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| I receintly lost my job and my husband suggested I take off a couple of weeks so that I could take a break and refresh and we thought this would be a perfect time to take up yoga. There's a Bikram studio less than a mile away and I've visited several websites (including the website for the local place) and so I know what to expect and what to bring and wear but I was wondering what kind of mat to bring.
I noticed there are several options and was wondering if thicker is better or if there's a specific mat made to be absorbent that works well with Bikram.
Also, I've never done any kind of yoga at all and was wondering if there were any tips that could be offered to a newbie? |
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| I use a standard thin yoga mat, picked it up a sporting store for 20 bux. And I put a beach towel over it in class. Eveyone at my studio covers their mat with a beach sized towel because the mats transform into slip-n-slides with the sweat.
Your local yoga studio will probably have mats for rent for a buck a class. I recommend that, then you can just go buy one like it.
Good luck with bikram, the first class is the hardest and don't be surprised if you find you self sitting out several poses. And certainly don't feel bad about it, if it wasn't hard, then you wouldn't have to be there right? |
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| Welcome to the wonderful weird world of yoga, Liz!
Now, if you are reading through the threads on this board you will notice that many people think that Bikram is not a good style for beginners, even if the bikram people say so. Having only little experience with bikram myself, I'm not the one to decide wether it is or not.
But like Wulfheir wrote, please don't overdo it in the first class. Should you feel dizzy, short of breath or weak don't be shy to sit out some asanas. That heat is a killer! Just relax and don't put any pressure onto yourself. Bikram is a quite strenous yoga style and can even be dangerous should you get into "too-soon-too-much-mode".
Just some hints (that goes for every kind of yoga):
- Avoid huge meals 4-2 hours before class
- bikram classes (like all yoga classes) mostly start right on time. So do yourself a favor and be there early. Also try to enter the classroom early to get adjusted to the heat
- Bring a bottle of water (or isotonic sports drink)
- you will be thirsty but nevertheless avoid the intake of too much water at one time. Instead drink little slurps more often
- generally drink more water, not only through class
- be prepared to SWEAT!
- wear loose, comfortable clothes and especially in bikram the less the better. Heck, just imagine you have to dress for a hot day on the beach.
I don't know what's a good mat for bikram, maybe your teacher can recommend one. But in general I think the thinner the better. Especially in balancing poses you don't wanna stand on a wobbly thick matress. Also a good yoga mat should first and foremost be STICKY. When you buy a new mat make sure to give it a good rub with a wet cloth or give it one go in the washing machine (cold - w/o any agent). That in order to get rid of special surface treatments, like industrial wax left over from production.
And now ... go and have fun in "sauna-yoga"!
Edited by afroyogi 2004-10-09 1:00 PM
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| I'm a Bikramite Liz and have tried other variations of yoga but primarily sticking to Bikram--I second the advice from the lads above EXCEPT for the mat--I have several and for Bikram particularly, I thick the thicker and heavier the better. With all the sweat and the asanas that require a good grip on the floor, thinner mats give way a lot for me and I'm always trying to smooth out the wrinkles. I have a tapas pro mat that feels (and weighs) like a Goodyear tire--that's my favorite one--stays where it's put and never wrinkles up. |
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| Sticky mats are not sticky when there is sweat on them. It turns into a slip and slide. That is why in class the towel is on top of the mat. Most studios rent mats. Try those and see if you like it. You do not want one that absorbs alot of mosture because it will get very stinky pretty quick. That is what the towel is for. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
  
Location: A Blue State | If the mat is at all porous, it will be mildewed within a few months or so, depending
on how often you practice. Look for something with a closed surface, more rubber
than foam. The towel is essential for all that sweating, unless you're one of those
people who doesn't.
Geeze, I'm almost getting nostaligic for the Bikram practice I used to have....
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| I have one of those spongy type mats and it works great for me I also have a big beach towel that I put over it, so I don't really use the mat for much more then covering the carpet. A couple tidbits of advice....be patient, don't push yourself for at least a month. There is nothing worse than an overzealous newbie in your bikram class. We had one in our class this week. She was clearly in fabulous shape, with cut arms and sculpted legs, but her postures were terrible! She would not listen to the instructor at all! She was doing the advanced poses immediately (head to knee, bringing her leg straight out, etc). It took me 3 years to be able to do this, yet she was determined to do it her second class. Blech. Those people give Bikram the bad name. It's only a matter of time before she injures herself and laments about how bad Bikram is for the body.
I agree that you should sit out when you dizzy. Try and look around a bit to see what everyone else is doing (regardless of what your teacher says), I learned a lot from this. Don't push yourself into postures that hurt too much. There is plenty of time for this. Those backbends still kill me and make me never want to come back, and I've been doing Bikram for 4 years.
I tried some hatha yoga classes at 24 hour fitness before doing Bikram They were absolute torture. I couldn't stand the "wanna be" yoga teachers and their routines. Bikram was a welcome relief from these classes. Try it and see what you think. You are not married to this or any other style of yoga It may not be for you. That is one of the beauties of yoga, there are so many choices to choose from! |
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New to Bikram (and yoga)
