#19 Cleanliness is next to godliness

Sweating is a good thing, especially when it's sported by a guy with nice delts...

The recent craze of hot yoga has made it acceptable to cram yourself into a hot, steamy, dimmly lit room with dozens of people you don't know to sweat it out together. Sounds more like a swingers club. The fact is it feels great and leaves your skin feeling oh-so-soft. Plus, you don't have to feel awkward afterwards when you see your fellow classmates in public.

I'll ask one thing of my fellow yogis though: please bring a towel and use it. It's not alright to sweat all over someone else's mat. I'm not immune to sweating anymore than the next person. In fact, there are days when if I don't sweat, I know I didn't push myself past my comfort zone. I keep a towel onhand because even though I may think I look sexy all dewey and glisteninig with sweat, the reality is others probably don't agree.

Recall the one Niyama dealing with this very topic: saucha or cleanliness. Do as the Romans did and keep yourself and your environment clean. This includes keeping a tight rap on your sweat and cleaning down borrowed mats.

Lesson learned: Sweating is good but only in the right places (e.g. delts).

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