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A reader recently asked me what I thought about using towels and drinking water in a Bikram class and I thought it was a very worthy topic to cover in a post.
Let me preface all this by saying that I am not a yoga teacher. (And yes, I am interested in teaching someday but for now, I am too busy/cheap/scared to spend 9 weeks at training with the Boss.) I am a mere yoga nerd. The thoughts below reflect the way we roll at my studio. Undoubtedly, people do it differently in different places, so take it for whatever you think it’s worth.
Water.
I am a big believer in the idea that if you hydrate properly before and after class, you won’t want any water in class. There are all kinds of reasons why I don’t drink in class but my main one is pretty straightforward – drinking water in class makes me want to puke. Put water, especially cold water, in your belly and do a forward bend, it is likely to come out your nose. I’ve seen it happen. I wish I hadn’t.
When you get thirsty, chances are good that you are not breathing properly. Your body is giving you the signal for thirst, because it knows it can get oxygen from the water, since you are not giving it enough from the air. If you feel thirsty, first try focusing on getting your breath under control. If that doesn’t do it – sip, never chug.
Towels.
Sweat is the body’s way of cooling itself; when the water evaporates from your skin it cools you. If you towel the sweat off, you are fighting your body’s natural process and the sweat is just going to come back. You are forcing your body to exert extra energy generating more sweat and your skin’s temperature is going to rise when it is dry. So, if you are cold and not working very hard – towel off. Otherwise, leave the towel on the mat.
So, that is the physical part of all of it, which is important but less interesting than the other part. Let’s get to the good stuff:
A yoga class is a moving meditation.
Anything that distracts you – and others – from the practice should be eliminated. Period.
Yoga means “to unite” and pretty much every faith on the planet agrees that union with the divine can only be accomplished when the mind enters a place of stillness. The postures were designed thousands of years ago to help calm the mind. There is no “wipe your face with the towel” pose. There is a reason for that. Getting my brain to shut the hell up is near impossible anyway, but if I give it optional activities like drinking water or playing with a towel? Forget it.
The fifth of the 8 Limbs of Yoga is called Pratyahara and it deals with getting a grip on your senses. We tend to trust them a little too much. They tell us we are thirsty or itchy and we immediately react.
But watch what happens when you don’t jump to a reaction. The sensation fades away. That’s because while you thought it was your senses, it was actually just your mind being bored or annoyed or wanting to leave the room. Your mind loves distractions and jumping around because that’s what minds do best. When you learn to sit with that feeling and be the observer, your mind becomes the servant rather than the master – and that’s how it can be most useful.
Is it the worst thing in the world to sip water or wipe your sweat? Of course not. But it is not helpful to your body and downright detrimental to your meditation. Not to mention the meditation of those around you.
Water, towels, watches, heart monitors, cell phones, that cute guy in the back row – leave it all alone for those 90 minutes. Nothing extra, no wasted movement.
Be with your Self. Enjoy that union.
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I couldn’t have said it better myself!
Reblogged this on Travels With Slippers, or The Life of A Single Woman Who Prefers It That Way and commented:
I couldn’t have said it better myself…
Thanks so much! And I really appreciate the reblog!! Namaste.
Yes, yes, and yes! I absolutely agree with
All your comments! Thank you! I just read you post to my two girls I dragged with me to their
First Bikram class! How lucky for them to hear your insights at the beginning of their practice! We are all together in a vacation on Tel Aviv this week, and of course since their is no Bikram in my home town it must be practiced on vacation. They did great and told me after the class they understood my obsession with getting to a class even on vacation! They were glowing and bright after the class and vowed to do it again:-). I was wondering though why the teacher insisted they both bring giant water bottles into the class? It was in herbrew, however I appreciated the teacher’s efforts to translate for them. It will be awesome when they try their first class in English!
As for the water I agree, and was taught if you drink all day you will be fine. Your comments being still are very true to calm the mind, also to conserve energy for the next pose. I try not to move a muscle and just breath;-)
Thanks again for your motivating blog post!
Namaste!
Scheri
It’s always so exciting when someone enjoys their first class!! I’m so glad that the post was helpful. 🙂 Thanks so much for reading.
I try to block out the sweat but I have issues with sweat getting in my eyes and it burns. Any suggestions to block that out…..I can deal with drippy sweat but not burning eyes.
That’s a great question. I don’t have personal experience with stinging eyes, but I will say that when I practice more often, my sweat is much less salty. It just tastes like water and doesn’t sting (or stink!) at all. I would also say maybe take a look at your salt intake as that could have an impact.
Sorry for the typical yoga response of – have a problem? Do more yoga! But I think in this case it applies!
Thanks so much for reading and for your question!
