off balance for a week

Hey there!

I am a beginner at bikram yoga (I’ve been at it for a couple of months now) so I’m no expert, but yes, I felt that bad for the first week. Even the second week was kind of horrible, too. It did go away and now I’m actually starting to appreciate the heat.

Make sure you stay in the back of the room en that you’ve drank enough all day. I would also bring a snack (like a granola bar) to eat right after just to make it home without shaking too much :-). Also, make sure to replenish your electrolytes (by drinking sports drinks and watching your nutrition). Also, perhaps a day off would do you good? Build it up slowly?

Hope that helps. Good luck!!!
Anna Denise

I have been practicing for 5 weeks now. I am at about class 23. What I have noticed is that I really do have to hydrate throughout the day before class, or the heat is unbearable and feel super wiped out afterwards. In addition, I find that what I eat really affects how I feel. If I eat heavy food with cream sauces during the day (I do the 6:30 PM class), or ice cream, I don’t tolerate the heat as well. If I eat lighter, like salads, lean proteins, grains, etc. then I can tolerate the heat much better. And, finally, if you are sweating that much — like 5 times a week, you have to make sure you put the correct nutrients in your body. I take a whole food supplement some days (New Chapter brand). I also use Ola Loa vitamin drink some days. And, I make sure I take an electrolyte packet and mix it with my water. I have also had coconut juice afterwards on some days (since I’m really not consistent with any of the supplements). It has potassium in it. About week 3, I felt nauseous every day during and after practice. By day 6 on that week, I was so weak and wiped out. I felt horrendous. I was also bloated and jiggly feeling. I talked to the instructors and they said I might be low in trace minerals. They advised having electrolytes. It has been 2 weeks now. I have made some changes (as listed above), and I feel better. I also do not eat directly before class. That is never a good recipe for me. Also, do you think you might be detoxing a bit with all of the sweat?

Hi Lee

Have any of the responses been useful for you? I would really like to know. My gut feel is, that if you already have plenty of experience in a hot room (and it’s not clear how much you have from your post) and your physiology is acclimatized then you should have minimum issues in the room.

Of course we have no idea of your stress levels. It could be that the room was too hot that you had some heat exhaustion. Dizziness and nausea are 2 signs to REST and recover. Others are right here to suggest you pay close attention to hydration. BUT hydration does not work alone. You also have to make sure you have the right electrolyte balance (either through food or supplementation or both).

The other thing is that your breathing technique could be working against you. I would need more information. I think it’s least likely to be that because of your yoga experience.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