A Story about Healing and Bikram Yoga

Healing from a severe back injury... after years of other training methods only brought partial relief... finally being completely free of pain, 20 years after the injury... Is this a miracle? A fairy tale?

I would say it's neither. It took and still takes a lot of work (90 minutes in the hot room, several times a day, is serious work!), but Lisa did it!

Thank you for sharing your wonderful story of Healing, Lisa! It's very aptly titled Why I will do Bikram yoga until the day I die.

Namaste :)

Hotel Room Yoga

Oh my gosh, after 10 days away from the hot room, I was going insane... back unhappy, skin unhappy, hair unhappy, tummy unhappy, mind unhappy. Paired with days packed full of trainings, project work, more work during "breaks", and business dinners, I felt like crap.

Time for Hotel Room Yoga. I set up some towels and tried to practice in front of the mirror which was not well positioned at all... and of course the heat was missing... oh well, I made it work.

After 90 minutes of Bikram's voice from my iPhone, I was feeling happy and healthy again. Yay!

(You can buy Vol1 Standing & Vol2 Floor Series here or on iTunes. You will get a complete 90 min class given by Bikram Choudhury himself!)

What do you tell prospective (Bikram) yogis?

A few colleagues have recently asked me about Yoga. They are interested in improving their health problems and have heard that yoga might just be the thing to try. They have heard that I'm "into yoga"
and want to get a feel for it.

AWESOME!!! Come with me, we can go today! It'll be awesome, we can go every day! ... Hmmm, maybe that's not the right approach. I'm not going to lie, in the first few months I might have said that to a few people and scared them off. I was super excited about Bikram Yoga (still am!) and I wanted to share it with everybody! NOW!!

Thing is... not everybody is ready and pushing them in this stage is counterproductive. I have learned that quite a while ago. Today another colleague asked me about Yoga and said "But you do Bikram Yoga, right? That will be too much for me with the heat and all." What would you have said to the person?

I didn't want to overwhelm him with information, but I wanted to make sure he feels welcome to try. He will NOT be the only one who is new to this/feels too hot/cannot touch their forehead to their knees. I calmly told him why the heat specifically helps us (stretch and heal our bodies & deal with circumstances beyond our control). I also informed him about the beginners special (two weeks unlimited for 25$). If he is interested and ready for it, he will research himself or ask me again. I do not want to push it on anybody :)

So what do you tell people who are interested in (Bikram) Yoga? Do you try to "sell" it?

Those *bad* classes.

All of us Bikram yogis seem to have them once in a while: class is hotter than noon in the desert, the drama among the fellow yogis (people talking, groaning, smelling, walking around during balancing postures), the body does not want to cooperate, the mind cannot rise above... and it all adds up to the worst class you've had in a while :(

This was pretty much my class last Thursday. I tried and tried to not let the disturbances phase me during class, but wasn't very successful. I felt like the class smacked me in the face. (Now this sounds overly dramatic to me, but it is how I felt.) I can actually physically explain what led to this crappy class, but I won't bore you with the details. Anyway, I've had some awesome classes in 2012 so far, so it was kind of a surprise.

My advice for other in this situation is usually: "Go right back the next day. Usually the next class after a *disastrous* one is a great one!" --- but I don't think I've ever taken my own advice (unless it was during a challenge).

No, I didn't go back on Friday. Or Saturday. Or Sunday. I just didn't feel ready, so healed while snuggled up on the couch, had some quality time with my boyfriend & his family, and did some packing for my upcoming trip. I will go back to the hot room today. I know I will desperately miss it during the three weeks in Germany, so I will take advantage of my last week here. Bikram's CD (on my iPhone) will be coming with me on my trip and I see some hotel room yoga in my near future :)

Namaste.

(The Magic of) Practicing on Consecutive Days

In the first half year of my Bikram Yoga practice, I tried to keep an "every-other-day" schedule, for example taking a class on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. I figured, since I cannot come every day, this would be the next best thing.

Along came my first 30 Day Challenge, and after that a few months during which I struggled to keep a regular schedule. Somewhere during those months, I came to a conclusion: practicing every other day is not a great plan and certainly not "the next best thing" to practicing every day.

