Just Beginning Or Returning After A Break?

 

We have an exciting offer for returning students who haven't been to the studio in awhile! 

We know how time can slip by, and if you've been wanting to come back now is the perfect time! So take advantage of this offer and read the following excerpt for tips on returning to your Bikram practice from "HotYogini" on Squidoo. There's also some great information if you are just beginning to try Bikram yoga for the first time.

 

 It's a full-on Mind-Body-Spirit challenge ...

It's gonna take you a while to acclimatize ... so here's what is going on ...

Whether you are athletically super-fit or you haven't lifted anything other than wine and cake for the last few years, you will probably experience some quite dynamic shifts in your mind-body connection.

This is likely to happen just in the first few classes (say 3-5) as you begin to adjust to the combination of a 90-minute challenging class held in a room heated to about body temperature.

And then further on, in your first 3 weeks as your body's systems acclimatize to this type of training.

So what will some of these changes be?
So here's a list of some of the things I've experienced when beginning/coming back after a break and talking to friends who "do the hot yoga thing" they've also experienced.

• You may experience odd body symptoms - dizziness, sweat, cramp, light-headedness, headaches, blurry vision.
• You may find your breathing and stamina is challenged in the first 1-3 classes.
• You may discover tightness in areas where you didn't even know you had muscles (please don't ask ... lol!).

 

 

Typical symptoms and what to do about them - if anything

So here's my list of typical things experienced in "your first hot yoga class" or if you are a returning Bikram Yoga devotee ...

Could any of these be you?

Some typical side-effects of a Bikram Yoga class

Feeling out of breath

Pretty normal - most of us apparently only use about 1/3 of our potential lung capacity - so dramatically extending the use of your lung capability will take a few classes. If your teacher uses a very long pranayama breath timing, you'll notice it even more.

Fortunately, you improve rapidly, so keep it up!

Returnees: Remember to breathe deeply into the tummy as you used to and you'll sail through!

• Lack of stamina/Can't make it through class
  
  This one probably applies more to the returnees than the first timers, though it can definitely afflict anyone!
  
  Like any exercise, you need to build up momentum - and this cannot be achieved in one class alone. First timers can get overwhelmed by how "hard" it seems but this quickly changes in the first 5-7 classes.
  
  Returnees have a harder time because they "know" what they used to do - and try to repeat it immediately after long break!
  
  So take it step-by-step and you'll feel after the 3rd or 4th class back everything is getting easier.
  
• Dizziness
  
  Usually connected with breathing - most of us aren't used to breathing through our noses. Beginners might find themselves gasping for air through the mouth, though this is not good practice, as it stimulates a "panic breath".
  
  Some dizziness can also arise from the sudden elimination of waste from the body stirred up by the activation of the lymph system.And some dizziness can be from exiting some poses too quickly.
  
  Tip: Take the warm-up poses at a lower energy level, even "pacing yourself" and holding back energy reserves for later in class (despite what the instructor might be urging you to do!).
  
  Smelly sweat (but wait ... there's a very happy ending)
  
  This is also quite normal, but a bit disconcerting as it can even smell like urine (yuk!) and you wonder what the studio accidentally left on it's towels or mats. Have I put anyone off yet!!
  
  In fact, with your skin being such a huge elimination system, this might be another phenomenon related to the lymph system stimulation causing "waste" to be eliminated through the skin.
  
  Major upside: It passes quickly in the first 6 or so classes (though it CAN return if you have had a "big weekend" - too much wine or chocolate) after which you smell as sweetly as the day you were born ... well ... after your first bath anyway.
  
  AND ... people will literally stop you in the street to comment on your skin, your glow and ask you with a bit of a nudge and a wink, "So, what have YOU been doing?".
  
