Week 3

     Today I took a Bikram yoga class taught by Diane Polli over zoom. The class was an hour and thirty minutes long.  Diane did not perform any of the postures, as is typical with Bikram yoga, but talked us through each movement. We went through each round of movements twice. While the focus was not on breathing, she still emphasized for us to breathe through each movement. Throughout the class, she would also mention physiological aspects to the postures and explained how it affected our bodies. Bikram yoga is meant to be a healing sequence so that one can move onto the next sequence.   

   This was the first time I took a class as long as it was. At the beginning of the class, I was lost and could not properly follow. Many of the classes I have taken usually had the teacher performing the postures. So it was difficult for me to practice based on only what she said. As we went through the class, I was able to follow more properly and focus on the postures and techniques. After the class, I felt really stretched out and less tense. Since it was more of a physical practice, I really enjoyed the class.

    While yoga can be a physical practice, it is typically framed to be more than just an exercise. It is meant to work on your mind and spirituality as well. Yoga helps to relieve any stress accumulated throughout the day or week. It also helps to work on positive affirmations toward the self and builds confidence. In this way, it can help to empower you. For example, during savasana, Diane mentioned many positives to think about while we were relaxing. Other types of exercises may help with the physical aspects, but it does not touch the mind and spirituality like yoga can.