The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › General Hot Yoga Discussion › Benefits of Hot Yoga › I hate to admit this, but…
The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › General Hot Yoga Discussion › Benefits of Hot Yoga › I hate to admit this, but…
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…I’m bored with practice. I have been practicing since early October, and I find myself going less and less frequently because it is starting to feel like a grind. Does anyone have any tips for re-committing yourself, reinvigorating your practice and renewing your motivation? I really do not want to stop.
Thank you!
Kelly
Try going class at a different time, or try doing doubles (back-to-back classes)if you can, or try a different type of Yoga all together – some studios offer Bikram (or Hot yoga) classes along with Vinyasa flow or other forms of Hatha yoga. My wife does Vinyasa and I tried it, the experience made me love my Bikram session even more. I enjoy the length of time spent in each pose.
I hope you find a suitable solution to the gRiNd =P
Cheers!
Yes, there are lots and lots of things you can do.
Different focuses: focus an entire class on the breath, focus on the listening skills and only do what you hear, focus on not fidgeting, focus on keeping your eyes on your eyes in the mirror, consciously drink at different times, try a double class, sign up for a private class, read your Bikram book and make applications in your practice where necessary, do your own 20 or 30 day challenge. I’ve got lots more, but this should get you started.Just this past weekend I did a double on Saturday and Sunday back to back. After I finished my class on Sunday I felt on top of the world. I have never felt this way before. I highly recommend trying 2 classes.
Hi Kelly
Some wonderful suggestions from artwednesday and LoveTheHeat.
I agree. I am sure it helps to realize that you are probably thinking too much about your own practice. Making observations is perfectly fine and is what you are supposed to do. It is lifting yourself from the temptation of commenting on or judging what you observe that is the hard part. In effect, your observations have to be dispassionate.
I totally agree that you ought to find a new focus for your class to give your conscious mind something to do that is geared toward a goal. It is the same kind of principle as setting your intention (which is often mentioned in class). Something unique to a class is a good start. Or a couple of things. One suggestion is to have a general technique that will enhance your experience. It may sound simple but focusing your entire class on the breath is quite the opposite. A fun thing is to really listen to what the instructor is asking you to do. Because while you know what you are supposed to do, you may find that the words used are not the ones that actually tell you what to do or how to do it. You can therefore bring your own intelligence to class in the form of an observer. And then you can examine how that effects your practice.
You may just find that your enjoyment returns and you learn how to make better distinctions in your poses.
A final thing you may like to look at in each pose is how well you are actually carrying out the command. For example choose one command to do something and then really check into see if you are actually doing it to the best of your ability. Take for example Standing Bow. When you are told to kick see if you can REALLY feel your upper leg’s quadriceps muscles warming with the effort.
Boredom is a state of mind where you are lacking curiosity. Your disinterest could be caused by anticipating what is coming next. In allowing the state of boredom to overcome you, you are robbing yourself of learning and of moving forward in your practice and even in your life. You have allowed yourself to make judgments from a disassociated state.
What will be useful is to distill for yourself why you are actually doing the yoga. Maybe (and this could be confronting to some readers) you could take a couple of weeks off and after your forced break, return to your practice and see what you missed by experiencing it with new eyes and new intention.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Whoa! :cheese:
Everyone here has given me so much to think about. Thank you.
What’s funny is that before I even read any of these posts, I decided to go into class with the focus of listening! (Some coincidence, huh?) The reason was because I was knew that the teacher who would be teaching was one I did not always enjoy: Her pace was “off,” her energy was “low,” she sometimes seemed to drift in her dialogue when all I was thinking was “just get there already!”
Well I discovered last night that by listening — not practicing by rote which I did not realize I had fallen into — the teacher is actually wonderful! She focuses more than the other teachers on getting into and coming out of the postures. Process oriented more than goal oriented.
Bottom line: forming judgments from a disassociated state, as Gabrielle said, was exactly the problem. There is no boredom when I remain fully in the moment without ruminating on the moments just passed or anticipating the ones ahead!
Namaste!
Kelly
Hi Kelly – yes quite some conversation you stirred up there – privately I think it’s because we’ve possibly all been in that same place at some time in our practice, so the empathy is tangible!
Anyway, I wanted to leave a quick note of appreciation for what you did – that IS inspiring to hear … awesome stuff!
Robert
I found I went through a time like this too!!! My body seemed to be asking me for different forms of movement. I (hesitantly) took a small break and went from 7 (w/ some doubles!) to four days a week. I also change my focus and the tips given above are awesome!!
Here one too I just thought of too!! take ONE pose and research it practice and make it your weekly/monthly whatever focus.This is an interesting thread and the conversation is appealing.
Yoga class is definitely not a place to multi-task. If ones mind is racing or the attention given is not proper, one fails. Focusing more can get one out of the problem.
I couldn’t find a thread that seemd appropriate for my following comments, so since I hate to admit what I’m going to write, this is as close as I could come.
I am an older guy, had open heart surgery, take blood pressure medicine, and antidpressants. Just writing this makes it sound like I have one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel. I have multiple joint issues and am so not flexible. Anyway, I did Bikram fairly regularly a couple of years ago but due to a lower back problem and then changing jobs, I stopped for almost 2 years. I restartred 2 weeks ago and have been for 5 times now. Now, I’m having another issue that disturbs me a little, I get a sharp pain on the left side of my chest, now I know that isn’t my heart but I’m not going to take a chance so, will see my doctor next Tuesday and will get it checked.
Now, after all that, and I’m sure it’s much more information than anyone wants, I’ll go to the crux of my question. This is a little embarassing so please bear with me. I am wondering if anyone knows if Bikram can affect or improve erectile dysfunction, of course as a male, that is hard to even admit. Have any of you experienced any benefits in that area, or maybe nobody here even has the same problem.
Thanks for your indulgence.
Hi decatur1945
I look forward to the update on the Tuesday appt. Maybe it’s just skeletal muscles calling out!
As for the ED I had a student who was mid to late 60s that was not bashful at all in telling me that his wife was very grateful for his yoga practice because he no longer needed Viagra. He even let me interview him for an article in the local newspaper.
Another wonderful thing about this person’s journey is that he used his hot yoga to prepare himself for his open heart surgery. His specialist and the care staff all commented on how quickly he was able to recover from his operation.
I am hoping that other men who may have experienced improvements in ED can share with decatur1945. If you don’t want to do that publicly you can use the Private Messaging system. I have a feeling that that support would mean a lot.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂 -
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