For whatever reason, Mother Nature has given Southern Ontario (and places nearby) a very wet Spring! Are you in one of those rainy areas too?
My umbrella gets lots of use lately. ;)
We’ve had steady rain for the past 5 days and there is more rain due for 3 out of 5 days in the week ahead.
Despite this weather, the rain doesn’t really bother me as much lately, which is pretty strange because I tend to always feel a dip in my mood when it rains.
Today, I realized that I have yoga to thank for my improved mood!
I started going to Moksha’s hot yoga classes on May 7th and I fell in love with it (read all about my first class here). I’ve been to about 11 classes now and I just can’t get enough. I’m really getting my money’s worth with my unlimited $40 intro monthly pass! I really wish I had tried this ages ago. I also think it would have helped me beat my Winter blues too.
“Moksha Hot Yoga was founded in Toronto, Canada in 2004 by yoga teachers Ted Grant and Jessica Robertson. Though a relative newcomer, Moksha has quickly gained popularity as over 30 affiliated studios have since opened worldwide, including in Canada, the United States, Switzerland, and the Caribbean. The Moksha method is a set series of about 40 poses done in a hot room. Moksha has strict "green" standards for keeping their studios environmentally friendly, including using sustainable building materials and natural cleansers. They are also committed to offering weekly low-cost classes with the money donated to locate charities and karma yoga opportunities to keep yoga classes more accessible.” [source]
From time to time, I wonder where the inflexible girl who hated yoga DVDs disappeared to. Well, I’m still here, but now I’ve found a style of yoga that clicks with me. And I’m so grateful that I have because I always felt like there was a missing piece to my fitness puzzle.
Like with most things, I don’t think hot yoga is for everyone (in fact, if you have health problems, such as a heart condition, it’s advised you do not take part), but I’m more convinced that there is a style of yoga that almost anyone can enjoy. You just have to find the right style that meshes with your personality and do what works for you.
The word Moksha means ‘Freedom’, which is exactly how I’ve been feeling lately. Freedom from anxiety, busy thoughts, tight muscles, and day-to-day ‘noise’.
Moksha Characteristics:
- Poses are traditional asanas (I heard there are about 40 yoga positions used)
- You are encouraged to set an intention (in your mind) at start of class
- Emphasis is on deep breathing, enhancing flexibility, and balance
- Breath-synchronized movements – the teacher will instruct you to move from one pose to the next on an inhale or an exhale.
- Several classes are offered: Moksha, Moksha Flow, Flow, and LYM.
- Classes range from 60-90 minutes (75 min is my sweet spot!)
- The pace is quick and heart rate is elevated throughout class
- Room is heated to 37 Celsius
- Instructors will often do gentle adjustments, if its ok with you (personally I appreciate occasional adjustments because they help me find proper form)
- Instructors have the flexibility to slightly adapt each class, so no class is the same
- Friendly to beginners (trust me on this one!)
- Savasana (lying flat on the mat and focusing on breath) occurs at the start of class, middle class, and at the very end.
- There are a couple minutes of intense ab work during the floor series.
- It is a great workout if you want it to be and you push yourself. My muscles are often sore after classes!
After just 11 classes, I’ve noticed an improvement in my focus, muscle tone, breathing, flexibility, posture, and balance. I feel strong, aware, peaceful, and happier than I have in a long time. Eric tells me that my skin feels incredibly soft, which is an added bonus from all that salty sweat exfoliating the skin. I also love the class atmosphere…the energy from the room is really contagious and a yoga DVD just can’t compare in my mind.
Even though I love hot yoga, I won’t be giving up cardio anytime soon (I’ve still been sticking with running/walking/elliptical about 5 days a week), but I feel like they compliment each other perfectly.
What I like to eat beforehand:
I’ve been experimenting with different foods before classes to find what works best for me. For my first class, I had a freshly made juice, but the juice was not enough energy for me to sustain a class and I felt very weak. I also tried various full-sized breakfasts with mixed results, sometimes feeling too full during class.
Lately, what works for me is eating 1 large banana and drinking 1 glass of V8 juice about 40 minutes before a class. Each time I have this snack, I have no weakness during class. I also make sure to drink lots of water before (starting the day before), during, and after class. It’s important to find that sweet spot where you aren’t too full, but you still have lots of energy for the class. If I take a long 90 minute class, I often have a medjool date or two in addition to this snack.
What I like to eat afterwards:
I crave water-based foods like vegetables, fruit, and big salads following a hot yoga class. Lately, I’ve been craving Green Monsters (made with coconut water for electrolytes), salads, veggie & hummus plates, Ezekiel bread/crackers, and Gazpacho.
I’m also newly obsessed with Nature’s Path Kamut Puff cereal thanks to Ange. I’ve been enjoying it with almond milk, ABU, fruit, and a bit of cinnamon. Cold and refreshing.
What I bring to class:
- Reusable tote bag for carrying belongings
- Align Ultra Lululemon yoga mat (I’m not really a fan of this mat because it is slippy! Anyone recommend any good non-slip mats?)
- 1 large bath towel (to place on mat)
- 1 small face towel (to wipe sweat)
- Sigg water bottle
- Keys, license, $20, yoga pass card
- Zip up jacket for before and after class (I shower at home)
My impression after 11 classes:
I feel like yoga is improving the relationship I have with myself. I used to be a skeptic when I heard that about yoga, thinking it wouldn’t apply to me. I was wrong! Yoga is just what I need in my life to help me center myself and thoughts. I have an anxious personality by nature, and yoga is therapy for my busy mind that never stops.
