hey, red face. namaste.

I did my first yoga class since moving to Japan this week.

I had prepared myself for the language barrier.

I had prepared myself for the heat and intensity of Bikram yoga.

I had prepared myself for the expensive prices in Nagoya.

I had not prepared myself for how red my little Irish face gets.

Especially in contrast to to all the beautiful Japanese women, with their yellow skin tone.

Boo to that, for real.

In spite of my flushed skin, my body enjoyed moving, stretching, pulling.

The studio, Bikram Yoga Sakae, was carpeted and brightly lit, with a full length mirror opposite the class.

We all had matching orange and purple mats with blue towels on top.

The teacher let us know what moves to do when and when we could drink our water.

(The nail that sticks up gets hammered down.)

Because I was new, I had a pink towel and I could drink whenever I needed.

(Or maybe no so much for the newbie.)

When we were done, I walked out into a raging storm with rain, wind, and thunder.

I was a soggy mess when I got back home, both above and below my jacket, but it was kind of fun to walk through the rain.

I took a bath, drank some tea, and made chicken for dinner.

It was a good day.

(Red face and all.)

[All photos by Chris Paltzat in an amazing series taken at St. Alberts Bikram Yoga]