Hot Yoga: Practice Does Not Make Perfect
Practice does not always make perfect. And in this case, it is not supposed to. At least not for the people at Hot Yoga Charlottesville.
The scene in the studio is shocking. The men and women, barely clad, are dripping with sweat, as well they should be. It is a steamy 105 degrees.
The group moves in unison, breathes in unison, and relaxes in unison. Not a word is spoken for the entire hour and a half session, except for those of the leader, who gently directs the “yogis” to stretch in unimaginable ways. 26 postures, to be exact.
Lizzie Clark, owner of downtown’s Hot Yoga Charlottesville, explained the importance of “practicing,” as opposed to working out. “Of course, this is a cardiovascular workout, but there’s so much more,” she says, “We come into each situation with a belief set and a perspective on words and labels. So often, workout implies you are busting your tail – come hell or high water, no pain no gain. We call this a practice to lessen the ego’s hold on our physical movements.”
Erin O’Hare has been practicing Hot Yoga for years. She says, “Now, I am content . . . Every day I seek out another piece of myself and am proud to share this practice with fellow yogis.”
Clark goes on to say, “There is no practice that was better than another; even if it feels that way sometimes. You will receive what your body is teaching you that day. Sometimes it is a lesson in humility while other days it is a lesson in the limitlessness of your potential.”
When leaving the yoga practice, the participants quietly slip out of the room, their bodies, towels, and mats soaked in sweat. There are no high fives and cheers of “we did it.” Instead, there seems to be an air of humility, humbleness, and gratitude.
