Yoga Class Gives you Energy

Gym bros used to eye the Bikram craze, often participating sporadically, and often concluding that it was resolutely catabolic -- akin to a cardio workout that leaves people spent and flabbergasted. This struck me as upside down, as I watched muscle mass growing on those who practised consistently and fuelled themselves appropriately. At the same time, it triggered another long-winded realisation. While leaving the room exhausted is counter productive, it’s also a common aspect of Bikram culture. “You killed me” used to be a compliment to the instructor. But Bikram (the teacher) never taught us that, at least not explicitly. Most of us started practising as dopamine junkies exploring all forms of extreme exhaustion and dehydration. Indirectly, this was a great service to the dissemination of hatha yoga, because it brought the practice to people who would normally be allergic to the values of yoga. In my case, these values ended up taking over, much to my surprise. In the process, I finally accepted the often repeated proverb that yoga provides energy instead of taking it away like a tennis match or a marathon. Similar to sensible forms of strength training, hatha yoga done the right way has an anabolic effect. The "right way" involves squeezing muscles, focusing on rest times between postures, keeping breathing under control, avoiding superfluous movements. The two most equally important aspects of a productive practise are breathing and focus, both of which help avoid the fight or flight mode, letting the system adapt and grow.

One of my early students shared that she felt ten feet tall when she left the studio. At the time, this was inspiring to me, because I was still struggling with pushing too hard and leaving the class exhausted. It’s only when I started viewing the physical yoga more as a strengthening device than a high intensity cardio session that the initial teaching finally made sense.