Bikram Yoga

A New Teacher Can Bring New Perspectives

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I have a practice routine. I typically take the same classes at the same times of day with the same teachers. I learn a lot from these teachers as they know my practice, and can push me in personal ways to improve. I am grateful for their reminders and corrections when I struggle, and for their compliments when I have pushed my posture to a new place. They know me, and they notice, and I appreciate that. But sometimes, it is nice to mix it up – try out a different time of day for your practice or a different teacher.  Every time I do, I learn something new.

This weekend I had the opportunity to take an afternoon class from a teacher that I had never met.  It was terrific!  He was uniquely focused on the physicality of the practice and provided very detailed descriptions of how to set up and do each posture, including some interesting tips that I had not heard before.

For example, he mentioned how important it is in Standing Head to Knee that the standing foot be exactly perpendicular to the mirror.  If the heel is turned in or turned out, even slightly, it will strain the ligaments and can lead to knee problems.  I hadn’t known that, but quickly noticed that my standing foot was not exactly straight on my right side. Uh oh! I will watch for that now.

He also had a tip for Eagle Pose. I knew that I needed to squeeze my arms and legs together in the posture, but his description of squeezing and cutting off the blood circulation in my arms and legs inspired me to squeeze harder somehow.  I was literally trying to cut off the blood flow. I’m not sure what was different in his words, but I gained a new perspective on the posture.

Another example is Half Moon Pose, where he suggested that we shift our body weight to the edges of both feet as we pushed our hips.  In other words, if you are pushing your hip to the left, you place your body weight along the left edges of both feet.  This helped me to extend the push in my hips while also keeping my body from collapsing.  Cool!

I am grateful for his insights and approach and will take this new learning to my regular practice. This experience was also a nice reminder to not get too comfortable in my practice and my routines.  A new teacher, or a new time of day, or a new spot in the room can provide a new perspective that can add a lot to my practice. And yours too.

Fellow yogis, has a new teacher ever given you a new perspective?

Thank You Bikram Yoga!

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As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches here in the United States, I find myself reflecting with gratitude on my Bikram Yoga practice, the release and peace it gives me, and the numerous health and mental benefits it provides. In addition, I am so grateful that I can share my practice with all of you through Hot Off the Mat. Thank you for reading and for sharing in my Bikram Yoga community! My best wishes to all of you for a great holiday!

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HOTM’s Top Ten Bikram Yoga Thank Yous For Thanksgiving 2014

  1. Improved health and stamina: When I started practicing 5 years ago, I was always exhausted. My life wore me out. Now I have the energy to not only tackle my day, but to enjoy it.
  1. Arm muscles: Not that they are huge, mind you, but I never had a stitch of muscle on my stick figure arms. Now when I flex, I can see my biceps.
  1. More peaceful sleep: For years, I awoke every night at 3 am and tossed and turned while my mind raced. Now I sleep through the night.
  1. Yoga breathing: I use my yoga breathing to calm myself both on and off the mat. It gives me confidence in what were previously nerve-wracking situations for me, like public speaking.
  1. Clearer skin: It is true what they say; clearer pores help my skin look healthier and younger.
  1. Challenging work: Through my practice I am always pushing myself to take on new challenges. While the postures are the same every day, my practice is different. If I can make progress on my challenges in the hot room, I believe I can make progress on any challenge.  The One You Dread is the One You Need
  1. A warm and embracing community: I love that I can walk into any Bikram Yoga studio around the world and find the comfort of the practice and a community of like-minded yogis.  Practicing Bikram Yoga Around The World
  1. A little heat in the cold of winter: I hate the cold, so the heat of the studio keeps me going during these tough winter months.
  1. Time for reflection: My practice gives me 90 minutes of “me time” that I can use to reflect and to refocus on me. It strengthens my mind for all that lies outside the hot room and helps me bring my better self to bear for my family and friends.  Mom, Please Go to Bikram So We Can All Have a Better Day
  1. All my readers at Hot Off the Mat: My blog is only a few months old, but I am already so grateful for the wonderful community it is creating. Thank you to all my readers for sharing their experiences and wisdom with me.

Fellow yogis, what are you most grateful for in your practice?

Catfight in Bikram Yoga Class!?!

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We’ve all been there. You have a frustrating day, or arrive at class frazzled from traffic, or are just in a bad mood. Someone sets up his or her mat too close to yours, or right in front of you, or who knows what. And you get mad. It is ridiculous, of course, especially at a yoga class (!), but sometimes it happens.

I witnessed this first hand last week. A woman (we’ll call her Woman #1) had come in early and set up in the front row, between the two ceiling heaters and a small distance from the side wall on her left. She was resting on her back, when another woman walked in (Woman #2) and set up right next to her, squeezing in between Woman #1 and the side wall. Woman #1 angrily demands that Woman #2 move, as the rest of the studio was essentially empty. Woman #2 refuses. They argue (pretty loudly!) for a few minutes about where mats are allowed to be and who can touch the humidifiers, and who was rude and who is a jerk, but nothing is resolved. Woman #1 stomps out to complain to management, but not much can be done, since it is a free country, and both were in legitimate spots in the room.

Class starts, and the two women are staring each other down. All I kept thinking was, “Wow, these two really need to do some yoga!”

We’ve all been there, overreacting to some small annoyance in our day or to another person’s inconsiderate behavior, or to some detail that is out of our control. But that’s not what the yoga room is for. The yoga room is to release these small things, to help us relax and to refocus us on what is important, not to drum up more drama. Let’s all try to remember that the next time some sets up right in front of us…

Fellow yogis, what advice do you have for keeping drama outside the hot room?

What Row Will You Choose Today?

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Do you pick your row by how you are feeling that day? I sometimes do. Typically I set up my mat in the second row. I can usually see myself well, and the energy feels good, as I am surrounded by yogis on all sides. I am centered in my practice in the second row. Sometimes, if I feel like I need to take it easy in class, I will head to the third row. I feel like there is less of an expectation for my practice in the third row, so maybe I give myself a little bit of a break.

More recently, I have been trying out the front row. The front row is nice! You have an unobstructed view of yourself, there is great energy from your fellow first row yogis, and that little bit of extra scrutiny pushes your practice forward. In the front row, I feel like I need to set a good example for the yogis behind me, particularly if there are new students in class, so I keep my wiping and fidgeting to a minimum, and I push myself to take each posture to my fullest expression.

I particularly like the view I have of myself in the first row. It helps me keep my knee more firmly locked in standing head to knee and gives me somewhere to look so my head doesn’t droop in balancing stick. It is also a nice treat to meet my own eyes in the mirror during toe stand in such an intimate way. Plus, the splashing of my sweat on the front mirror always gives me a much needed chuckle as I raise my arm in the set-up for standing bow.

I am glad I am experimenting with the rows. Each brings a new dimension to my practice and keeps me engaged and energized to see what comes next.

Experimenting with the rows has also helped me to see how the small choices we make each day can have a big impact on the type of experiences we have. Hiding in the back in life rarely leads to a peak experience, but sometimes it is necessary. The middle path can lead to a satisfying, yet fairly typical day. But taking the risk to be out in front can pay off handsomely, leading to a more energized experience and deeper connections with yourself and others. I like having a first row kind of day. Maybe I should try to do that more often.

Yogis, do you have a favorite row for your practice?

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?