Can You Do Yoga With A Hearing Loss?

May 31, 2016May 31, 2016 Hot Off The Mat Class Experiences, Self Improvement, Yoga and Life, Yogis That Inspire Me Bikram, Bikram Yoga, Meditation, Yoga, Yoga and Life

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.

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?

Meditation Is Hard!

May 3, 2016April 14, 2016 Hot Off The Mat Meditation, Self Improvement, Yoga and Life Meditation, Yoga

I meditate every weekday morning before Bikram Yoga class. Twenty minutes of quiet and stillness, preparing me for another 90 minutes of the same. It’s peaceful and keeps me calm. It even helps with my tinnitus. I love my weekday morning ritual.

But weekend mornings are different. I sleep later. The kids are home. There’s breakfast to savor and coffee to enjoy. The newspaper is waiting to be read. Lovely morning rituals, but different. My schedule is thrown off. Sometimes I forget to meditate.

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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

Bikram Yoga Gratitude

November 24, 2015November 30, 2015 Hot Off The Mat Yoga and Life Bikram, Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga, Meditation, Yoga

Thanksgiving is always a good time to take a step back and remember how fortunate you really are. It is a time for fun and family, but also reflection and gratitude. As the holiday approaches here in the United States, I find myself increasingly grateful for my Bikram Yoga practice, the release and peace it gives me, and the numerous health and mental benefits it provides. Thank you all for reading and for sharing your experiences with me! Happy Thanksgiving!

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The Three Rules Of Meditation

November 17, 2015November 16, 2015 Hot Off The Mat Meditation Bikram, Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga, Meditation, Yoga

I found meditation at a Japanese Buddhist Zen center in Crestone Colorado during a one-week yoga retreat. I had struggled with incorporating meditation into my daily life for several months, but for some reason, this retreat broke through. Maybe it was because the procedures were laid out so clearly up front. Since many of the attendees were new to meditation, the head monk gave a short talk on meditation the first night. He demonstrated how to sit, how to hold your hands and gave us three simple rules to follow.

1. Don’t move.

2. Don’t scratch.

3. Don’t invite your thoughts to tea.

Simple right? Not so much. Each rule, while simple in and of itself, encompasses an entire philosophy. Brilliant.