Tip of the Week: Shower Before Class

If you practice Bikram Yoga in hot room it's always a good idea to take a shower both after and before your session. While the reasons for taking one after are obvious, taking a shower before a Bikram Yoga session is something many people forget to do. There are a few very good reasons for doing so:

• It helps you get rid of any lotions or other oils that you might have on your skin. There’s nothing more frustrating than achieving a perfect pose, and then “slip” out of it due to a slippery skin texture.
• If you take a hot shower, it helps you ease into the temperature that you will be training in, making it less of a shock.
• If you use cologne or perfume, please remember that the smell of it can become really intense in a heated yoga room, particularly when you sweat (and you will sweat!). This smell can be very disturbing to anyone else training in your vicinity and can easily break their concentration.
• It’s a great experience to start a Yoga session while feeling fully refreshed and 100% clean; it can even make you more confident in your abilities to perform a certain pose, as it gives you a certain degree of extra mental calm.

Of course if it's all you can do to make it on time while running from the office or dropping the kids off at the babysitter, we're just happy to see you show up! But if time allows, do what you can. For more information on skin care and Bikram Yoga, click "here".
 

Tip of the Week: You Don't Need to Perform Each Pose Perfectly

No matter how flexible you are, or how deeply you are able to get into a pose, you are benefiting from every single pose you do. As a beginner, if you were able to perform each pose perfectly from the get-go, you wouldn’t be improving your body or focus at all. Do your best to embrace your inability to perfectly perform each pose and learn to see it as a positive thing, as it means you have so much more room for improvement and self-fulfillment. 
Beginners will often attempt to push their body far beyond what it is capable of, which usually means:

1. They risk injury.
2. The slowly stop enjoying the activity due to the mental and physical strain they are putting themselves under, leading them to unconsciously begin to make up excuses not to practice anymore.
3. Due to the extra strain, they stop breathing properly and make many mistakes during the pose, preventing them from ever improving in the future. 

Beginners sometimes feel the need to keep up with others in class (who are often more experienced than them), leading them to over-reach and force their body into things it is not capable of doing. Focus on yourself, the more you practice the more you will learn about your body and its limits. Start small, and work your way up over many months or years. Just make sure that every time you perform a pose it is somewhat (but not too much) challenging. This will force your body to adapt and improve. It’s a very similar concept to lifting weights at the gym – you don’t immediately start with what the professional bodybuilders lift, do you?

Tip of the Week: Keep Your Focus During The Warm-Up/Cool-Down Poses

Both the Standing Deep Breathing Pose (Pranayama) as well as the Blowing-in Firm Pose (Kapalbhati-in-Vajrasana) are critical to the whole routine, and yet most beginners will somewhat neglect them starting their third or fourth Bikram Yoga Session.
It’s of the utmost importance that you understand the following:

• Without a proper warm-up, you have a MUCH harder time performing all of the subsequent poses. You’ll be more likely to suffer a mild injury and less focused on the routine, hence significantly reducing your enjoyment of the activity.
• Without a proper cool-down, the routine is more likely to become a chore, as your last memory will be that of the difficulties while doing the Head-to-Knee and Spine Twisting poses. Doing a proper cool-down (Blowing in Firm) will not only help you unwind, it will also help your muscles and central nervous system relax, allowing you to return to your normal activities quicker. 

Treat the first and last pose just as seriously as you would any other pose, and you’ll be blessed with a more fulfilling experience.

Tip of the Week: Your Feet are the Foundation

Your yoga practice starts with a solid foundation. In order to have a strong, solid, safe practice we must first focus on the feet. It is from the foundation that we grow our yoga poses. 

There are four corners of the feet. There is the ball of the foot below the big toe, the ball of the foot below the pinky toe, the inner edge of the heel, and the outer edge of the heel. When standing, lift your toes up so you can press these four corners down into the earth and you can feel the arch lift up. Draw energy from the earth all the way up to your hip socket. Spread your toes long and gently place them on the floor without relaxing your arch. You'll notice that your muscles are now engaged all the way up your leg. By creating this strong foundation, you will find that you have more stability, ease and flexibility throughout your body. 

From yogabycandace.com: "Focusing on the feet is a way to deepen your practice because it requires the student to hone in on subtleties. A tiny movement or shift in weight on the feet can impact the entire practice."

Tip of the Week: Yoga is Amazing for Kids!

