Day 2 = HOT, HOT, HOT!!!

Today is Friday, April 2nd. Also happens to be Good Friday, and there was no 6:00AM class. Everybody showed up at 9:30...yes, EVERYBODY, or so it seems. I got there before 9:00 as I anticipated that it would be busy with people needing to get their practice done first thing to make way for the long weekend. I managed to secure a good spot up front to the right of the platform (where the instructor stands during class). However, as more and more people arrived, the hot room was looking more like a big can of sardines. Oh joy...it's gonna be a HOT one...

And it was! Aside from the heat blowing out of the studio heaters, you have about 50 human bodies generating even more heat on top of that! I swear the thermostat registered over 109 degrees F! I could tell I was going to work extra hard, from the time the first beads of sweat started trickling down during Pranayama breathing, the very first thing we do. I usually don't start sweating until after the Eagle Pose (posture no. 3).

If you let it, the heat is going to be your foe, but only if you let your monkey mind get the better of you. My friend, the mind is a powerful thing, but there is one thing that's even more powerful, that's always your friend. One thing that we do every second to keep us alive. That powerful, wonderful thing, is our BREATH. Yes, my friend, breathing slowly in and out through your nose will calm your monkey mind, will help you meditate, will help you focus on ignoring the heat. Your breath will calm you, will stop you from feeling light-headed. I experience the magic of breath each time I torture myself in that hot room. But what about that feeling of thirst, you ask? Guess what? I never felt the need to drink water in the hot room. All I need is my breath. Water never tasted better than after 90 minutes in the hot room.

So how did my practice go today? I'd say it went well, better than I expected, despite the heat, or should I say, BECAUSE of the heat! I felt that I was able to go deeper in some of the postures; I just have to ensure that I have proper alignment first and foremost. I think my lower spine is loosening up quite nicely. I am looking forward to Day 3, and wonder what surprises my body has in store for me tomorrow! Namaste!