Marc's Story

  
For those of you who haven't met Marc yet, he is a new instructor at Bikram Yoga SLC! He's come a long way since a severe motorcycle accident, including getting 1st place in the men's division in this year's Regional Yoga Asana Championships. The following is his motivating story.

Adversity comes to all.  It is part of life.  But, hearing about adversity is, for the most part, neither very interesting nor instructive.  However, a story about adversity overcome is exciting and most instructive.  Marc Linton's is such a story.

      In a severe motorcycle accident in August of 2002, Marc suffered multiple injuries that included compression fractured vertebrae, extensive soft tissue damage, a fractured skull, and serious neurological damage.  "Before the accident I was already dealing with anxiety and depression issues.  "The brain injury compounded the anxiety and depression and caused memory issues, agoraphobia, and socialization problems.  "I felt absolutely overwhelmed by it all.  "I was collecting Social Security disability, was on six different medications and was at the end of my rope. I wasn't healing, I was just more and more medicated, and the bills were piling up.  "In desperation I decided I needed to try something different and one doctor had told me that yoga gave him relief from his back pain.  "My first practice at Bikram Yoga I was completely overwhelmed, nauseated, dizzy and spent most of the class laying on the floor.  "However, after class was over I experienced a window where I was pain free for the first time in over four years.  "With each practice that pain-free window opened more and more.  "I found myself practicing six days a week, sometimes twice a day to alleviate the pain.  "Initially I came to yoga for my back pain, but I found it helping all of the issues I was dealing with including the brain injury.  "My memory improved, the depression was lifting and about six months into practice I was out of pain and shedding the many medications. "That's when I decided decided I needed to teach this yoga. "I remember thinking: How do people not know this?"  

     Almost exactly two years after Marc began his practice, and as he continued to heal, Bikram granted him a full scholarship to attend teacher training.  Marc's successful completion of this very strenuous (physically, mentally, and emotionally) training course in the fall of 2008 overcoming- against all odds the limitations, and memory issues of the brain injury was proof of his healing.  Upon returning from training, Marc began teaching at the Bikram Yoga Sandy studio, subsequently managed and taught at the Bikram Yoga Ogden studio for the summer, and then in the fall returned full-time to Sandy.  He now also teaches at Bikram Yoga S.L.C. since April 2012 and offers personal Health/Wellness & Anxiety/Depression coaching. "If someone had told me 10 years ago that I was going to be teaching yoga and coaching others, I would have laughed. . . but here I am. "I teach yoga because it works.  " I teach it because it helped give me my life back."

     Marc enjoys Boarding (snow, wake, and surf), Cycling (road and mountain), rock climbing, hiking, backpacking, mixing underground dance music, and generally having a good time.   He says, "Don't be afraid of dying.  "Be afraid of not living!"

11th Anniversary and Goodbye to Dewi Party!

We had such a great time celebrating our 11th Anniversary of Bikram Yoga SLC last Saturday night! Yes it's been 11 years since we first opened the doors of our studio, and we are still going strong welcoming new faces every day and gaining even tighter bonds with those who have been with us from the beginning. We are so grateful for the friendships we have made here at our "Bikram Home", and thank each and every one of you for making our studio what it is today. It's been 11 incredible years, and with your support we hope to see many more to come.

 

We are so sad to being saying goodbye to our beautiful Dewi! Dewi has been practicing at Bikram Yoga SLC since 2003 and has been working at the front desk since 2007. Her husband has taken a job in California, and she and her family will be moving next week. Dewi, your radiance and fun-loving personality will be sadly missed. Thank you for your dedication over the years and for all the positivity, warmth and happiness you brought to our studio. We wish you and your family a bright future in California!

Sweaty Yogi – Hydrate Yourself!

The following article sheds some light on the importance of proper hydration before, during, and after class. You may also want to check out the "elete" electrolyte mineral supplement tablets or liquid drops to add to your drinking water sold at our studio. 

by Lucas Rockwood of YOGABODY Naturals.  

Yoga students often become obsessed with hydration to the point where they’re never without a water bottle. It just becomes part of you. Your wallet, your keys, your ID, and a bottle of water. It’s really that important.

