Day 6: "It Means You Must Kill Yourself."

Sometimes I hear the funniest things in a Bikram class. And those funny bits don't come from the mouth of another practicing student... They come from the mouth of the teacher.

Imagine... You're in a pose. You're pushing yourself. You're focusing. You're in your zone. You feel good. And off in the distance, you hear the teacher instructing. She (or he) is coaching you to get into the position correctly and to hold it. They are encouraging you. And then, they say something that brings you back to reality and makes you laugh.

Here are a few things I have heard in my time in a Bikram class:

• "Bring your leg up. Push it up. You must do it! It's like Indian marriage. You have no choice."
• "This pose is good for your digestive system. You do this pose, you can eat whatever you like. You should be looking forward to breakfast this morning."
• "You must push your hips all the way to the left. All the way. You know what it means to push your hardest... It means 'you must kill yourself.'"

I had a good class, even with the giggling. And the teachers, who all seem to use verbiage that Bikram himself teaches them, are very motivating instructors. I actually don't have any favorites. I used to have teachers whose classes I avoided like the plague. Just because I didn't feel like they were enjoying themselves while they taught. But they left like three years ago. And now I don't base what class I go to on who is teaching. They're all good, but different.

Tomorrow is Day 7. Woohoo!