I do yoga so that I can stay flexible enough to kick my own arse if necessary. ~Betsy Cañas Garmon
When I was little we used to do ‘a tree and a leaf’ a kinda leg stretching, foot pointing, balancing exercise in ballet. Apart from being mesmerised by Miss Georgie’s bunioned be-sandalled feet as she attempted to illustrate an elegant point, the other thing I found off-putting was the fact my much slimmer, smaller, cuter, younger sister made me look and feel gargantuan. So I decided to re-live this experience by attending Bikram yoga the other week with my much slimmer, smaller, cuter, younger friend.
Kate Moss strikes a pose
Bikram yoga is sweaty yoga. And boy, did we sweat! I wobbled my way through the postures, attempting to maintain my balance and alignment, feeling the ground through my feet – thinking this must be exactly what my root chakra ordered – breathing so deeply I felt dizzy. The instructor urged us to look at our reflections. As luck would have it I’d stood in a crack in the mirror which rendered me largely invisible, so I decided to believe I was the more taut, toned and tanned woman a row in front – wincing at the truth, a mottled gammon-coloured visage and maggoty white body, when it flashed into view like a before and after shot on Ten Years Younger.
The last half an hour seemed like an eternity, much of which I spent laying flat on the mat in a nauseous haze, or attempting to get a grip on my ankles, neck, knees, delete as appropriate, to hold a pose. I know it sounds torturous but I actually quite enjoyed the challenge. Relieved I had survived the ordeal, I made my way to the changing rooms with a very slight spring in my step, skidding on a sweat dowsed yoga mat as I did so – grace is obviously something I need to cultivate…
Bikram Yoga – The flexible founding father’s site
Bikram Yoga UK – The nation’s in hot knots
Yoga Pages – All sorts of yoga for all sorts
Adventuress Undressed 