Ladiladida

Honestly, I feel if Bikram actually saw and heard the things that are said in his name he might actually take a better look at his own behavior in the hot room. The difference between him and his students behaving this way is that he actually is a master teacher. Ironically, he’d be the first to tell you that if you’ve got recurring pain – then you back off and do the best you can so you can kill yourself another day. I have achilles tendonitis and I kept getting the same stuff from inexperienced teachers telling me the hot room would cure it “blah, blah, blah”. I emailed Raj (Bikram’s wife) who I had taken a workshop with and she wrote back that if it is inflamed to no practice in the hot room for a little while continuing with an icing regimen and then take a hot both then practice at home in a warm room. So there. All you black or white, this way or no way at all teachers out there. There is room for listening to the body and finding your own way. Coincidentally, this injury has been the best thing for my practice. I am learning that locking the knee for my body is more about the quads and inner thighs then hyperextending my already naturally hyperextended knee, back on the heels is not quite as back as it is for everyone else with my sway backed butt, and given my pronation tendencies – leaving my heels a little apart for a while is a good thing for my alignment. All this just for now, because as water wears the rock – one day my body alignment may be different. This is why every day is a new class, a new beginning – and though I hope for changes I don’t expect them.