Mysore Day 3I don't know why exactly people think you need heat to sweat. With five sun salutation As and five sun salutation Bs, I was sweating enough to soak my yogitoes, even without a fancy heating and humidifying system switched on. Don't get me wrong, heat serves a purpose -- it warms you up from the outside, while your breath warms you from the inside. But breathing and sun salutations are enough to get the job done. Nice and sweaty.
It's a little embarrassing to admit that sun salutations had me sore the next day, but after minor adjustments to the flow and alignment from Day 2, my shoulders were really feeling the burn (you could call it internal heat) of all the physical exertion. Where I had been showing off with jump backs the day before, my muscles went on strike just a day later (Day 3). I was having a hard time making it through all the chaturangas, even with my knees down, dropping all the way down to the floor. Ouch.
With child's pose off the table and after being told the day before that practitioners don't drink water during class, I was completely on my own to hold my five breaths in downdog without distraction, break or mental recourse. I actually had to do the work of breathing through the discomfort.
A note on water:
I meant to include this discussion in my previous post... I had been forewarned about styles of yoga that forbid you from drinking water, but I had never actually been told, "don't drink your water." I expected to react strongly against the prohibition. I expected to be indignant. But the instructor said it so casually, made it all seem so normal, that I hardly noticed. Truth is though, for all my anticipated resistance to the idea, without the added heat being pumped in, I really didn't miss my sips of water.
Day 4: Sans Mysore
Although I had intended to only take Sunday or Saturday off of my new found daily practice, I skipped out this morning. My alarm clock actually woke me from a dream this morning. A dream! I honestly don't remember the last time, prior to this morning, that I slept soundly enough to dream. So I somewhat sheepishly, stayed late in bed, much later than I would have expected, to soak in the quality rest. I'm still sore, but my mind feels more awake. Thank goodness.
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