And yet as a teacher, I’m constantly getting questions about how to avoid dehydration. Despite the awareness, many students still find themselves with constipation, headaches, and dark circles around their eyes simply because they’re dehydrated. 

Depending on the temperature of the room and the style of yoga you’re practicing, it’s possible to lose an enormous amount of water during a 90-minute practice. Hot Yoga students need to be most concerned; but on warm days, just about any Ashtanga-Vinyasa or Power Yoga class quickly turns into a sweat-fest too, so the question that arises is: “How do you properly rehydrate?”

STEP 1: Make sure you are hydrated BEFORE class. This doesn’t mean that you should drink two liters of water just before practice, but it does mean making sure that throughout your day, you maintain a healthy intake of water (and no, coffee doesn’t count). 

STEP 2: During class, follow your teacher’s instructions. If it’s a class where water is accepted (like Bikram Yoga, for example), then you’ll absolutely want to bring water. If it’s a class where water is optional, be your own judge. And lastly, if it’s a class where water is not permitted, just make sure that you feel that it’s a healthy practice for you and talk one-on-one with your teacher if you have any doubts.

STEP 3: Drink water and only water. For hydration, you’ll want to reduce or eliminate all the caffeinated and flavored beverages from your diet including coffee, dark teas, and sodas. Non-caffeinated, herbal teas are fine, but for the most part, you want to drink just plain old water.

But what kind of water? Dozens of athletic studies have shown that it’s not just about quantity, it’s also about quality when it comes to water. What you’re looking for are electrolytes, positively and negatively charged ions from minerals that keep your body’s electrical system working properly.

In a natural state, we’d drink our water from streams, wells, and rivers. This water is high in minerals, including the important electrolytes sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and chloride. But since most of our water today has been treated, heavily filtered, and bottled, it’s often referred to as “dead” water because it’s mineral-deficient.

RE-MINERALIZE YOUR BODY & YOUR WATER

Natural mineral water is very hard to come by, and not practical for most people (unless you live near mineral springs); so the best idea for most students is to proactively re-mineralize their body and their water on an on-going basis.

There are a number of ways to boost your mineral intake, but the easiest are (a) to start eating as many dark green, mineral-dense veggies as possible, and (b) to consider adding a pinch of sea salt or seaweed (such as dulse) to your water bottles throughout the day.

Unbleached, chunky sea salt is a great source for electrolytes and can easily be added to your water. It’s high in sodium, of course, so do add just a pinch and be cautious if you have blood pressure problems.

Dulse is a mineral-dense sea vegetable that is a great source for natural electrolytes as well. Adding a leaf of dulse to a water bottle is another simple way to increase the “sticking” power of your water. 

If you’ve ever had the feeling that no matter how much water you drink, you still feel completely parched; chances are good that you were suffering from electrolyte deficiency. The good news is that with a little planning and consciousness effort, you can dramatically increase your body’s ability to absorb and retain water.

5 Reasons to Take Your Dad to Yoga Class

Happy Father's Day from Bikram Yoga SLC! What better way to treat Dad on this special day than bringing him to his first Bikram yoga class. Today all "first time yogi" Dads practice for free. The following article has some great motivation for getting Dad to class.

5 Reasons to Take Your Dad to Yoga Class 

 By Jennifer White

My dad started private yoga sessions with me last fall. He was having some lower back and hip issues that I was confident yoga could help—they did and he’s now officially a yoga junkie.

The unfortunate thing is that many men don’t even get a chance to experience yoga’s benefits—because yoga has a reputation of being for girls. There are a lot of reasons for this misconception, but I think one is simply that there are a lot of female yoga practitioners in the U.S. It takes a confident guy to walk into a class for girls—yet yoga’s not for girls.

Originally many of yoga’s asanas were designed for male bodies by male bodies, and today’s men can still get so much out of yoga—if they only give it a chance. So here are five great reasons to take your dad to yoga class with you for Father’s Day.

1. Stretch it out. Older American men in particular grew up with strength being primary and flexibility being secondary—and now this imbalance can catch up with them. So take your dad to yoga class with you and get his stretch on.

