Does your studio get you to straddle your mat or turn and stay on your mat?

Fascinating to hear about the carpet (no, really! 🙂 We also turn the towel itself to a T. About 10 years ago, at the first studio (Bikram San Diego) I went to, we straddled the towel, puddles of sweat remaining at our feet. That was a bit before the studio got rockin’ numbers of people in–I wonder what they do now.

Hi Pip

You may find that you won’t be able to stand on others’ mats. If you have your feet on 2 different mats you are more likely to find that you do slip and this can be a risky situation. Anyway, I am positive you will find the space to put your feet. People move themselves around. I know that at times I have had to negotiate a mat or 2, even sometimes placing my toes under the neighbor’s mat. I have seen people fold their mat up at a corner (not the best for a distraction-free practice!). It all works out!

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Unfotunately, the option of turning on the mat really isn’t up to the student: it is more of a studio policy…I think the rationale for stepping to the side is for use of the mirror in front and because in one of Bikram’s books, he relates a story about doing poses on polished marble surfaces. I think the theory is that your legs will get stronger if you practice on slippery surfaces. I personally think it is foolish, but what’s a girl to do in such a structured class when the floor is smooth lino?
Ah well, since it is the only hot yoga studio in town, I’ll just have to adapt I suppose…

Its kind of a hard one to answer. The studio is quite “regimented” with respect to practice and doing as instructed. I HAVE seen them toss people from the class if the student in question is not following the general principles, such as continually chatting with friends or for doing their own yoga routine and ignoring the class completely. Sometimes the studio is very very crowded, and they will have people move mats and eliminate stuff that isn’t necessary from the studio floor to make more space — one girl in particular has been asked to either keep ALL her stuff in the lockers provided OR find another place to do yoga. She elected to leave the studio.

The problem is that, being in a town where this is the ONLY studio that offers any form of heated yoga, I don’t want to rock the boat. It isn’t as though I’m the only one being put in this awkward position, and I’m not the only one who has slipped and fallen in class.

The other perhaps bigger problem is that it is hard for me, a relatively new person to the practice to know what I SHOULD modify, what I MUST modify, and what I have to simply just practice in order to get it right. After all, there are things we all hear, such as “You don’t experience any of the benefits unless your standing leg is locked” and so on. If I modify THIS, do I lose the benefits? I don’t know — I don’t know enough about yoga and this form of yoga within the overall spectrum of yoga study to give a confident answer. This form of yoga is very….paternalistic?…in some ways. Bikram/the instructor state that they know what is best for you the practitioner with respect to pose order and “ideal” body positioning. It is hard as a newbie to understand what one can do with and what one can do without. Modifying any pose is a tough call for me simply because like most people, I’d LOVE the “easy way out”. Some of these poses are HARD, dang it! But some modifications certainly make them easier to do. I don’t know if this modification to towel position is indeed taking the “easy way out” (because it is way, way easier to do triangle pose on a towel) or whether by practicing as instructed, I will experience significant gains in my leg/groin/thigh strength and endurance after a few months (years?) of concerted effort.

Freia

Hi! My studio has only one set of mirrors, along the front wall. None along the sides at all.
And what I mean by “hard” and “easy” with respect to modification might be best illustrated by considering a few examples:

Locust pose: Putting my arms with my palms downward on the floor under my body is very, very uncomfortable. Downright hurts like hell, actually. My elbows and hands really really suffer. It is also very awkward to keep one hip on the floor and not use it to raise the other leg with the locked knee outward and upwards towards the ceiling in the first two parts of Locust. BUT….if I keep my hands palm UP and beside my body, my elbows don’t hurt and I can do all parts of Locust without pain. Also, in the first 2 parts of Locust, if I tense up the right side of my body and raise my right hip up off the floor and use it to lift the other locked leg outwards and upwards, I am much more comfortable. My leg flies off the floor. I feel my lower back working and am feeling one side working more than the other.

The question is this: Does the perception of discomfort/pain in my elbows and hands mean that modification of this pose in the way detailed above would be appropriate? Or would I lose the benefits of the posture?

Half-Tortoise Pose: We are instructed to sit japanese-style on the mat, put our arms over our heads, clasp our palms together, draw ourselves upwards and forwards, keeping our head between our arms and to fold forward til our forehead touches the floor, while keeping our bums firmly on our heels. I find that it takes much less effort if I curl forward to get my head down — instead of using my core strength to fold at the waist, I can roll down and forward and end up in the same position. I can then straighten my spine and work my fingers forward while pushing my butt down onto my feet.

The question is: Does one struggle to keep a solid core in the initial stages of a pose or modify the pose and take the less demanding solution by rolling forward?

Yoga Situps: We are instructed to put our hands over our head, inhale, come up, forcefully giving a double exhale while touching our toes. BUT, for this pose, if you have back problems you are invited to roll over to one side and make your way up.

The question is: Are Yoga Situps not an integral part of the sequence, meaning they can be eliminated as desired from the practice? And does this apply to other poses, too?

Now, I know it is pretty clear that if I have an actively injured shoulder, I’m going to take things slowly and modify my range of motion, for example, of the affected joint. This is pretty clear and what would be a normal response.

