The Circle of Life – Taking Stock and Making a Plan

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We did an interesting exercise at my recent yoga retreat that I wanted to share with all of you. It is called The Circle of Life and it is a great way to take stock of where you feel that your life is on several dimensions, and then use that knowledge to identify one or two aspects of your life for improvement. I found it very interesting.

Here is the diagram which I borrowed from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition‘s website. As you can see, it is a circle divided into 12 slices, each labeled with an aspect of life: Creativity, Finances, Career, Education, Health, Physical Activity, Home Cooking, Home Environment, Relationships, Social Life, Joy and Spirituality.

circle-of-life
The Circle of Life

Here is how it works. Continue reading →

I Am Beautiful

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Yesterday I discovered that I am beautiful. I guess that sounds kind of egotistical, and shallow, but I don’t mean it that way. In fact I don’t mean it in a physical way at all. I mean it in an “I’m at peace with myself” way. In an “I respect myself” way. In an “I love myself” way. Not in a “let me model for Vogue” kind of way, because, believe me, they wouldn’t want me. This is what happened.

I was at my regular Bikram yoga class, looking at myself in the mirror as I struggled with my alignment in bow pose, and I almost did a double take. Who was that woman in the mirror, working so hard, yet so peaceful? Her leg was shaking, but she was strong. Her hip was not properly aligned but she was working on it. Her head was crooked but she adjusted it. She was so focused and persistent in her pursuit of excellence, I broke into a big smile. Hey, that is me I realized. And I felt proud, and beautiful and strong. And then I fell out of the posture.

So reality set in, but the feeling stayed with me and I wanted to share it, because we all need to find our beauty in the mirror. Rather than focusing on what is wrong with what we see, let’s focus on the effort we are making to turn things around. Rather than focus on our flaws, let’s acknowledge the improvements we are making. Let’s see the passion and the progress. Let’s find our own beauty — the strength we have found to enter the hot room day after day to work on our body, our mind, and our peace.

I am beautiful. And so are you.

Fellow yogis, please share this post with the beautiful ones in your life.

Should We Throw The Baby Out With the Bathwater?

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Since the recent NYTimes article about Bikram Choudhury, my friends keep asking me, “Isn’t that the yoga that you do? Are you going to stop now because of what he did?” A fair question, so I have given it some thought. And what I have decided is to not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

People are innocent until proven guilty, however, there is so much smoke in this situation that there is likely to be fire; meaning Bikram, the man, probably did some pretty bad stuff. And I think that is disgusting and vile. But is this a reason to stop practicing the yoga that I love, the yoga that has changed my life for the better? It is a tough question.

Others may disagree, but what I have decided to do is to separate the man from his magic. I did check with my studio to make sure that Bikram does not receive any revenue through royalties, or what have you, so I feel ok there. But even if he did, I’m not sure that would stop me from going to class. I have never felt healthier or calmer or stronger in my life, and that is worth a lot. In fact, my most recent physical at the doctor proved the case – higher bone density, off the chart good cholesterol levels and all other blood work normal. It would be foolish to give that up.

If Bikram Choudhury did these horrible things, I hope he is severely punished and goes to jail. There is no excuse for his behavior, particularly given his role as a teacher. But I hope the Bikram Yoga series lives on forever.

Fellow yogis, is it ok to hate the man, but love his yoga?

Ch-Ch-Chilly in Bikram Class?!?

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Today I was chilly in Bikram class. This never happens, right? Usually I am hot, or boiling or somewhere in between, but chilly, hardly ever. I hadn’t even worked up a sweat until the very end of the standing series. My mat was practically dry when I laid down on it for the floor series, and I drank hardly any water. I missed the heat. I wanted to sweat. So I worked harder, but still, a less than satisfying situation.

So what happened? I think it was a combination of the cold weather, the door to the studio being a little loose (which was letting in more air than usual), and the fact that the teacher forgot to put on the overhead heat until halfway through standing! That last one was the kiss of death.

At my studio there are a group of yogis who often complain about the room being cold. You know the type — they wear long sleeve shirts and fleeces over their bra tops and always move the humidifier so it blows only on them. They often confer with each other about the temperature before class starts and complain to the teacher during class that the room is too cold, even when it is not. I am NOT one of those yogis.

I don’t like when people complain about the temperature in the room — either too cold or too hot — because 1) someone’s “cold” is often someone else’s “I am going to pass out and die,” 2) it shouldn’t be about the temperature, it should be about the postures, and 3) I think we all need to toughen up a little bit — if you are cold, work your muscles harder and if you are hot, sit down and take a break.

It also never goes well. The teacher gets annoyed, makes a speech about him or her being in charge of the temperature and you being in charge of your meditation. And the teacher is probably right on that.

So, for all these reasons, I didn’t say anything when I noticed that the overhead heat was off. I tried to work harder to build up my own internal heat. I focused on what I could control rather than on what I couldn’t. But I have to admit, I was pretty happy when the teacher remembered and turned on the overhead heaters…

Fellow yogis, how do you handle temperature swings in the hot room?

When Is It Smart To Take A Sick Day From Class?

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Today I took the day off from class. I hate to do that, but I was fighting a cold, jet lag, a sore hip, and I couldn’t stop coughing!  I needed the day to recover and rest so I could return to my practice strong and ready for action tomorrow. Let’s hope it works. I might have to wait another day or two with this cough… I guess it is that time of year.

I often waffle on whether or not to go to class when I am feeling under the weather. Obviously, if I have a fever or am contagious with something I don’t go, but what if I just feel a little bit sick. Will class help or hurt my prospects for a quick recovery? In my experience, it can go both ways.

Sometimes if I have a little bit of a head cold, the heat and the sweat just clean everything out and I have an almost miraculous recovery. Plus the compression postures help fire up my immune system, which has to help a little bit, right? I take the class a little easy and see how it goes. Usually I am happy I went.

But other times, going to class can be the kiss of death. My muscles are so sore I can’t really do the postures properly. I become dehydrated and weak, and my body just shuts down. I often spend those classes recovering on my mat. At least the heat usually feels good, but truthfully, I wish I was home in bed.

I have yet to find a full proof strategy, but maybe the difference is like the old saying — starve a fever, feed a cold. If it is just a cold, class will probably help, but if its something more severe, with aches and fever, it is best to stay home. For now, I usually just go with my gut. And this morning it was saying “Go back to bed!” So I did. Let’s hope tomorrow is a better day.

Fellow yogis, do you go to class when you are feeling under the weather?