We have loved seeing the smiling faces of little ones come through our doors since we started the Kids Yoga classes in March. We took last week (April 16th) off for Spring Break, but classes are up and running again starting today! They are held every Wednesday from 4:45-5:45pm in our studio downstairs without the heat. Kids ages 7-12 have been loving teacher Lisa Boone, as she makes it challenging but way fun with postures, music, games and stories.

                                        Our Bikram Yoga SLC Kids

We love this article by Marsha Wenig in Yoga Journal on how yoga is so beneficial for kids. 

Yoga for Kids

When presented in a child's language, yoga can help counter the stress experienced by young people living in a hurry-up world. 

Our children live in a hurry-up world of busy parents, school pressures, incessant lessons, video games, malls, and competitive sports. We usually don't think of these influences as stressful for our kids, but often they are. The bustling pace of our children's lives can have a profound effect on their innate joy—and usually not for the better.

I have found that yoga can help counter these pressures. When children learn techniques for self-health, relaxation, and inner fulfillment, they can navigate life's challenges with a little more ease. Yoga at an early age encourages self-esteem and body awareness with a physical activity that's noncompetitive. Fostering cooperation and compassion—instead of opposition—is a great gift to give our children.
Children derive enormous benefits from yoga. Physically, it enhances their flexibility, strength, coordination, and body awareness. In addition, their concentration and sense of calmness and relaxation improves. Doing yoga, children exercise, play, connect more deeply with the inner self, and develop an intimate relationship with the natural world that surrounds them. Yoga brings that marvelous inner light that all children have to the surface.

When yogis developed the asanas many thousands of years ago, they still lived close to the natural world and used animals and plants for inspiration—the sting of a scorpion, the grace of a swan, the grounded stature of a tree. When children imitate the movements and sounds of nature, they have a chance to get inside another being and imagine taking on its qualities. When they assume the pose of the lion (Simhasana) for example, they experience not only the power and behavior of the lion, but also their own sense of power: when to be aggressive, when to retreat. The physical movements introduce kids to yoga's true meaning: union, expression, and honor for oneself and one's part in the delicate web of life.

Tip of the Week: Take a BIG Step in Triangle Pose

Beginners often take too small of a step in Triangle. It would seem that a smaller step would make this pose easier, but truly the 4-5 foot step ensures that the final pose is properly aligned. When proper alignment is reached, a natural dynamic tension will help to suspend the posture. If you don't take a wide enough step, it will be harder to make your thigh parallel to the floor, with your leg creating a 90 degree angle. With too narrow of a step, you are also more likely to extend your knee over your toes. For more information on Triangle Pose click here: Triangle Pose

"What doesn't Triangle do? It improves every single bone, muscle, joint, tendon, and internal organ, and it revitalizes nerves, veins, and tissues." ~ Bikram Choudhury

“What doesn’t triangle do? It improves every single bone, muscle, joint, tendon, and internal organ, and it revitalizes nerves, veins and tissues.” - Bikram - See more at: http://eastwest.co.nz/eastwest/blog/posture-clinic-triangle-pose/#sthash.hsP47MKa.dpuf

“What doesn’t triangle do? It improves every single bone, muscle, joint, tendon, and internal organ, and it revitalizes nerves, veins and tissues.” - Bikram - See more at: http://eastwest.co.nz/eastwest/blog/posture-clinic-triangle-pose/#sthash.hsP47MKa.dpuf

Tip of the Week: Transform Yourself With a 30 Day Challenge!

Doing a 30 Day Challenge is an awesome way to transform your body and your life. For more information on how to do a challenge, click here: How to Have a Successful 30 Day Challenge

Following is a beautiful testimony of Bikram Yoga SLC student Annika who recently completed a 90 day challenge and is now on day 119. 

                                                                                  Friend Kendra with Annika

My Bikram Story

I have struggled with the idea of writing a testimonial about my experience at the Bikram studio. The struggle, I realized, did not come from writing about my experience, but rather exposing a journey filled with vulnerability. After much thought it occurred to me that if there is one thing I’ve learned after 119 days in a hot room is that none of this is about staying in my comfort zone. So here it is…

As I started the 30 day challenge I envisioned the end goal and thought: ”By the end of these 30 days I will be different” Again, I thought this as I began the 60 day challenge, and again at the 90. I'm not sure what exactly I was looking to change. I just wanted to be different-thinner, more confident-all the things I didn't see within myself. I have practiced yoga sporadically since I was about 16. I've been to a number of retreats and tried an extensive list of esoteric practices. Along this journey nothing has ever clicked. Frustrated, I found myself pushing to find something, not even knowing what it was that I wanted to find.

