Bikram Yoga El Paseo

If you haven’t noticed that  BIG BEAUTIFUL  FULL MOON  ( LA LUNA  PIENA  as we say in Italian  😉 )   in the sky the last few nights,   you are really missing something!!   Our crisp, clear,  cool  weather here in the desert    with our stellar evenings full of bright stars and the full moon of late,   has truly  been  spectacular.

I’ve often hear peeps mention  however,  that along with full moons come funky behavior.

If there is any truth to this….. then  I think that’s what we must have experienced  on the  eve of  the full moon at  Bikram Yoga Palm Desert – El Paseo.      The most  clever  comedy writer in   Hollywood   could not  have  written  the chain of events that have transpired  at our yoga  school.

Us Bikramites are always up for a good laugh so when we were presented with our own comedy it didn’t take long for even the shyest of students to chime in…………………..

TEN  minutes prior to the 6pm  class the other night  the phone rang with a caller two blocks down on El Paseo.   It should have been easy to direct the lost student to our school.   Contending with a loud GPS  system,  backseat drivers chiming in the conversation,    and the original caller speaking LOUDLY (understatement)  proved to be a more difficult feat than surviving 90 minutes in the hot room.   With the telephone receiver a foot away from my ear,   I tried to guide the caller to the studio.   Several hovering students were already amused by my exchange.  There was so much loud bantering it hurt to put the phone directly to my ear.

FIVE minutes prior to the  6pm class  I am still on the phone asking them to turn the GPS  OFF   and just listen to my directions.   Now completely off of El Paseo and on Highway  111 at some urgent care (how appropriate)  I can no longer be serious.  Student laughter has now filled the waiting area   and directions have turned into a standup comedy.

ONE minute prior to the 6pm  class  a trio of frazzled peeps come running into the school.   Class is starting.  MATS ? TOWELS?  YES  EVERYTHING.    “Oh,  and do you have clothes for us???”

Of the three only one had ever tried Bikram Yoga and his last class was a year ago.  The other two,  another male and a female had never done it before……………………………I  looked at my new Teacher, Alex  with a smirk and a wink ………

I tried to explain  to the trio  that wearing their street clothes would not be appropriate.   Without batting an eye they feverishly disrobed down to their under ware.   In the flurry of changing,  paying,   and Q &A,    a  black jockey short landed on my desk….

“Is  this my tip??”  I asked wryly as I held the under ware  up with my index finger.   Uncontrollable laughter now  filled our intimate waiting area as Alex  very professionally  tried to usher the students into class.

Finally they are all in class,    settled in for 90 minutes…………………  OR NOT!

Something told me that I better stick around for the encore.

FIFTEEN MINUTES  into class the woman of the trio comes running out  informing me that ,   “It’s really hot in there.”          Before I could educate her on the method to the madness her gentlemen friend came running out exclaiming ,   “It’s  really hot in there.”

Have you ever heard the saying that   if two people tell you that you are sick ,  you better lie down??!!    I believed their  assumption ,   IT WAS REALLY  HOT IN THERE!!!!!!!   The female than added,  “besides I’m hungry, lets go eat.”

Bikram Yoga is very challenging.   It’s not for the faint of heart  or  for   people that baby themselves.  Bikram would always say,  ” we’re not selling cheesecake”.   I always add,  ” what  we ARE  ‘selling’   is  happy, healthy lives!!”   NOTHING is more highly therapeutic than Bikram Yoga……..NOTHING!!

I mentioned this to the pair,      and after making some excuses about not feeling good the gentleman told me that I had beautiful green eyes.   I joked with him that flattery was not going to change the fact that he wimped out of the hot room!!!   We all laughed and they were really great sports to my teasing.   I tried  to  convince  them to go back in but hunger pains  ruled  so off they went.

FIVE MINUTES  before class  ended  the third Amigo came out of class.  Let me guess I said,  ” It’s  REALLY hot in there”.     I told him that he was  so close to completing class   that he should  just stick it out for another five minutes.  He admitted that  his friends were on his mind and  that he wanted to join them.  Sorry dude,  they left you in the dust to go eat over an hour ago.   We chatted for some time about his skin care  line,  about botox,   and   my   under  eye  puffiness  that he pointed out.  (I think I liked the friend better  who focused on my green  eyes rather than the under eye  “puffiness”. )     On  his way out he invited me to his skin care store,    stating , ” HONEY,  I”ll take good care of you.”    This coming from the guy who left the black jockey’s  on my  desk………………………………………..

As the diehards poured out of the hot room after class ended,   the comedy continued.   One of  the students  said,     “I was really surprised by my people.”

MY PEOPLE ?????

He was referring to the three friends who  left early.  He stated that they were “Israelis.”     I must have looked a little surprised.   I repeated,   “your people”???  You are Jewish??  AND…. you know they were Israelis???”    “Yes,”  he said.  In Israel it’s  ‘required’  to join the army and training is super strenuous.  A Bikram Yoga class should be child’s play to them.   I  can’t believe they couldn’t even make it past 15 minutes of class.”   We laughed and I thought about how a  “REQUIREMENT ”  to do ANYTHING in life should be to survive an entire 90 minute Bikram Yoga Class!!

Italian, Jewish, Mexican, Swiss or whatever your heritage may be,  we are all down in the trenches  together when we are in the hot room.  One of my favorite teachers used to always say that when you are in the hot room you are all even! It doesn’t matter what kind of car you drive or what kind of house you live in when you are battling heat/mind/body control.

IF YOU CAN SURVIVE A 90 MINUTE BIKRAM CLASS,  then you can survive anything…….  BIKRAM CALLS THIS BECOMING  BULLETPROOF……….  and now that  even means  surviving the   craziness  that  LA  LUNA  PIENA brings!!

WHAT ARE YOU MADE OF???  CAN YOU HANDLE 90 MINUTES IN THE HOT ROOM????  NO  better way to find out then give a try!!

Hope to see you in the “HOT” room soon and just  FYI,  it’s  REALLY  HOT IN THERE…..!!!   😉

NAMASTE`