For some reason (or probably multiple reasons), practicing on consecutive days is so much more worthwhile. The classes seem easier (by no means easy though), the postures get prettier, and most importantly, the health benefits are greater.

-- Awesome! Now how do I do it? Ideally, I want to take class three days in a row, then take a 1-2 day break. Yeah, that is still a huge time commitment, but as everything in life, fitting class into my schedule has gotten easier with practice. It's still never easy (just like class), and so December & January so far have not looked too good.

I love looking at November for inspiration though (in my favorite App "Calendar Tracker Lite"):

Awww, I want to practice like this every month ♥

Here's to hoping I'll have a few months like this in 2012!

Cravings.

I have been thinking about cravings a lot lately. In the past, I have mainly known food cravings... I have learned to understand what my body needs when I crave certain things. Cravings chips or french fries? I'm lacking salt. Craving fruity candy, gummy bears? My body is longing for vitamins and fruit will do the trick. Sour candies? Lacking vitamin C of course! Chocolate? Oh-oh, better eat something and quick!! Salmon? My body wants protein...

So yeah, food-wise I'm pretty "in tune" with my body's needs. But recently I have had cravings for yoga postures, particularly these:

Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Paschimotthasana or Separate Leg Stretching Pose (picture from Bikram's official page)

Pada-Hastasana or Hands-to-Feet Pose (amazing picture from here)


These new cravings pose a question of course... what do they mean? I'm assuming I don't crave the posture for the posture's sake. I've never particularly enjoyed these postures. Actually, now that I think about them some more... they are both postures in which I am slowly "making progress", by which I do not mean that I look like the pictures above. But I feel like I have finally "understood" the postures... where I have to release, where I have to engage... and yes, I guess I am slowly moving towards the full expression (forehead on the floor or locked knees). More importantly though, I know how to work into the posture correctly, to get all the benefits it can provide for me... (even if it doesn't look picture-perfect.)

Aha! -- What are these postures' benefits then? They both strengthen the lower body, the legs, and stretch the spine.... aaaaah, stretching the spine... something most of us can benefit from, huh? In addition, the first posture massages the abdominal organs and improves flexibility of the hips, pelvis... Sounds good to my office chair-bound body!

So my guess regarding these cravings is: my body is longing for more stretches for the spine and the hips as I am sitting in my office chair for most of the work day. Either way, I'm really enjoying these postures during my classes now! :)

Have you had yoga posture cravings? Which one? And can you tie these cravings to something your body needed at the time?

7 a.m. Bikram Yoga

I've got a new habit. About three times a week I take a Bikram Yoga class at 7 a.m. before I go to work. This might not sound super exciting except for if you know me, and know that I usually don't get up before the clock has a big fat eight (or at least a seven) where the hour is noted. So yeah, it's a pretty big deal for me to get up at 6:15 to make it to 7 a.m. yoga.

What makes me get up this early, you ask? A fresh, non-smelly yoga room. Quiet, focused fellow yogis and an amazingly calm vibe. Relatively empty classes. Having my evenings free for my LIFE outside the yoga room. Coming out of the studio into a fresh new day/world. Reeeaallly improving my flexibility in the morning classes! The opportunity to see dawn... :)

Who would have thought that even I can make it out of bed early for something that is important to me? ;)

Love this App!

Just a quick shout out to one of my favorite apps on my iphone... Tracker Lite!

I use it to mark off the days on which I've taken a Bikram Yoga class. It was especially useful/uplifting during my first 30 Day Challenge in March. Actually, even now during non-challenge time, I just LOVE ticking off another day in my calender after I've dragged my butt to gracefully finished a yoga class, YAY :)

Here's the screenshot from this past month... I'm happy with how often I've made it into the hot room, considering I'm busy busy enjoying summer and all that it entails this year :)

Namaste.

PS: Total number of  Bikram classes attended since starting eleven months ago... 141... yeaaaah :)

Bikram Yoga laundry tips

If you have practiced for a long time and have participated in challenges, you may be familiar with the Bikram phenomenon of... smelly clothes. When I hadn't participated in a challenge yet, I always though: "Don't these people wash their clothes properly?", but during the challenge I changed my mind.

