My first week of my 30 days of yoga challenge was a bit lackluster. I came down with a random summer cold (boo) and didn't feel up to trying the hot yoga all week. So Tuesday and Thursday I did a video. Thursday I tried out Jillian Michael's YOGA MELTDOWN video. The names of her videos just crack me up. That video was no friggin joke though, let me tell you. It was a half hour and I was very worked out and my arms were feeling weak after. I'd certainly recommend it for a good strength workout that you don't need any weights or props for. Wednesday and Friday I just did a couple of my usual yoga classes at the gym.

This past weekend I finally was able to try it. Saturday I went to a yoga studio nearby called Corepower yoga. They have a free week, and I found out that all of their classes are hot yoga, just not Bikram. The classes are a bit shorter and the temperatures not AS extreme (like... 100 degrees instead of 110+) so I figured that might be a better place to start and get acclimated to doing yoga in the heat. My first class Saturday was a 75 minute Hot Vinyassa Flow. It was definitely hot. I walked in the room before class and layed on my mat, sweating even as I just layed there. The question definitely popped into my mind a few times in class... "oh man what did I get myself into...?"

My heart was absolutely racing from the heat and the incredibly quick pace of the movements in this class. I stuck it out for a good while, but the heat eventually caught up to me and I started feeling lightheaded when I'd get up suddenly from a downward dog or some lower pose. So I had to rest a while, which was fine. Shortly after we moved onto matwork that was more holding poses and flexibility oriented so I was perfectly fine. I left class feeling amazing and went back again for a 60 minute class Sunday morning. It was not quite as hot and not quite as long so I had a much better experience my second class. I am definitely loving this hot yoga. I can't wait to go again tonight!

Also, I looked up online the METs for doing hot yoga, and it was a 6. So I did the little formula and I calculated I would burn about 575 calories in one hour of hot yoga. Nice :)