Paris being really calm, I am enjoying some quality time with the few Friends who are still around. I already told you a few things about my darling Friend C., well, the last time I called her to plan a drink, she asked if I wanted to accompany her to her Bikram Yoga Class. I did some Yoga before but I never tried this particular kind, so I jumped on the opportunity and accepted with a lot of enthusiasm.
She was thrilled: "I have been offering to all of my girlfriends to come with me for a year, they have all declined, telling me I was nuts, you are the only one who said yes right away, without even checking what it was!". Well that's just me: spontaneous and enthusiastic.
Knowing that C. and I are used to bizarre gatherings, I expected something quite challenging though.

Boy, it was!

Imagine: 25 people trapped in a room that is heated up to 35-40°C, trying, because let's be realistic,  what can you possibly do in this heat... so trying to exercise. To make it really vivid in your minds, let me add a  few details (remember when I said details were not just details, well this idiom  especially makes sense in this situation): with the heat comes... the sweat, and with the exercises come the flying sweat. In other words, your neighbor is sharing much more than just his inner peace.  Then come the smells, of course, and let me tell you that within 1h30, the olfactory bouquet  really has time to bloom. So basically: you can not see in front of you because of your own sweat dripping in your eyes, you are melting, your neighbor is melting on you too, you can hardly breathe, and the teacher  whose piercing in the nipple and skull tattoos you are trying to ignore, is shouting in english with a portugese accent. Perfect morning!

I pride myself on induring heat quite well but I will be completely honest: I was sweating after 5 minutes in the place, and the class hadn't even began! The first hour was alright but the last 30 minutes were definitively too much for me: my head was spinning and I had nausea. I even got to a point when I thought I would leave. I have learnt to like exercise (believe me, I was never a natural at it), and yoga is one of my favorites, but I don't see the point in suffering that much. Let me explain: because of the heat, your movements are naturally slower, so you exercise for 1h30 but slowly, whereas in Power Yoga you exercise more energetically for 1h. The result, from my point of view, is the same: I definitively had the same muscle soreness the day after, but I usually don't need to feel sick to get there.

Yet I have to admit that Bikram Yoga is very good for the Skin: you sweat so much that it is completely clear at the end of the session... and with Power Yoga, I never had the "Chance" of having a Portugese  Trainer sweat on me for 1h30! 

This is what happens when I call C.: weirdness all around! I thank and love her for that!

If you also get bored in Paris and feel like trying something peculiar (and hardcore, let's be honest), have a look here.

I felt very lucky and thankful to have such a sweet and thoughtful Friend: C. had brought a robe and a spare towel for me, so I want to share a few tips:

- take 2 towels

- plan a whole new outfit (including spare underwear, yes)
- and if you are a bit conservative, plan a robe for the shower, because you might find yourself in a bathroom with 15 naked women (that is, if you are a woman of course)