Reality check

What they DON'T tell you about Bikram...

I’ve been intrigued by Bikram yoga for a while. I’m not really sure why; yoga itself is wanky enough, you’d think, without the added wankiness of a heated room. I think it’s something about the rules. They’re all over the Bikram websites: drink plenty of water, try to stay in the room, BRING TWO TOWELS. (This last point receives a lot of emphasis.)

So when I left the studio after my first class wearing my new ‘dry-fit’ yoga trousers, carrying my massive water bottle and my TWO TOWELS, I was feeling pretty impressed with myself. How prepared was I?! I walked into the changing room and immediately realised: NOT PREPARED AT ALL.

Open showers. Open showers! Now obviously, Bikram yoga enthusiasts are so cool about these kind of things they don’t even think twice about parading around naked in public (or, as I discovered, cleaning their bits openly). I, on the other hand, was a bit freaked out, and whispered frantically to my friend ‘do YOU go naked?’ ‘Oh yeah,’ she replied, ‘but nobody looks at you’. This must be another inbuilt quality of Bikram yoga types, this ‘not looking’ at people. Personally I found it hard to look anywhere else. To be fair, there was an abundance of pubic hair about – I imagine turning up with a landing strip would be as much of a sin as bringing only one towel…
Posted 10:46 AM on Thu Mar 12 2009
By Erotic Dancer
3059 views, 2 Comments
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    Red Hot Mamma at 06:07 PM on Tue Mar 17 2009 | flag     

    I advise three towels - put one over your head whilst in the shower.

    Freak at 03:01 PM on Sat Mar 14 2009 | flag     

    I'm not overly keen on open showers either, but I do find Bikram to be the best all in one - mind, body and soul - exercise you can do. My husband slags it off for being a cult/pyramid selling set up. But if you can put that to one side, it is really effective and seems to put less strain on your skeletal framework that normal yoga; which can often be hard on your knees and neck.