It took almost five months of convincing, but this week my best friend finally got me to a hot yoga class. For those of you not in the know, it’s regular yoga – but in a 100+ degree room. The idea is to warm up your muscles to prevent injury, promote deeper stretching, and make you sweat to remove toxins in your body. We went to Power Yoga Works (36th and Lancaster, 215.243.9642) for a 90-minute session. So how was it, you may ask? Here’s the truth: as a hot yoga newbie, I didn’t know exactly what to expect. And somewhere around the 45-minute mark, I sort of thought I was going to die. Sweat was pouring down my face and my arms didn’t feel like they were going to support my downward-facing dog much longer.
I managed to get through it, however, and when class was over, something miraculous happened: I immediately felt amazing. I’m not sure if it was the sweating or stretching or the fun I had cracking up at how bad I was, but I loved it. If I can do it, you can do it too and the payoff is enough to justify the inevitable struggles you will face. Added bonus? You burn anywhere between 500 and 800 calories per class. So even though it was definitely tough, I know I’ll be back again. The question is, are you brave enough to try it too?
By Melissa Schall