2. Men need zen. One of the things my dad has benefited from the most—which I know surprised him—is the meditative aspect of yoga. Getting inside of yourself and feeling the sensations in your body quiets your mind by default—you are concentrating on one thing, and staying in the present moment. So zen out with dad—with yoga.

3. Wanna go to the gun show? While yoga does offer a lot in the flexibility department, it does build muscle and strength too. My dad was happily surprised that I was able to give him yoga exercises that largely take away his need to lift weights. All of us can benefit from building muscle—including your dad. Yet another reason to get your yoga on with him.

4. Share what you love. An added benefit to my dad’s new yoga practice is that we share something now that’s really special to me in my life—and he gets it, from actual experience, he understands why I love yoga. Sharing something you love with someone you love is a great recipe for bonding—so go ahead and practice yoga with your dad.

5. Inspiration. At first, you might think your dad will get inspiration from you and your practice—especially if you’ve been practicing for awhile. Let me tell you, it’s definitely dad who will provide the inspiration. I am so impressed with my dad; with how well he listens to his body, and how much he’s able to understand. Practicing yoga requires you to have an intimate conversation with your body, and it often takes time just to hear what your body is saying—much less ask it to do micro-adjustments for you in return. So take your dad to yoga class, and you might find inspiration as you watch him rock out an amazing plank pose or actually be able to feel the shoulder-opening aspect in his first downward dog.

With Father’s Day right around the corner, it’s time for us yogis to reconsider why yoga is considered an activity for girls. Practicing yoga offers benefits that extend way beyond our physical body—and everyone can benefit from peace of mind. So tell your dad that strong dudes try everything once—including yoga.

Happy Father’s Day, future yogis.

Pictured is rock-star yogi, and dad, Baron Baptiste :)

Cross-Training with Bikram Yoga

by Alex O'Meara

Cross-training with Bikram --- or hot --- yoga delivers an array of benefits. It builds core strength and loosens leg muscles that may have become tight, or out of balance, from running. Cross-training with Bikram also helps build mental tenacity and sharpens focus --- important factors for any athlete, but particularly for endurance athletes, such as marathon runners. Consult your doctor before beginning any new exercise regimen.

Cross-Training

Cross-training employs various methods of exercising to strengthen and improve your ability to do one specific exercise, explains Jessica Matthews, continuing education coordinator for the American Council on Exercise. Some benefits include reducing risks of injury and losing weight more efficiently and faster. Yoga is an effective cross-training option because, according to MayoClinic.com, it offers improved flexibility and increased strength, two valuable assets for any athlete.

Bikram

Bikram yoga is a series of 26 hatha yoga poses in a space heated to 105 degrees F. Heating the room softens and loosens your muscles and increases flexibility. According to New Jersey's Synergy Hot Yoga studio, combining hatha yoga poses with such intense heat allows for deeper tissue stretching, lengthening and strengthening than would be possible at room temperature.

Cross-Training Program

How often you wish to incorporate Bikram yoga sessions into your exercise regimen is a matter of personal preference. If you run three days a week and cross-train two, you can make one or both of those days a day for Bikram, for example. Jada Wright, a marathoner and Bikram enthusiast, was practicing Bikram twice a week training for a half-marathon. Writing on the Alumni Wellness website, Wright credits Bikram's recovery-enabling properties for allowing her to run a half-marathon and a full marathon in consecutive weeks. After that experience, Wright practiced bikram every day for 60 days straight and continued racing successfully.

Tips and Warnings

If you're new to Bikram be sure to come to each Bikram session well-hydrated. Bring water with you and prepare to drink at least a quart of fluid during a class.

You are never required to complete, or even attempt, all 26 poses. If a pose makes you uncomfortable or hurts, skip it, MayoClinic.com recommends.

If you have blood pressure issues --- high or low --- or if you are nursing, pregnant or if you have a low heat tolerance, check with a doctor before you step into a Bikram studio.

Emmy Cleaves on Bikram Yoga

If you are interested in how to stay youthful or regain some of your youthful appearance, please read the following by Emmy Cleaves! She is 85 years old and still teaches Bikram's advanced yoga class!

BIKRAM YOGA

By Emmy Cleaves

Bikram Yoga, sometimes also called “hot yoga,” is a system of a set 26 yoga posture sequence practiced in a room heated to 100+ degrees and lasting 90 minutes.