Here I am 119 days into one of the most intense disciplines of yoga, the quintessential peak of my yogic journey. Sitting at the cusp of this moment, I can honestly say that the 'AhHa' moment, that “click,” that sudden vision and understanding of "IT ALL"…wasn't what I thought it would be. What I uncovered was a bit different. 

I was once ashamed of who I was. Constantly I would tell myself that I was not good enough, smart enough, thin enough, kind enough…I was not enough. Daily I would drink to excess. I fooled myself into believing that I simply had mastered the art of truly enjoying life…every day. To add to my life’s enjoyment, rarely would I be caught without a cigarette in my hand. Plagued by anxiety and depression, every day was a struggle, and for so many years I fueled my body with toxins just enough to keep the real pain at bay. For about 7 years this was my life. My bad habits escalated and my body began to shut down. This became normal for me. I blamed it on a weak immune system, and my high paced lifestyle. It wasn't until recently that I realized, “this is not who I am.” 

Cynthia Ocelli once said, "For a seed to achieve its greatest expression, it must come completely undone. The shell cracks, its insides come out and everything changes. To someone who doesn't understand growth, it would look like complete destruction." For 7 years I pushed the boundaries of what my body could tolerate. I was relentless and I did not care. Starting this journey masked as a 30-day challenge, I pushed even farther: Only this time I pushed love into my tired spots and fear out of the resistant ones. Suddenly, the walls that housed who I thought I was began to crumble. 119 days of staring at my sweaty body in a room hotter than hell-- I saw more than just the sweaty reflection of myself. Being in that room allowed me to be present  in a way I had  never experienced  before. I saw beyond the illusions of what I thought I had to be in this lifetime, and it was absolutely beautiful. 

“There is this story that an old instructor told me. It was about this tribe in Africa. They believed that everyone had a special vibration or song, and if you were quiet enough you could hear it. When a woman in this tribe got pregnant, they would go into the forest and sing and dance around her until they could hear the vibration of the child within. And when it was time to welcome this new life into the world they would sing their song. When it was time to say goodbye to a life in the tribe, again they would sing their song as they drifted off. The only other time they would do this was when someone in the tribe had committed a crime. To this they would circle around the individual and begin singing their song. They did this to remind them of who they are and to bring them back to that space.” Bikram yoga has reminded me of who I am and allowed me to return to that space.

I was so focused on change and becoming this kale eating yogi that I didn't realize the thing I was looking for, I already had. I found peace behind the veil of the dialogue, the postures and the flexibility.

Each instructor and fellow yogi has had a profound effect on my journey. I can't say enough how truly blessed I feel to have met you all and to be able to practice with you every day. The impact this studio has on the community is incredible. Yoga is really not just about touching your toes, although having a bow that goes to the ceiling a'int bad either (lol just kiddn)! But really, the essence of what yoga is about is definitely within this studio. I am so grateful to be a part of it.

With all my love,

Namaste,

Annika

Tip of the Week: Don't Wipe Your Sweat

Sweating is all part of the fun that is Bikram Yoga. Sweating in a hot room is unavoidable – it’s the body’s natural air conditioner and it regulates our body temperature. The evaporation of sweat off of the skin prevents us from overheating during class. If you wipe it away, you disrupt homeostasis, the body’s natural, intelligent, and highly adaptive mechanism of self-regulation. Wiping off sweat will only encourage more sweat production for the body to cool down.  

Unnecessary wiping of sweat can also disrupt your focus and bring you out of your moving meditation. Just stay calm, allow the sweat to drip onto your towel, and over time you will become more aware of how perspiring is the body’s way of helping you maintain a temperature that will get you through the 90 minutes.

