My First Bikram Yoga Class

I took a Bikram yoga class this morning! The pain in my shoulder is practically unbearable, and I need to find a way to strengthen my back (which has it's own issues) without hurting my shoulder. I have a Pilates reformer to target my problem areas, and I like going to the gym once or twice a week for more intense cardio and weight training. I love yoga and the flexibility it provides, but there's a problem. The more traditional yoga classes use a lot of downward facing dog, which really aggravates my shoulder.

I'd love to be able to do this again soon.

Bikram yoga is different. It consists of 26 specific asanas (postures) which are done two time each and in a very specific order, and none of the postures are downward facing dog. It also needs to be done in a room heated to 105 degrees with 40% humidity. Actually, the way in which the practice is put together supposedly heals the body. I so hope that's true.

I've never been able to do this, but I'm still holding out hope.