Jan 21, 2015 |
Last month, a lovely young woman named Erin showed up for one of my classes at Yoga Bliss Akron. She came up to introduce herself since she was new to the yoga studio, and I was immediately impressed by this really incredible energy about her. She proceeded to tell me that she had just won a national contest sponsored by Robek’s, which involved her taking a photo of herself showing how she stays healthy. She took a picture of herself in a yoga pose holding one of their smoothies, posted it to Instagram with the hashtag #GetHealthyWithRobeks, and ended up winning the contest.
That in itself is pretty remarkable since this was a national contest with hundreds of entries. But, what is even more remarkable is that the prize she won was her choice of a year-long membership to the fitness facility of her choice, and she chose a year-long unlimited yoga pass to Yoga Bliss!
Erin was already active with ballet dancing and had always wanted to start a yoga practice, so she was really excited about winning (understandably so) and starting her year-long yoga journey. The year started out with a lot of zeal. I saw Erin one evening at the studio, and she had just attended her fourth yoga class for the day – and that my friends is the beauty of having an unlimited yoga pass, you can take four classes in one day if you want!
Maria, Erin, and her friend Natalie at Yoga Bliss Akron.
Now I’ve been thinking a lot about Erin and the journey she is going to have this year on her yoga mat. I encouraged her to journal about the experience, and I also wrote down a few hopes that I have for her, which I shared in a recent class she attended. These hopes were not just for Erin; they were for all of my students because they are applicable no matter how many times you have stepped on your yoga mat.
Have Fun
Yes, it is important to be safe and in alignment in yoga asanas, but it’s also important to have fun on your yoga mat. It is OK to laugh, dance, sway your hips in the air in downward facing dog, and show off your jazz hands from time to time. Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras talks about friendliness, compassion, gladness, and joy when practicing yoga. Without these, we are not experiencing the true yoga of Patanjali. So, each time you come to your yoga mat, I hope that you seek joy, be friendly and compassionate with those you practice with, and don’t be afraid to bust out a few dance moves on your yoga mat.
Close Your Eyes
I know this is hard to do, especially when new to yoga, but I hope that you are able to find a few spaces during your yoga practice when you can close your eyes. I say this not so you can’t see, but rather so you can truly see within. When you close the eyes, you can focus on your breath, your body, and your divine. It is how I block out my ego – not looking around, not comparing, not judging – and when I can do this, I become fully present. Try it out in short spurts for a while, and eventually you will be able to do it more throughout the class. When you can block out the ego mind, let it all go, release the struggle, and truly relax, you become truly present in your body, and that is when the good stuff starts to happen. This is when your practice really starts to blossom!
Always Be a Beginner
No matter how long you practice yoga, there are always new things to learn. B.K.S. Iyengar said that once you think you have mastered a pose that is when you stop practicing yoga. I hope that as you continue on your yoga journey you always stay full of wonder, willing to learn and grow. Come to your yoga mat each time thinking, “What am I going to discover today?”
No Worries When You Don’t Make It to the Mat
I told Erin that there are going to be times in this next year when she doesn’t make it to the mat when she plans to. We all get busy. Life happens, but I stressed that she should not beat herself up when something holds her up from attending yoga class. Even on the busiest of days, you can always find a way to practice yoga. Perhaps take a few moments to sit, close your eyes, and focus on your breath. Or, simply do a kind deed for someone. Your yoga mat will always be there for you when you are ready to come back!
Practice Makes Perfect
I see this a lot with new students: a drive to perfect the yoga asanas and a lot of judgment about their lack of strength and flexibility. I always remind them that they have a lifetime to refine the poses and that they should enjoy the journey. Yes, we are all inherently driven to achieve perfection, and it is that drive that inspires us to improve. My hope, however, is that you can let go of the struggle and instead enjoy the practice. I love this quote from B.K.S. Iyengar: “Let the goal be to reach perfection, but to be content with a little progress toward perfection every day.”