Bikram Choudhury, under his guru’s guidance and using modern medical measurement techniques, researched and arrived at this specific sequence of postures.  The individual asanas are classical hatha yoga.  Each classical yoga posture has a specific anatomical, neurological, physiological and psychological effect on the human body.   The intelligence of any posture sequence determines the overall benefit of the practice.

Bikram introduced his unique style of yoga in the United States in 1971.  During the first 20 years this style was taught only in his Beverly Hills studio, mainly to movie stars and athletes.  Bikram was finally persuaded to start a teacher-training program, which opened up the system to national and international exposure.  As of 2004 there are hundreds of Bikram Yoga studios throughout the world.  In recognition of the unique nature of this posture sequence, the U.S. Trademark Office has issued a Trade Mark registration for Bikram Yoga.

In my 31 years of observation, I have seen that most people taking their first Bikram Yoga class are suffering from bad body mechanics and postural dysfunction.  Each human body has a specific design template.  Muscles work in pairs in order for the body to execute any movement or even to maintain an upright posture against the forces of gravity.  Any imbalance in the dynamic tension between the posterior or erector muscles and the anterior or flexor muscles will compromise the vertical loading on the weight bearing joints.  This creates unnatural wear and tear and ultimately disease and pain.

The first 45 minutes of the Bikram Yoga System consists of standing poses devoted to re-establishing musculo-skeletal balance.  If done with sufficient intensity, they create an aerobic benefit as well.

The second half of the class consists of floor postures that address “the great information super highway” – your spine and it’s correct alignment.  Most people recognize their spinal problems during their first Bikram Yoga class.

My first Bikram Yoga class was in 1973.  For 20 years prior to it, I had taken various yoga classes that had not done much to improve the flexibility of my rather stiff body.  I had also suffered a brain aneurysm.  A life-threatening event of this nature shatters ones faith and trust in ones body. During my very first Bikram class I immediately recognized the power of the corrective training effect in the systematic and repetitious nature of the practice.

Since 1973 I have continuously practiced and taught Bikram Yoga.  It has restored my mental and physical strength and the confidence in my ability to lead a productive life.  It has given me the suppleness I had previously considered unattainable.  My 31 years of practice have given me glowing health and age has had no effect on my body’s weight, suppleness or energy levels.  There are very few things that can disturb the serenity of my spirit and calmness of my mind.

People ask me if I ever get tired of doing the same posture flow.  My answer is that the practice is never the same because I am continuously being changed by the practice.  The daily practice challenges you on many levels.  Concentration and attention are quickly sharpened.  Character issues of patience and perseverance come up each time.  The practice offers a chance to explore deeper levels of Self and develop awareness of the emotions and thoughts that the postures evoke.

For example, backward bending often initially evokes fear, but you find the courage and strength to do it. As you become an observer of the deeper and sometimes buried manifestations of Self, you come to understand yourself more clearly.  You start seeing which reactions to challenges are automatic and habitual and that you can change them.  The asana is a path to Self-awareness.  The physical becomes spiritual.

One of the most common questions of beginners is “why the heat?”  On the simplest level it is because warm muscles are more pliable.  The heat also expedites the flow of blood to all the organs of the body, facilitating the reactions that the postures are designed to create.  Heat will help the body destroy viruses and bacteria.  It strengthens the immune system. There are many cultures in which sweating is part of the healing process.  Think of a Bikram class as a sweat lodge experience.

Bikram yoga is physically accessible to people of all ages and conditions.  The postures require only normal range of motion available to all, from children to the very aged, provided you are being taught by a certified, qualified Bikram teacher.  Beware, however, of the teacher who claims to teach Bikram Yoga but who has altered the strict Bikram regime.  By changing the routine the beneficial effects are destroyed; such alterations are much like the difference between a genuine Rolex watch and a $ 20.00 knock-off.

Bishnu Ghosh, Bikram’s guru, said that the root of all chronic illnesses can be traced to stress.  He also said that the human body is self-energizing and self-healing and that yoga is the key to this kingdom of health.

