When The Yoga Student Is The Bully

I have been to yoga classes where the teacher is harsh, scolds the students unnecessarily and generally acts like a bully. I try to avoid those teachers, and to be fair, they are few and far between in my experience. And usually there is some explanation for their behavior — everyone has a bad day once in a while.

But what do you do when the yoga student is the bully? I have seen yoga students fight with one another over mat setup or the temperature, but I had never seen a student bully the teacher — until the other day.

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Should You Always Listen To Your Yoga Teacher?

March 14, 2017February 13, 2017 Hot Off The Mat Class Experiences, Postures, Self Improvement, Yoga and Life Bikram, Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga, Yoga, Yoga and Life

I was visiting family in California recently so had the chance to practice at a nearby Bikram yoga studio. I had been to this studio before and always enjoyed my classes there. This time was no different, except that the teacher was giving me corrections that I did not understand. I usually enjoy learning from new teachers and am open to all sorts of adjustments, but this time it just felt wrong. I did not know how to do what she was asking me to do or even what exactly she was asking me to try.

I felt uncomfortable so I decided to disregard her comments and continue on with my practice as is. It felt strange doing so. She did not seem to be bothered by it, so I relaxed, but it got me thinking — should you always listen to a yoga teacher when he or she gives you a correction?

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Taking My Yoga Breathing Under Water

January 17, 2017January 9, 2017 Hot Off The Mat Meditation, Self Improvement, Yoga and Life Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga, Meditation, Yoga, Yoga and Life

I enjoy snorkeling, but it also scares me. The unexpected cold when my body hits the ocean for the first time, the eerie underwater environment and the challenge of breathing through a snorkel combine to make the experience stressful. I often start off in a bit of a panic, with rapid breathing, a pounding heart, and my mind racing. I eventually calm down and take in the sights, but it can be exhausting.

On my most recent trip to the Caribbean, I decided to try a new approach — yoga breathing. It worked famously!

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Do Crowded Yoga Classes Have Better Energy?

December 15, 2016December 14, 2016 Hot Off The Mat Class Experiences, Postures, Yoga and Life Bikram, Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga, Yoga, Yoga and Life

Crowded Bikram Yoga classes can be annoying — it is harder to see yourself in the mirror, your neighbors keep spraying sweat on you and the temperature is usually hotter. Plus, it can be embarrassing to fall out of a posture and land on someone else!

But they are also wonderful. The energy is electric, the teacher is usually more dynamic, and it is exciting to witness our disparate bodies moving together through the postures as one. Incredible and inspiring.

Participants take part in a mass yoga cl

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I Fell Down in Bikram Yoga Class

November 15, 2016November 15, 2016 Hot Off The Mat Class Experiences, Yoga and Life Bikram, Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga, Yoga, Yoga and Life

Have you ever fallen down in Bikram yoga class? I recently did. It wasn’t pretty, but I survived. I had woken up that morning with a bout of vertigo and an annoying ringing in my left ear (this happens to me sometimes because of my hearing loss) so I knew it was going to be a rough day. I thought class might help reset whatever was out of balance. Maybe that was a mistake.