners of Bikram Yoga St. Charles, the benefits of the practice are endless, including weight loss, circulation improvement and lowering stress.
“That’s why it’s so popular,” Doug said, with Agata adding the heat helps the body remove toxins. Each pose moves into the next over the course of the class, aiding in improving the movements of the body.
Mary Novak, a St. Charles resident, has been doing the class twice a week since October 2009 and said the benefits for her back pain have been unparalleled.
“I couldn’t walk before,” Novak said. “It doesn’t hurt as bad (now). ... I have to force myself to come each morning, but (no exercise) is easy.”
9:05 A.m. People start to arrive for the 9:30 a.m. class. After changing clothes, they enter the extremely hot room and lie in Savasana, or rest pose, on their back with feet and palms up. “You have to let your body adjust to the heat,” Doug said. All that is allowed in the room with participants is water, your mat and a towel.
9:30 a.m. The most important aspect of class? “Breathing,” Doug said. The ability to breathe through the nose might not come naturally, but Doug said it is the key to doing well in this yoga class. He leads the class in practicing and expanding how deep students can breathe in. “Make this the deepest inhale you’ve ever done,” Doug said.
9:32 a.m. As class starts, a light sweat is already built up by the heat. Clothing is kept to a minimum so as not to be weighed down by sweat during class.
9:35 a.m. The half-moon pose kicks things off, with fingers interlocked and arms straight up alongside the head. The heat still is noticeable as students move from side to side. Doug leads the class letting people know that pain might be normal, as some stretches are not usual movements for most people.
9:45 a.m. The heat becomes noticeable. Students have sweat pouring off of them. Doug said although it might be hard to initially do some of the poses, something is better than nothing. “Even if you can only give one-percent on (a pose), there’s a 100-percent benefit,” he said.
10:00 a.m. The triangle pose is one of the last to take place while standing. Doug said he considers this to be one of the most important because it uses both muscular strength and the cardiovascular system. Agata said the pose is known in the Bikram community as “the marriage between the heart and the lungs.”
10:15 a.m. A short two-minute rest in Savasana. Many participants reach for their bottles of water, others simply lie back and wait for the last half of class; all floor poses.
10:30 a.m. As the floor poses move through their progression, the heat is merely an afterthought. Doug said the poses will energize participants because of a brief rest in Savasana between each pose. Most seem used to used to the hot setting and completely focused on the exercise they’re performing.
10:40 a.m. Camel pose, where participants bend backward, can help stretch what usually is hunched over a computer. Doug and Agata said it helps stretch out the chest and stimulates the nervous system, helping anxiety and depression. Although Doug said some students might feel light-headed, this is simply the body reacting to a stretch that is against what it is used to. Doug said those who practice need to try to fight through the pain or take a quick break and try again in an effort to push through.
10:58 a.m. As class comes to an end, Doug says “Nameste,” which means “I bow to you,” and allows people to lay in Savasana for the recommended two minutes or longer. It serves as quiet meditation and time to recover. “Some people don’t get two minutes of quiet the whole day,” Doug said, “So I let people lay in there (as long as they want).”
11:00 a.m. As class ends, people do seem energized. “Class was awesome today,” one student said to Doug. Jim Fowler, a St. Charles resident in the class, said he’s been doing the class for less than a month and already sees positive results. “My cardio is up, my physical and mental strength are up,” Fowler said. “It’s a great workout for someone who used to get into sports.”
11:05 a.m. Doug discusses Bikram Yoga and said one reason it might be so popular is that it allows people to have room to grow in the practice; “The cool thing about the class is that you never finish it, never master it. You’re always working to improve.”
— Compiled by Hal Conick
If you go
- Arrive 20 minutes before class starts for first-timers
- A first week unlimited intro package is $25, with a one-month unlimited package costing $150.
- For class times, check www.bikramyogastcharles.com