It isn’t so clear when one is trying to distinguish between pain due to injury, pain due to using joints/muscles in unfamiliar ways, pain due to resolving past injuries, and unequal pain during poses due for example to weaker muscles on one side of the body than the other.

And this is how it applies to triangle pose: Bikram says in one of his books that he used to do triangle pose as a student for what seemed like hours on a slippery marble floor. This strengthened his groin/inner thigh muscles. I believe this is the rationale for why our teachers are instructing us to do this pose on their slipperly lino floor. Bikram has detailed his experience; the instructors feel that this will become our experience. Now, it is physically easier to lunge when your feet are securely on a carpet or on a towel. This is what I mean by the distinction between “hard” and “easy” — I COULD continue on the lino floor OR I could make it an easier posture on my legs/groin/inner thighs and balance if I modify my towel position to work exclusively on the towel. However, if part of the benefits of triangle pose are to strengthen my inner thighs and groin, and working on a towel is physically easier to do than working on a slippery floor, and Bikram worked on a slippery marble floor and improved his groin/inner thigh strength accordingly, is it appropriate to modify my practice away from the specific direction of my instructor?

I think this question is fundamental to the practice of Bikrams Yoga. How and when is modification to poses appropriate? Is it in case of discomfort (which is a personal perception, not a measurable standard)? Is it to make a pose easier to get into or out of? Is it to preserve joint health even the absence of acute pain?

In the gray areas of yoga practice, how does one really decide if/when a modification is really, and I mean REALLY required? Or is it a case of accepting the teacher/student relationship and as a student, devolving this authority to the direction of the teacher? After all, yoga is centuries old. Bikram yoga is really a sequence of Hatha yoga positions that have been established over centuries and centuries of practice.

I don’t know any of these answers. I know that I will adjust my practice in response to injury, and I know that I don’t have the knowledge base nor the overall experience in Hatha yoga outside of a Bikrams practice in order to feel confident that I am making appropriate modifications while still retaining the intent and benefits of my practice. I don’t think most of us are able to make this distinction, actually. And I don’t think that modifications are wrong or “evil” or to be avoided. I am just floundering with respect to determining what modifications are appropriate and in what circumstances modifications are acceptable within the context of an honest and authentic yoga practice. And, to be completely honest, I am often more tempted to rationalize the use of modifications than I am to suck it up, accept the pain/discomfort, and to do the hard work and the poses as intended and directed by Bikram and his delegated instructors.

Interesting questions…my DH says I think too much!!!

Namaste
Freia

😆
Just made your day, huh!
Seriously, I think this is more of a philosophical question in many ways. The mechanics of the poses are one thing that are clearly affected by genetics, bone structure, use/disuse patterns, and so on. The philosophy and intent behind each pose is less clear for newbies like me!

Later,

Freia

Thanks for your well-thought out reply, Gabrielle!

In answer to your questions, I guess I should explain some of my personal philosophy wrt Bikram’s Yoga or any yoga practice for that matter.

I personally don’t believe in “no pain no gain” as an absolute, but I believe in a certain aspect of it. That is, I think that one needs to experience a sense of discomfort if the person’s personal goal is to improve one specific part or parts of one’s practice. I think of it this way: my DH is a runner. To improve his times, he trains specifically to and beyond the point of comfort into the definite discomfort zone. He doesn’t train on injury, but he makes darned sure that he isn’t comfortable during his hard training sessions. He doesn’t train this way every time, either. But to improve in an overall sense, there are specific workouts that he does where he is in what he terms “the pain zone”. This is the way to improve his times.

In my yoga practice, I know I would like to improve my balance and flexibility. So, for 2 or 3 sessions out of 5 a week, I make sure I go to the point of discomfort. Not pain, just further than I usually go and am comfortable with. Other practices are “easy” days, where I enjoy the stretch and moderate my efforts to have a comfortable practice.

This concept is really different from the “no pain no gain” philosophy that some practitioners have. I listen to my body, sometimes ignore it!, but never ever work hard to the point of injury or through injury. However, I believe that you do have to work hard and consistently to see any sort of improvement, though. Repetition of any activity at 50% of your capacity will not lead to growth in any area IMHO! This has nothing to do with needing to feel part of the class or to feeling bullied by an instructor. It has to do with a personal belief that to get the benefits of the pose, you need to strive for the ideal even when it is hard and uncomfortable to do so.

This is where the issue of modification comes in. The issue of floor stability during triangle pose is one example of possible modifications. Moving and working on a towel is one solution. It is safe, quick, and anyone can do it. Modifying the pose is also another solution — not stepping out as far and not bending the forward leg to be parallel with the floor would also work and be safe. The issue that I have with both these solutions is that I’m not sure if doing this will compromise the benefits inherent in the pose. So the philosophical question is: does one work to the ideal and accept that the depth of pose expression is compromised? Or does one work to the modified solution?