  A friend of mine even went home after her 4th class and had her husband ask her what the new makeup was that she was wearing (she wasn't wearing any). Now that's the kind of result a girl needs! 
• Feeling out of breath
  Although I am not a qualified physician, I feel this must also be to do with rebalancing the body and your essential salts. I have taken electrolyte replacements (ask at your pharmacy or health shop) to help as I do get cramps when returning after a break. Do NOT use most sports drinks to rehydrate/replace salts as they are mostly sugared water with some added table salt and won't do it for you.
  
  Once again, cramps do go away pretty quickly. But do consider taking some minerals or other supplements to help - and definitely stay hydrated, avoid caffeinated tea & coffee for a few days.
  
• Stiffness/Aches & pains
  
  Some don't feel anything after their FIRST class which is great ... BUT, beware the second or third class as this is where it can creep up on you.
  
  An easy solution: Keep up your Bikram Yoga. I promise you that most of the more uncomfortable aches and pains and stiffness go away very quickly - anywhere from the 3rd or 4th class, to 3-4 weeks (assuming you go at least 3 times/week).
  
  Remedy (and a very nurturing one at that): Apart from more yoga, which is the best solution, try luxuriating in an Epsom Salts bath. Put on some nice relaxing music, light some candles too ... invite a partner ...
• Hunger/Thirst cravings
  
  As you body settles into a new routine, your appetite may change and you might get sudden major hunger cravings. Try to avoid cramming in some carbs, instead have a light pre-made salad on hand for these moments (especially if you are after some reduction in dress size *wink*).
  
  Those new to Bikram Yoga or Hot Yoga should be aware that you will need to increase your liquid intake. Though there are those who scorn exercising in the heat due to their beliefs about the replenishment of water, they probably don't realize you ARE allowed to drink in class (sips at a time is best).
  
  But remember to step up your water intake BEFORE class - drink a liter of water up to 45 mins before and you will not regret it. It can also really help relieve any cramping issues.
  
• Emotional ups & downs
  
  This yoga is so fantastic for creating a beautiful, positive, happy state of mind -- for no reason at all - that it seems strange to discuss ups and downs.
  
  But there is no doubt that in your first few classes, or first few classes back, the rebalancing of the body can cause some emotional oddities.
  
  - Sudden busts of anger
  - Sudden sadness
  - Sudden euphoria (I like this one!)
• What I have found to be a very helpful antidote is a nice large drink of water, or water dosed with electrolytes. I can't explain it (maybe it is just a need to be better hydrated), but it seems to help level out the emotional states.
  
• Difficulty sleeping
  
  If you are at all like me, you cherish your sleep, and you would think that a highly cardio, 90-minute intense yoga "workout" would give you a blissful night's sleep.
  
  Normally yes, but some folks can end up tossing and turning a little due to the physical changes being made in the body; circulation system changes; maybe even some disturbance in sleep due to limbs aching from a good stretch.
  
  If this is you, then you might find a 10-minute quiet meditation just before bed (no TV!), or a stroll in fresh air if possible, will help relax your mind-body connection.
  
  Just instruct your unconscious mind to let everything relax with a bit of soothing self talk and you'll be sleeping peacefully through the night in no time.
  
• Acute awareness of your surroundings
  
  Not so much a negative, but an unusual side-effect is a sharper awareness of "life". This CAN mean surprising reactions to events or people - where you might have gotten "plugged in" before, now you are not reacting, but observing. I personally think this is a good thing - but it can feel a bit weird at first!
• Difficulty balancing
  
  This is both to do with straight up strength (of leg muscles, ankles etc), as well as the yoga reflecting for you any "imbalance" there may be in your life. So it can return under times of stress for example.
  
  Tip: Ignore this completely, make NO judgment whatsoever and get on with the yoga. Focus on breathing, restart whatever pose you fell out of and move on.
  
• Headaches
  
  As long as you are well enough hydrated and drinking plenty before and after class, any headaches in your early days are likely to be just the body cleaning itself out.
  
