Bikram: the yoga of champions
kelly boudreau '09 -- guest columnist

I had the opportunity to take a Bikram Yoga class ( practiced in a room heated to 105°F with a humidity of 40 percent) which I had never before attended. What I found was nothing that I had expected. I think it is fair to say Bikram is the “Wheaties” of yoga styles.

In the other yoga classes I have attended I’ve found the stereotypical yoga crowd: a diverse mix of hippie college kids, crunchy Burlington natives, and the occasional businessman and woman de-stressing after a long day in the office. The thing about yoga and the yoga community is that once there, all walls come down. No one is concerned with how they look, what they smell like, or who they are sharing floor space with.

It is people from all walks of life coming together for both body and spiritual enlightenment. The vibe is usually easygoing and welcoming. I feel like it’s almost impossible to leave a class without being in a state of relaxation in which you feel as though you might be drooling, but are too relaxed to check or to care. The classes I was used to had a spiritual aspect to them including chanting or channeling of energy.

Bikram, I found, paints a very different picture of yoga.

The best way to describe Bikram is yoga on steroids. Previous to taking this class, all I knew about Bikram was that it was really hot--nearly 100 degrees. What I learned, besides the fact that it is possible to sweat out one’s body weight in an hour, was that there is a slightly different crowd in attendance. The attendees were still very comfortable with themselves in public, but all with good reason. Every person in attendance had a strong, athletic build—each person rocking spandex and sports bras like the material was personally tailored for them.

The feeling in the room was a much more intense vibe than any other class I’d been in. These people were about to do yoga, and they meant business. Even the teacher was intense. She resembled an announcer at an auction explaining each posture rapidly, while traversing the room at lightning speed. The focus of the class was to attain the correct posture while strengthening the core and entire body. There was emphasis on breathing and an ending remark of Namaste, but in general, the spiritual emphasis was lacking. Those in attendance were there to work, sweat, and perhaps find a more individual type of spirituality by pushing themselves. Being athletically inclined, I related to this practice very well.

When it was over, I found myself scrambling to grab a schedule of the classes. Needless to say, I am addicted and plan on attending the class for the remainder of the semester.  It was a type of meditation that I understand, an alternative that I think those who don’t quite fit with the traditional yoga crowd might relate to. I felt like I had been pumped up with Wheaties and was ready to go run a marathon. I was rejuvenated and definitely certain there was no dazed drool running down my face.