Bikram Yoga for Anxiety and Panic Attacks

by Beginners Yoga

As a discipline, yoga provides many health benefits. Some of which obviously are physical, and other benefits of yoga affect our emotional makeup.
For those suffering from anxiety and panic attacks, being able to cure themselves naturally can often seem like a hope rather than a realistic outcome. However yoga, in particular Bikram yoga, can be extremely beneficial to sufferers.

Repeated panic and anxiety attacks can rewire the brain to the extent that the original causes of these attacks gets lost or is suppressed deep in the subconscious mind. Anxiety attacks are then triggered with the sufferer not really understanding why they are enduring these episodes, which in turn can intensify the anxiety and panic.
This establishes a cycle of repeat attacks that is very hard to break free from. In effect to stop the cycle of attacks requires some rewiring of thought patterns and Bikram yoga is the perfect exercise and meditation practice to do just that.
Bikram Yoga is a certain type of yoga that is very good at teaching us to calm the mind, and then strengthening it to endure the mental and emotional stresses that we encounter in our daily lives.

What makes Bikram Yoga a likely cure for anxiety and panic attack sufferers?
Bikram Yoga can initially be an extremely intimidating practice  – going to a Bikram class for the first time could well be the hardest exercise you may ever have done, either mentally or physically.
You look in the cosmic mirror and quite a few of your weaknesses and frailties are exposed and stare straight back at you. This can be a little tough to handle on class number 1, but it gets better.

Some of the postures in a Bikram yoga class will also stress you emotionally – they are designed to do that, to slowly and gently raise issues that are stored deep in your subconscious.  Some of these issues that we uncover during Bikram yoga classes are likely to be original causes of  these anxieties and panic attacks. By gently having this issues come to the surface practitioners have the tremendous opportunity to release these issues from their bodies and deal to them once and for all.
This type of Yoga class combines the physical aspect of exercise together with meditation – and it is so often said by yoga instructors that the harder or tougher you find the class the more mental strength building benefit you are getting from the practice.


So each time you come to a Bikram yoga classes you gain more mental toughness. Bikram training subtly forces you to face your emotional self, and to build mental strength that helps you manage and confront issues in the outside world. In doing this type of yoga you are rewiring the brain to think in a different way – and the more yoga you do, the quicker you are able to rewire the brain towards dealing with anxiety and panic.
Practicing yoga 4-5 times a week changes your thought patterns deep within your brain and subconscious so that nothing can interfere with your mind when faced with future anxiety triggers. The goal in fact is to eliminate these panic attack triggers from your subconscious completely and Bikram yoga is a powerful practice in this regard.

Tip of the Week: Understanding Backbending

“If you have a good spine, the gods will chase you. Nobody has psychological or emotional problems, everyone has a bad spine.” Bikram Choudhury

By Barbora Simek on Oh My Bikram

Understanding why and how back-bending is beneficial for the spine is a challenge for many yoga students. For many, back-bending is an emotionally charged, challenging and often uncomfortable part of practice. However, despite its discomforts back-bending can be one of the most therapeutic parts of a yoga practice.
Think of all the time you spend bending forward in a day, from enjoying a coffee with a newspaper, to driving, to typing at a computer, cleaning or lounging with a friend. The reality is, we spend most of our day in an unsupported forward bend.
Internally, forward bending causes the front of vertebrae move closer together, forcing the inter-vertebral disks and spinal nerves back. Prolonged poor posture can:

• cause or aggravate back and neck pain
• constrict blood-flow and put pressure on vital organs and glands preventing them from functioning properly
• has been shown to have negative effects on self-esteem and mood in studies

Ironically, when most people experience back pain or discomfort their first reaction is to bend forward, not knowing it is the cause of their discomfort. In reality back-bending is what is needed to counter-act the impact of continuous forward bending. This impulse is not easy to unlearn.
First it is important to recognize that back-bending is a natural range of motion for the spine. “Think of monkeys or children climbing in a tree who reach backward for a branch, the spine bends backward,” says Jeff Weisman a Toronto based Bikram Yoga teacher and Hellerworker.
As you bend backwards you compress the posterior part of your spinal column, pushing your disks away from the spinal nerves and decompress the front of the vertebrae. This effectively counteracts the damage of hours spent forward bending.
Those concerned and intimidated by back-bending should rest assured that the controlled environment and proper progression of the Bikram Yoga series allows for back-bends to be performed safely. For those with limitations and injuries, remember to speak to your instructor, move slowly and listen to your body.
Physical Benefits

• Stimulates the sympathetic nervous system and prepares the body for action.
• Helps counteract damage of bad posture.
• Relieves back pain, bronchial distress, scoliotic deformities, tennis elbow, frozen shoulder.
• Realigns the spine.
• Promotes proper kidney function.
• Helps with digestive function, eliminating constipation and flatulence.