Sweating during Bikram Yoga is inevitable; our bodies do it in order to naturally regulate our core temperature. But it’s not the actual sweat itself that cools you down – it’s the process of perspiration evaporating from the surface of your skin. So, when you wipe the sweat away during class, you’re only preventing your body from doing what it needs to do to stay cool. - See more at: http://www.bikramyogavancouver.com/bikram-yoga-lessons/bikram-yoga-how-to-keep-cool-in-class/#sthash.XB5SUZPN.dpuf

drinking enough water before class and bringing adequate water into the hot room can help regulate your body temperature. We recommend taking small sips throughout class to avoid practising on a full stomach - See more at: http://www.bikramyogavancouver.com/bikram-yoga-lessons/bikram-yoga-how-to-keep-cool-in-class/#sthash.XB5SUZPN.dpuf

drinking enough water before class and bringing adequate water into the hot room can help regulate your body temperature. We recommend taking small sips throughout class to avoid practising on a full stomach - See more at: http://www.bikramyogavancouver.com/bikram-yoga-lessons/bikram-yoga-how-to-keep-cool-in-class/#sthash.XB5SUZPN.dpuf

drinking enough water before class and bringing adequate water into the hot room can help regulate your body temperature. We recommend taking small sips throughout class to avoid practising on a full stomach - See more at: http://www.bikramyogavancouver.com/bikram-yoga-lessons/bikram-yoga-how-to-keep-cool-in-class/#sthash.XB5SUZPN.dpuf

Tip of the Week: Sharpen Business Focus with Yoga

Do you ever feel that your work life interferes with your Bikram practice? Not enough time with your work schedule, too stressed after work, etc? This article from CNN Money is a great reminder to make time for your practice because it can actually help you in your work life as well.

Sharpening business focus with yoga

I've built Bikram into my work schedule, even when I travel. It helps me deal with clients - and with stress.

By Michael Green

March 1 2008: 11:30 AM EST

 

(FORTUNE Small Business) -- Two years ago on labor day I stumbled onto Bikram yoga in a studio on West 72nd Street in New York City and was hooked within a week. Now it's an integral part of how I run my business.
Bikram, also known as hot yoga, involves doing a series of 26 tough poses in a room heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. When you are in the studio doing Bikram, you have to be absolutely present. Your mind can't race to the plane that you're going to miss or the client whose call you didn't return, or you'll be flat on the mat before you know it. 

I have a wine consulting business, and I am a one-man show. I'm based in New York City, but most of my revenue comes from corporate clients around the country who want me to plan their events. Problem is, when a brand is based on one person, if business is up 20%, that person is working and traveling 20% more. For instance, over the past ten days I have been in six cities, and sometimes when I wake up, I can't even remember where I am. It gets exhausting as you get older (I'm 44), and it takes its toll on sleep, on hydration, on your stress level.

I used to have a shotgun approach to dealing with stress - I'd retreat to a health spa for ten days - but I really needed a day-to-day routine.
Now I spend around ten hours a week on yoga - five Bikram classes of 90 minutes each, plus dressing and shower time. I buy the classes in bulk, so they cost me around $15 each. Add on water, towels, and tips, and the total cost comes to about $125 a week - worth every penny. 

I always do yoga before seeing a client. For an out-of-town meeting I'll take the earliest plane, land, and head directly to the studio with a T-shirt and shorts in my bag along with my presentation. I know the studios for cities I work in regularly - Boston, Washington, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas - and Bikram is easy to find in other major cities. To be sure, Bikram-on-the-road is a time commitment - I find I need two to three hours to get there, work out, shower, and head to the meeting. Keeping to my routine during my busy season is hard. 

It's worth it, though. Since I've learned to focus, the details of business have become less overwhelming. I have begun to delegate. I hired three full-time people to back me up (two work on marketing, one does administration), raised my prices 25%, and outsourced public relations. The result: My company's 2007 revenue was up 39% over the previous year, and I expect sales to be $1.2 million in 2008.

Tip of the Week: Best Exercises to Compliment Bikram Yoga

The movements in Bikram yoga offer more cardiovascular benefits than the various other types of yoga. It is performed in a room where temperatures near 100 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity levels are elevated, which is why it’s sometimes referred to as hot yoga. The reason behind the high temperature is to help rid the body of toxins through sweat while performing the series of 26 poses.

Bikram and Strength Training

Yoga asks you to support your body weight in a variety of positions. This does assist with strength development and will tone your body. However, if you’re looking to build up sizable bulk, yoga isn’t going to help that. Additional weightlifting two or three times a week on alternating days will create mass. Using your own bodyweight can strengthen muscles used during Bikram. Lunges help you get into the triangle pose, which works your quadriceps, hamstrings, hips and adductors, or inner thigh muscles. Accomplishing the awkward pose and the toe stand can be made possible with the addition of deep squats. Planks and chaturanga work your core and arms to get you ready to achieve the locust pose.