And this one too! “Success will come to the person who practices.” – B.K.S. Iyengar
Live Your Yoga off the Mat
We learn a lot on our yoga mats, like the power of our breath, patience, the ability to offer compassion to ourselves and others, and truth. My hope for Erin is that at some point this year when she is off her mat that she has an aha moment, realizing that an action she has just taken was driven by something she learned on her yoga mat. Perhaps she is more patient with her parents, is more present with her friends and teachers, or uses her breathing to help her through a stressful situation. Yoga on the mat is awesome, but when you start living it off the mat, your life just gets sweeter.
The One Yoga Asana I Hope You Master
If you only focus on one yoga pose this year, try focusing on savasana. I know a lot of you are probably thinking, well how hard could that be? Savasana, if done properly, is by far one of the most challenging yoga poses because it requires you to lie still yet be fully present. When you can do this, completely let go and surrender to savasana, that is when the magic of your yoga practice will happen. Do yourself a favor this year and really focus on mastering savasana. Let all the goodness of the time spent on your mat soak into every cell of your body.
Erin, congratulations on your contest win, on your year of unlimited yoga, and on this fantastic yoga journey you are about to embark on! I am looking forward to watching it unfold.
Click to find out more about upcoming Daily Downward Dog yoga retreats! Come join us!
Feb 21, 2013 |
Last week I got to hear four blissful words that I never hear my husband say:
Let’s Go Do Yoga!
Just the sound of those precious words coming from his lips was enough to make my heart swell with delight. I love my husband and I love yoga, but my husband does not practice yoga, so to get to share some time with him on a mat is one sweet, yogalicious treat!
Our yoga date was not a typical hour-long asana class, but rather a two-hour partner Thai yoga massage class led by the awesome Tracy Rhinehart, who expertly guided the couples through the fine art of Thai massage, which has been affectionately dubbed “lazy man’s yoga.”
Many of the maneuvers Tracy took us through were familiar asanas to me, so I loved hearing my husband exclaim what a great stretch he was getting in his back when I gently guided him into an assisted bhugangasana (cobra pose) and seeing his relaxed smile as I assisted him into a gentle supta matsyendrasana (reclined twist).
It will probably be a while before I get him to come to another yoga class with me, so I will savor the memories of this stellar experience. I know that each time he gets a little taste of how awesome yoga is, his appetite and curiosity will continue to grow. And he knows that I will always have a yoga mat ready for him!
I want to give a big shout-out and hug to Tracy for hosting this class at YogaBliss Akron and for providing the yummy chocolate and wine afterward. You can book Tracy for your very own Thai massage or private yoga session, or if you live in the Akron/Cleveland area be sure to attend a yoga class with her.
If any of you have tips on how you get your partner or friend to the yoga mat – and, more importantly, hooked on the practice – I’m all ears, so please leave a comment below.
A Sweet Yoga Treat (and Challenge) for You!
I love a good challenge. And, if it is a yoga related challenge, all the better! This week, I decided to take Cora Wen’s 30-day Savasana Challenge. All you have to do is commit to resting for 15 minutes every day for the next 30 days. The actual challenge started on February 14, but it’s not too late to join in. You can get all of the details on Cora’s blog. When you leave comments on the 30-day Savasana post and share your savasana experiences, you are also entered to win some really cool prizes, including a Vernice Vita yoga mat that makes your savasana experience even more yogalicious with its middle layer of memory foam comfort.
Anna Guest-Jelly of CurvyYoga.com, Cora Wen, and Maria in Cleveland, Ohio
Blissed out after a day of yoga workshops led by Cora!
To quote Cora:
“Just 15 minutes of savasana a day can help you find that peace within and gain access to the space in between your thoughts. There, according to wisdom traditions, you find the window to the infinite mind and the mystery that some people call spirit or core consciousness.
The reason for restorative yoga isn’t so you can get away from it all, but that you can get in touch with it all.”
So, in other words, we’re not slacking when we rest in savasana; we are seeking peace and plugging into our consciousness for a few minutes, which is a great way to unplug from our phones and the internet for a refreshing change.
