Bikram

Mixing Up My Yoga This Summer

Hot Off The Mat Class Experiences, Postures, Self Improvement, Yoga and Life , , , ,

I love summer. Overseas travel, lazy days in the country. A respite from the daily grind. But also from my regular Bikram yoga practice. I usually practice 4 – 5 days a week during most of the year, so summers are disruptive. Especially this summer, since I couldn’t find any Bikram yoga studios where I was traveling (usually I try to squeeze in some classes when I am away) and my now tween/teenager kids were less excited to attend the day camp near the closest Bikram yoga studio upstate. Leaving my children home for the 3 hours it would take to attend class (including showering and travel time) was hard to justify.

I didn’t want my yoga practice to suffer so I needed to mix it up. It turned out to be a very good thing.

yoga-asanas-to-reduce-belly-fat

Continue reading →

Happy Spine, Happy Life

Hot Off The Mat Class Experiences, Postures, Yoga and Life , , ,

The spine strengthening series has always been challenging for me. Instead of isolating the muscles of my back I have been cheating — using my leg strength, especially in Locust Pose. But the other day, I had a bit of a breakthrough. I finally heard the words of the dialogue that talked about shifting your weight forward. The teacher must have elaborated on this theme or maybe I just finally heard it, but something clicked. I was able to isolate and use my back muscles. Boy, did that feel different.

snappa-1457788873

Continue reading →

Making A Proper Yoga Exit

Hot Off The Mat Class Experiences, Postures, Yoga and Life , , , ,

Things don’t often end well. Whether it is a relationship, a job, a club membership — whatever it is — the ending is often the toughest part. It can be emotional, fraught with disappointment, anger or all of the above. The end is often something  we prefer to avoid or to rush through, getting it over with and moving forward to the start of something new.

But, what about in a yoga posture? The end is often the most important part. It is at the end of the posture where you break new ground, push your edge, and grow. And the exit is equally important — holding the form firmly during the exit so that no injury occurs. Through yoga, maybe we can learn to make a proper exit elsewhere in life.

Hot Off The Mat - A Bikram Yoga Blog

Continue reading →

Yoga in Times Square — Finding Calm Within The Storm

Hot Off The Mat Class Experiences, Meditation, Yoga and Life , , , , ,

There is nothing like practicing yoga at Solstice in Times Square. Bodies are packed together, each person with his or her own brightly colored mat right on the street. Every race, religion, body type, and walk of life is represented. Spectators line the designated yoga area taking pictures with astonished looks on their faces. Tourists wave and cheer from passing tour buses. Horns are honking. Taxi drivers are yelling. Neon signs flash with light and movement. It is mayhem, yet the practice is calm — an island of stillness in an ocean of clamor and noise.

It is what yoga is all about.

IMG_6664

Continue reading →

Can You Do Yoga With A Hearing Loss?

Hot Off The Mat Class Experiences, Self Improvement, Yoga and Life, Yogis That Inspire Me , , , ,

I recently wrote a post about yoga on my Living With Hearing Loss blog that I wanted to share with my Hot Off The Mat readers. I find yoga inspiring in part because it is accessible to people of all abilities, body types and mental states. Yoga has changed my life for the better. I hope it has for you as well.

downward-dog-pose-at-yoga-class-divine-wellbeing-wagga

Here is the post:

I love yoga! Not only is it fun, but I find the health benefits to be extraordinary. My yoga practice saved me from real injury during a fall last year, and I think that it, combined with meditatio…

Source: Can You Do Yoga With A Hearing Loss?