Jimmy Around Fair Oaks: Hot Yoga at Sunrise

Editor's Note: Jimmy Spencer is a pretty regular guy. Sure, he's tall, sort of lanky, kind of uncoordinated but he's also one of the best test subj ... wait ... versatile reporters we have here at Fair Oaks Patch. The following is his premier entry in a new regular feature, “Jimmy Around Fair Oaks.” The aim of each commentary will be to place Spencer in intriguing activities and/or situations around Fair Oaks, showcasing the great ways folks can keep healthy and fit. And maybe see if we can't break Jimmy's will along the way. Just kidding, Jimmy! We need you to keep doing these (who else is craz ... err ... courageous enough to do this?), so we'll wish you the best of luck, buddy. You're going to need it. ~ Joshua

By Jimmy Spencer

Let’s start here: I’m not flexible; I’m an awkward 6-foot-3 and suffer from balance issues as a result of a lifetime of being the goofy guy.

So yeah, of course my editor selected yoga as assignment No. 1. Talk about uncomfortable conditions.

“Did you bring a mat?”

Can I borrow one?

“Did you bring a towel?”

Yeah, here it is (washcloth size).

“You’ll need a bigger one; you’re going to sweat a lot. Please take your shoes off before entering the studio.”

I felt like John Candy walking the beach in Summer Rental – out of place and in everyone’s way.

Luckily for me, the people couldn’t be nicer. Bobby Carpenter, who owns the studio along with his wife, Robin, walked me through the process and couldn’t be more gracious. He’s a 56-year-old painter with long hair and a hang-loose attitude.

“I laugh all the time; it’s two different worlds with the yoga life and then hanging around with the rough, typical construction people,” said Carpenter, who has operated Hot Yoga for four years in Fair Oaks after three years in Rancho Cordova.

It’s probably why he dealt so well with me. He could see what a tough guy I was.

Carpenter guided me into the studio where’d we be “yoga-ing?” and helped me find a spot to roll out my mat amongst the other 19 bodies already lying down.  They may have been passed out – I’m still not sure – since it's 105 degrees in the open space with hardwood floors.

I took my place and got ready for action, a 1.5-liter Aquafina bottle by my side and ready for anything.

In all, there are seven instructors at Hot Yoga at Sunrise coaching the roughly 1,300 members who come as often as every day to, you know, when they can. I was one of four first-timers on this day.

Carpenter was my instructor for the “Bikram Yoga” session, a series of 26 postures creating balance, strength, stamina and flexibility. He’s certified and all that good stuff. Plus he’s been at this Yoga stuff for some time.

“The only reason I really started it was as an athlete to try to prevent injuries,” he said. “That’s the only reason I got into yoga.”

From there, he said his ability to perform within competitive sports advanced.

“It totally caught me off guard. How much faster of a runner I became.”

I was certainly all set to become a superior athlete. I had lost at H-O-R-S-E two weekends in a row and needed a turnaround. Maybe this could help?

Settling into the 90-minute session, we began with some breathing exercises (I was sweating already). My fellow “Yogis” and I then did a variety of different poses, beginning with standing postures followed by sitting and lying postures on our mats.

(Joke of the day: When all of us had our arms raised in a pose, Carpenter goes, “Who wants to buy me a mocha?” and laughs. I wonder if he uses that joke every class. I hope so – I loved it.)

It wasn’t all smiles though. This yoga stuff was not easy. Attempting to combine balance and flexibility through stances on one foot with leans and arm movements, I often caught myself tipping over and worn-out. This was a legit workout. Sweat dripped off my forehead like some sort of gross, tropical rainfall.

“It’s no joke, huh?” said Jordan Davidson, the athletic, middle-aged real estate loan officer to my left.

Davidson has been going to Carpenter’s yoga spot for about a week. He’s still relatively new to the yoga game but says it’s the best way for him to lose weight, citing the fact that it’s more cardiovascular training than people think.

 “It was extremely challenging at first to stay in the postures,” Davidson said. “It was very hard. Your posture builds up gradually though.”

Then, there are the more experienced. Simone Julian has been with the studio since it opened seven years ago.

She’s also a show-off. Julian was dominating the class, working in the front row. If all my poses were at the awkward beginner level, she was at the “look what I can do” advanced level.

“I never thought I would make it through my first class,” Julian said. “The heat was overwhelming. After the class though I felt this status of peace and clarity. I don’t experience that anymore with running, but I do here.

“There is far more to this than any sport can give you. It gives you sweat, you sweat the toxins out. You’re working the entire time. But it’s a good healthy, therapeutic work.”

There’s certainly a stigma out there regarding yoga – that it’s for women and hippies. But it couldn’t be more off – there’s a reason so many professional athletes - including names like San Francisco Giants pitcher Barry Zito and tennis star Maria Sharapova - take part in the exercise.

Although my postures didn’t look as sharp as some of my fellow yogis, I still left the workout, shirt and shorts dripping in sweat, feeling energetic.

Energetic enough for a nap.

I've got to rest up. What ya got for me next, editor?