After the fact it's still not the brightest of ideas, but that won't stop me from doing it again.
One of my co-workers talked me into it, but it didn't take much convincing; after 8 years (on and off) of yoga, I'm usually pretty open to trying something new. I'd wanted to try Bikram for a while, even if it is a distinct departure from my normal vinyasa/ashtanga/power bend. Ignoring the controversy over Bikram and his copyright issues, I figured it was something worth trying.
Heat plus exercise always equals a workout, and I'm always looking for a good workout. By the middle of the class I felt like I had already gotten exactly what I bargained for. Barring the intense nausea (which I expected) and the lightheadedness (which I also expected) I felt pretty good. I don't remember the last time I sweated like that. It felt good, it beads up and rolls down your shoulder-blades, or down your temples.
I had moments where it got to be a bit too much though. The moments where, had I been outside (say at track or softball practice), I would have just given in to the dizziness and nausea. But since I was in a yoga studio as a new student, I figured it best to pace myself and wait for the tumbling sensation to go away. The temperature was about 106 in the studio today, but the humidity much higher than the usual 55%. It's been raining for days and so that contributed to the heat,
What surprised me most was that I didn't really notice a distinct increase in flexibility. I think part of that probably owes a lot to the fact that I am more out of shape than I realize. I didn't notice a change, but I suspect my baseline is not where I expect it should be at the moment.
