HOME HOT YOGA
  • About
    • Bikram Yoga
    • Pregnancy Yoga
    • Private Lessons
  • Blog
  • JOIN TODAY
  • MEMBERS AREA
  • D.I.Y. HOT ROOM
  • Contact
  • BIZ COACHING
  • SHOP

Hearing Voices: Turn Off the Mind By Tuning in to Bikram Yoga (Special guest blog post by Ellen!)

7/15/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
“Didn’t you just eat too many cucumbers? You might get sick.” That’s what the voice in my head said as I was preparing to attend a recent class. The voice in my head is constantly trying to come up with reasons I should not attend Bikram Yoga class. It tells me I’m too busy, too tired, too stiff, or just plain not good enough to do yoga. Ironically, some of the reasons it gives me for not setting foot in the hot room are exactly the reasons I need to be in there as often as possible. Most days, pushing that voice away is the most important exercise I do, and it’s the one that requires the most strength. Yoga is slowly teaching me to ignore the voice in my head, and it is also teaching me how to listen.

Ideally, from the start of Pranayama Deep Breathing all the way through Kapalbhati in Vajrasana your body should be moving in perfect concert with the instructor’s voice. The instructions describe exactly how to perform each posture, down to the way you should breathe. I find that when I am able to connect perfectly with the teacher’s words my practice is very meditative. It doesn’t happen in every class, but those times are like magic. When I start confusing my right from my left hand in Eagle pose, or wishing I could stand on one leg as easily as some other student, I know that I am not aligned with the instructor. I know that I am not listening. In order to listen I have to tune out the voice in my head.

I have to tune out the voice in my head because it interprets events through a lens of emotion.  In his book, How Yoga Works, Geshe Michael Roach describes the mind this way: “We lose control of ourselves, even if we have some understanding, and the last thing we can do at that moment of emotion is to recall that it is actually our own minds making us see things the way we do.” (p. 124) And so, the real yoga is not found in Standing Head to Knee Pose or Fixed Firm Pose, or any of the poses. The real yoga is turning off your mind and listening within.  Now, I wonder if there are any cucumbers left...?
 
Ellen Cole is a Registered Nurse and has been practicing Bikram yoga at BYSJ since August of 2016. One of her favorite poses is Fixed Firm Pose and she loves doing "doubles" when she gets the chance. Read more of Ellen's yoga story here. Thanks for your contribution, Ellen!

0 Comments

Ellen achieves what she thought was impossible!

7/1/2018

3 Comments

 
Picture
Before I moved to Portland in June 2016, a friend in Albuquerque introduced me to hot yoga. It wasn’t Bikram yoga and I didn’t understand the postures, but I was determined to keep trying. When I got to Portland, I was pleased to find Bikram Yoga St. Johns in my neighborhood and, although I knew nothing about Bikram yoga, I bought a year membership.

I didn’t get my money’s worth that year. I didn’t attend class regularly, rarely drank enough water, and every pose was "awkward pose." Classes were hard because I would lose my balance and even fall sometimes. I would leave bewildered, embarrassed and dehydrated. But something kept me coming back, and I always felt welcomed with open arms no matter how long I had been away.

This New Year's Eve, I came to the studio for a late night yoga class. I rang in the New Year with Kay, Orlo and the rest of the Bikram St. Johns family, under the blacklight with kombucha. I decided to do the 30-day challenge shortly after that. I came up with a yoga schedule that fit around my work schedule, and I set a goal to do 20 classes in 30 days. I loved seeing the stars by my name accumulate.

I did 18 classes in 30 days and I began to see first-hand the benefits of regular Bikram practice:
my balance and eye- hand coordination improved, my chronic back pain and stiffness lessened, and my mood improved. I've been practicing about 10-12 times a month ever since.

I am a Registered Nurse and my job is demanding physically, mentally and emotionally. I also have scoliosis and a leg length difference.  I could barely move my shoulder at one point. With regular practice I can now move my shoulder without pain. I didn’t think that was going to be possible.

I didn’t think a lot of things were possible when first started my Bikram practice. I didn’t think I would ever get into Fixed Firm pose (check out my photo above!) or stand on one leg. Now Fixed Firm pose is a favorite of mine and I’m getting closer to Standing Head to Knee every day. I have conquered many challenges in my life and Bikram yoga is a very worthwhile challenge. And I’ve learned a lot about myself in the process.
3 Comments

POTM: Eagle Pose/ Garudasana

7/1/2018

0 Comments

 
Once all major joints of the body have been warmed up by practicing Pranayama breathing and the first few postures, you are ready for Eagle pose, garudasana! This pose opens up the joints of the ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, elbows and wrists.

By twisting your limbs "like ropes" Eagle pose creates compression of blood and lymph flow headed to spots like your legs, kidneys and the lymph nodes in your armpits. Hold the posture very still while breathing calmly, so that when you release it your elevated heart rate will send a boost of high-speed circulation to those areas. Notice a white mark on your thigh after you come out of Eagle? That's a good indicator that you’ve been maintaining a strong compression.

What's that you say? Your arms won't twist like ropes? Here's a quick video on what to do for this (very common) "issue"...
Now that we've cleared up what to do with those pesky arms, here are a couple key aspects of Eagle pose and more tips to help you get the most out of your efforts:

Using leverage to promote good alignment and open joints.
When you move your knees to the right and upper body to the left to get your feet, knees, elbows and hands in one line, you are using the leverage of one limb against to create the compression effect I mentioned above and open up your major joints. The key to not falling over while you make these adjustment is keeping your (especially lower) abdominal muscles tight and your upper body lifted away from your thighs.