Please join me in this awesome challenge!
![When The Lights Go Out…In The Yoga Room]()
Nov 13, 2012 |
Don’t you just love that moment in yoga class when you’re a big sweaty mess and the teacher turns the lights down? It symbolizes that class is almost over, it’s time to slow down, and there are just a few more asanas until…savasana.
If it’s been a spirited yoga class, one where your energy is just about completely drained, this crossover from light to dark is an oh so welcome relief, almost a blessing in disguise. On the other hand, I have taken classes where I am so in the moment that the lighting cue has pleasantly surprised me, and I think, “Wow, I can’t believe class is almost over. Time flies when you’re finding your bliss; I don’t want it to end!”
I had both of these sensations last weekend in a one hour-and-a-half, hot and sweaty class led by Canadian kirtan and indie pop-rock musician and yoga teacher Wade Imre Morissette. Wade took the packed hot yoga room at Chagrin Yoga through a vigorous vinyasa flow class titled Summon Your Power. This humid room was so full of powerful intentions swirling about that, at one point when I took my camera out to capture a few pictures for the DDD, the lens on my camera was completely fogged up.
Wow – it was hot in that room! But, I still enjoyed getting an assist in a drop back.
Wade’s friendly, soothing voice and simple yet precise cues sprinkled with humor took me to a place of bliss, and when those lights went down, I got an overwhelming feeling of relief: “Aahhhh, class is almost over. You made it!” As much as I didn’t want the class to end, it couldn’t have gotten much sweeter than when Wade serenaded us all through the dark into a soothing savasana.
The Premature Lights Go Down
Those last few moments of class spent in darkness should always be peaceful, quieting the mind. A few more long, deep stretches or twists should be reserved for this moment, preparing the class for savasana.
Sometimes this is not the case, and the instructor pulls a premature lights go down. I know I’m not the only one who has experienced this. You’re in class, you’re tired, the instructor turns down the lights, you get yourself psyched up for savasana, and then the instructor gets the class back up into a standing pose or starts doing core work. My first thought is always, “What the heck? The lights are down; this is not the time or the place for stomach crunches!”
Call me old school, but seriously, when those lights go down, it should be followed by one to two mellow supta asanas that flow right into good ‘ole savasana and some soothing savasana music.
Setting the mood
Time for confessions: When I first started teaching yoga, I have to admit there were many times I forgot to turn the lights down. Yes, I was denying my students those blissful last few minutes of class in the dark. Thankfully, I remember to do so now, and I’m always mindful not to pull the premature lights go down.
I sometimes wonder what students who are completely new to yoga think when I turn the lights down near the end of class. I’m sure I’ve raised quite a few people’s angst levels when those lights take them from a safe bright place to a dark room full of strangers. When I first started practicing yoga, I don’t remember this ever catching me off-guard, but I would love to hear from any of you that have had an interesting first-time story about this. How did you work past the anxiety and sink into the experience?
Do you have a favorite when the lights go down moment? Please leave a comment and share your story!
And on that note, I’ll let Steve Perry and Journey take us out with his version of “When the Lights Go Down.”
[youtube]http://youtu.be/3RzgH9x4-Vk[/youtube]
Jun 7, 2012 |
Back in December of 2011, I put a stake in the ground and proclaimed that bakasana (crow pose) was my 2012 dream pose. And if that wasn’t good enough, I even went as far to proclaim that by the end of the year I was setting my sights to master parsva bakasana (side crow) as well. This was quite ballsy for me, mind you, because in the past I haven’t been one to herald my New Year’s resolutions.
The cool thing, though, about having a blog and a community of yoga followers is that I have a vehicle to invite my readers along for the ride and nudge them to publicly proclaim their very own dream poses. When I did, I was blown away by the honest and courageous comments about where they wanted to take their yoga practices in 2012.
I promised to check in with them and with you on the progress, so here is my official mid-year dream pose check-in.