Energetic Benefits

• Stimulates all the chakras, primarily creating opening in the fourth (heart) chakra.

Emotional Benefits

• Helps to break through insecurity and fear.
• Relieves stress and tedium.
• Opening the lower back helps to free you from insecurity and taking yourself too seriously.
• Helps to build confidence and self-esteem in children.

Tips from the Pros
Allow your exhale to lower you into your maximum depth, allow your inhale to lift you up and forward. Reverse this pattern on purpose by pulling backward more vigorously into the posture during the inhalation (taking you more fulling into the posture) and then relaxing and easing off the posture during the exhale (thereby reducing tension).- Anatomy of Hatha Yoga, Dr. H. David Coulter

“Lift your breastbone up as you go down into it, instead of jamming only the lower waistband spine. You HAVE to have your elbows pressing IN, not bowing out before you go down.
Also, LIFT the front of the neck and shoulders and armpits before you drop down.
Then you lift UP, OUT and OVER your waistband spine so you do not get that crimping feeling.” – Mary Jarvis for All Back-bending Heals the Spine

Do not contract the gluteal muscles until you reach your maximum expression then tighten – Rajishree Choudhury 

The standing back-bend is regulated by locked knees – Craig Villani

Drop the head back as far as it goes. The head and arms do not need to stay together. – Bikram Choudhury

Tips for teachers
Beginners are always afraid of back-bending. Make sure to stress that the hips, stomach, legs everything must come forward. – Bikram Choudhury

4 Common Mistakes Yogis Make

Walking into your first yoga class can be overwhelming. As a full-time instructor since 2004, I’ve seen a range of emotional responses from new students. Some immediately love the practice; others are put off by the physicality, or an injury, or simply feeling insufficient even though they are brand-new. Considering that there are dozens of different styles of yoga, it takes patience to find the right teacher and approach that works best for you. Fortunately, patience is one thing that yoga is great at helping us cultivate.

While these four misperceptions about yoga are the most common that I’ve come across, they definitely don’t only apply to beginners. Since yoga is about creating sustainability in your body and emotions, it truly is a life-long discipline. Your practice inevitably changes as you age and your body adapts to new circumstances. I suggest reading this list with what we in yoga call “a beginner’s mind,” no matter how seasoned a practitioner you might be. And if you’re brand-new to yoga, welcome! I hope this is helpful to you in your journey. 

Mistake #1: Thinking you need to be flexible to do yoga.

If I thought this 13 years ago, when I first stepped onto a yoga mat, a much less flexible version of myself would be writing a different article right now. Yoga helps you become more flexible. Everyone has a different anatomical structure, and there are certain poses that may always challenge you, as well as ones that might not be right for you at all. Don’t push too hard, ever. Be open to being challenged. Always remember to breathe before moving. (As I like to say, breathe into a pose instead of getting into a pose and then figuring out how to breathe.) Most in-class injuries occur when a student is holding their breath and tries to force a muscle or joint to bend too far. Flexibility comes with dedication and self-acceptance, and is a worthwhile pursuit at any age.

Mistake #2: Treating your yoga teacher like a doctor.

I’m constantly asked for medical advice, and I always have the same reply: See your doctor. While I’m comfortable giving alternative poses for students with injuries, I would never offer medical advice. You won’t find answers to statements like “My shoulder hurts right here when I do this” in my class, and for the most part, you should not listen to any medically-related answers from the vast majority of yoga instructors. Instead, simply ask for different postures to practice if something bothers you. Some students tell me that they don’t trust Western doctors, but these physicians have devices like X-ray machines — something a yoga teacher does not. That is important to remember. 

Mistake #3: Thinking yoga classes are serious.

