Hot Yoga is NO JOKE!

I bought a Groupon a few weeks ago for ten classes at  YogaFlex in Commack. I hadn't been to a yoga class in over two years, but I wanted to give it a try again. I've never done hot yoga before, so I was a little terrified. After finally overcoming my fear (and buying a totally cute yoga mat - see photo below - for inspiration), I went to my first hot yoga class at YogaFlex yesterday.

Classes are usually 90 minutes, but I decided to go to a shorter class for my first crack at it. So, I showed up with my new yoga mat, a towel and a bottle of electrolyte infused water from Trader Joe's (awesome for intense workouts). I was greeted my Dana (pronounced Dan-uh, which I love!) and she told me that my goal would be to just make it through the heat. It was perfectly acceptable for me to just sit on my mat and watch the class for my first time. She told me that if I feel dizzy or nauseous, to just lay down and breathe. My goal was to not leave the room for the entire hour.

Those yogis don't mess around! The room is hot! It's not quite as unbearable as a sauna, but pretty close. I got in early and lied on my mat for about five minutes to get used to the temperature  Dana told me she would let me know when it was okay to drink because drinking too many times in the heat can make you nauseous. To my surprise, I made it through the whole class and I was able to follow along with 90% of the positions. I had to lay down once for about a minute because I got dizzy, but it went away after taking a few deep breathes through my nose. I really enjoyed the class and felt awesome afterwards. One of the other yogis told me I would feel like a noodle after class and she was dead-on accurate! I can't wait for the next class!

Diane von Furstenberg Yoga Mat

from the Target + Neiman Marcus collection