hot yoga in Denver

I was in the mile high city of Denver on a business trip last week. On the second day, I was able to leave the Colorado Convention Center early and I quickly walked to my hotel room three blocks away. I changed into my yoga clothes and immediately left the hotel again. I was headed ten blocks in the other direction, past the Capitol building, past the bank skyscrapers, and away from the downtown hotels. I had located a yoga studio on the web before I left Wichita and with my miniature map, I found the location with no trouble at all.

The two young women behind the counter looked up expectantly when I entered the lobby. I asked when the next class started and the one on the left said "in 5 minutes". I said I didn't think I had time to fill out the required release forms and she agreed, letting me simply print and sign my name on the form. As I turned away, she said "It's a heated room you know" and I said, yes, I knew (but I wasn't sure which of the classes I had arrived for, there are several different classes each day at this studio......it turned out to be the hot yoga class).

Entering the studio I was greeted by a blast of hot air. The room, already crowded, still had spaces in the middle. The front row was full of young supple bodies. These yogi's stared at their reflections in a mirror no more than two or three inches in front of them as they "warmed up". Those in the back row and around the edges of the room were supine -relaxing in various yoga positions as they prepared for their class.

The instructor entered, did not state her name, and we were off and running! She cranked up the music using a remote she carried around with her, changing the tempo or style whenever she felt like it, and started to belt out the sanskrit names of the poses (I was pleased that she pronounced them correctly). I barely had time to think "where's my warm up?" but you know - that WAS the warm up! Well, of course it wasn't long before we all started sweating profusely. I closed my eyes and made a small request that I not faint, throw up or do anything embarrassing during this class.

As it turned out, I didn't need to worry. Plenty of students paused at least once, and some left the room to cool themselves (or whatever they did outside the door). I noticed the class drinking water, using towels, and taking child's pose whenever they felt like it so I relaxed, kept moving and kept sweating. I felt pretty strong and was fine all the way through. I was introduced to one new variation of Warrior 3 and we did some great abdominal work toward the end - she had the class moaning out loud by this time. Some of the things the instructor said during final relaxation were funny to me - but hey, you slip in yogic philosophy whenever and however you can - even in downtown Denver. :)

As I left, as drenched as I would be if I had been standing in the rain for an hour, I had this feeling of lightness - especially in my legs. I walked partway back to my hotel, about 5 blocks. The weather was unseasonably warm (52 I think), and the light breeze felt great. I grabbed the 16th Street Mall Shuttle for the rest of the journey- to one of the best showers I've ever had.

"Hot yoga" in Denver in November was a unique, memorable, and satisfying experience for this 47+ year old yogi. Namaste to all who seek the wide and wonderful world of yoga - wherever they may be.