They definitely can be; a strong sense of focus is often required. Yet taking postures too seriously is counterproductive. There are many times I look out at and see the contorted and stressful faces of my students; but scrunching up your forehead and clamping down on your jaw is not going to reduce anxiety. Very often, we simply transfer tension from one part of our body to another; faces hold a key to understanding what’s going on in your head and your body.

Simple exercises like fluttering your lips and opening your eyes and mouth wide and closing them helps to soften those areas. If you approach yoga with a loose and playful attitude, your entire practice will flow with ease. If you’re too rigid, the chance of injury increases, and you don’t have nearly as good of a time practicing yoga. If there is no fun at all, it’s simply not worth doing. 

Mistake #4: Trying to attain the perfect pose.

Alignment is important. I’m a huge fan of teaching physical cues to help students get the most out of a pose. Still, I’ve seen numerous students spend the entire time we’re in a posture making tiny adjustments with their hands, hips, shoulders, and so on. There is no perfect pose. Our practice will change every day. It’s much more important to hold a pose and try to still your mind than to overanalyze every subtle shift in your body.

The Sanskrit word for posture, asana, is translated as “seat.” The idea is to be able to “sit” in a pose for as long as possible with a meditative mindset. While you’re learning the poses, small corrections are important; but at some point you have to let all the correcting go and simply “sit” in the posture. When that happens, an enormous amount of space is made in your mind, and you can truly enjoy being in the present moment. 

—Derek Beres, Women’s Health Reporter

Come to the Saturday 10am Class!

Marie Ocianie Zamy is a microcredit client in Haiti. With her loans from Whole Planet Foundation's partner Fonkoze she was able to turn her food selling business into a restaurant which she has built next to her home. Her business enables her to priovide support her 11 children and 4 grandchildren.

Tomorrow's Saturday 10am class will be our monthly class in which we will be donating $1 to the Whole Planet Foundation for every student who attends class. Please come and help us support this wonderful foundation that helps women and families support themselves.

7 More Reasons for the Heat

7  MORE REASONS FOR THE HEAT

1. Enhances vasodilation* so that more blood is delivered to the muscles.
2. Allows oxygen in the blood to detach from the hemoglobin more easily.**
3. Speeds up the breakdown of glucose and fatty acids.
4. Make muscles more elastic, less susceptible to injury.
5. Improves coordination.
6. Reduces heart irregularities associated with sudden exercise.
7. Burns fat more easily.***

*The capillaries that weave around the muscles respond to heat by dilating. This brings more oxygen to the muscles and helps in the removal of waste products such as carbon dioxide and lactic acid.

**When blood passes through warm muscle oxygen releases more easily from the hemoglobin.  Blood passing through cold muscles releases much less oxygen.

***Warmed muscles burn fat more easily than cold ones.  Fat is released during stress.  The stress of intense exercise causes a deluge of fatty acids into the blood stream.   If you exercise with a cold muscles they can’t use the fatty acids, and they end up in places where they aren’t wanted, such as in the lining of your arteries.

Note: Muscles aren’t the only beneficiaries of heat.  Higher temperatures improve the function of the nervous system, meaning that messages are carried more rapidly to and from the brain or spinal cord. Warm muscles are more elastic and are less susceptible to injury. Warmer temperatures produce a fluid like stretch that allows greater range of motion. Cold muscles don’t absorb shock or impact as well and aren’t stretched as well so they get injured more readily.

Excerpt from “Smart Exercise” By Covert Bailey.

Never Ever Give Up

This video is one of the most inspiring stories we've ever seen.  Arthur Boorman was a 297-pound, disabled Gulf War veteran and one-time paratrooper who was told by doctors that he'd never walk without support, when he sought the help of yoga instructor Diamond Dallas Page. Even when Arthur is falling flat on the floor and into a hutch he says, "Just because I'm not able to do it today, doesn't mean I'm not going to be able to do it some day...". His transformation should inspire us all to never give up even when we feel we can't do each posture perfectly. Believe in yourself and never ever give up!

10 Detox Foods

Need to do a little "spring cleaning"? Now is the perfect time to flush your system of the indulgences of the last few months so you can feel vibrant and alive during this beautiful spring season.

