WATER RIPPLES
I have been fond of Bikram style hot yoga since the first day that I tried it but I haven’t been to a class in a while. Last Saturday morning I finally had time to join a class as we were staying in a hotel in Den Haag for the weekend to meet up with friends later at night.
Hot yoga is practiced in a heated room. Similar to being in a sauna. Physically, nothing is more reinvigorating than a deep, healthy sweat every day. Muscles unwind, relax and stretch easier. The heat even prevents injuries which also helps a persons body heal from any underlying aliments.
Stepping into the room, just after another class finished, felt a bit overwhelming though. The heat hit my body like a wall, so I brought my focus to my inner self instead on the mat. Ignoring the warmth and the smell of the sweat from the previous session. This is the moment that I remembered that I only drank a glass of water before leaving my home in the morning.
Water forms the basis of our blood, digestive juices, urine and perspiration, and is contained in our muscles, fat and even our bones. Even though our bodies are made up of 45 - 75% water. The % depending on various reasons - one being age. The funny thing is that we do not store water. This means that we need to replenish and drink water every day to make up for losses from the functioning of our bodies.
Water helps keep your mind alert and the body balanced. If you're not drinking enough during the day, this may cause an energy dip. Giving a sluggish feeling during work or even during your yoga workout. So here I was, thirsty at the start of my hot yoga class. Thinking - will I survive?
After a few minutes of watching other yogis find a spot to place their yoga mats. Fix themselves in the mirror in front of them, lay down, stretch or sit still. The teacher walks into the room saying welcoming words and asking the students to stand up and prepare for “Standing Deep Breathing”. During the second series of the pranayama practice, I see my left arms elbow corner start dripping sweat in the mirror. It always amazes me that this happens - during every single class - just from a breathing exercise that includes interlacing my fingers, placing my knuckles underneath my chin, lifting my elbows up as I inhale and exhale while tilting my head back slightly and bring my elbows in together to touch.
We move onto the second pose, “Half Moon with Hands to Feet Pose”, one of my favorite from the 26 postures as it includes 3 parts. Not only does it strengthen the abdominal muscles and the spine, it also stimulates organs necessary for digestion. You move from side bends on each side to a backbend and on to a forward bend. Love it! By the second series, I was starting to see my t-shirt become wet from sweat.
By the time we were at “Balancing Stick Pose”, I had the urge to stop and sit down. My heart rate was up, my nose was running and my head was spinning. It tried to keep calm as best I could. Not to bring attention to myself. I know, as I have had this many times before, stay calm, and breath through the nose. Even if you do sit down - do not lay down. Keep your heart elevated and calmly watch the class bringing your heart rate back down a bit and join when you are ready to.
By now, the amount of sweating that I had done was comparable to being soaked in rain without a jacket in a thunderstorm. While stepping back to switch feet in the pose, I made sure to keep my arms up a bit longer to stop the dizziness I was experiencing in my head.
After a few more standing postures, and the floor series we came to the final breathing pose “Kapalbhati in Vajrasana” and when I looked in the mirror I was drenched. My hair was a mess. Exhausted, but I loved it. All tension had faded. I made it to the end. It was like crossing a finish line of a marathon but not running but still having that winning feeling.
As we turned around to lay on the floor in the final “Shavasana”. I was secretly already thinking about my thirst for water again but my body melted into the mat as I closed my eyes. My breathing calming down.
The teacher began the final body scan while opening the windows. The breeze of air felt amazing. “Relax the toes, ankles, knees, hips, stomach, arms, jaw, tongue away from teeth, relax forehead”. I do not remember the exact words that the teacher used but it was something along the lines of “Picture a lake that you have just thrown a stone in”. “Picture this moment with your mind and watch the ripples of the water become still again.”
It was such a calming thought to picture but also think about.
When any object disturbs water, the water ripples. This means that any disturbance that happens around us, in our environment, could cause ripples of energy in our bodies as well.
From choosing who we have arounds us, what we put in our bodies to even the objects that are in our surroundings and the things we do.
When your water ripples, it is time to make changes. Good changes and good choices.
While I was deep in thought came “Námaste - see you on the way out”. After a few more minutes I slowly started moving, sitting up, wipping the sweat off with my towel. I went straight to my locker and took out my wallet to purchase a large coconut juice. Yup - you guessed it, I forgot my water bottle.
All in all - after the long awaited shower, body replenished with coconut juice, mentally, I emerged relaxed, revived and ready for whatever the day would bring.
