Bikram Yoga NYC

various locations around Manhattan

I took my first Bikram yoga class some years ago at the studio on 8th Avenue at 50th Street. They had an awesome beginner's special of $20 for an unlimited week of classes, which was great given that the classes were usually $20 each. It was near my apartment, I had a fondness for yoga and even greater fondness for heat therapies like saunas, so the combination of the two was appealing. I cannot recall the details of what motivated me to go, other than knowing I was instantly hooked at the intensity of the workout and sweating.

There's lots of controversy about Bikram, so I'll start with the cons -- first yes, it's hot. Very hot. Don't go in there without a bottle or two of water, and don't complain when you get dizzy in the middle of the 90 minute class. We told you it was hot! It took me a while to get through an entire class without having to sit and bear the dizziness and nausea. I still consider it an accomplishment when I can get through a class without having to take a break.

Second, because it's so hot, you're doing your yoga with the least amount of clothing on - meaning short pants and sports bra for women, shorts for men. The beginner may initially be embarrassed by this, but once the class starts you'll be so busy trying to keep up and do the poses and not pass out that you forget about anyone else around you, let alone your self-consciousness. And you'll be glad to have as little clothing on as possible because it's so hot. The Pro to this, at least for me, is self-acceptance. I've become much less modest about my body or the occasional display of skin. You get to see everyone in their near-nakedness, and while it's true many students will be in amazing, zero-body-fat shape, there will be many that aren't, and that's okay. You also get to see your own body, since the classes are done in front of mirrors, with you staring at your sweating, red faced almost naked self the whole 90 minutes - no hiding anything here. That extra abdominal roll might have bothered you as you came into the class, but by the end it doesn't look so bad.

Third - because it's so intense, there's this food issue of being careful not to eat two hours before the class. Go ahead and break the rule if you want, but it's like the no-swimming an hour after lunch - you'll suffer the physical pains of it. So one must really get disciplined about time and schedule if you're planning a Bikram class - no eating two hours before a class, then the class is an hour and a half long, then the recovery afterwards (cooling down, showering, slowly getting dressed again in a daze), let alone the travel time if you're coming in or out from the Bikramless burbs like your truly.

As for the Pros - I cannot think of any single workout or exercise regime that is better for you in the immediate aftermath. I've done my sampling of dance and gyms and martial arts, tai chi and various yogas, running and biking, facials and body wraps - and this is by far the best thing for you - physically, mentally, maybe even emotionally. They, he - the Bikram guy himself - claims the 26 pose series stretches every single muscle, flushes every single joint, and works every single organ in your body. I've done no scientific investigation to try and back this up, but I'll believe it. Your skin is softer all over, your complexion is glowing, your whole body is relaxed and loose and all those stresses and frustrations you brought in with you were left behind with the sweat. You just feel CLEAN, inside and out (well, at least once you wash the sweat off).

Enough about the controversy, what about the actual facilities? The Bikram I stick to is the Bikram NYC, though I know there are other studios around Manhattan (Chelsea, Soho, and Union Square at least have theirs too). The NYC guys (or gals, as it were) have four studios - 50th St/8th Ave, 72nd St, Flatiron, and 83rd(or somewhere on the Upper East Side) and your "membership" is linked to all of them. But actually there really isn't any membership required to join - you just go when you want, even once a year (like I have, recently) and you'll still be in their computer system. You can pay for a single class at a time, or buy in bulk depending on your commitment level. A class and two towels for $20, rent a mat for $5, a bottle of SmartWater for $2. There are separate gender locker rooms with showers, and I know the 8th Ave. recently renovated their showers (which look awesome). It can get a bit hectic around class sign-in time, but the workers are always friendly and trying hard to accommodate everyone.

The class numbers vary depending, as always, on time. There are a variety of instructors that rotate in and out of the schedule, but because the poses remain the same - 26 poses, done twice in the same order - the variation of instructors does not interrupt one's yoga practice all that much. In fact I've found it to be an advantage to have so many instructors, as they pick up different tips and suggestions, and I've gotten some wonderful advice from them.

Okay, look, I'll be frank - I'm not going to say a lot of bad things about Bikram. I'm a huge huge fan and completely biased. So I'll wrap and say Go! By all means go and try it if you're curious. It's amazing, it's wonderful, it's miraculous, it's fantastic, a god-send...

I will address one more issue of controversy - there is a lot of talk of the style's founder, Mr. Bikram himself - things like lawsuits, bad press, flashing his bling while sitting in his Rolls, etc. etc. Does that impact the yoga style he's honed and marketed? I can't say that it does, though it hurts the reputation of the style. That's too bad, for all the good it does, and the good, at least for me, far far outweighs the (alleged) negative personality behind it.