  Beware though - you MAY be unknowingly holding tension - physical or emotional - in areas of your back, neck & shoulders that are creating undue stress in poses which plays out as a headache. Observe your poses carefully and work on relaxing muscles that are not directly used in the pose (Tip: I think it's all in the breath. But that's just me :-)).
  
• Shaky or trembling muscles
  
  You might find that, during a pose, one or more of your muscles starts "twitching" or "trembling" or a type of spasmodic shake.
  
  It can feel as if you are weak or lacking in strength - when in fact this is a good indication that this is exactly when your muscles are actively retraining themselves!
• It takes at least 10 seconds of holding a pose to gain 100% recruitment of all the muscle fibers - after which you are "trying to go somewhere you haven't been before" (I so love that phrase one of my best teachers uses!). At some point your muscles cannot hold the position they have been "fully recruited" for and release. Then as you consciously re-recruit them while continuing the pose, they will go spasmodically backwards and forwards between fully engaged then releasing - hey presto here's the trembling!
  
  So this is purely building your stamina and can come and go as you build your body's expectations of your own muscle power.
  
  So when I am shaking and trembling in a pose - I am very proud that something is changing!
• Sore knees
  
  Sometimes, after your first few classes, you may experience some soreness in the knees. I believe it is important for this not to continue - fortunately it is easily cured!
  
  It probably is caused by standing with a straight (or "locked out" leg WITHOUT sufficient contraction of the thigh muscle groups (especially the quadriceps). So the knee joint itself is overly stressed and can become inflamed.
  
  Remember "Lock the knee" = "Clench your thigh muscles" and your knee soreness will quickly disappear.
  
• Stomach acidity/Reflux
  
  Yes, I know, not the most pleasant topic - but if you've been enjoying a - shall we say - "rich diet", you can expect that with the amazing amount of internal organ and digestive system massage, that your stomach, elimination system and regulatory organs will respond!
  
  This sometimes manifests as a "clearing out" which might mean you burp a lot (yes, even in class - yuk!); get a slightly acid tummy sometimes; release gas ... anyway you get the drift.
  
  Stick with it, as just like the strong sweat smell, this disappears quite quickly with a regular practice.
  
  Even quicker if you work on cleaning your diet up too! Blurry vision
  
  Depending on how much you sweat, in your first few classes (new OR returning) the extra waste products finding their way into your sweat, giving you a good cleanse, *might* make your eyes sting a little and hence cause some inflammation & blurriness. Wipe the sweat away from your eyes if you really need to. Check that you ARE drinking enough as this is another warning sign of lack of good hydration.
  You can soothe your eyes after class by using an eye cleanser, or just by rinsing them a few times in water.
  
  Really the best cleanser is tears - so watch a sad movie or go out to a really good comedy club!
  
  Also check that in the "head-to-knee" poises you are NOT pushing eyeballs unduly against your kneecap or shin. It should be your forehead touching, but this can be tricky until your flexibility comes.
  
  Shoulder/Arm stiffness/soreness
  
  Most of us don't hold the weight of our own arms over our heads every day - so this is a real workout of the arms and shoulders.
  
  That is one of the reasons I love this yoga - your body is doing resistance training against itself - how cool is that?

 Don't be surprised then if you feel as if sometimes your arms are so weary that they won't stay up - or that during pranayama breathing your shoulders start to ache a little.

Again, I've found that this disappears after a few classes - might take half-a-dozen - but this is not many!

And ... a wonderful side effect - you'll get beautifully sculpted and attractive "movie-star" looking arms!

Things to remember!

Take it easy on your first class - there's way too much to learn in one hit!

Allow yourself some time to integrate and your body to recover - go for an inspiring walk or a swim.

If you are returning from a break - don't push it! Even though you know what you used to do, it doesn't mean you should.