Pair Bikram With Cardio

While Bikram has been known to enhance the practitioner's sense of well-being and to supply an effective cardiovascular workout, it doesn't allow you access to the full spectrum of heart and overall health benefits that traditional cardiovascular activities offer. You may want to consider engaging in alternative methods of cardio on days you're not doing Bikram.
Running not only boosts your fitness level, it will improve blood flow as your heart gets pumping; it loosens up your muscles and can calm you mentally. All of which enhance your future performances during Bikram. You could also try biking, swimming and rowing -- these activities elevate your heart rate and ward off diseases like diabetes and osteoporosis. And they help build strength, lower blood pressure and promote weight loss, which can enhance your efforts in Bikram Yoga.

The Yin to Your Yang

Yin Yoga is a form of yoga complementary to all types of Hatha (or yang) practices such as Bikram. Yang practices work the muscles and build heat in the body whereas yin yoga is working the connective tissue around the muscles. Much longer, gentler stretches are held for around three minutes and sometimes even longer during a Yin Yoga session. The stretching and relaxation of areas like the knees, hips and spine promotes flexibility and better circulation, which will translate into better performances during your Bikram practices as well.

Cautionary Considerations

To prevent heat cramps and heat exhaustion, stay hydrated and dress light. Lightheadedness, dizziness, nausea and vomiting are all signs that heat exhaustion is setting in and you need to stop immediately. Even if you don’t experience any negative side effects, making it a daily routine may not be realistic for most people. Bikram yoga is performed in 100-degree Fahrenheit heat and most classes run from 75 to 90 minutes, so spacing sessions out and participating in other forms of physical activity through the week is a healthy and realistic approach to complement Bikram Yoga.

Information provided by www.livestrong.com. Entire article may be found by clicking "here".

Tip of the Week: Bikram Yoga Diet

Bikram yoga is an excellent type of yoga for weight loss. A single session of Bikram yoga can burn up to a whopping 600 to 1500 calories. Needless to say this amount will depend upon how much effort you put into each class and how strong your poses are. 

In order to maximize the benefits of Bikram yoga, a diet change is recommended (though not imperative). If you want to see results faster, it would be better to change your diet for hot yoga. While there is no specific Bikram yoga diet plan, there are general guidelines about what to eat before and after a Bikram yoga class as well as what food is beneficial when practicing this form of yoga. These include:

• Eat several small light meals throughout the day instead of three heavy ones.
• Make sure that your meals consist of some form of protein and whole grains to keep energy levels up.
• Keep your consumption of fatty foods, caffeine, refined sugar and dairy products to a minimum.
• Many people insist that their digestion changes after practicing Bikram yoga for a while. Spicy foods and junk foods now sit heavily in the stomach and are no longer as enjoyable as before making weight loss and calorie control a whole lot easier.
• What you can eat before a Bikram yoga class differs from person to person. Some people feel more energetic in class if they have eaten a small nutritious snack or some fruit an hour or so before class. Others insist that they can only practice on an empty stomach or if they keep a gap of four hours or more between their last meal and their yoga class. After a few sessions of your own, you will know what works best for your body.
• Bikram yoga tends to make you ravenous. After a class it would be better to keep on hand some healthy energy boosters such as nuts or a banana or some fresh fruit or vegetable juice.
• As you continue your practice of Bikram yoga you will become more attuned with your body and begin to differentiate between actual hunger pangs and eating out of boredom or for emotional reasons.
• A lot of people believe that Bikram yoga demands a vegetarian diet. This is not true though you may benefit from switching to leaner meats such as chicken or turkey over beef or pork. The main goal of a Bikram yoga diet is to provide the proper nutrition and help the body maximize its capability.
• An ideal Bikram yoga food plan would involve meals that are unprocessed and devoid of harmful additives and other chemicals. Try to buy mainly organic produce and include lots of fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet.
• The most important addition to any Bikram yoga diet is water. It is absolutely necessary to drink at least two to three liters of water a day to stay hydrated and balance out electrolyte levels in the body. Some Bikram yoga teachers encourage students to drink at least a liter of water before a session.

