I struggled in the Hot 26 class

By Caroline Gozzi

The other day I had the hardest Hot 26 class in a long time, I felt horrible, hot, thirsty, sick, stiff, and annoyed because I kept falling out of postures. I wanted the class to end, I didn't want to be there.  

Why did this happen? Why did I have such a "bad class"? I've been practising this class for over 16 years, this shouldn't happen should it? 

• Was the room too hot?
• Was it too busy?
• Did the teacher do something wrong? 
• Should I not practise Hot Yoga anymore? 

NO 

I had a hard class because:

• I was dehydrated: I'd pretty much spent the last few days drinking cups of tea and the odd glass of wine, I'd drink half the water amount I normally do
• I had not been sleeping well: My normal sleep patterns had changed and I was running on a lot less sleep then normal but carrying on as normal
• I'd eaten too many cakes and cheese: Snacking in the car on long journeys on crisps, cheese sandwiches, enjoying rich meals and cakes. Not the usual for me. 
• I'd let my practice slip: I can blame work, lack of childcare, new term sicknesses etc... all those things that meant I had not been able to practise as much as I would like to or normally be able to. 
• My ego got in the way: I made it harder for myself because my expectation was not realistic and I should have taken more breaks throughout the class. 

Afterwards I took some time to just sit (and drink water) and think about the class. I accepted it for what it was. It was a class where I pressed the restart button. I got out of my system everything I needed to. I went to bed and had the best night sleep I'd had in a while. I woke up and went back to class again. 3 days in and 3 classes later I feel completely different. I feel calm, centered and focused and ready for more. 

I'm grateful for that class, I'm grateful for Luka who guided me through my practice that night and I'm grateful for what the class bought up and taught me and for the way it helped me get back on track. I feel 100% different now and in my Hot 26 classes.

We all have these experiences, and if you've not had a class like this yet, you probably will at some point. It is easy to lay the blame - the heat, the teacher, the studio, the other people in the room. But before you do, take a moment to think about it and see what has changed for you. What you will recognise is how much what we put into our bodies, how we live our lives and what we do impacts on our physical and mental well being and you realise how much you need this Yoga, any Yoga. 

If you need to press the restart button do it today, yeap it may not feel great for 1 or 2 classes, but trust me you will feel completely amazing very very soon. 

Caroline is the co-founder of YogaVenue and teaches Hot 26 on Saturday mornings