On week three of my first Bikram yoga challenge my clothes started smelling. I was horrified, because we all now what 'smelly' means: bacteria or other organisms! EEEEEEeeeekk! After discovering that my usual washing method obviously wasn't cutting it anymore, I was on a mission and I have since solved the smell problem. All my Bikram clothes are as good as new :) Let me summarize...

My usual washing method... extra rinses (6 months practice before the smell came):
- one rinse cycle with warm water, so most of the sweat get's rinsed out before detergent is added
- one washing cycle with warm/hot water mixed, using regular detergent or Tide with Febreeze (just covered the smell... unsuccessfully, I might add)
- extra rinse to avoid detergent residue buildup

My extra thorough washing method... hot water and double washes:
- as above, but do two washing cycles. First with a little detergent, then with regular amount of detergent
- use hot water
- result: clothes smelled better, but after sweating in them again, the nasty smell came back :(

Extra thorough with white vinegar and borax:
- as above, but add white vinegar to the last rinse (you can put it into the fabric softener compartment if your washer has one) and add borax powder to washing cycles
- use about 1-2 cups of vinegar for a small/medium load
- result: clothes smelled better, but a little bit like vinegar... not sure if the borax did anything... in some fabrics the odor was still present and the odor came back immediately after sweating in the clothes again... UGH!


FINALLY, salvation in form of Sagrotan Hygienespueler (imported from Germany)!!!

This is a laundry disinfectant, that I used all the time when I lived in Germany. It is used in the last rinse, so you put it into the fabric softener department of your washing machine. I'm not sure how it works (alcohol?), but it definitely is not bleach and apparently it kills 99.9% of all bacteria and fungi even in cold water. I used to use this in Germany to wash underwear/swimwear that cannot be washed in hot water and thus, is prone to be a breeding ground for bacteria etc.

So how did it work for the yoga smell? AMAZINGLY! My Bikram clothes are as good as new! Seriously, they smell nice and fresh and the smell is not only covered up. I know because I sweated in them a couple of times and the smell still hasn't come back, squeeeee! The bacteria are DEAD! I plan on using this every couple of washes :)

Thank you so much to my mom and friends who sent me this! I will be importing this from Germany whenever I go or have people visiting, because I have not been able to find a real disinfectant laundry detergent (that is not bleach-based) here in the US.


PS: I have since seen a sports detergent at Lucy's (athletic apparel for women). I have not tried it and I do not know if it really is a disinfectant, but I might when I run out of the magic stuff from Germany. Although... I might just stick with Sagrotan, because I know it works like a charm! Anyway, here's the Lucy stuff.

Break from Bikram

So I haven't taken a Bikram yoga class in almost two weeks. This has (almost) been my longest break since I started practicing last year. I feel good about taking this break. With my challenge in March and practicing a lot before and after it, I was feeling stressed by my practice. Now I CRAVE to go back to the studio! See you tomorrow or Saturday while I get my butt handed to me in my first class after the break :))

Bikram Yoga clothing: Tips for men and women

In a recent comment, a reader asked for tips on where to buy clothes for Bikram Yoga. In this post, I want to give you some pointers for that, as well as tips on what to wear in a Bikram Yoga class. 

General advice:

• wear as little as you feel comfortable with (but minimum for women: short shorts and sports bra top, minimum for men: short shorts)
• clothing is NOT optional  in Bikram Yoga (despite what some rumors say!)
• go for sports wear quality, moisture-wicking materials (cotton will feel heavy, lose it's shape, and start sagging when wet from sweat)
• shorts should cover the first inch of your thighs and fit snugly around the thighs!! Can't stress this enough! If you don't follow this, the person behind you will see your underwear or more in Balancing Stick and Standing Bow, EEEEEEEEK!

WOMEN's wear:
For bottoms, most women wear short shorts, but if you're uncomfortable in that, wear shorts or capris. Make sure they are form-fitting, so the teacher can see your legs/knees and give you corrections if needed.

