Earlier today I went to Bikram Yoga at Club Stretch and it was fab. I went occasionally when I first arrived in Dubai. Clearly, moving to the sandpit at the onset of the summer swelter wasn’t challenging enough for me! But since, my intentions to return have come to nothing as it’s a bore lake to get to if living and working at the marina end of town.
Club Stretch is the only place you can do Bikram here. Just as well then that they do a great job. For those not in the know, Bikram yoga, sometimes referred to as hot yoga, is a sequence of 26 classic Hatha yoga postures and two breathing postures designed to warm and stretch the muscles, ligaments and tendons in the order that they should be stretched. It is tough, regardless of your yoga experience or fitness level, thanks to the heated room. The heat is believed to promote stretching in the body and prevent injuries. And needless to say, it makes you sweat beyond belief; the perfect detox then to combat the excessive wining and dining that us Dubai’ites have been known to be prone to!
The benefits are endless but amongst them are increased blood circulation and oxygen supply, improved digestion and expanded lung capacity, increased balance and strength and reduced stress … which is the icing on the cake for me as I find that a Bikram class is one of the few times I manage to quieten my monkey mind as the concentration and focus required is pretty intense.
Hannah, the teacher, was great. She’s not only a complete fox, for any of you Bikram boys out there (!) but she has a lovely voice, with a dulcet Geordie edge and her tone of instruction is just perfect; assertive without being aggressive.
And the best thing about Club Stretch? The best thing is yet to come as Brian, the founder, is on the cusp of opening up their second branch in Dubai Marina.
Music to my ears Mr Ward …. music to my ears.
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