It’s that time of year again! The calendar is changing and with that, we all get a fresh start in a new year. Just like in class, when each set is a fresh start. I love that about the Bikram yoga series – each set is a new beginning, and a new chance to move forward in your practice. Can the change in the calendar give us a second set in life?
For as long as I can remember I have been making New Year’s resolutions. Some years, I actually keep them : ). I remember a string of years when the same resolution kept appearing on the list, with no real progress made. I wanted to be more patient, which is a great goal, but that type of resolution was just too general for me, making it hard to take action against. What did it mean exactly, and how would I measure success? My repeated failure to keep this resolution made me realize that I was going about it the wrong way. I needed my resolutions to be more specific, with clear action steps identified. That way I could add it into my routine, make it a habit and make progress.
So last year, I tried something very specific, and it made a big difference. Our family decided to stop using bottled water. For years, we had probably consumed a large Costco case of 8 oz water bottles each month. I know – pretty bad. So last December, we just stopped buying them and instead we bought 4 stainless steel water bottles (one for each of us) and a Brita pitcher to keep in the refrigerator. It was inconvenient at first, but then it became a habit, and that made it easy. Now it is just second nature. Success!
How about in the hot room? Would a New Year’s resolution be a way to push my practice forward? Should I pick one thing to add into my practice that could become a habit and then be easy to keep? I think so. In that spirit, in 2015, I will work to consistently get into Savasna within 3 counts. I have seen teachers demonstrate it – the quick turn, straighten the legs and lie back. I do it sometimes, but this year I will work to make it second nature — a habit. Not only will this add an additional layer of discipline to my practice, but the extra Savasna time should give me more energy for the back half of class. I am excited to try.
Fellow yogis, do you have a resolution for your practice in 2015?
Happy New Year to all my readers! I am looking forward to a great 2015 at Hot Off The Mat and in the hot room!
Everyone remembers his or her first Bikram Yoga class! And for good reason! It can be overwhelming, unfamiliar and a bit scary! But don’t be disheartened. Follow these easy tips to make sure your first class is as positive an experience as possible. And don’t be discouraged if it is tough. It should be tough! For many of us, it is the first time we have worked so deeply into our bodies. Plus, it’s 105 degrees in there!
Please don’t be scared off! You can read about my first class here. It was challenging, yet inspiring, and I am so grateful for it, because it led me to this wonderful practice that I have now enjoyed for five years. Here are my tips for a great first Bikram Yoga Class. Enjoy!
HOTM’s Tips For A Great First Bikram Yoga Class
Hydrate in advance: Drink plenty of water the day before class, particularly the night before class. It takes a while for your body to absorb the water so binge drinking right before class won’t work. Plus, it will leave a puddle of water in your stomach that doesn’t feel so good during class.
Bring a bottle of water with you: Or buy one at the studio. There is no drinking in class for the first 25 minutes, but after that, you will enjoy having water to drink during class. Limit your drinking to between postures for the benefit of your fellow yogis.
Wear sweat-wicking workout clothes: You don’t have to look like a pro your first day, but sweat-wicking clothing will keep you more comfortable with all the sweat. Keep in mind, your clothes will be soaking wet by the end of class. Cotton is a problem since it absorbs the sweat and can weigh you down.
Don’t eat a big meal for two hours prior to class: The last thing you need is a lot of food sitting in your stomach during class. A light nibble is ok if the timing just works out that way, but keep it light – toast or a granola bar.
Don’t use hand cream before class: OK, I know this sounds like a crazy one, but you will thank me. Hand cream will make your hands slippery and that will make it harder to maintain a good grip during the postures.
Don’t expect too much of yourself: The class will be hard, so don’t expect to come out of the gate as a pro, no matter your fitness level. Exercising in the heat is a new experience. And most people will not have sweat this much before. Be willing to try your best and take it as it comes.
Set up in a cooler spot in the room: Each Bikram Yoga room has its own unique heat profile. Don’t be shy about asking the teacher to point out a cooler spot for your first day. You won’t regret it.
Set up in the back so you can watch other yogis: Bikram Yoga teachers do not demonstrate postures, so it will be helpful to have some more experienced yogis in front of you to use as a visual guide.
Bring an open mind: Some parts of the class may be outside your comfort zone, but bring an open mind to it. I personally found the opening breathing exercise to be a bit strange for at least 6 months, but I stuck with it, and now I really enjoy that part of the warmup. Listen with an open mind to the dialogue and to any specific guidance you get from the teacher. S/he is there because s/he loves practicing Bikram Yoga, and wants you to have a good experience.
Have fun! Hey, it’s just yoga. Make sure you enjoy the experience and try to keep it all in perspective. Sit down on the mat and take a break if you need to. No big deal. Who knows, maybe five years from now you will be writing your own tips for a great first Bikram Yoga class on your Bikram Yoga blog. I certainly did not expect to be doing this when I first walked into the hot room…
Fellow yogis, what tips do you have for a great first class?
There are so many yogis that inspire me in my practice and in my life. Today I want to introduce you to one of them. Sandra, who will turn 71 years old on New Year’s Day, has been practicing Bikram Yoga since 2008 and attended teacher training in 2012 at 68 years old! I have had the pleasure of practicing alongside Sandra as well as taking her classes.
Sandra inspires me with her calm presence in the hot room, and her beautiful and peaceful practice. Nothing can shake her! She is a warm and encouraging teacher, but also challenges us to do better each day. PLUS, she is 70 years old! Sandra inspires me to continue with my practice in the hopes that my future 70-year-old self can match her example.
Sandra at teacher training in 2012.