My favorite: Side String Short by Shakti

Lululemon short shorts

For a top, you can either wear a sports bra type top like this:

 Lululemon bra

or a supported sports top like this:

Target top with integrated chest support

I don't recommend wearing anything with sleeves and personally, I prefer not wearing a sports bra AND a top, so that is why I recommend sports tops which include chest support.


MEN's wear:
For obvious reasons - I'm a girl - , I'm not a pro when it comes to men's wear. But I know that my favorites, Shakti and Lululemon, both usually offer yoga shorts for men as well.

Men's shorts by Shakti

If you wear loose-fitting shorts, you MUST make sure you wear tight-fitting underwear or the person behind you will see your boy parts! Generally, you want to make sure that pubic hair is always covered by tight-fitting clothes!

A shirt for guys is definitely optional. Many men go bare-chested. If you're uncomfortable with that, you can practice in a shirt and possibly take it off during class. If you go with a shirt, I would suggest you pick one without sleeves.

Sleeveless athletic shirt from Target

General shopping tips:
If you choose to get your yoga practice clothes from the stores/brands that specialize in yoga clothing, prepare to spend around 40-50$ per piece. The clothes are usually high quality and nicely designed with yoga practice in mind.
Examples for stores (US based and/or mail order): Lululemon, Shakti, Mika, Lucy, ...

You can certainly find cheaper alternatives in stores that carry general sportswear. Even the pieces priced as low as 10-15$ are usually good quality, but mostly not designed with yoga in mind. Shorts might not be tight-fitting enough, bras might be to tight/bulky because they are designed for high impact sports. I find that to be the trade-off when buying these cheaper alternatives.
Examples for stores (US based): the usual suspects... Target, Old Navy, Dick's, Sports Authority, T. J. Maxx, ...


If you have any questions or additional tips for readers, please leave a comment! (If the comments section gives you trouble with Firefox or other browsers, please try using Internet Explorer.)

Namaste.

Tips for a Bikram Yoga Challenge

It's been about three weeks now since I've finished my first Bikram Yoga 30 Day Challenge. It was definitely a challenge, but I am very happy I did it as I have seen A LOT of benefits in my well-being (physical and mental) as well as my yoga practice. I recommend doing a challenge like this to anybody who is considering it!

So if you're interested, my tips for you would be:

• tell your friends/family/coworkers about it! You will not have much time for them during you challenge and you might have to leave work early on occasion to make it to class. If they know that (and why) you are doing this challenge, they will probably be much more understanding/supportive.
  
• plan your outfits and laundry day! Doing a Bikram Yoga Challenge means tons and tons of laundry. Before you start, figure out how many yoga outfits and yoga towels you have. I personally like to have 4-5 outfits, so I only have to do yoga laundry 2-3 times a week.
• expect dietary changes and plan for them! Even before the challenge starts, stock up for your increased need of water, electrolytes, protein, vitamins, and food in general. You will have less time for quick trips to the grocery store once your challenge starts, so buy as much of what you'll need beforehand. I recommend: yummy spring or mineral water, electrolyte supplements or at least lemon and salt, nuts or whole wheat snacks or protein bars, fruit or multivitamin supplement, snacks to satiate possible increased hunger. Your body needs good nutrition to transform itself!
• plan to concentrate on yourself as much as possible! Don't plan any big trips or changes for the duration of your challenge. It is supposed to be a time to concentrate on yourself (your Self), your body, and your yoga. You will be plenty busy, especially if you work full-time or have other commitments you cannot get out of.
• plan to take class every day; don't plan to do many doubles! I have seen many people miss classes multiple times each week, and then do doubles and triples on multiple (consecutive!) days to catch up. This is not really what a Challenge should look like. A Challenge is meant to be a commitment to focus on your yoga every day, with consistency. No offense to the folks who had to do multiple doubles and triples to make the Challenge. That is great commitment, of course! But is also adds unnecessary anxiety and stress to it, while the point of doing a Challenge is the opposite: de-stressing and adding stability to your life. (This is my understanding of a Challenge, so no offense intended!)

 If you have any questions about this, please don't hesitate to ask :)

Namaste.