I get stinging eyes too, so bad I feel like I’m blind coming out of the inversions sometimes. This happens when I’ve quickly used those makeup wipes before class & haven’t rinsed with water. (being lazy/short of time) Another trick I learned is no moisturiser or sunscreen, wash your face clean with soap & water & double rinse, see if that makes a difference 🙂
Yep, all those will make your eyes sting! I’ve started using straight jojoba oil for a face moisturizer, but several hours before class so it can soak in. No stinging! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!
I’ve also noticed that when I wear a headband, there’s less sweat in my eyes.
Great point. Also, great excuse to buy more cute yoga gear!! 🙂
Hmm, I often found that I was going for the water bottle a lot in class, but I’m hoping to get in the habit of getting more water into my system throughout the day (as well as eliminating caffeine) – so perhaps when I start practicing again in September, I will be ready to begin a much more serious practice.
Yeah, I find that caffeine kills me these days. It’s definitely dehydrating, too.
Yeah and living in Colorado, anything that will further dehydrate you is not a good thing.
My eyes have only stung a few times during class and those were the days that I went directly from a morning run without first washing the sunscreen off my face!! Some facial moisturizers will also sting.
Great point! I didn’t think about that. Lotions of all kinds can make Bikram more challenging…
how the hell do you get oxygen from water? do you have gills?
H2O- the o is for oxygen! My teacher talks about how the water can carry the oxygen into your body. I’m not entirely sure how the science works, but I know that when I am breathing properly, I don’t get thirsty.
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I agree 100% about the towel. Less so about the water. I think hydration is an intensely personal thing, affected by everything from what you ate the night before to what you drank (or didn’t drink) this morning to the ambient climate of the room to just how much one is sweating in any particular class. Try as one might, one can’t hydrate perfectly each day. And since we know dehydration can affect mental clarity, electrolyte levels, and heart function, I am a great believer in listening to the body, both in my own practice and for my students.
I absolutely agree with you – listening to your body is key. I was finding, however, with my practice that it wasn’t really my body wanting the water, it was my mind wanting to do something – anything – other than the yoga! That’s why I stopped drinking, because it was not a physical requirement, but a mental crutch. Certainly, if you are really dehydrated- you need water! Thanks so much for reading and sharing your thoughts. Namaste.
Thanks Lisa for answering my question. It is really informative and hopefully I will be able to apply it on myself during Bikram yoga postures. It makes sense what you are trying to say and it may be mindset and grip of senses as you mentioned.Superlike your articles and keep posting them as to me very motivational.Much love.
Thank you so much! I’m glad you are enjoying the posts!
Such a great perspective from a student, I shared this with my class this evening. Thank you.
Thank you so much for sharing it! That is always the greatest complement. Namaste.
I’ve just started Bikram and unfortunately I don’t get there as often as I’d like. I can’t believe how addictive it is. I live in Queenstown New Zealand and can’t wait to escape to the lovely warmth of our gorgeous Bikram studio this winter – even though I’m not as consistent as I’d like I’m sure it will help my aching muscles after a few hours skiing. Bikram rocks!
Ah, there is nothing like getting out of the cold and stepping into that hot room! I’m so glad that Bikram is working for you – stick with it! The long term rewards are incredible. Thanks so much for reading!
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Great discussion I stumbled across here, even though its been dormant awhile. I just this week stopped bringing water into the hot room. In recent months I cut down water breaks during practice to the middle and final savasanas. I started with not taking water after Eagle because it took away from my time to focus on standing separate leg stretch which is very strenuous for me. I found it better to stand still and find my determination rather than bend down for water. Its hard to drink water when you’re breathing hard (even if you are breathing properly). This week I accidentally forgot my water bottle for a 6:00AM class and instead of getting a plastic bottle from the studio, I said “blank” it, I don’t really need it. Its been no problem at all. I get more time in middle savasana and my energy is restored more by having a few extra seconds to lay still and breathe rather than using some of that time to grab for water. Water can be a distraction and a crutch during class. It doesn’t make me feel sick or queasy but distracts my focus and hinders energy recovery. In other words, I’m not doing to be more hard core or show how bad ass I am by making class harder on myself. Just the opposite. Its making class easier, helping me restore energy faster by retaining focus and breathing more. I would suggest fellow yogis to follow your gut and don’t be peer pressured into it. It should not be a judgmental superior thing but just a natural evolution of your practice if you feel drawn to it. If you want your water with you, by all means keep it until if and when you don’t want it. I did three 6:00AM classes this week without water in the room and it was great, better, not harder. Of course drink plenty an hour before class and lots after class. I’m just talking about during the class itself. Really enjoying the experience.
Hi Michael – thanks for sharing your experience. I’m so glad you found something that works for you!