Bikram Yoga: Too Much Water = Puke.

Every other Sunday, I teach back-to-back classes. The first class of the day is usually full of regular practitioners... People who have been a number of times, possibly been coming for a number of years.

So, given that I had all experienced people in the class this week, I decided to push them a little. I decided to not open the door at all.

Now, before I elaborate any further, allow me to explain a little.

Every Bikram yoga studio is unique in how it is built and heated. Some have heating systems hanging form the ceilings and walls. Some have heated floors. Some (like the one I teach at) has a forced-air system. So the heat in this one is pretty consistent throughout the room. I have three levels of fans I can turn on at various points during the class. And my method for this is as follows:

• Warm up Series (Pranayama and Half Moon through Eagle): No fan. I want the bodies to heat up naturally.
• Balancing Series (Head to Knee through Balancing Stick): Level 2.
• Rest of Standing Series: Down to Level 1.
• Savasana: Level 1. Hold door open for 20 seconds.
• Wind-Removing to Floor Bow: Level 1.
• Rest of Class: Level 2.

Well, Sunday, the room was nice and juicy. I had it 42C with 39% humidity. This is one degree hotter than the students are used to it being. But they were all experienced, and I figured I would monitor the bodies to see how far I could push things.

Everyone was doing okay and working really hard. I made it optional to hold the second set of Camel pose extra long, and most students chose to STAY in it longer. I was pumped. They were in the zone.

Yee-haw!

After class though... Whoa!

Most students came out of the room really yoga-stoned. Nearly all thanked me for class. But one of my regular practitioners, who had literally ran into the studio at the last second I was about to lock the door, came out of class feeling a bit off.

Things started to get dizzy for her. She sat down on the bench and felt sick. She decided to lay down on the bench and felt sick. So she sat back up. This is when her body decided to reject part of her practice.

The drinking water part.

She had chugged so much water in class, because it was hotter and because she didn't get a chance to hydrate before class, that her body puked it back up.

It was just a little up-chucking. And it has actually happened to a LOT of us after class. (Me, raising my hand at this.) It is a lesson that many of us have to learn on the path toward Bikram discipline.

You should be coming to class hydrated. (And trust me, I am a great example of whining about how hard this is to do sometimes.) Drinking in class does very little for you. Even when it is ridiculously hot. The less you move your body - outside of the poses - the better.