It's a backbending pose!
Many beginners tend to lean or even hunch their bodies forward while they're setting up their Eagle, in an effort to pull their elbows down. Don't let this happen to you! Keep your upper body (when you hear the cue "upper body" in class, think mainly lower ribs upward) leaning back throughout the posture, which means (although you'll end up looking straight ahead) your spine is actually in a backward bending position. This position strengthens back and core muscles, releases tension in your lumbar spine, and compresses the kidneys.

Pro Tips:
  • If you can't move your knees right and upper body left, you might be sitting down too low. Try coming up a little bit and try again!
  • Turning your thumbs toward your face and little fingers toward the mirror will help you straighten out the wrists.
  • Don't fret if your elbows don't ever go below your nose. It's the intention of pulling your elbows down that gives you that amazing stretch in the shoulders, which is the whole point to this instruction.
0 Comments

    Author

    HHY Founder, Yoga Business Coach, yoga-doer and life-lover, Kay Afif!

    Picture

    Archives

    November 2022
    September 2022
    June 2022
    September 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015

    Categories

    All
    Abdominals
    Addiction
    ADHD
    Aging Greatly
    Anatomy
    Anti-racism
    Anxiety
    Ardha Matsyendrasana
    Arthritis
    Athletes
    Awkward Pose
    Backbending
    Back Pain
    Balance
    Balancing Poses
    Beginners
    Benefits
    Bhujangasana
    Bikram
    Bikram Yoga
    Birth
    Black Lives Matter
    Blood Pressure
    Blowing In Firm Pose
    Body Image
    Bow Pose
    Breathing
    Bursitis
    Business
    Camel Pose
    Cardiovascular
    Cause
    Chair Yoga
    Challenge
    Chilblains
    Children
    Chronic Back Pain
    Circulation
    Cleaning
    Clothing
    Cobra Pose
    Community
    Concentration
    Coordination
    Covid 19
    Covid-19
    Dandayamana Dhanurasana
    Dandayamana Janushirasana
    Deep 6 Rotators
    Degenerative Disc Disease
    Depression
    Determination
    Diabetes
    Digestion
    Doing Less
    Eagle Pose
    Early Morning Class
    Early Morning Yoga
    Ehlers Danlos
    Elbows
    Electrolytes
    Emotional Benefit
    Equipment
    Faith
    Fibromyalgia
    Fixed Firm Pose
    Flexibility
    Floor Series
    Focus
    Forward Fold
    Front Side Compression
    Frozen Shoulder
    Full Locust
    Garudasana
    Goals
    Gratitude
    Grief
    Guest Post
    Habits
    Half Moon Pose
    Half Spine Twist
    Half Tortoise
    Hamstrings
    Hands To Feet Pose
    Hatha Yoga
    Headache
    Head To Knee Pose
    Healing
    Healing Injury
    Health
    Heart
    Heart Rate
    Heat
    Herniated Disc
    Hhy To Go
    Hips
    Hives
    Home Hot Yoga Studio
    Home Practice
    How Yoga Works
    Humidity
    Hydration
    Hyperextension
    Hypermobility
    Immune System
    Inflammation
    Inspiration
    Interlocked Finger Grip
    IT Band
    Joint Pain
    Joints
    Kaizen
    Kapalbhati
    Karma Yogi
    Knee Pain
    Knees
    Lateral Flexion
    Lock The Knee
    Locust Pose
    Logistics
    Longevity
    Mask
    Meditation
    Membership
    Mental Health
    Mindset
    Mistakes
    Moderation
    Motivation
    Nervous System
    Normal Breathing
    Nutrition
    Online
    Osteoarthritis
    Overuse
    Pain Relief
    Parenting
    Patience
    Photos
    Poetry
    Posture
    Posture Of The Month
    Practice
    Pranayama
    Pregnancy
    Products
    Quit Smoking
    Rabbit Pose
    Racial Equity
    Rajashree's Pregnancy Yoga
    Raja Yoga
    Recipes
    Recovery
    Relationships
    Relaxation
    Research
    Respiratory System
    Routine
    Running
    Safety
    Schedule
    Sciatica
    Science
    Scoliosis
    Self Care
    Self Discipline
    Self-discipline
    Self Realization
    Situp
    Sit Up
    Skin Health
    Sleep
    Social Justice
    Speaking Up
    Spinal Stenosis
    Spine
    Spine Twisting
    Spondylolisthesis
    Spondylosis
    Stamina
    Standing Bow Pulling Pose
    Standing Head To Knee
    Standing Separate Leg Head To Knee
    Standing Separate Leg Stretching Pose
    Stiffness
    Strength
    Stress Relief
    Stretching
    Student Of The Month
    Students
    Studio News
    Summer
    Surgery
    Sustainability
    Sweat
    Swelling
    Teacher Feacher
    Technique
    Teri Almquist
    Testimonials
    Tips
    Tourniquet Effect
    Transformation
    Tree Pose
    Triangle Pose
    Trikonasana
    Twisting
    Utkatasana
    Video
    Videos
    Visualization
    Weight Loss
    Wrists
    Yoga
    Yoga Story Of The Month
    Zoom

    RSS Feed

Log in for online yoga
We are an independently woman and veteran owned business. 100% of your investment stays with our company. No franchise fees or royalties are paid to any person or entity.
Picture
Terms / Privacy
  • About
    • Bikram Yoga
    • Pregnancy Yoga
    • Private Lessons
  • Blog
  • JOIN TODAY
  • MEMBERS AREA
  • D.I.Y. HOT ROOM
  • Contact
  • BIZ COACHING
  • SHOP