I’ve been excited not only by the changes I see (like toned muscles or improved flexibility), but feel in myself. I feel like yoga is the missing piece of the puzzle to my growth as an individual. I’m excited to explore yoga in many of its forms and styles down the road.
~~~
What’s your yoga experience? Love it, hate it? What styles have you tried and do any click or not click with you? What do you eat (or not eat) before a class?
[By the way, this review is not paid or sponsored by Moksha or anyone else. It’s just my personal experience, as always!]
Hi Angela! I’m passionately in love with my Moksha practice & I also work at lululemon athletica. I would recommend “The Mat” from our company 100% – it’s the grippiest mat I have ever practiced on almost a year after purchasing it, absorbs my sweat in seconds and I get asked “Where can I buy that amazing mat?” at least three times a week. If you don’t mind towels wrinkling up in places and you like extra padding, a towel wouldn’t be a bad idea… But “The Mat” is better than any towel in my opinion. A good thing to know with “The Mat” though is that it works much better (and smells much better) if you soak it in the tub after purchasing it and then let it dry and air out for a few days. Oil-based cleaners clog the pores and could create a sketchy experience, too. It’s thick, heavy and incredibly functional: my mat for life :)
I discovered yoga in grad school (it was the best 90 minutes of the day dedicated only to me)! Recently, I tried my first HOT yoga class. I LOVED it! I wish I was able to get there as often as you. I just invested in a large yoga towel for my mat (which my the way I bought at Target and I LOVE it…plus it’s colorful and gets lots of compliments). Thanks for all the food suggestions. It is hard to find that balance for sure!
Wonderful to hear that you have been so taken by yoga! I hit 4-5 classes a week, so I understand you being ‘taken” by it. I need to eat 3 hours before class in order to ensure adequate digestion. Once I was feeling a bit hungry and thought that chia pudding would be harmless enough. It’s light, isn’t it? I think the chia started to swell … It was a very uncomfortable class!
Kudos on finding a yoga practice that fits into your life and makes sense for your life!! i feel I have found that recently here in Colorado and it has never felt so right!
In regards to yoga mats.. I have been loving “The Mat” from Lululemon. Yes, it is expensive – but I did A TON of research and this one is just amazing! Even when I take workshops in large unfinished studio space with concrete flooring, it is still padded enough that I don’t feel the floor too much :)
Here is the link to my favorite mat!
http://shop.lululemon.com/products/clothes-accessories/women-mats/The-Mat-32428
What I love about yoga is that it really puts you into your body. I’ve found such an appreciation for my imperfect, yet perfect body. Yoga shows you that you already have everything you need…the teacher is just a guide to find it! I am so happy that you have found a yoga style and studio that you are passionate about. It is such a different experience practicing in a studio and using the energy of the class and those around you for an enhanced experience.
As mush as I love Lulu and recommend luon in any practice, their ultra align mat doesn’t do it for me…and actually I don’t think they are made to last too long. On mine, the rubber began to wear down and flake off. Sine I’ve become a more serious yogi, I invested in a Manduka and absolutely LOVE it! Jade mats are also great…the only downside is they are a bit narrow for my wide shoulders, so when I am in down-dog, my pinkie fingers are off the matt. Also, you can get by with the Align mat if you invest in a yogi-toes or manduka super absorbent towel. I don’t even go to class without one anymore. They key to those towels is that you have to get them a little wet first (with water from your water bottle) or lay them down once your hands and feet get sweaty.
Hi Angela,
Just wondering how often you practice? I have been going (but very inconsistently) and, like you, I have found that hot yoga really “clicks” with me. I know that going once is better than not going at all, but I’m just curious to know how often you go!
Thanks
A
I love my manduka mat. Expensive but last for life which I like. Won’t end up in a landfill. Jade mats are biodegradeable which is good too, but you have to replace them more often.
I DEFINATELY recommend a yogitoes. They changed my practice since I also do a heated room practice.
Yoga is REALLY powerful. Glad you are enjoying it.
I would reccomend the Jade mats. I have a the jade travel, which I purchased from Moksha for 50 bucks. They are biodegradable, eco friendly, no PVC and have amazing grip – I don’t need a towel on my mat, even in the vinyasa flow or warrior series. I found that even with a towel on my winners mat I would slip a lot during warrior. Check out their website, they’re really awesome and love the earth :) namaste
hey =)
I’m a certified yoga instructor in Waterloo so it makes me SO!! happy to hear that you’re loving yoga. I couldn’t agree more with it being the missing puzzle piece in life.
After much debate amongst everyone in my yoga teacher training, here are some things we figured out about slippy mats:
1. Give yours a good wipedown first. Most yoga mats come with a protective coating that gets slippy during your practise. You can try cool mixes to wipe it down too, like tea tree oil and peppermint
2. The more you use it, the less slippery they get.
3. Try using one or two face cloths under your hands in poses like Down Dog, if not using a full body towel or a special yoga mat towel (like lulu’s skidless towel, but mainly yoga studios have other brands too) over top of your mat… ESPECIALLY in hot yoga classes.
4. A great yoga mat for slippery hands- lulu’s travel mat. I have a teacher-friend who SWEARS by this… it’s super light to carry around too and one of their cheapest mats.
Hope that helps!!
thanks so much Alex!
about that mat…I guess this is an older post, but the best non- slip mat out there is called The Original Eco Yoga Mat and you can get it at Barefoot Yoga. It is a natural rubber mat with hemp weaved through. Even the super hot classes won’t require you to put a towel on top! A triangle without a good root system is a back problem waiting to happen! Enjoy and I hope you will stay with your Yoga!