Tip of the Week: Standing Separate Leg Stretching Pose

First of all, thank you Evette for sending us this beautiful Standing Separate Leg Stretching picture! This is such a great posture. It has tremendous benefits, including stretching and strengthening the sciatic nerve and tendons in the legs, promoting proper functioning of the abdominal organs and intestines, and improving strength and flexibility in the  thighs, calves, pelvis, ankles, hips, and last five vertebrae of the spine. 

When starting to bend forward in this posture, make sure to look straight ahead (NOT at the floor) with your chin lifted for as long as you can or until you "see your own moon rising" in the mirror. This will help to keep your back straight. 

If you're a new beginner and still quite stiff, letting your spine lengthen by just hanging upside down will do wonders.
If you have trouble grabbing your feet, try grabbing the backs of your calves or your ankles, trying to pull your forehead closer to the floor. You can also try moving your feet in or out, more or less, and then trying to grab your feet, even if it is just the tip of your finger under your foot. You can always at first open your legs more and more, to get your hands on the floor in front of you to get your legs stretching.

Suck the belly in and stretch the sit bones up toward the ceiling while pulling and stretching the upper body down. The gaze is on the floor, centered between the feet but the neck should remain relaxed.

Keep your weight forward in your toes without lifting your heels off the ground. The goal is to touch your forehead on the ground between your heels, so you want to work on keeping a straight spine.

If you are having trouble, try relaxing and releasing the buttock more. To fully stretch the hamstrings, you must engage the quadriceps and lock the knees. 

If your forehead is not touching the ground in between your feet, widen your stance a little. If it's touching the ground easily, challenge yourself bringing your feet closer together.

Proper Breathing Techniques

During class, correct breathing is of the utmost importance, and will help your practice tremedously. There are two types of breathing techniques used in Bikram yoga. They are each used for different poses.

 The 80-20 breath is appropriate for use with standing poses and backbends. Using this breathing technique helps you maintain a strong feeling of balance and raises your energy levels within the pose. 

 The exhalation breath is used during forward bending poses.

80-20 Breathing

1. Begin by taking a full breath as if you were about to head underwater, lifting your ribs while engaging and stretching the abdominal muscles. 

2. Move into the pose while exhaling out 20 percent of the air through your nose with your mouth closed. 

3. Inhale 20%. Continue with this 20% exhalation and inhalation as you hold the pose, keeping the lungs 80% full. The oxygen is needed to perform the pose. 

4. Exhale completely once you finish the pose. The 80-20 breath is used for balance and energy while doing the standing poses and the back-bending ones.

5. Do not strain with this breathing technique. Beginners to the 80-20 breathing technique are advised to take additional breaths as needed to prevent straining the lungs. As lung capacity improves, the 80-20 breath will become easier and more natural. 

The Exhalation breath: 

1. Inhale deeply as you begin the pose

2. Exhale completely as you achieve the pose. 

The Exhalation breath is used while practicing the forward bending poses. This breath prevents lower back strain, helps the pelvis to rotate properly, tightens the abdominals to tone the body and exercises the digestive organs to help in digestion.

*The deep breathing associated with yoga practices of all types oxygenates your blood in a way that normal, shallow everyday breathing cannot. Yogic breathing mimics the breathing of deep sleep. It relieves muscle tension and helps you relax; with practice, Bikram yoga breathing techniques, as well as other yogic breathing techniques, can improve your overall respiratory performance.

Hydration Tips

The following is from yogi Marina Chetner. She answers some common questions on hydration while practicing Bikram yoga.

How can you tell if a student is not properly hydrated in class?

When a student is having a hard time in general, this can be a sign of dehydration and/or loss of electrolytes. Signs are: tiredness, dizziness, they’re not sweating enough, and /or their muscles are cramping.

If you are properly hydrated, and have an empty stomach (not especially full of toxins that day), the class should not be a huge struggle. Many people need to take a few classes for their bodies to acclimate to the heat, but if every class continues to be hard, talk to one of your teachers.  Together you can trouble shoot and find out what's going on. Usually it's a simple solution.      