On May 14, this is the update that I sent out to everyone who left a comment:
“I have made some small steps in improving my crow pose. Unfortunately, I experienced some pain in my left wrist, probably as a result of too many chaturangas (and maybe a little arthritis), so I have been nursing my wrist back to good health, which meant no arm balances. I’m still working on building up my upper body and core strength so I can hold the pose longer, but I have had a few small yoga victories where I’ve held the pose longer than I ever had, and that has felt great!”
Here is my update from June 6:
I rose early to a gorgeous morning and decided to do my yoga practice on the beach while enjoying the beautiful sunshine and the sound of the rolling waves. As I was doing my practice I thought to myself, “Maria, let’s give that crow pose a try. The wrists are feeling good, and you need to check in on your progress, so go for it.”
I got my hands in position and started to bring the knees up on the arms and just kind of gracefully flowed into the pose. No wobbles, no “oh shit, I’m never going to be able to hold this,” and no fear that I was going to land on my head. Instead, it magically felt like the way crow pose is supposed to feel. I focused on my breath and started to count how many long steady breaths I could actually get through while still holding the pose. The count was…SEVEN!
Surely, this must be a fluke, I thought. So, I rested for a few breaths, tried it a second time, and nailed my crow pose again! Now, I was really embracing my inner yogini rock-star mode!
I went on to another pose with a big honking grin on my face and decided that I needed to go back to the crow pose one more time, just to make sure I really could hold it that long—and because it felt so damn good.
The third time was not only a charm, but it got me officially hooked on bakasana. Now I know why so many yogis and yoginis love this pose!
The moral of this story and why I’m going to such great lengths to tell about the repeated attempts is to make this point: We’re All Stronger Than We Think We Are! I probably could have held crow pose this long for quite a while, but I avoided it, or maybe even psyched myself out of being able to do it.
Now that I know I can hold the pose, there’s no stopping me!
Wow – I love these yoga victories. They come in small doses and eventually add up to a really joyous feeling, and I got to experience a major yoga victory today. Side crow, here I come.
I’m not the only one with a yoga victory under her Lululemons; check out the progress some special DDD readers have made on their very own yoga dream poses.
Cathy
Cathy doing a headstand - another one of her 2012 yoga victories!
I am excited to report that I have made great progress on my goal…which was to do handstand. At least I am quite sure that is what I wrote or maybe I didn’t write it, but that was my goal! I CAN DO HANDSTAND! Yay! Against the wall, of course, but I don’t need the wall once I am up. I DON’T DO IT EVERY TIME I try. It doesn’t always happen. I’m learning that my breath does affect getting up. I’ve always thought my wrists were weak; they are (I had an injury two years ago), but they seem to be doing better now, though still wish they were stronger. The strength has to come from the core and pecs for handstand. I LOVE it when I do get up. I can EASILY now do HEADSTAND in the middle of the room, which was probably also a goal of mine, but the handstand really gives me an amazing feeling of freedom, I think because the head is completely off the floor.
Maria: WooHoo, Cathy, that is awesome!
Susan
I haven’t really decided which one to focus on. I’ve been trying to incorporate more yoga into my workout routine in general.
Maria: Hey Susan – it’s all good! Keep practicing yoga. That is a great intention to put out there.
Danielle
What a lovely idea to follow up on dream poses! Sorry to hear of your wrist injury, but glad to hear you’re making progress!
I have kind of an unusual follow up, feel free to use as much or as little of it as you like…Full camel! So I spent the first few months of 2012 training for a yoga asana competition (usayoga.org). Thanks to a regular training routine that included 30 – 40 wallbends/day (walking the hands down the wall to the floor, then pressing the chest up against the wall in a bridge, then walking back up), I was able to build enough flexibility to get into full camel two weeks before nationals. Unfortunately, two weeks of full camel wasn’t enough to overcome the nerves onstage, so I let my hips sink backwards too much, scrabbled around for my ankles, gave up, and grabbed my toes. Oops… a little embarrassing, but we live and learn!
If you’re curious, you can actually watch it here (full camel is about 2:25 minutes in):
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LuAibhYdEg[/youtube]
Full camel achieved nonetheless. My next dream pose, to be accomplished by February 2013, is…one legged wheel!
