Sunday, August 01, 2010

30 days of yoga: Day 22 - THERE. ARE. FOUR. LIGHTS!

Bikram yoga, as I've warbled on about plenty of times, is 90 minutes of yoga done in a hot room. Not a warm room, a HOT room. It gets up to about 40 degrees C (that's 105 degrees F if you're old school, or just plain old). Most of the heat is generated by a large and powerful heating machine that is secreted somewhere in the ceiling, but in addition to this hellish device, the teachers also flick on the lights in the studio.

You wouldn't think that lighting would really do much to make you sweat, but as a matter of fact it does. At the halfway point in the class when you lie on the floor for a two minute rest period they turn the lights off so you don't get dazzled by them as you stare up at the ceiling, and you do actually feel a little bit cooler. It might be my mind playing tricks on me, but then again I flicked my kitchen lights on earlier - which are the same kind of halogen ones as are in the studio - and I started sweating like a bitch in heat so I genuinely think there's something in it.

The gist of this is, then, that I now rather hate halogen lights.

Anyway, I was in class this evening, lying on my back during a rest period between postures and for some reason my eyes were drawn to the lights. And it was at that point that for the first time I counted how many were on, and as my inner Picard began to surface, I had to resist shouting out:

15 comments:

CyberPete said...

Did you buy your lights because they have those at the yoga studio?

Tim said...

Nope, they were in the house when I bought it!

CyberPete said...

That's very reassuring.

Will we get a photo of the yoga studio and an outline of your spot at some point?

Tim said...

Probably not, as you're not really supposed to take your phone in there, let alone start snapping pics of it when people are trying to relax in a semi-undressed state.

CyberPete said...

How about before or after class?

Tim said...

There's always people in there. Some stay in the studio for up to 20 minutes or so after class.

I can't hang around that long - I'm a busy man!

CyberPete said...

That's disappointing. It would have been kool to see Batman in his right element

Tim said...

What - under my groin?

Ponita in Real Life said...

Isn't that right where Pete would like to find him??? ;-)

Halogen bulbs throw a ton of heat! Can you not switch to the compact fluorescent ones? They produce almost no heat whatsoever.

I'm very impressed that you've not taken a day off yet, Tim. Good on you!!

Inexplicable DeVice said...

Yes, bravo! Here, have this Taspar egg as a reward.

Ponita, 'Petra isn't the only one who'd like to find Tim in such a compromising position with Batman!

CyberPete said...

That's not what I meant!!

Tim said...

Ponita - Nope. Well, I could, but that would mean changing the fitting and I can't be bothered to do that.

Inexplicable Device - A what!? Can I not have a car or cash as a substitute?

Cyberpete - Filth, huh?

CyberPete said...

Filth indeed!

Tara said...

Yikes, that's a hot room! I believe that the lights make it hotter.

When we're on stage for choir, and the lights are beating down on us, it gets a bit toasty.

Inexplicable DeVice said...

No. You can have a Taspar egg and like it!