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Even though the world population has shifted from mainly rural to mainly urban in the last decade, there are still lots of folks like me who live in the sticks. Doing things like taking a yoga class becomes a different thing in our case from driving to the neighborhood gym. Since I live 40 miles from the nearest town large enough for yoga studios, when I decided to take a class, I was more interested in the schedule than I was the type of yoga. I couldn't afford to be picky if I preferred not to wait around for a couple hours after getting off work. So I looked in the phone book, and didn't pay attention to anything but the schedule. There it was: M-W-F at 4:00. Perfect. I don't know what rock I'd been living under, but the word "Bikram" writ large across the ad in the yellow pages didn't trigger the term 'hot yoga' in my mind, and that left me in for a big surprise.

I showed up with a comfy pair of sweatpants and a long- sleeved t-shirt. As the woman at the desk was giving me a little orientation information - explaining that the room was heated to about 100 degrees Fahrenheit - I realized that my concept of yoga clothes weren't going to work here. Apparently, I wasn't the first to make this error. Susie told me they had loaners. Now, it's been a while since the last time I wore hot-pants, so when she handed me the little scrap of shorts, I thought, "No way." She said, "Trust me, you'll fit right in."

Susie continued, giving a few more orientation tips, which started to seem like a set of warnings. "Our first-time students are encouraged to rest whenever you feel you should - kind of take it gradually. The instructors just ask that you do your best to stay in the room for the entire time." What? Were we still talking yoga here? I'd seen pictures. Sure, I might not be able to balance on one leg while holding the other one over my head at my first try, but come on. How hard could it be to stretch as far as I could go and stop there? Why would I get desperate to leave the room?

Her next suggestion: "OK, I see you brought a bottle of water. That's good, but you'll be tempted to drink a lot, and I recommend you just drink sips - not too much at a time." Hmm. What was I getting into here? It sounded like I was facing some kind of ordeal - not what I had in mind at all since I was thinking of yoga as a peaceful, low- impact way just to stretch and keep my aging body flexible and strong.

Once I was dressed in the little bit of shorts, I opened the door to the yoga studio and was met with a rush of hot, stultifying air. Oh goody. I walked to an open space, spread my mat, lay on my back, and understood exactly what she meant by asking me to at least stay in the room. I was already dripping sweat, and we hadn't even begun the class.

Ninety minutes and twice through the 26 poses later, I was indeed still in the room. In the non-competitive, supportive atmosphere I had been completely guided to go to my edge, but not so far that I would be turned off by struggle. In fact, I was exhilarated. I lay on my back at the end, eyes closed in the peaceful, very hot room, and knew I'd be back for more.

Carina Snowden is a contributing author to Apex Yoga News the leading resource for yoga information. Visit Carina's archive of articles at http://www.apexyoga.com/

The two types of motorized golf carts are: (a) the Push/Pull cart - the golf bag is fastened with a strap; and (b) small motor-car style - can be driven along the course.

The car-style motorized golf carts were first used during the 1940s by people who have disabilities. They used the carts to drive along the golf course. However, even if these golf carts were originally designed to help people who are physically challenged, the vehicle is now being enjoyed by most golfers.

Some motorized golf carts are powered by electricity. The others are powered by gasoline. The average speed of a golf cart plays along the lines of 15 and 20 MPH. You may find some carts having just 2 seats, but others have up to 6 seats to be able to transport an entire flight from one part of the course to another during matches.

You should be conscious of the safety measures and rules when using the gasoline and electric-powered motorized golf carts:

- Always abide by the rules set by your golf club every time you use them.
- Even if there are no rules regarding your use of golf carts, have the common sense to consider driving, parking, and loading SOPs. You should not just drive them wherever you please, park them wherever it suits you or overload them.
- You should always use the brakes properly
- Just as we observe in driving our cars or any other vehicle for that matter... DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE!

Push/Pull carts are also subject to certain rules at the golf club. An example of this would be being careful when dragging our cart at the turf. You do not want the wheels of the cart to leave marks on the grass since this may cause significant damage to the turf.

Motorized golf carts are battery-operated. They are created by different dealers and you can find them in many stores on the Internet. A shop where you can find anything about carts is Kaddy Karts located in California.

This shop houses different kinds of carts including the RoboKaddy whose tagline is "no other cart has the ability to go in reverse." If you find motorized golf carts very interesting, you can check facts and details about them on the Internet. I am sure it will give you many links to websites about the different kinds of golf carts and will allow you to pick the right one that matches you and your style.

You can also find more info on Best Golf Carts and Bag Boy Golf Carts. Golfclubscarts.com is a comprehensive resource to know about golf Carts.