Those getting off Highway 24 onto Mt. Diablo Blvd. to get to downtown Walnut Creek have probably seen the sign for Bikram Yoga. This is not your ordinary yoga by any means. From the wikipedia page:
Bikram Yoga is a system of yoga that Bikram Choudhury synthesized from traditional hatha yoga techniques and popularized beginning in the early 1970s. Bikram’s classes run exactly 90 minutes and consist of a set series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises. Bikram Yoga is ideally practiced in a room heated to 105°F (≈ 40.6°C) with a humidity of 40%, and is the most popular form of hot yoga (a series of yoga poses done in a heated room).
Since I took up running as a hobby I’ve been getting sore and so decided to sign up for the introductory deal at Bikram Walnut Creek, $30 for 2 weeks. They offer classes mornings and late afternoons/evenings 7 days a week. You can check out there schedule here. Photos of the yoga studio inside are here.
As someone who doesn’t normally sweat much even during workouts, I wasn’t sure what would happen my first class. I wore a tech shirt and shorts, and by the end of the session, despite repeatedly wiping my face with a towel, my eyes were red from sweat dripping in, and my shirt and entire clothing were literally sopping wet. I can see why most of the men work out with just shorts on. A bathing suit probably makes the most sense. The next session I went to several people dropped out mid-session because it was too much. I myself felt dizzy and nauseous during a few poses, but I stuck through it.
So why suffer through this all? For me I feel it helps my flexibility and soreness with my back and other parts of my body so I’m going to try this out once per week from now on. If you think you might be interested keep in mind that parking in back is extremely limited however there is free street parking on Bont Lane around the corner. Also, if you are uncomfortable with heat or have underlying health issues, I strongly recommend checking with your doctor first, and if you do decide to go, bring a HUGE water bottle filled with ice and water.
Has anyone done Bikram? What do you think of it? How does Walnut Creek Bikram compare to other Bikram studios?
