One Week Off Bikram Yoga and I Can’t Sleep Through the Night

Before I began practicing Bikram Yoga, I awoke each night at 2 or 3 in the morning grinding my teeth and worrying about something. As my eyes snapped open, I knew I should drift back to sleep — I had things to do the next day — but often I laid awake for an hour or two with my mind racing. Sometimes I would even get up and walk around the house, trying to clear my head and reboot my thoughts. I hated it.

My Bikram Yoga practice changed all that. At first, I was simply so physically exhausted from the practice that I slept like the dead. After several months, I was getting into the groove of my practice, but my sleep stayed sound. It was life changing and remained so for years.

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Is 2016 The Year You Try Bikram Yoga?

January 5, 2016January 4, 2016 Hot Off The Mat Class Experiences, First Class Bikram, Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga, Yoga

This post first appeared on my blog in 2014, but I decided to post it again as we head into the New Year. Is 2016 the year you take your first Bikram Yoga class?

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!

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Happy Holidays From Hot Off The Mat!

Image December 22, 2015December 22, 2015 Hot Off The Mat Welcome Bikram, Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga, Meditation, Yoga

Why Would Anyone Want To Straddle a Yoga Mat?

December 15, 2015November 30, 2015 Hot Off The Mat Class Experiences, Postures, Yoga and Life Bikram, Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga, Yoga

I enjoy practicing at different Bikram yoga studios, because while the basic premise is the same, there are always one or two unique features at each studio that help me in my practice. But one thing I find confusing is the way that different studios handle the three postures following the balancing series (Standing Separate Leg Stretching Pose, Triangle Pose and Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee Pose). I have experienced three different methods.

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The Bikram Yoga Dialogue — Straight From The Horse’s Mouth

December 8, 2015November 30, 2015 Hot Off The Mat Class Experiences, Postures Bikram, Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga, Yoga

Today I went to my Bikram yoga studio for class, but the teacher could not speak. She had lost her voice and planned to do a silent class. I had never done a silent class before, so I was pleased. But then two new students arrived. A silent class would not work for them. Thinking on her feet, the teacher decided to play a recording of the Bikram dialogue on her phone and use that to guide the class.

As the teacher left the room to prepare the recording, a lively discussion ensued among the regular practitioners. Had anyone heard the recorded Bikram dialogue before? A few people had. Would the class still be 90 minutes? Yes. Should we just come back tomorrow? No. We all decided to stay and look upon this hiccup as an added distraction to overcome in our practice that day. I can only imagine what the new students were thinking!