Bikram Yoga Dix 30

Bikram Yoga Dix 30

Why Hot Yoga?

Yoga itself is a great workout and it improves your posture and spinal alignment. Hot Yoga
makes you sweat, which detoxifies your body... It gets rid of the toxins and cleanses
your body.

Where is hot yoga offered?

There are a number of hot yoga studios in Montreal... Just to name a few:

• Ensō yoga (downtown)
• Bikram Yoga (few locations in Montreal)
• Bikram Yoga Dix30 (Brossard)
• Idolem (various locations: St-Denis, West Island, Centropolis, Brossard, Beloeil)

My friend and I initially wanted to go to ensō yoga (I read some good reviews online) but my friend and I live in Brossard, so we found it more convenient to go to Bikram Yoga Dix30. 

Reservation & Schedule

Although reservation isn't always required, it is best to reserve a spot because some classes may be full. Our class was scheduled at 2:30 PM. We didn't reserve but we were still able to join in the class. All the hot yoga classes at Bikram Yoga Dix 30 are 90 minutes long but other yoga studios offer classes from 60 to 90 minutes. We looked at their schedule online and decided to go on a Friday at 2:30 PM.

Pricing

My friend and I paid $25 each (taxes included) for trial week at Bikram Yoga Dix 30. We got it on Friday, so we had 7 days and the following Friday was inclusive.

I made a table comparing the prices for some of the studios (prices don't include taxes). Bikram Yoga Dix30 offers best value if you plan on taking only one class. However, ensō yoga offers the best rate when it comes to the unlimited 3 month membership. 

Discounts/Promotion

Students

If you're a student, then you might pay less depending on the company.

• Ensō yoga offers contracts.. For example, for a 4 month unlimited membership, you pay registration fee of $50 & $85 per month
• Bikram Yoga Dix30 offers a discount for students. You pay about $15 per class (see full list of prices here)
• Bikram Yoga of Montreal locations also offers student discounts. Students pay $14 per class (see full list of prices here)  

Off Peak Hours         

• ensō yoga offers a limited number of classes for $10 (an hour each). They are great for people trying hot yoga for the first time but the schedule isn't for everyone (visit their website for the schedule). 

What You Need

• Yoga mat
• 2 towels (1 large one for yoga and the other one for shower)
• Bottle of water

My First class (March 7th 2014) 

We tried calling Bikram Yoga Dix30 but they didn't pick up. So we basically just showed up and were welcomed in. We mostly had everything we needed, so didn't buy anything except a bottle of water. We paid for the trial ($25) and filled a form.

After changing, we walked in the class. Most people just warmed up before the class started. Then the instructor walked in and gave the class in English & French. I did the first few poses but then I felt so dizzy to the point that I had to lie down. I was embarrassed to have been lying down at first but realized no one was really there to judge me. Everyone seemed to be paying attention in class (including my friend), which was great. The instructor came to check up on me and I reassured her I was fine. I tried getting back up for the other positions but simply couldn't, so I did some of the poses while lying down but did the last breathing exercise with everyone. 

The moment I heard "Namaste" at the end, I was just so happy that the class was over. It was way too long especially for me. I walked out of the class feeling relieved that it was over. We waited until there were less people in changing room and went to shower. The space to shower was a bit small in opinion. However, it was clean and they even had shampoo and body wash, which was convenient. 

When I got home, there was this glow on my face. My skin felt so nice and clean! I loved it! I had a salad and went out and had late dinner. When I was at the restaurant, I got a headache, which didn't go away until I fell asleep. I think it's because I didn't eat properly. I made another mistake that day.. I didn't hydrate myself before going in for hot yoga. This is probably why I felt so dizzy, so I don't want to give up on it just yet. I'd like to give hot yoga another chance... But next time, I will be better prepared.

My Second Class (March 14th 2014) 

I was tempted not to go back to Bikram Yoga but somehow I ended up going back with my best friend. This time we went a little later (5 PM class). I was a little nervous at first but surprisingly, it went really well! I was able to do all the yoga moves without constantly feeling dizzy. In fact, I felt dizzy for few seconds while doing their camel pose but otherwise, I was fine!

Yes, it was still hard but I was just so happy that I didn't feel dizzy this time. But it may be because I did few different things...

• I ate at least 2 hours before my class (it's suggested that you avoid eating 2 to 3 hours before class). I also ate properly this time.. I had some chicken with salad and brown rice.
  
• I drank a lot of water and some juice before my class.
  
• I didn't try to perfect the yoga moves this time. I just tried to do it as best as I could without putting too much pressure on my body. If I wasn't able to do a certain move, I simply tried my best to the extent that I didn't feel any discomfort. I did this because I didn't want to take the risk to become dizzy this time. However, as I take more classes, I do plan on doing to perfecting the moves.

When the class was over, I was overjoyed that I wasn't dizzy at the end of the class. Sadly, that night I went for late dinner again and didn't eat right after my class even though I was very hungry and so, I got a small headache again but this time it went away easily. It didn't ruin my night at all unlike last time.

Since my trial period ended, I'm most likely not going back to Bikram Yoga Dix 30. However, I am planning on trying other yoga studios in the next couple of months. Especially since I found a way to overcome my dizziness.  

You can see more pictures on my web page.