 

What would you recommend to a hot yoga student in terms of replenishment if they are only hydrating with water during a summer practice?

If you’re practicing hot yoga, like the Bikram series, you cannot properly hydrate with just water, especially in the summer.

Electrolytes are charged molecules (positive or negative) that become active in water. They conduct electricity in the body and are instrumental for transmitting signals. They regulate, among other things: muscle contraction, heart rate, balance of body fluid, and pH levels. They affect all organs and systems in the body.

The body needs the right balance of water AND electrolytes for communication signals to be sent throughout the body. For example, if you are depleted in sodium or potassium, the signal from the nervous system cannot reach the muscle cell. This results in muscle cramping.

It's not just sodium and potassium we need. Other essential electrolytes include: magnesium, chloride, phosphate, sulphate, and calcium ions and bi-carbonates.  

There are many sports drinks out there, and which one to consume is a personal decision. Personally, I am not a big fan of them for the following reasons:

• Sports drinks often have too much sodium and sugar. In an extreme emergency, they will help. As a regular source of hydration, they are not the best. 
• The more processed a drink is, the less efficient the electrolytes become.
• Exposure to air and UV rays (including sunlight) diminish electrolyte activity. Heavily processed drinks in clear bottles are not the best source of electrolytes.

I recommend coconut water – it cannot be beat.  In fact, coconut juice is so similar to human blood that in WW2 they used it in blood transfusions for wounded soldiers! It is nature's miracle. Try to pick one that is not from concentrate, and if possible not pasteurized (there are brands now that use pressurizing technique to kill bacteria. This keeps active molecules more intact.)

There are other good sources of electroytes: Emergen-C, Ultima Replenisher, and mineral drops - to name a few. There are lots of options available at health food sport supplement stores. When using these, do not let them sit too long in your water or let them get too hot in the room.  

I recently read the following on active.com: “Drink by schedule, not by thirst. If you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated.” Is there truth to this statement? What about the old adage: drink when you’re thirsty?

It is hard to say exactly how much a person should drink; everyone is different in terms of activity level, and how much a person sweats. Generally speaking, the average person loses approx. 2 liters of water a day through breath, moderate sweating, and urination. A good rule: body weight X 0.7 = # ounces one should drink a day, on average.

If you are practicing Bikram, especially on a consistent basis, this HAS to be more. The more water you drink, and the more you sweat, the more important it is to replenish your electrolytes!

I would suggest starting off by drinking on a schedule. Most of us are dehydrated and have become acclimated to feeling this way. We’re not attuned to feelings of thirst.  In fact, many people mistake the feeling of thirst for hunger, so we eat instead of drinking water.

Until you have put your body back on track and established a pattern for being hydrated, I recommend discipline with water consumption.   

What should we include in our food diet to help along hydration?

Foods high in water: fruit and veggies, especially. Avoid caffeine (try decaf!), alcohol, and starches as they are dehydrating.

How should a student pace themselves with liquids in a 90 minute hot yoga class?

It is best to come into the room already hydrated. Do not try to hydrate in the room! It takes about 45 minutes to process water. Ideally, water in the room should be for refreshment. If you’re practicing Bikram Yoga, you should not need more water than little sips in between every 3 or 4 postures. Having a full belly of water is uncomfortable.

And again, I highly recommend electrolytes BEFORE class. It will make a huge difference in energy, stamina, and make for a better experience in the hot room.  

Published June 18, 2012 at 2:00 PM

Tip of the Week: Rabbit Pose

Question sent in to us via email from student Marty: "I have the hardest time getting into rabbit pose. I feel like I have a tight spine and it doesn't round very easily in this posture."

Many yoga students have difficulty even getting part-way into Rabbit posture because they focus too much on pulling on the heels, and do not put enough attention into lifting the hips up. As Bikram's Beginning Yoga Class explains, the way to overcome this is to lift the hips up first, bending forward while gripping the heels, from the beginning of the posture. Once the body is curling forward and the hips are lifting, then it's easier to pull on the heels and work towards straightening the arms. While pulling on the heels, lift the shoulders away from the ears.