I too am a dentist! I am used to working towards an ideal (after all, remember our clinical exams?) but understand that each individual situation is exactly that. The reality and practicality of a situation is an important factor in any dental practice. However, there are standards and ideals that we as dentists always strive to achieve. The important thing is in the attempt to achieve the ideal. Consider crown and bridge work. There are certain “flexible” areas that are dictated by the reality, such as crown morphology which is dictated by the alignment of the opposing arch for example and by function. BUT there are some certain specific standards that MUST be followed — overall crown thickness (depending on material), marginal integrity, mesial and distal contacts and so on. If the crown fails in these critical aspects, it is my responsibility to redo the crown. You just can’t compromise or modify some of these standards because the integrity of the crown is compromised.

Similarly, in yoga the question becomes this: for each pose, what are the standards? Are there any? Is foot position open to modification but arm position is not? When does modification render a pose moot, for lack of a better term? Is the goal to get INTO the pose or is the getting INTO and OUT OF the pose also of benefit? When does a pose begin or end? And if I find a pose challenging, how much modification (in the absence of injury of course) is appropriate? When does one reach the point where they have modified the benefits out of the pose itself? If you put yourself in the shoes of a Newbie such as myself, it becomes confusing. This is the essence of my question. Not “How to I adjust my hands to raise my left leg more comfortably?”, but “Will adjusting my hands in order to raise my left leg more comfortably affect the integrity of the pose itself?”, and “SHOULD I adjust my hands to raise my left leg more comfortably or should I be patient, keep my hands in the proscribed position and trust that with time my left leg and the associated muscles adjust and it will raise more comfortably?”.

With respect to my yoga practice, I always attempt to achieve the ideal. The reality often falls short of the ideal, but I think that if I attempt the ideal, little by little, I may get there. And if I don’t, well, it isn’t for lack of trying! And at this point, I choose not to modify in absence of injury because I’m not sure that practicing a modification will get me closer to an ideal expression of a pose in the long run.

As an aside to this, I read a response to the question of foot stability during triangle pose. One response was to identify on the bottom of your foot a spot between the big and second toe. And to firmly plant that spot into the floor during this pose. The author felt that if you didn’t, your balance was compromised and the distribution of your weight would make this pose unstable and your foot would slip. I found this interesting because it is a technique that can be used to improve stability without compromising the intention of the pose. I am trying this particular technique and although my depth of pose expression isn’t fabulous, perhaps in 2 or 3 months it will be better!

Thanks again for your answer! Philosophy is fun, no?
🙂

Hi Endiva, Freia, Bonmar & Gabrielle —

This is an old topic, but one that I’ve just now discovered… it’s an issue that has been a major concern for me for years!

My local studio has mirrors on three sides, but it absolutely insists that all students straddle the mat (and/or towel), putting their feet on the sweaty slippery carpet, to do those three postures! I sweat much more than most other students, and I find the slipping painful and dangerous, especially during the second set of triangle, when my muscles are more tired and my feet are in puddles of sweat.

However, the owner of the studio, and the teachers that are rigidly controlled by him, insist that the slipping will end when the muscles become stronger, as they resist the slipping. Perhaps that’s true for the pros who don’t sweat much, but, after years of practice, I don’t believe it’s true for many of us.

The main argument from my studio owner and the teachers is that the Bikram organization REQUIRES all studios to have students straddle their mats for those postures! (Apparently, there’s an exception for studios that use hardwood floors and don’t follow the preferred Bikram practice of using carpet.) I’ve been told more than once that studios would lose their Bikram licenses if they allowed students to turn on their mats to do those postures facing the side wall.

In response, I’ve learned to start triangle with both feet on the left side of my mat, keeping my left foot on the mat during the postures. I was yelled at for doing that, but the teachers now know that I ignore them — to me, they are just telling the other students to not follow my example. However, since my one foot is still on the sweaty carpet, I still slide some — during the second half of the second set of triangle, when I face left, I cheat by resting my knuckles on the floor.

I would like to know if it’s true that a Bikram studio will lose its license if it allows students to turn to the side wall and stand on their mat when doing triangle and the other two postures.

John

Thanks, Gabrielle, for your reply.

I do hope that you’re correct and that studios wouldn’t lose affiliation status if they allowed or encouraged students to turn on their mats for triangle. Perhaps a studio owner will correct us if that’s not the case.

When I look around the room during triangle pose at my local studio, I see that many students do not have the ideal form, in my opinion. Instead of keeping the forward knee over the ankle, they often move the knee further forward, or they stay more upright, with their thigh far from parallel to the floor. I believe that they are compromising the pose to avoid slipping on the sweaty carpet.

To me, the alignment and form of the pose are of primary importance. If students could improve their alignment and form by turning on their mats (towels), they might benefit more from the practice. I believe that they would be able to go deeper into triangle pose without risk of injury.

As for your comment about the cleaning bills, my local studio has that covered: The studio gives class privileges to a couple people who clean the mirrors and run the rug cleaning machine — the machine seems to vacuum up most of the sweat and the carpet doesn’t seem to stink much. That argument won’t work for me here.

I’ve given up on the studio — I can’t change the studio. And the studio has given up on me — they know that I won’t change my practice. We have a truce. It’s the new students who really suffer.

John