The Workout: Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot

Confession: I've never tried hot yoga. Until now, that is. Yes, I know hot yoga, or bikram yoga as it's known, has been all the rage for a couple of years. I, however, have been resisting it. I feel like I'm the last person to jump on the bandwagon, a bit like when I refused to embrace the capri-pants trend, stubbornly clinging to my full-length trousers several seasons into the cropped-length rage. Clearly, I'm not very good at predicting which trends will fade and which will stay. Hot yoga seems to be here for a while at least, so I figured it was time for me to give it a try.

I've heard a lot about hot yoga -- that the warm temperature helps you stretch more, that the sweat allows you to eliminate more toxins. However, I was not particularly anxious to go to a yoga class in a room heated to over 90 degrees. It sounded sweaty at best, smelly and unpleasant at worst. Yet given the fact that I have limited flexibility, an environment that would allow me to stretch more seemed like something I should check out. So, after putting it off for several weeks, I finally mustered up the courage to head to Breathe Yoga Oasis in Glencoe for a hot yoga class.

I entered the welcoming storefront and chatted with Debbie who helped me stash my stuff and pointed me in the right direction. I walked into the yoga room and realized they weren't kidding when they said hot. It was like walking into a wall of heat -- the kind of heat that makes you want to sit on a porch in a rocking chair sipping lemonade. Suddenly, yoga was the last thing I wanted to do.

The crowd was small, just five other women along with the instructor, Rachel. I was surprised to see several of the women in long pants. They seemed cool and relaxed. I, on the other hand, started to feel little beads of sweat forming on my forehead almost immediately. I was grateful for the small white towel I'd been given.

We started simply enough, seated and doing some gentle stretches. Eventually we stood up and moved into a forward fold. Little drops of sweat rolled off my forehead and splashed onto my blue mat. And we were just getting started. Fortunately, we moved through yoga poses that I already knew: the warrior poses, some twists, a few balance poses. What was different was the sweat. I found myself standing in Warrior II stretching my arms forward, trying not to be distracted by the rivulet of perspiration that was running into my eyes. Was anyone else dripping? I noticed a woman on the other side of the room, also clad in shorts, using her towel frequently. Phew, at least I wasn't the only one. On the bright side, for once my feet weren’t cold.

The hour and fifteen minutes passed surprisingly quickly. I wiped the last of the sweat off me, dried off my perspiration-laced yoga mat, chugged some water and headed out. I felt sweaty but cleansed, tired but not drained. What's more, I felt great for the rest of the day. I can see why hot yoga is so hot. I think I like it. Why? I'm not sure. Really, it's just yoga, but with sweat. Did it help me stretch more? I think so. Did it help me eliminate more toxins? I have no idea. I will say, however, that I felt relaxed as I left and I plan to go back regularly. Hopefully hot yoga is here to stay, like those capri pants that I keep meaning to buy.