Today, I was a tree, cobra, rabbit and a camel.
No, I wasn't imagining myself at a zoo. But in an effort to kick off the new year with some healthier habits, I've gotten back into Bikram yoga here in Istanbul.
A new studio, 40 Derece Bikram Yoga - the first Bikram studio in Turkey - opened in the Etiler neighborhood about two months ago. I was ecstatic to hear about this studio - just a 20-minute walk followed by a 59N bus ride away from my apartment. Just this past weekend, the studio celebrated its grand opening.
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| Here is the front of the Bikram yoga studio in Etiler - located on the ground floor of an apartment building near the Etiler Camii. |
About six years ago, at my friend's urging, I took my first Bikram yoga class in NYC. If you don't know, Bikram yoga is practiced in a hot, very hot room, heated to 105 F/40.6 C and consists of a series of 26 poses - including a tree, cobra, rabbit and camel poses - and breathing exercises. I enjoyed going to these classes with my co-workers before we had to head into the restaurant for our long night shifts.
Two years ago, I started taking Bikram yoga again in Baltimore just a few months before our wedding to shed 10 pounds, combined with a detox diet.
Here I am again, this time, more than 5,000 miles away from the U.S., but now I can take Bikram yoga classes here in Istanbul. Today, was my fourth class, but it wasn't my best performance. I could tell our weekend's indulgence in pizza and wine had taken its toll. I felt like I was sweating out all sorts of red wine and leftover carbs in my body!
However, exercising really is one of those things, where if there's no pain, there's no gain. I gained enough from the holidays and really want to get myself in gear now.
I enjoy these yoga classes because for 90 minutes all I must do is focus on myself and improving my poses to the best of my ability. The teachers - Ayse from Izmir, Michelle from Canada, and Alex from Holland - are very motivational and help push you to your limits!
But today, as Alex was going through the poses, she says, "Imagine you are a Japanese ham sandwich and push you forehead to your knees."
Meanwhile, as I'm stretching, trying to keep my forehead on my knees and sweating like a pig, I have to block out my mental image of eating a Japanese ham sandwich. Mmm...pork!
This is why I go to yoga on an empty stomach. Afterwards, I rewarded myself with a grilled chicken salad at a nearby cafe.
I'm on the right track - if I can avoid the pork!
� 40 Derece Bikram Yogais located at: Tepecik Yolu Cad. Akgoren Sokak No. 3, Daire 1, Etiler, Istanbul.
� Phone: 0531 705 7640