The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › Hot Yoga Facts
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Thank you so much for your reply, Gabrielle!
Yes, it is winter for me — I live in the USA in New England. The doctors all say I probably always had rosecea and that it was finally triggered by the heat in yoga. I’ve always been prone to get very red during exercise/heat — but it always went away after I cooled down — and never bumpy, inflamed skin before now. I know it is supposed to be genetic and my sister has had it for years.
There was another environmental influence that I believe may have accelerated my sensitive skin. About 15 years ago I was exposed to poison oak and had a systemic reaction to it (had inflamed skin all over my body — even where I didn’t touch the poison oak directly). Ever since then my skin has been pretty reactive — not really that dry — but I get itchy spots — not a rash — but a single inflamed pimple like spot — especially in the winter. So I assume the rosecea is genetic fortune triggered by a combination of environmental sources — starting w/the poison oak and aided recently by the heat from yoga.
I drink a decent amount water 40 oz a day now — but when I was doing yoga I was drinking at least 2x that amount. I seek out low/no salt food — and only add a minimum amt of table salt to my. The salt is generally the regular iodized type. Would sea salt be better?
I am very excited about your MasterClass kit. I can’t tell you how much I miss the routine — and so far, nothing seems a good substitute. I can’t wait until it arrives! I’m grateful I was able to go to a studio for a few months — and feel pretty good about some of my form — but I’m looking forward getting your coaching on the poses. I do feel like I’m going to miss is the heat at the studio — I felt like in every class I climbed a mountain — it was such a mental and physical rush afterwards — and truly no exercise has ever clicked with me the way Bikram has. I know I need to be careful about external heat — but I’d like to experiment with my internal heat. Do you think there will be a difference in how my skin will react between external heat and internal generated heat? I do crave getting my heart rate up so I can get a good cardio workout. I was reading in the forum that I could do some sun salutations before I begin the Bikram to get the heart pumping.
One last note, the heat very rarely bothered me in class — most days I didn’t mind it at all — and I had very few days where I wanted to bolt from the room — usually when it was up a bit higher than normal (my studio keeps it right at 105).
I will take your suggestion and start slow with the shorter work out and no extra heat and see how I do.
Thanks again for your insight!
Hello Martha
I guess you are doing what you can. I would have suggested practicing at night but you are already doing that. :cheese: I am thinking that you probably need to give it a definite time period to see if there is any normalizing of your systems or flushing and cleansing happening that COULD possibly set up better conditions in your body. In other words perhaps your symptoms may in fact reduce over time. You may need a re-assessment of your medications (because some people find they need less tablets with increased practice). Don’t give up hope. Not just yet. Set a very strong intention without expectation. Then reassess when the time is right.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Gabrielle –
I’m intrigued by your response above: “need to give it a definite time period to see if there is any normalizing of your systems or flushing and cleansing happening that COULD possibly set up better conditions in your body. In other words perhaps your symptoms may in fact reduce over time.”
Would you recommend continue Bikram during this “time period” or taking a break?
Perhaps I should tell you about my current dilemma.
I am 42 and I started my Bikram practice 5 months ago, attending classes 4-5x a wk. Shortly into my experience I felt strongly that this was “my thing” – and my chronic back and knee issues began to improve — and I felt better than I had in 10 yrs. 2 months into my practice I started getting classic rosecea symptoms on my face; bright red nose, raised/inflammed skin, pimple-like sores on cheeks and forehead (wept like a poison oak/ivy reaction rather than a normal pimple white head). I continued with Bikram until until a month ago — when I counld no longer ignore that my face just hurt badly and would not stop itching. So, much to my disappointment, I stopped Bikram with the hope of getting my skin to calm down for a while so I could start Bikram up again later. During my break from Bikram over the past month I’ve been to my primary care dr, a dermatologist and a naturopath. I’m using a topical anti-biotic gel and working on some vitamin deficiencies that may be contributing to the inflammation (low vitamin B and foliate levels, high level of homocysteine). My skin has improved in the last few wks — but it still remains a bit inflamed even w/the gel and without Bikram.
I’m all for walking through pain (as I’m sure anyone who does Bikram regularly must be comfortable with). What I’d appreciate is your opinion and/or observational experience is on whether or not I should continue with Bikram to see if some natural balance will arise — or whether I should wait until my skin is calmed down completely — or whether my Bikram days are over. I can handle a few months of discomfort — but what I don’t want is to make my skin constantly inflamed permanently.
My last question is related to un-heated Bikram. I’m intrigued by your MasterClass program and wonder what the benefits would be for me of using your DVDs if I can’t get back to the heated studio. I’m sure the practice won’t be as cardiovascularly challenging and I would have to be careful about proper form to prevent injury — but are there other things I would be giving up?
Many thanks in advance!
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