Maria: Wow – Danielle that video blew me away! Your routine is beautiful. I’ve never been a fan of turning yoga into a competition, but it looks like it has been a great experience for you. For those of you who live in the greater Cleveland area and want to try out Bikram yoga, Danielle is one of the awesome instructors at Bikram Yoga Cleveland.
There’s still time to start working on a dream pose for 2012. Just remember not to take on too many poses, but rather, just focus on one or two. It doesn’t even have to be a more difficult pose. Maybe your dream pose is to be more present in your practice and during savasana.
Wishing you happy headstands and fulfilled dreams, and I’ll be sure to check back in again with my parsva bakasana updates. If you have a yoga victory to share, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear about it.
Jan 6, 2012 |
This past year, I’ve done my best to try out lots of different flavors of yoga. If you read my post yesterday, you know that a week ago I got to have my very first Bikram yoga experience at Bikram Yoga Cleveland, and trying Bikram was more than just trying out a new flavor; it felt like I had traveled to a whole new country to try out the local cuisine.
I had my advice from fellow yogi friends and the Twitter and Facebook yoga communities (see Confessions of a Bikram Virgin Part 1) and I was ready to take on this hot new world of Bikram. For those of you not familiar with Bikram yoga, it is a 90-minute class that consists of 26 yoga postures conducted in a room heated to 105 degrees! So without further delay, here are my major takeaways from my virgin Bikram trip:
Free Your Mind and The Rest of the Clothes Will Follow. The tips about wearing as little clothing as possible were right on the mark. I wore a pair of clingy shorts and a yoga tank top, which I thought was plenty good. About twenty minutes into class, I wished I was wearing a bikini. When you look around the room, people have on short-shorts, the ladies’ midriffs are exposed, and the men are pretty much shirtless (or will be before the class is over). I believe Bikram yoga goes miles in bringing out a person’s ability to lose their inhibitions. I did a review on K.Deere Haute Yoga Wear (see pic below) a while back and went on the record to say there was no way in hell I would wear those short-shorts and expose my pasty white cottage cheese thighs to the yoga world. Now, I’ll eat my words and say that I would proudly sport my thighs in those pants in any Bikram class. Bye bye, inhibitions. Hello, love of the body!
Bum Bums from K. Deer Haute Yoga Wear
Kristine, the designer of K. Deer Haute Yoga Wear got a good laugh when I told her I was finally ready for her Bum Bums. She is offering a special discount on her yoga wear to Daily Downward Dog readers. Just enter the discount code DDD15 when you place you order and you’ll receive a 15% discount.
The Man in the Mirror. If Bikram yoga had a theme song – hell, if Bikram yoga even had music playing – I’m thinking it should be “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson. Unlike most yoga studios I attend, in Bikram yoga there are mirrors on the wall, and you are asked to gaze at yourself and look inside. I was in the second row in class and was partially blocked by the person in front of me, so I wasn’t always able to see myself in the mirror. I’m not sure if I’m really digging the whole mirror thing. I like the message of looking into your eyes and smiling, but I’d rather close my eyes and look inside my mind and my body.
We’re going hot, hot, hot! (On second thought, maybe the David Johansen cover version of this song would be a better yoga theme song for Bikram.) I like hot yoga and try to go to a few classes a week at Yoga Bliss Akron in a studio that is set to 85-90 degrees. Each time I walk into the hot room at Yoga Bliss, it feels downright tropical, almost like going to Florida after being in the frigid Ohio winter weather. Ninety degrees is plenty hot; 105 degrees just seems a bit gratuitous. It wasn’t a pleasant hot vacation experience; instead it felt almost oppressing as my lungs started to tighten toward the beginning of class.