Also remember to really suck your abdominal muscles in. By doing so you'll be able to stretch further and with more ease.

Don't over do it or go too far. Over time your spine will become more flexible and you'll feel the incredible benefits of the posture!

Congrats to the Winners!

It was quite a nailbiter watching the Top 15 contestants of our "Yoga Everywhere" photo contest rack up votes on Facebook over the weekend! Thank goodness we decided to leave the decision in the hands of our Facebook Fans because there was no way we could have chosen a winner on our own. Every photo submitted was just too amazing! 

Winslow Passey's photo on the summit of the Grand Teton and Stef Charlesworth's photo at the Salt Flats got so many votes that we decided to not have only one winner, but TWO! Congratulations to you both Winslow and Stef. We hope you enjoy your One Month Unlimited Pass to Bikram Yoga SLC! And because we couldn't leave out the other 13 contestants in the Top 15, it's our pleasure to give you each a $10 studio credit! 

Thanks again to everyone for making this contest so fun, exciting, and inspiring!

Namaste

 Winslow Passey

Stef Charlesworth

Help Us Choose a Winner!

It has been so exciting seeing all the beautiful and inspiring photos our students have submitted for our "Yoga Everywhere" photo contest! We appreciate you all for putting yourselves out there and sharing your practice and artistry with us. We had a whopping 125 photos submitted! We had the hardest time narrowing it down to the Top 10, so we stretched it to the Top 15. Please help us choose the winner by Liking us on Facebook and clicking "Like" on your favorite photo. Click here to vote on your favorite photo!   You have until midnight tonight to vote. The winner will be announced tomorrow!

 

 

 

Tip of the Week: Balancing Stick

This posture is one of the most exhilarating, yet challenging postures in the Bikram Series. Just like Standing Head-to-Knee Pose and Standing Bow Pulling Pose, bringing the chest parallel to the floor helps to stimulate and bring strength to the heart, which is exactly why it is also known as “heart attack on a stick posture”! 

Tips to help improve your Balancing Stick

 

Your set up will determine how well you will perform your posture.  

 

Lean back slightly in the set up to stretch up toward the ceiling. 

 

Lift your chest and as you step into the posture LOCK your knees and elbows and CONTRACT every muscle, even before you start. This will improve stability in the posture.

 

Point your toes from beginning. After you step forward and before you bring your body down, lift your back leg one inch off the floor, and point your toes.

 

As you bring your body down, keep your back leg and arms in one solid straight line. If your arms come down before your leg comes up, or your leg comes up before your arms go down you are NOT in a straight line. You are a "broken umbrella".

 

With your arms glued to your ears, keep them and your back leg completely parallel to the floor.

Breathe slow and even! Because this posture is only 10 seconds long, people often try to hold their breath here.

 

Stomach, stomach, stomach! Stabilizing your core is key in this posture and will help you balance. Remember dead weight is heavy weight, so keep everything contracted and you’ll feel light as a feather.

Imagine like your body is being used in a game of tug-of-war. Your arms and legs should be stretching each other apart in opposite directions!

Benefits of the Balancing Stick Bikram Pose:

This particular Bikram yoga pose improves balance, increases endurance, increases lung capacity, stimulates the heart and arteries (strengthens the heart), helps to clear blockages from arteries helping to prevent future cardiac issues, helps varicose veins, burns fat, relieves tension spine, improves concentration. Physiologically, this posture stimulates the pancreas, liver, spleen, kidneys, and nervous system.

Rajashree Choudhury says that 300 calories are burned in this 10 second posture. That’s how much internal work your body is doing!

