Week Seven: The Boss's 'Worst Class Ever'

Seven weeks of BYTT are complete. Seventy-one classes done (I missed 6 for my ear infections and took 1 make-up class to compensate). Twenty-six postures have been delivered in posture clinics. Two Anatomy exams have been taken. And countless lectures covering everything from the digestive system to what is yoga to fascia have been attended. There have been many memorable moments here at training up to this point . . . some I would rather forget but mostly those which I hope never to. The most memorable class yet was taught last night by Bikram himself and it came after a very physically and mentally challenging week yoga-wise. Had I known that class was going to be as unbearable as it was I would certainly have drank way more water throughout the day and definitely would have brought more into class with me. Bikram taught not just the trainees but approximately 120 additional people who are here to re-certify, which is mandatory every 3 years after one's initial training. This brought the number in the hot room up to almost 600 people (and with it the heat and humidity) and made for a mat-to-mat class in all directions. In addition, although I don't know the actual temperature, it had to be over 120 degrees. These conditions were exacerbated by Bikram's usual, but especially so, feisty approach to teaching (for lack of a less PC word) . . he was full of criticism regarding our practice and accusations about our collective inability to remain vertical on our mats and to remain in the room at all. Not to mention we had spent more time on our yoga mats over the previous three days than in our beds due to one 1:45 a.m. night and one 4:30 a.m. night following. And finally, add to this the fact that the class lasted an insufferable 2 hours, also usual for Bikram but not for Bikram Yoga classes in general, which last for 90 minutes by definition. In sum, this was one effin' hard a-- class. The re-certs were droppin' like flies from the beginning (along with many trainees too, I will add), most likely because they are not used to the heat the way we are and have not been practicing twice a day for 7 weeks the way we have. They also have not been practicing with Bikram himself the way we have over the past 49 days. By the time the balancing series was over people were escaping the room and by savasana in between the standing series and floor series there was a mass exodus of both re-certs and trainees who could no longer tolerate the conditions. From my space on the carpet I witnessed at least 7 people being carried out and, when leaving the room at the end of class, my roommate saw numerous people vomiting. Although I personally feel that it was hotter in our very first class at TT, I must say that this class was by far the most physically and mentally daunting class so far. Just the fact that the energy in the room was dragged down by the number of people sitting down and leaving made it immensely challenging. Bikram himself announced that it was the 'worst class' he ever taught (most likely an attempt to motivate us but it was met with overwhelming and quite humorous applause by the trainees and re-certs). I must say that, not only did I stay in the room, but I miraculously managed to perform every posture (this cannot be said for the first class at TT). So, even if the Boss was disappointed in our performance in his 'Torture Chamber' I am relatively pleased with myself. The 'Worst Class Ever' was one of my best ever, which I can say now as I'm hydrated, rested, dry, relaxed and far from the 'Torture Chamber'.