I don’t think I’ll ever get over the sight of the sweat I saw pouring off the man in front of me. It was literally flowing off of him like a river forming a huge puddle on his mat, even with a towel. I have to admit, my dream did come a little true in that I didn’t sweat as much as I thought I would. I’m just not a big sweater, probably because I don’t drink enough water, but it was so damn hot in there that the humidity may have been evaporating my sweat before I even started to drip. If I were to take up Bikram, the whole hydrating thing would be one major benefit as it would force me to drink more H20.
Beginners Welcome. Bikram yogis are extremely nice and very welcoming to newbies. When I first walked into the studio, the room was dark, and I went to place my mat in the first open spot I saw. There were two rows of mats forming and mirrors on both walls, and I didn’t know how the class was set up. The woman on the mat next to me asked if I was new, and when she found out I was, I thought it was very cool that she suggested that I move to the back row so I could watch the other students. Then someone else moved so I could put my mat next to Cherie. I got settled in and looked next to me where there was a very serious looking young girl (sans mother) who could not have been more than 10. Wow, I thought, Bikram is really recruiting them young.
The instructor of the class, Danielle Hoffman, had the names of all the new students and called them out so she (and the rest of the class) knew where we were located. I was impressed by the way she remembered our names, kept an eye on us, and gave just the right amount of direction and encouragement to each of us. There are little to no hands on adjustments in Bikram (which I liked), and Danielle was able to provide spot on verbal instructions to get each student in the right alignment.
I have always thought it was kind of weird and a bit showy that Bikram teachers stand on a platform at the front of the class. Now I know that it is absolutely essential that they do so because they have to keep an eye out for anyone that might be ready to pass out!
Danielle was there to greet me upon my arrival!
Danielle did a great job of explaining how to get into the poses and the benefits of each, and we were told to sit down at any time if we got hot or tired. In fact, we were encouraged to stay in the hot room the entire class and just sit if we needed to (not forced to stay, like a few stories I had heard).
The young girl next to me was one of the main reasons I stuck it out through class. I figured that if she could do it, then I better well be able to keep going. Her name was Alex, and it turns out that she was 11 and this was only her third Bikram class. I’m probably going to burn in Bikram hell, but when we talked after class, I made sure to let her know that there were other types of yoga and that she might want to give a few of them a try before she puts all her eggs in the Bikram basket (she assured me she would).
You need to bring a towel, but not just any towel; I’d recommend a NamaSTAY yoga towel. I’m a big fan of having a towel on my yoga mat during hot yoga classes, but I never truly appreciated the importance of it until I practiced in 105 degree heat! NamaSTAY yoga towels have a flap at each end that wraps around the mat to keep it from slipping, and it absorbs the sweat to keep you grounded and stable throughout class. Cherie Greenwald is the inventor of the NamaSTAY yoga towel, and I predict that she will someday become famous in the Bikram/hot yoga community for developing the best hot yoga towel ever! [If you would like more info about NamaSTAY towels and would love a special discount offer, please check out my review.]
You can do this! If you have been practicing Hatha yoga, in my opinion, you can handle the 26 postures that comprise a Bikram class. I had this notion in my mind that it was going to be extremely challenging and that I would collapse in a big sweaty ball on my mat, unable to do half of the postures. Granted, I didn’t get fully into all of the poses, but I was able to do them. Bikram created this practice from Hatha yoga, but there are no inversions, no really intense arm balances, and in my opinion not too much core work. The real genius in this practice is that Bikram put together the 26 poses to work every part of the body and to give all of the internal organs, veins, ligaments, and muscles everything they need to maintain optimum health and maximum function (yeah, I picked that up pretty much verbatim from the brochure). The extreme heat and the twisting and stretching flushes away the toxins, or waste products, of all the glands and organs of the body.
Of course, it takes a great instructor to guide and motivate people through the heat, and Danielle had just the right mix of encouragement and perky enthusiasm to keep the class of over twenty happily sweating and twisting away. My only regret is that I wish I didn’t hold back at the beginning of class. Not knowing what to expect, I did not push myself as hard as I could have because I was concerned about conserving energy. But being a virgin, the class was exploratory for me, and next time I’ll know how far I can take myself.
Savasanaaaaahhhhh!