Bikram Yoga Diet Tips

• For the best results, try and make at least three classes a week or ten classes a month. Bikram yoga teachers insist that this is the minimum amount of sessions needed to reap the benefits of this dynamic yoga. If you can do more classes, aim for five days a week and watch how your body gets transformed. These classes have to be complimented with a proper diet recommended by your yoga practitioner.
• Keep in mind that weight loss with Bikram yoga is a gradual process and therefore you will have to keep to the diet for a longer time.
• Always consult your doctor before beginning Bikram yoga classes or any diet plan. The rigors of Bikram yoga may not suit everyone and it is better to get the all clear from yoru doctor before committing to any number of classes.

Bikram Yoga Diet Benefits

• Burning between 600 to 1500 calories per session
• Improving the lymphatic system and helping flush the body of toxins
• Improving metabolism and making weight loss easier
• Lessening unhealthy food cravings
• Treating any digestive problems
• Building muscle tone 

Information provided by yogawiz.com. 

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Tip of the Week: Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee

Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee pose trims the abdomen, waistline, hips, buttocks and thighs. It massages and compresses the thyroid gland, which helps to regulate the metabolism and the immune system.

Tips:

*Make sure you touch your forehead to your knee (not your nose or chin). To do this, tuck your chin in and keep it there as you move toward the knee. Look at your stomach; this will keep your chin tucked.

*If the hamstrings or spine are tight, bend the right leg until the forehead touches the knee. The left leg and arms stay straight and the hands can separate on the floor to balance.

 *If the heel of the back foot lifts off the floor, shorten your step slightly.

*Use your abdominal muscles and keep the belly lifting to round the spine and work on straightening the right leg. 

*Ground the front foot into the floor, inside edge.

*Ground the back foot into the floor, outside edge.

*Soften the hips. Pick up the lower hip to square both hips to the floor. You can internally rotate the thigh of the back leg INWARDS to help yourself square out the hips.

*When doing the left side with your left leg forward, sneak a quick peek at the mirror behind you. Are your hips perfectly square? Lift your left hip up to make your hips square to the floor.

*Once you are able to get both legs straight, bring your palms together only a few inches in front of your extended foot so as you straighten your arms you’re able to round your spine completely. The elbows straighten out and the arms go behind your ears.

Tip of the Week: Bikram is Fountain of Youth for Those Over 50

Bikram Yoga is fantastic for people of ANY age, but the following is a wonderful article by Arlene Nisson Lassin of The Huffington Post called "The Fountain of Youth for Those Post 50 -- But it Doesn't Come Easy".

Before we begin, I know there are lots of tonics, miracle vitamins, hormone therapy, cleanses and diets that have claimed to be the Fountain of Youth for those of us past age 50. So before you suspend belief or stop reading, check out this recent photo of me. The purpose of displaying this photo is to show how youthful I look and feel as my proof because I did NOT look this glowingly youthful a while back. (No, I am not about to share the before photos!) I'm in my late fifties by the way.

I haven't glowed like this since my pregnancies 26-plus years ago, and people mention it to me all the time that I look vibrant and healthy these days. It's not my eating habits as I have only recently begun to eat more healthfully, and have been known previously to eat Cheetos for dinner. (Now I am snacking on things like dry roasted seaweed -- thanks a lot Dr. Oz!)

I have to give credit for my fountain of youth to my exercise regimen: Bikram Yoga. 

Here is my own brutally honest experience with this, but first read this quote: "Bikarm Yoga acts as an anti-aging and preventative medicine keeping the body young and healthy. Yoga maintains youth long. It keeps the body full of vitality, immune to diseases, even at old, old age. The Yogi never becomes old." (Bishnu Ghosh) 

It occurred to me that I was crazy for even trying an exercise class that required me to exercise for 90 minutes in a 105 degree room with 40 percent humidity. It's like working out inside a very hot sauna. After my first class, exhausted, spent, and reduced to an absolute puddle of sweat, I was convinced I was insane. I looked around at some of the young "yoga" bodies who bounced up energetically after class, while I crawled on the floor while gathering my mat and towel, and then limped toward the exit. 

I walked out that first time telling the instructor that I didn't know if I could do it again. The instructor looked at me and said, "You must come back tomorrow, and you will start seeing benefits."

