Class Experiences

Bikram Before A Redeye?

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Have you ever taken Bikram before a redeye?  I never had, but when I was in Seattle last week for Hearing Health Foundation‘s annual Hearing Restoration Project meeting, I thought I would give it a try.  Redeye flights usually kill me – I can never really fall asleep, and if I do, the flight is just too short to be worthwhile.  I almost always come down with a cold within a day or two after a redeye. I thought a Bikram class before the flight might relax me and set me up for a better sleep experience.  It was worth a try, right?  So that is what I did.  And it worked great!

I found a wonderful studio, Bikram Yoga U-District, and headed there for the 4:30 class.  The studio was clean and bright and the folks at the front desk were nice enough to keep an eye on my luggage so I could take the class worry-free.  After sitting still at a conference table for 2 days and overeating at group dinners for 2 nights, it felt so good to stretch out the aches and sweat out the toxins.  I must admit it was a rough class for me, probably due to the time change, so I took it a little easy and enjoyed the ride. The final savasna was a dream.

After class, I showered and headed right to the airport for the trip back to NYC.  I felt relaxed and somewhat serene.  I was ready for the flight.  Things went smoothly and I was able to fall asleep almost immediately and stay asleep for most of the flight.  I was still tired the next day, but I was able to function.  And, I am cold-free a week later.   Someone please find me some wood to knock on….

Fellow yogis, will you try a Bikram class before your next redeye?

Going Back to Move Forward

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I love standing bow pose.  I love the balance of it as you reach forward and kick backward simultaneously.  I like the feeling of grace as you hold your chest up high and proud, but bend your body down to exercise your heart.  I feel strong in this posture even if my body sometimes struggles through it.

Last week in class, the teacher had us all take a step back in this posture so that we could move forward in a better way.  Many of us were bending forward in the fuller expression of the posture, but our hips were not aligned.  She had us stay straight up, kicking and reaching but in an upright position allowing our hips to remain parallel to the front mirror.  In only the final seconds did she have us bend forward to exercise the heart.  Not many of us could bend down as far with our hips in this proper alignment, but we were doing it the right way and getting greater benefits.  I certainly felt a deeper stretch in my hips and back and a more stringent call on my abs to support my body.

I have been trying to replicate this process in my practice since that class.  I feel the difference in my body, but I also see the difference in the mirror.  My posture is not as pretty as it once was, not as fully extended, but I have decided not to care.  I know I am getting the benefits and that is the point.  It will be pretty again, although it might take a while.  Doing it the right way to get the health benefits is more important than the short-lived gratification of a pretty posture looking back at me in the mirror.

That got me thinking about how important the ability to go back to move forward is, both on and off the mat.  It requires discipline, self awareness, and the ability to delay gratification, many of the things needed for success generally.  It is something I am trying to teach my school-aged children.  For example, I make them recopy messy homework assignments so they are neater and better organized. Going back (recopying) to move forward (learning how to do neat and organized homework).  While they are not thanking me for this now (at all!), I hope that longer term, they will be glad they have the skill and discipline required to do homework properly, so they get the full benefits, just like I hope to do in standing bow.

Fellow yogis, do you have a posture where you need to go back to move forward?

Maximum Exertion, Maximum Relaxation

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I love savasna.  Who doesn’t?  That wonderful reward at the end of standing series, between postures on the floor and at the end of class.  The time when the health benefits are being absorbed by the body.  In final savasna, I can sometimes feel the blood surging through my veins, cleaning out scar tissue and toxins, and spreading oxygen throughout my body.  It is an exhilarating feeling.

But Bikram yoga is all about balance.  You have to give maximum exertion to get that feeling of maximum relaxation.  I find this particularly true in the back strengthening series on the floor.  While the postures are short in duration, the effort required is great.  Backbend after backbend against gravity.  My heart is always pounding and my breath comes heavy, but once the posture is over, I settle into the maximum relaxation portion of the program.  And it feels good.  My breath and heart rate return to normal as I prepare for the next pose.  I use the phrase maximum exertion, maximum relaxation almost as a mantra to keep me going during the postures, and to help me enjoy the relaxation of the savasna.

I once had a teacher that in final savasna, encouraged us to relax our bodies so much that we could feel the floor supporting our body, rather than our body holding itself in place on the mat.  If I really focus on it, I can do it and it is a great feeling of freedom.  Almost meditative.  If I have the time at the end of class for a more leisurely savasna, I always try to relax to the point where I can feel the floor supporting me.  Almost like a well-earned hug at the end of class.

Fellow yogis, do you love savasna?

Practicing Bikram Yoga Around the World

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One of the wonderful things about Bikram Yoga is that the class is the same, no matter where you are in the world.  My home studio is Bikram Yoga NYC in Manhattan, but I have been lucky enough to practice in several other studios.  And in each of these studios, I always felt at home, welcomed, and among friends.  The routine of the class was the same, the dialogue the same, the flow, the heat, the postures, all the same.  Even when the class was led in a different language, the rhythm of the words sounded familiar and I could follow along with ease.

So far in the United States, I have practiced in NYC, Yorktown Heights, NY, Walnut Creek, CA, and Maui, HI.  Overseas, I have practiced at two different studios in London and one in Berlin.  One of the classes I took in Berlin was in German and I remember it as one of the best classes I have taken.  Despite not knowing a single word of German, the rhythm of the words was so similar that I could follow along well.  It actually made it such a peaceful class – all about feeling the flow of the words and tapping into the energy of the other students, rather than listening so intently to the actual content of the words.

While the class is always reassuringly the same, it is fun to notice minor cultural differences in the studios.  For example, in London, one of the studios very strictly enforced where the mats were placed in the room.  Each mat had to be lined up with red lines on the carpet to make sure that all could see well.  Even in a less than crowded class this was strictly enforced.  I kind of liked that actually, as it eliminated any of the mat scrambling that can sometimes happen during class.  In the other London studio, fresh oxygen was pumped into the room periodically throughout the class.  I never really noticed a difference with that to be honest, but I’m sure it didn’t hurt.

I thought it would be fun to keep a photo album of all the studios where I have practiced.  So far the album is a little thin, but I am confident I will add to it over time.

Fellow yogis, where in the world do you like to practice Bikram Yoga?

Switch Up Your Grip for A More Balanced Practice

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Do you switch up your grip in second set?  I always try to.  For me, this means placing my other thumb on top in the second set of postures.  Early on in my practice one of my instructors suggested it, and it was easy enough to adopt.  It has become a habit, and one that I am happy I have.  I feel that it provides a more balanced stretch to my arms, shoulders and back, and builds more equal grip strength in my hands.  It also gives me a shot of discipline and focus in my practice, as I have to decide which thumb to put on top first and remember to switch it up for the next set.  Usually my right thumb goes on top in standing and my left thumb on top on the floor.  Not sure why….

I find the grip switch particularly useful in half moon.  I get a much stronger stretch in my hip when the thumb on top is the same as the side to which I am bending.  It makes sense, as the thumb is the strongest digit and its iron grip on the stretching arm allows for greater reach.  I also find it useful in half tortoise as it focuses the stretch on alternate sides of my back and hips in the two sets.  I also switch which arm is on top in wind removing pose and fixed firm pose.  This helps me get a more equal stretch in my shoulders, which happen to be very tight.

I find it interesting that some instructors talk about switching the grip and others do not.  It must not be part of the official dialogue, but I think it is ok to go off script a little bit, to add a helpful detail to the practice.  I appreciate it when instructors do that.  It makes the instruction more personal, and helps us learn from their practice in addition to the dialogue.

Fellow yogis, do you switch your grip?