Tip of the Week: Triangle

This is a great video demonstration of Bikram Choudhury doing Triangle (Trikonasana). Keeping two heels in one line, when he sits down he keeps his spine in the center. Notice how he brings his hips forward and his right knee back before bringing his fingers to his toes in order to get the proper alignment and triangle formation. When his fingers don't quite reach his toes, he stretches his right shoulder down without bringing his hips up. Keeping his left knee locked and squeezing his left glute muscle he twists to the left as in spine twisting posture.

What I Wish I Had Known as a Bikram Beginner

By Lisa Jones

There are the classic do’s and don’ts that every hot room newbie hears, as they nervously prepare for their first class. It’s usually about setting up, drinking water, and where to leave their sweaty rental towel.

But the practice of Bikram yoga is full of subtleties that I wish I had known when I got started. Here are just a few of them:

~ Sweat is sexy. I know you think it’s gross. But it’s so not. Sweat means passion. Dedication. Hard work. Health. It’s hot. Seriously.

~ Don’t worry about getting into better shape or getting more flexible before you come to your first class. We were all kinds of broken down messes when we first came. Fitness and flexibility come from going to class. Just start where you are.

~ Don’t set up in the front row on your first class, but stagger your mat so that you can see yourself in the mirror. You don’t like to look in a mirror, you say? You cringe at the sight of yourself in work-out clothes? That is exactly why you are here. It’s not to get the cute yoga ass you’ve heard so much about; that’s just a side effect. You are here to learn to love your reflection. We all had that critical voice in our head when we got here; you are here to kill that voice. You are here so that you can look in the mirror and smile kindly at yourself, like you are an old friend. You are here so that someday you can look yourself in the eyes and bow to your own grace and strength.

~ You will learn that us Bikram yogis love our bodies. Not that we are all perfect, by any means, but we love the incredible things that our forms are capable of. We treat them with respect and pride. This means we are not afraid to wear the smallest yoga clothes possible and we’re fine with nudity in the change room. We gave up shame around class #5. You will, too.

~ Savasana really is the hardest posture we do. When you are in camel, you might think I am full of it. But really, it’s savasana. It’s brutal to be still, in both mind and body, but that is OK. This is a lifelong practice.

~ The postures build on themselves; there will be a first step, then a next step. If you feel too challenged by a posture, go back to an earlier step and work on mastering that. Substituting different yoga postures or crunches or wind-sprints does not impress us. It makes us worry you will hurt yourself. You can take an improv class on a different night.

~ When you begin, you might think Bikram is all about the work-out because it’s all you can get your mind around. Be reassured that this practice is about embracing stillness, managing your ego and getting control of your monkey mind. It’s a profoundly spiritual meditation practice – it just takes a few classes to get your mind to shut the hell up long enough to realize that.

~ I promise you that even though it is all you can think about – leaving the room will not help you. I’ve seen several people pass out, all of them were attempting to leave the room when they went down. Sit or lie down on your mat and let the community energy and the watchful eye of the instructor support you. Breathe.

~ Get ready. If you decide to stick with this, get ready for a community more supportive that you could ever imagine. Get ready for huge challenges and more huge rewards. Get ready to cry in postures because you never thought it was possible that you could ever do them. Get ready to crave time in the hot room. Get ready to wonder what you ever did without it. Get ready for the yoga to change your body, mind and relationships in ways that will shock you.

Top 7 Reasons Why You Should Do Bikram in the Summer

If you're like most people, the thought of sweating it out in a 105 degree room is the last thing you feel like doing in the middle of a sweltering hot summer.

But practicing Bikram Yoga during the summer months can help acclimate you to the season's heat and actually make the summer more bearable. Also, without the large difference between the temps outside and inside the studio, you'll be able to warm up faster once you get to class.

Here are the Top 7 Reasons Why You Should Do Bikram in the Summer:

1. When you first walk into the yoga room, it actually feels cooler than outside! Piece of cake!

2. When you leave the yoga room, the outside feels cooler than inside! So you are getting best of both worlds! Bikram Yoga makes the summer more manageable!