I chuckled and shook my head. No way was that happening. Except that after I showered and survived the ordeal, I felt energized and great for hours later. That drove me to try it again the next day, and then the next day, and then a few days later. I made a routine of it, going several times a week because I felt so great afterwards.

For those who abhor Yoga in its many forms, I am one of you. I am a type A personality, and a bit hyper, and way too driven to have patience to sit there crossed-legged, pinching my fingers together and saying "Ohm." I am not the meditation type, or deep breathing type either, trust me. I have tried other forms of yoga and did not like them one bit -- not the poses, not the routine, not the breathing or meditating. 

Somehow the Bikram Yoga poses were more tolerable to me.
It was a long time until I pushed past the pain and discomfort in Bikram Yoga. Many people would give up way before I did -- and I have seen them drop like flies out of the studio I frequent. 

I started out with a very inflexible old body, and couldn't even consider twisting my body into some of the poses required. The calm, all-knowing instructors encouraged me and told me to give it time. There are still times when I feel like my flexibility is akin to a whale trying to bend backwards at the middle.

A part of my personality is stubbornness, and that serves me well in cases like this. So I stuck to it as I saw how it basically detoxed me from stress and life on the run each time I went. I felt a kind of relaxation and energy afterward that is hard to describe. I am convinced that puddle of sweat I leave behind holds all the toxins I would have kept in my body. It is not comfortable leaving as wet as if I just came out of a pool, but I think of what I have released.

Slowly, I became stronger. In fact, Bikram professes to thwart osteoporosis by helping with bone density, and helps with balance, thereby preventing falls in the senior years. Another bonus was the calories I was burning during class let me eat at my normal appetite level and not gain weight. 

Each Bikram Yoga pose has a specific purpose, and they are all health related. There are poses for the thyroid, for the colon and digestion, and on and on, and I felt the wonderful effects. After six months, I feel my digestion and metabolism have improved, and I have tons more energy. My immune system seems to have a boost. I feel a bit slimmer, although I am still not rid of my spare tire around the middle. Supposedly it can even lower cholesterol, and help with diabetes too. My varicose veins that started appearing have virtually disappeared.

About the heat: I am not going to lie. There are some days with my exertion level and the heat where I feel like I am broiling in a rotisserie. There is a good reason for the heat though. Benjamin Lorr said in his book, Hell-Bent, "increased room temperature correlates with improved physical performance of the body. Specifically, blood vessels dilate and tissue expands improving blood flow and distribution of oxygen throughout the body. This creates an overall sense of well-being."

I still look ridiculous doing some of the impossible poses, but I see all body types, all ages, and it occurs to me that except for the most advanced practitioners, we are all in the same boat, struggling to get through the session. 

Now mind you, it is not an easy task to get into a routine of doing this. It's kind of like running the marathon and hitting that famous wall. If you can get past that torturous beginning, and take it at your own pace, you probably will succeed as I did. 

We all need a little help to revitalize ourselves and fight off disease as we age. If you stick with this it becomes tolerable. This hard work and hours of commitment is my gift to myself; my own fountain of youth.

Tip of the Week: Breathe Deeply

Ever wonder why your instructor tells you to breathe in deeply through your nose during class when really you just want to pant heavily through your mouth? The following article from Harvard Health Publications sheds some light on the importance of proper breathing.

Take a Deep Breath

Proper breathing goes by many names. You may have heard it called diaphragmatic breathing, abdominal breathing, or belly breathing. When you breathe deeply, the air coming in through your nose fully fills your lungs, and you will notice that your lower belly rises. The ability to breathe so deeply and powerfully is not limited to a select few. This skill is inborn but often lies dormant. Reawakening it allows you to tap one of your body’s strongest self-healing mechanisms.

Why does breathing deeply seem unnatural to many of us? One reason may be that our culture often rewards us for stifling strong emotions. Girls and women are expected to rein in anger. Boys and men are exhorted not to cry. What happens when you hold back tears, stifle anger during a charged confrontation, tiptoe through a fearful situation, or try to keep pain at bay? Unconsciously, you hold your breath or breathe irregularly.

Body image affects breathing, too. A “washboard” stomach considered so attractive in our culture encourages men and women to constrict their stomach muscles. This adds to tension and anxiety, and gradually makes shallow “chest breathing” feel normal.

