Tonight there was a new teacher. She was very good but for one detail: At the beginning of class, she told the group to not take water breaks until after eagle pose.
I have never had a teacher say that in a room heated at 104 degrees!
I normally start taking frequent sips right at the start and throughout the practice.
Well, I started getting dizzy during the half moons and it was all downhill from there: apparently you cannot “catch up” on hydration in Bikram, it doesn’t work.
I wound having to opt out of several postures, felt dizzy and light headed the whole time.
Now, not surprisingly, I feel worn out, dehydrated and tired.
Not relaxed and energized like I normally do after Bikram.
I am drinking now and I will be ok, but I have to ask:
Is it normal to not expect a water break until after eagle pose, in Bikram?
I have never heard such a thing before.
I plan to follow my own needs from now on, but I do find this rather odd.
Thoughts?
It really is not to me to say, one way or the other for this example you bring up. However, as a teacher of yoga, I personally am not in the business of depriving my students of anything at all. I do not tell them what to do. They come to my class to be directed. They may either heed that direction or forsake it. The results of either are only on their living.
Most of the oddity of yoga is not of yoga at all but rather of simple, unadulterated human ego.
And there is always a bigger picture to examine. In this instance it may be - “for what reason(s) has the student selected a practice where the teacher attempts to deprive them of a basic need for survival”? And that is a fun one to bat around for a bit, isn’t it?
I like the postures in Bikram but this kind of thing makes me chuckle. I would suggest just drink a bunch before the class, then wait till after, like they say, to keep them happy. I have heard somewhere before the same thing about water breaks only after eagle.
Persoanlly I don’t think I need bikram to sweat and have a fruitful session, using vinyasa and ujjai breathing and bandhas I can sweat all I want, and don’t need water breaks at normal room temp. Plus by doing that I’m training the inner fire, so to speak, the heat is coming from within, and maybe removing more toxins.
just my $0.02
Have you asked this teacher the reason for no drinking until after Garudasana? I would be curious to hear the answer.
I agree with Gordon. I don’t deprive my students, especially of water. Most of my students have water sitting next to them and take small sips throughout. I even have students who quietly leave to use the restroom during practice. I look at it this way, what’s the alternative? I would rather not have to stop class and clean up a mess! Not to mention the embarrassment the student would likely feel!
Thanks, everyone.
I had a talk with the owner of the yoga center, he said there are 2 reasons for this, neither of which I believe makes sense:
-wait for water to give the body a chance to warm up (in a 104 degree room??)
-some people get upset if someone takes a water break while they re trying to work on a pose (come on, now. I did have a rolled eyes moment with that one)
But he did say that I should listen to my body and take care of my needs, so I told him my body says to start drinking early in practice, and that while I don’t go out of my way to distract other students and prefer to take water between poses anyway, I intend to keep doing exactly that in the future.
Next class is tonight. 
So is it just on them then?
Will we be glossing over the bigger picture or simply keeping it personal, but active?
Confusing, isn’t it? I think that deep down, the instructor and her boss meant to convey that students should be mindful of the impact of their actions on fellow students and treat one another with respect, but I guess the whole thing was terribly phrased and awkward.
I have been to many yoga classes both on the east and west coasts, and I have never seen people trample over others or be disrespectful. I have also never seen anyone act disturbed because a neighbor was taking a drink.
So I basically told him what I plan to do, and he didn’t seem to have a problem with it, I think he realised quickly how silly the whole thing was.
But then, I’ll know better after tonight’s class: the owner is teaching. 
Bikramfan,
The other people that responded are not familiar with Bikram yoga. To answer your question, it is universally taught at all Bikram studios to wait until after Eagle to take a drink of water. The trick is to drink a large glass of water a hour or so before class and immediately after class. I stopped drinking water in Bikram classes. I found the water to be a distraction.
My advice is to wean yourself off of the water and other distraction like wiping off the sweat, adjusting your matt, etc. Focus on your breath. Keep it deep, vibrant, and steady. It is possible to meditate in a Bikram class, but it takes real focus.
[QUOTE=fernmanus;48035]Bikramfan,
The other people that responded are not familiar with Bikram yoga. To answer your question, it is universally taught at all Bikram studios to wait until after Eagle to take a drink of water. The trick is to drink a large glass of water a hour or so before class and immediately after class. I stopped drinking water in Bikram classes. I found the water to be a distraction.
My advice is to wean yourself off of the water and other distraction like wiping off the sweat, adjusting your matt, etc. Focus on your breath. Keep it deep, vibrant, and steady. It is possible to meditate in a Bikram class, but it takes real focus.[/QUOTE]
Hmmm. I think I will opt out of that one, fernmanus. As a sports nutritionist, I simply cannot see the wisdom in depriving myself of fluids while sweating buckets.
When I went back to class the other day, I drank whenever needed and felt great throughout the entire practice, did not need to sit out postures and felt energized and relaxed afterwards.
I think everyone is different.
I can respect the instructor for making the suggestion, but ultimately, I must address my body’s needs.
Unlike you, I find thirst to be extremely distracting and counterproductive.
But I thank you for explaining, though I have never encountered this in the 10 years I’ve spent in bikram, now I’ll know to expect it if I take class in a different studio. 
You could wear a back pack with a drinking tube in it, that way no-one ever needs to leave the mat to have a drink, drink right inside a posture!
I keed I keed. 
[QUOTE=rechaka;48084]You could wear a back pack with a drinking tube in it, that way no-one ever needs to leave the mat to have a drink, drink right inside a posture!
I keed I keed. :p[/QUOTE]
:lol::lol::lol: … And a portable shower, too!
I’ve heard there is no set temperature for Bikram yoga. Is this correct?
Is there a certain order of poses that all bikram classes follow? It sounds like that as everyone is aware of ''after eagle pose" and when this would come. Just trying to learn a bit about bikram. thanks.