3. The relentless heat from the summer can leave you feeling sluggish. Every time you take class, you fill your "gas tank" by hyper-oxygenating the nerves and blood vessels in your body.

4. Your body is more warmed up before class. Muscles are more relaxed in the heat. In the afternoon classes especially, you may find that you are more flexible and go deeper in the postures since your body had all day to warm up.

5. You will save money on your air conditioning bills by acclimatizing your body to a warmer temperature in your house so you won't have to run the A/C as much!

6. You will release toxins faster. Your body is warmer, you start sweating sooner, and you lose more of the stuff. 'Nuff said. (Just don't forget to be super-hydrated before and after class, and add some replacement minerals to your during-class water).

7. You will look and feel more confident in your skin, and of course your swimsuit!

2012 Olympic Athletes Prepare With Yoga

By Ann Pizer

When the U.S. national yoga asana championships were held in New York City in March, 2012, the media was all abuzz about the campaign to see competitive yoga become a new Olympic sport. This idea, spearheaded by Rajashree Choudhury (the wife Bikram yoga founder Bikram Choudhury) has been in the works for a few years, but seems to have gathered momentum recently. The United States Yoga Federation (Yoga USA), an organization led by Mrs. Choudhury, has stated that their goal is yoga's inclusion in the 2016 Games, but whether or not it makes the cut, yoga already plays a big part in the Olympics, offering strength training, improved flexibility, and, perhaps most importantly, psychological tools to many of the athletes who are set to compete under intense pressure in a wide range of sports at the summer 2012 Olympics in London. 

 

Strength and Flexibility

 

 

Top U.S. athletes report that yoga is an important part of their training routines, with improved core strength, flexibility, and alignment topping the list of physical benefits the practice imparts. For cyclist Evelyn Stevens, who rides on the Specialized - lululemon team, her interest in yoga predates her professional cycling career, as she was first introduced to yoga as a member of the tennis team at Dartmouth College. Though it can be difficult for an athlete on the competitive circuit to attend yoga classes regularly, Stevens finds that frequent power yoga classes improve her core strength and balance, both critical to cycling. When on the road, she maintains her practice by using yoga podcasts in her hotel room. 

 

Swimmer Rebecca Soni is also a yoga enthusiast. Soni is a breaststroke specialist and already an Olympic medalist, having won a gold and two silvers at the 2008 games in Beijing. She recently began taking yoga classes to help improve the flexibility in her shoulders and back. “I think my body is much better aligned as a result of my yoga work, which is an advantage in the pool," Soni says. She also finds that yoga helps her recover from the intense workouts her training necessitates. 

 

Listening to the Body

Fellow swimmer Ariana Kukors, who is the world record holder in the 200 Individual Medley, hopes to make London 2012 her first Olympics. The 22-year-old began doing Bikram yoga with her mom while still in high school. Kukors has found that yoga helps her be more in tune with her body, which in turn improves her swimming. Better body awareness and relaxation are also cited by gymnast Rebecca Bross as benefits she enjoys from doing yoga consistently. Bross, who is hoping to come back from a knee injury to represent the U.S. in the London games, has been complimenting her gymnastic training with weekly hatha  yoga classes for several years. 

 

Preparing the Mind

Aside from the physical advantages yoga offers, cyclist Stevens finds breath work and visualization to be exceptionally beneficial for her racing preparation. Stevens says. "I always finish my yoga practice feeling calmer, mentally stronger, and with a smile." Kukors agrees that yoga's primary benefits to her competitive performance are mental. Yoga "teaches you to block out the distraction from the outside world and really become in tune with how you are feeling," she says. "I think being able to center myself and retreat into my own little world is the best thing I've taken away from yoga."

We'll have to wait and see if competitive yoga will be included in future Olympics, but in the meantime, yoga students may find that the person on the next mat is one of the country's most elite athletes. Hopefully yoga will help give them the mental and physical advantages they need to succeed at the highest level of competition.