At the couple of yoga studios I've practiced at, I can tell you that no one is paying attention to you or judging you...I promise. If they are, then they're not paying attention to what they should be: their breath, coordinating breath with movement, and their own form. I have enough to concentrate on than to look at what anyone else is doing! Plus, in many cases your drishdi (probably spelled wrong, but means gaze) is supposed to be towards the floor or kept very dim (lids partially closed) so you literally can't see anyone but yourself!

I think the idea behind hot yoga is that it keeps your muscles and joints very warm for flexibility. The practice I go to here in Mexico is not Bikram, but it's in a studio without A/C or even a fan, in a hot climate, so it is essentially that. Most days I sweat like crazy. I have a towel on top of my mat so I won't slide around, and it is totally damp at the end of the practice, along with my clothes, hair, etc. During the more active parts of the 90 minute practice, I am dripping sweat and wiping it off my face (and sometimes arms and legs) with a bandanna frequently. I really don't enjoy this part of yoga and would much rather practice in a cooler room, but I love the instructor and location (easy walk for me), so I keep going.

As far as demographics, as a 54-year old American in a class full of 20-30 something Latinas and Europeans, conducted in Spanish, I am completely, totally off-the-charts "different", but I am definitely at the age if IDGAF! I'm doing it for me, not for anyone else.

Good for you for going, VBC. And ny biker, I think if I could pick any age to be at this moment, 40 would be great! I had no idea how "young" I was then. Like yellow mentioned, I look at my wrinkles, sagging skin, and see how much more injury-prone I seem to be now and realize how wonderful my 40s really were now that I'm in my 50s!