Yoga and Life

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?

Mom, Please Go to Bikram So We Can All Have A Better Day

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“Mom, please go to Bikram so we can all have a better day.”

This is a direct quote from my 9 year old son this past Saturday.  I was waffling about going to class on Saturday morning since we had a bunch of errands to run and a busy plan for the day.  But out of his mouth, came a truism.  If I went to a Bikram yoga class, I would have a better day, and so would the family.  The whole family laughed when he said this, and immediately shooed me out the door to class.  And we did have a better day – less yelling and frustration, and a lot more laughing and relaxed family time.  Ninety minutes very well spent.

That got me thinking about something that teachers often say at the end of class – that the time you take for class is not purely selfish time, but is more than that.  Some go as far as to say that taking class is sort of like paying it forward – as the strength and peace you get from class are passed to others you encounter during the day.  While I always thought this was somewhat true, my son put it in such simple terms that it really sunk in.  I could always see that going to class was a positive for me – better health, more energy, and a greater sense of calm, but it took my son to show me how it so clearly impacts others in my life as well.  We all have a better day when I go to Bikram yoga class.  It’s just a fact.  I am grateful there is such a simple way to guarantee a better day.

Fellow yogis, do your friends and family push you out the door to class?