HOTM: How did you discover Bikram Yoga?
Sandra: I knew about Bikram Yoga from my son who has been practicing since the mid 1990s. I personally discovered Bikram on May 21, 2008, when I walked into Bikram Yoga NYC’s Upper East Side studio. My first class was difficult. I had trouble adjusting to the heat. I stood for 20 minutes and was on the floor for the rest of class. I left wondering what was I thinking, but I went back the next day and never looked back.
HOTM: How often do you practice?
Sandra: I try to practice every day. I prefer practicing first thing in the morning. It gives me the energy to carry me through the entire day and accomplish everything I need to do each day. My first class was at 6 am and I have kept up that pattern.
HOTM: What does your practice mean to you?
Sandra: I truly believe this practice is a gift for good health. I fortunately do not have any physical issues like knee or hip pain. The yoga makes me feel good overall. I feel energized and strong. I am balanced, both physically and mentally. The word “stress” has left my vocabulary. I am very much at peace and I can handle issues that come up thoughtfully and calmly. I think much clearer and see solutions easier.
HOTM: What do you enjoy most about your practice?
Sandra: I enjoy the energy you get from the other students during your practice. That energy can get me through any tough class. My favorite series is the balancing series. As I get older, I know how important it is to be balanced physically, and it truly helps me to stay sure-footed.
HOTM: What made you decide to become a Bikram Yoga Teacher?
Sandra: After practicing for two years, I wanted to share the passion I have for this yoga with everyone, and I felt being a teacher was the way to do it. I remember hesitating, not feeling confident I could remember the dialogue at my age, but I kept tossing the idea around and finally I had the courage. I feel that I have accomplished, as a teacher, what I went to training to do. I truly believe the students in my class have a great practice and come out feeling good. That is all I wanted for them – to feel the passion that this practice can give.
HOTM: How did you like teacher training? Did you feel your age set you apart?
Sandra: It was an amazing experience. You return a different person. I attended teacher training in Fall 2012 in Los Angeles. It is a nine week commitment. I studied the dialogue the summer before, so I went there knowing the standing series. People were friendly. We felt bonded that we were all there together pursuing our passion. We practiced twice a day and had lectures and dialogue clinics. There were late nights, until 3 or 4 am, sometimes. It was challenging, but it taught me discipline. My age was an inspiration to many. There were 443 of us, the largest group ever. I became the shoulder to lean on during the emotional breakdowns and a confidante to many.
HOTM: What tips do you have for students in your classes?
Sandra: New students should not fear the heat, which is always the biggest issue. Everyone is a beginner. It is not like a gym where you may feel intimidated. Bikram is for everyone – tall, short, big, small, young or old. Regular students should try not to become robotic. They know the practice, so they stop listening to the dialogue. The dialogue is the key to the practice. If you listen to the words and do what you hear, you will go further into your postures.
HOTM: Do you have any tips for practicing later in life?
Sandra: It is so important to stay healthy. Aging is not the time to say, “I probably will have a stiff knee, or pain in my back because I am getting older.” It is not true! There is no need to give in to age. Take hold of your body and keep it strong. You are the age in your head, not what your birth certificate says. I know there is an 18-year-old inside me and she is not ready to give up!
HOTM: What are your future plans?
Sandra: This has been quite a journey, beginning a new career at 68! I was a stay-at-home-mom, went into finance, owned my own business and retired at 60. Totally bored, I got my real estate license. But walking into that Bikram studio, I knew there was something else out there for me. I had tried different types of yoga but the consistency of this practice – that it doesn’t change daily like other styles – convinced me that this was the one for me. In the future, I plan to travel around the country and world and visit my fellow teachers from training. I plan to take their classes, and hopefully teach a class at their studios. I will continue to practice every day. I am so thankful to all who have entered my life and made it so special.
There is sometimes a moment in class, when I look into the mirror and see the bigger picture. I am usually resolutely focused on myself, and my practice, but sometimes I catch a view of the class as a whole, moving as one. I love that. The strength the class has as it stands together and works together is inspiring, and beautiful to see. It always makes me smile.
Today it happened during Half Moon Pose. It was a full class and everyone was centered on their mats, reaching up and to the side. We were all different colors, shapes, sizes, nationalities, experience levels, men, women, but we were all part of the whole, like individual brush strokes in a painting. I could see the energy in the room. I could feel it. We all held the posture, gave one final push together, and moved back to the center in unison as the teacher said, “Change.”
This reminded me of the first time I attended Solstice in Times Square. Held on the day of the summer solstice, the day-long event includes mass yoga classes in NYC’s Times Square taught by leading instructors in various yoga styles. The Bikram class is usually held around noon to get the benefit of the heat. More than 10,000 people attended the event in 2014. If you have the chance to attend, I highly recommend it.
The first year I attended was 2012. Talk about feeling part of something bigger! There were thousands of us packed together on the street in Times Square for the Bikram Yoga class, each with our own yoga mat and stack of personal items. It was tight, but that was part of the experience. Yogis were sharing sunscreen, chatting, and taking photos for each other. While I arrived alone, I ended up in front of someone I recognized from my studio, and next to one of her friends. It was great fun.
There were no mirrors, of course, but I was far enough back in the crowd that I could see the group moving in unison through the postures. Again it was Half Moon Pose where it resonated most for me, probably because we were all reaching toward the sky. I was thrilled to be a part of the Bikram Yoga community and to be sharing the practice that I love with so many. I saw the bigger picture. My yoga practice not only helps me personally in my daily life, but it ties me to others, making me a part of something bigger and much stronger for the unity.
Fellow yogis, do you ever see the bigger picture in class?
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?
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