I’m Only Here for the Savasana! Savasana rocks, and Bikram yogis get that! Towards the second half of class, there is a break for savasana in between almost every pose. It is not only awesome but is a real life-saver towards the end of class when you need that break to catch your breath, let your heart rate slow down, and of course, let the benefits of the previous posture literally bake in!
Every Breath You Take. Breathing is the one thing that I don’t think I was doing properly. I’m a fan of ujjayi breathing where you inhale and exhale out through the nose. This form of breathing keeps the heat inside the body. However, when I put that logic to use, I figured the last thing I wanted to do in a Bikram class was stoke the fires even more. Hell, I was afraid I might combust. So, I was breathing in and out through my mouth, and I have to admit at times it was forced. I must have missed the breathing instruction portion of the class, and like a dork I didn’t ask. It’s pretty quiet in the Bikram room, and I wasn’t sure if questions were welcome. In any case, before I go to another class, I’ll be sure to get the breathing correct. Please leave a comment if you have any tips for me!
Variety is the spice of life. Well, for Bikram, consistency is the way of life. Twenty-six poses, each one repeated twice. Every class, every time. Twenty-six poses, rinse, pause, and repeat. I get the concept, but this yogini needs a little variety to spice up my yoga practice.
The Hills are [not] Alive With the Sound of Music. In case you didn’t pick this up already, there is no music in a Bikram class. No music! I have to admit, I needed the silence so I could concentrate on the instructions, but I would definitely miss the music if I did this practice on a regular basis.
Afterglow. Well, I don’t think I really had one. I will tell you that it took 45 minutes for my face to go from full-on lobster to my normal pasty white freckled glow. I didn’t feel the extreme yoga high, which really bummed me out. Instead, I felt very lethargic and experienced some pain in my lower left back. The brochure for the studio states that this is absolutely normal and is a good sign that your body is cleansing. Being that I attended this class two days after Christmas and had been gorging on big holiday meals, cookies, and wine (which explain the lethargy) – my body needed some well deserved rest after purging the enormous amounts of sugar and toxins I took in over the holidays. The next day I did feel awesome and had a little high, so maybe the Bikram afterglow just took a day to settle in.
I’m not going to go into any of the crazy stuff that Bikram has done recently, primarily because I don’t want to get sued for writing about him! B.C., please take mercy on The Daily Downward Dog – I am just here speaking my truth.
I totally understand why people love Bikram so much. It does feel good to sweat out those toxins, and the practice seems more like an “experience” or better yet, a mash-up of a mental and physical challenge. You go in with a fighting spirit, ready to beat the heat and to let go of the negative chatter in your mind so that you can do some amazing things for your body and your health. When you make it through an entire class, it is a major feeling of accomplishment. Cue: Rocky theme song!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJmr5CKY73M[/youtube]
So the big burning question that the Twitter community had for me the next day is whether or not I would attend another Bikram class, and the answer to that is yes.
But, will I fully embrace Bikram and attend regularly? The answer to that question is no. I need the variety, I need the music, and I need to drink a hell of a lot more water! I’ve put another notch on my yoga belt, and I’ve got lots more flavors to try. And, isn’t it cool that we have so many flavors of yoga to try?
Like I mentioned in my previous post, if you have always wanted to try Bikram, I would highly recommend that you give it a try, and if you live in northern Ohio, please make a visit and support Bikram Yoga Cleveland.
Hot Bikram Yoga and Cleveland Snow – the perfect combo! Woo Hoo Cleveland finally has their first Bikram yoga studio!
Thanks again to Danielle and Bikram Yoga Cleveland for such a great virgin experience and to Cherie and Alex, whose presence helped encourage and lift me through the entire class. The newbies didn’t get any applause at the end of class, but I know we all felt a major sense of accomplishment.
So, how was your first Bikram experience? I would love to hear from you, so please join in the conversation.
Want some more confessions? This wasn’t my first trip to the confession booth, check out The Daily Downward Dog’s Confessions of a Kirtan Virgin and Neti Pot Confessions.