Of course one of the best ways to detoxify your body is by sweating and twisting it out in Bikram yoga. But eating clean and adding detoxifying foods to your diet in addition to practicing Bikram yoga could really give your body a fresh new start.

Here are 10 healthy foods by Michele Foley from FitSugar. In addition to cutting out alcohol and refined sugar, including these 10 healthy foods with natural cleansing properties are a great way to detoxify your body.

Watercress

Think beyond delicate tea sandwiches and throw some peppery watercress into your next salad. It keeps free radicals away from your cells, helps energize cleansing enzymes in the liver, and is a natural diuretic.

Lemon Water

Lemons are a great source of vitamin C, which is known to help the body detox and burn fat. Dr. Frank Lipman recommends drinking water with lemon every morning as a way to alkalize the body and help with digestion. 

 

Dark Leafy Greens

There's a ton of ways to get leafy greens into your diet — eat them raw, throw into a broth, add them to juices, or sauté them with a touch of olive oil. Leafy greens boost chlorophyll levels in the digestive tract, which helps the body get rid of environmental toxins like smog and herbicides.

Fresh Fruit

The one thing I am eating a lot of right now is fruit; full of vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, and just about any other good thing you can name. After filling your body up with butter and booze over the holidays, I can't think of a better way to make amends than with a big ol' fruit bowl.

 

Cabbage

Not only is cabbage is eaten in many cultures for luck and prosperity around the New Year, it's also known for its liver cleansing properties. Mix cabbage, apples, and caraway for a crisp treat for your palate and your liver.

 

Artichokes 

Numerous studies show that artichokes promote healthy liver and gallbladder function. They're also loaded with cynarin, which helps increase bile production, prevents indigestion, and stimulates healthy digestion. If you're looking for a natural detox food, artichokes are a major winner.

Beets

When I was having issues with my gallbladder, my doctor told me to load up on beets. Fiber in beets help increase the production of antioxidant enzymes in the liver, which help the liver and gallbladder eliminate bile and other toxic substances from the body.

 

Ginger and Garlic

Ginger and garlic are good friends to the liver because they help it get rid of free radicals that are built up in the body. Make yourself a healthy stir-fry and don't be shy to season it with these two liver-loving foods.

 

Green Tea

You definitely want to be drinking a lot of liquids right now, and green tea is a great choice. It's high in catechins — a flavonoid — which speeds up liver activity and increases the production of detoxification enzymes.

 

Whole Grains

Choosing whole grains over refined grains should be a part of any diet — detox or not. Besides being full of nutrients and antioxidants, they're incredibly high in insoluble fiber, which helps keep you regular. If you're trying to flush the body of toxins, the last thing you need is to be bloated or constipated.

Bikram Helps Boxer Mayweather

Floyd Mayweather Jr. takes center stage at media day for his May 5 bout in Vegas

Taylor Bern

Mayweather said his preparation for Miguel Cotto has led him to stretching for the first time in his pro career

Floyd Mayweather Jr., who, if you believe him, hasn’t stretched before lifting, running or training for the entirety of his 16-year professional career, is now doing Bikram yoga.

As the featured attraction of the circus that descended Tuesday on Mayweather Boxing Gym just southwest of the Strip, Mayweather (42-0) performed his media duties with a smile and went several rounds with the packs of reporters there to preview his May 5 fight against Miguel Cotto (37-2) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Before going through a workout, the topics covered the gamut, from his impending incarceration and potential fight with Manny Pacquiao (no news on that front) to the Cotto fight itself. That includes Mayweather’s new yoga training, something he said he’s been interested in for the last five years but only recently started doing. “I think I can push myself and perform a lot better with yoga,” Mayweather said.

The decision could have at least something to do with finding a way to battle age. Mayweather, 35, said he’s never pulled a muscle in all of his non-stretching years, a claim that doesn’t pass the smell test. Bikram yoga is performed in a room heated to about 105 degrees, which allows for deep muscle relaxation. Mayweather said he even has his yoga trainers occasionally come to his house to work on more stretching.

All of that, he believes, is going to help give him the advantage over 31-year-old Cotto, a bigger fighter that Mayweather said he sees as being undefeated.