Parlez-Vous Bikram?

August 4, 2015July 22, 2015 Hot Off The Mat Class Experiences, Postures, Yoga and Life Bikram, Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga, Yoga

I arrived early for class because it was a new studio for me, and a new language. I was going to take my first Bikram yoga class in Paris. The check-in proceeded well — the receptionist spoke English — but noticing the inadequacy of my “one year of French in college” language skills, she commented, “The class will be in French, will that be alright for you?” “I’ll do my best,” I replied. We both smiled, me a little bit nervously, but honestly, I was not worried. I knew the flow of the class and I felt that I would find my way using visual clues from the other practitioners if nothing else. I was right, but what I didn’t realize was how much of the dialogue I could still comprehend, despite not understanding the spoken words.

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Summer Savasna

June 30, 2015June 23, 2015 Hot Off The Mat Welcome Bikram, Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga, Meditation, Yoga

Hot Off The Mat is taking a summer savasna, but will be back with weekly posts in August. In the meantime, I will be sharing oldies but goodies on Hot Off The Mat’s Facebook page each week. Thanks so much for reading!

Namaste and enjoy the summer!

Did Practicing Non-Attachment Really Work?

June 23, 2015June 23, 2015 Hot Off The Mat Meditation, Self Improvement, Yoga and Life Bikram, Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga, Meditation, Yoga

I have always approached new concepts and ideas with a healthy amount of skepticism, so I came to the concept of non-attachment in a similar way. But I think it might actually be working! As I understand it, non-attachment is a state in which a person becomes less attached or reliant on things, people or concepts of the world to achieve happiness and peace. For example, if you don’t get your typical spot in the yoga room, it is not a cause for anxiety or stress. Or if you don’t get that many comments on a particular blog post, it does not ruin your day (smile). Or if you get a scathing email from someone you trusted and always felt understood your best intentions, you don’t fire off a hasty reply and regret it later. Yeah, that last one.

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Do You Ever Forget How To Breathe?

June 16, 2015June 15, 2015 Hot Off The Mat Class Experiences, Meditation, Postures, Self Improvement Bikram, Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga, Meditation, Yoga

Sometimes, I forget how to breathe. Does this ever happen to you? Most often, this happens when I am concentrating on my breathing, like during the opening Bikram breathing exercise. When it is at its worst, I sometimes have to take a quick in and out breath while I am waiting for others to finish exhaling. This is especially true when the teacher is a slow counter. Rarely do I lose my breath to that extent during the rest of class, although sometimes in camel, but that’s another story.

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Boy, Did I Need Bikram Yoga This Week

June 9, 2015June 2, 2015 Hot Off The Mat Yoga and Life Bikram, Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga, Meditation, Yoga

This week was a rough one. Whatever I did, it was wrong. Whatever step I took, it was leading in the wrong direction. I had to redo basic tasks multiple times to get them right. My computer died and my hastily purchased new one didn’t work either. My children were on their worst possible behavior and my foundation work keep hitting roadblocks. And it was 50 degrees outside —in June! My frustration level was so high that I started to snap at everyone in sight. Never a good response. The kicker — I couldn’t get to yoga for 4 days straight.