The act of breathing engages the diaphragm, a strong sheet of muscle that divides the chest from the abdomen. As you breathe in, the diaphragm drops downward, pulling your lungs with it and pressing against abdominal organs to make room for your lungs to expand as they fill with air. As you breathe out, the diaphragm presses back upward against your lungs, helping to expel carbon dioxide (see figure).

Shallow breathing hobbles the diaphragm’s range of motion. The lowest portion of the lungs — which is where many small blood vessels instrumental in carrying oxygen to cells reside — never gets a full share of oxygenated air. That can make you feel short of breath and anxious.

Deep abdominal breathing encourages full oxygen exchange — that is, the beneficial trade of incoming oxygen for outgoing carbon dioxide. Not surprisingly, this type of breathing slows the heartbeat and can lower or stabilize blood pressure.

Here’s how to take a deep, healing, diaphragmatic breath:
First steps. Find a comfortable, quiet place to sit or lie down. Start by observing your breath. First take a normal breath. Now try taking a slow, deep breath. The air coming in through your nose should move downward into your lower belly. Let your abdomen expand fully. Now breathe out through your mouth (or your nose, if that feels more natural). Alternate normal and deep breaths several times. Pay attention to how you feel when you inhale and exhale normally and when you breathe deeply. Shallow breathing often feels tense and constricted, while deep breathing produces relaxation.

Tip of the Week: Roll Your Feet on a Tennis Ball for Tight Hamstrings

 I found this fun little tip for tight hamstrings on myfiveminuteyoga.com.

Is there such a thing as yoga magic?
If you struggle with tight hamstrings, this Five-Minute Yoga Challenge might lead you to say yes.
The effects can be startling the first time you try it.
Continue to roll your feet daily for a week and some of that “shock of the new” will drop away.
You’ll be left with livelier and more relaxed feet, and a new benchmark in hamstring flexibility – still enough of a change to call magic, considering that it’s achieved with a tennis ball and five minutes a day.
Why does it work?
When you massage the soles of your feet, you loosen the starting point of a network of connective tissue that runs all the way up your back body to the crown of your head. So it stands to reason that massaging your feet can loosen your hamstrings.
Having a hard time imagining what that network of connective tissue would look like?
Tom Myers, author of Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual and Movement Therapists has posted a fascinating video from a human dissection showing the entire Superficial Back Line of fascia, connecting from the feet to just above the eyebrows. You will never feel the same about the distance between your feet and your head again.
Before you try this for the first time, measure your hamstring flexibility:
Come into a standing forward bend with your feet hip distance apart. Press down into your feet, lift your front thighs and straighten your legs. Roll your front upper thighs in, and widen across your hamstrings.
Unless you can easily bring your palms to the floor with your legs straight, use yoga bricks (or books or a handy stair), to support your upper body.
Make a note of how much height you need to place your palms flat, then roll up from your forward bend.
Now, stand close to a wall on a yoga mat or carpet, with one hand on the wall for balance. Place a tennis ball under one foot and start to roll the sole of your foot over the tennis ball.
Experiment with the amount of weight you can put into the ball and still have an intense, yet pleasant sensation.
Drape your toes over the tennis ball and massage the backs of your toes. Then work your way down the sole of your foot, all the way back to your heel. Roll along the inner and outer arches.
Keep rolling for at least two minutes – it helps to set a timer or watch a clock – and then move to your other foot.
Once you’ve worked both feet, revisit your forward bend. You may be surprised to find that – abracadabra! – your hamstrings have lengthened by as much as an inch or two.
Benefits: Our feet become cramped and tense from wearing restrictive shoes and walking on hard surfaces. Regular ball rolling releases tension in the muscles and fascia. Since the fascial body is a web of connective tissue, a release in one part can trigger release in the entire web.
Sequence: Especially welcome after a long walk, this exercise can be done any time, and almost anywhere. If you are free to take your shoes off when you sit to work, you can even keep a tennis ball under your desk and do impromptu rolling sessions while sitting down. Do it at the beginning of a longer practice to bring extra awareness to all of your poses.
Ouch: If your feet are particularly sensitive, a tennis ball may initially feel too harsh. Find a softer, more forgiving ball, and work with it until your feet adapt. Then move on to a tennis ball.
Beware of excess enthusiasm. Stick with a moderate pressure and a modest amount of time – two to four minutes per foot if you’re standing, 10 if you’re sitting down. It’s possible to hurt the muscles in your feet by rolling too much and too fiercely.