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in reply to: Scabs/Rough Patches on knees #4823
I was recently getting a microdermabrasion treatment and the aesthetician was confused about the dry, rough, dark patch under my chin. I explained that it was from yoga and she was still confused. I’ve had this spot under my chin for about six months now. It doesn’t bother me a bit. It is well worth it to get the benefits of hot yoga. 🙂
in reply to: Hormones and Hot Yoga #4822Hi Gabrielle,
I spoke with my doctor and she says that the issue is not due to the hormones in the IUD as I thought, it is because of the hormones that I am no longer getting from the oral contraceptives. She is ordering lab work to get my hormone levels tested. I guess that we’ll see where to go from there.Re: the class temperature – yesterday evening, it was thunder storming during class again (it’s that time of year here) so the humidity was really high. The instructor had heated the room prior to class and didn’t end up running it at all during class because it was so humid. Afterwards, I thanked her for considering the humidity and not overheating the room. I really prefer to be able to focus on going to the full extension in my postures rather than testing my heat stamina. I just don’t see the gain in seeing how hot we can take it. She agreed and told me that the instructors have already been discussing the heat issue and are working to provide a better uniformity between classes and to keep it from getting too hot. The class this morning was also a more livable temperature.
It was interesting to hear people after the class in the locker room. They were all in agreement that this was a “perfect” class because they felt hot enough to get the depth in the poses and didn’t feel like they were wiped out or going to throw up after class! I think that the studio owner has decided that it is bad business to kill the students and I am so glad.
Gabrielle, thank you for listening to me as I’ve gone through this bit of struggle. You have really helped me enormously.
Namaste,
Cindyin reply to: Hormones and Hot Yoga #4810Hi Gabrielle,
The IUD is hormonal. Apparently there is often an adjustment period to this. I decided today that, although I try to avoid medication whenever possible, I am going to ask my doctor for sleeping tablets for now–just to get through the adjustment period. Additionally, I am going to suggest to my friend that I need to take a week or two off from walking. We walk at 5:00am so taking some time off will give me an extra hour of sleep per night.For now I am going to try to stick out my commitment to my 60 day challenge. If things don’t improve, then I will also take a look at backing off on the yoga a bit. I am going to continue to ensure that I get enough electrolytes so that I don’t run into problems there. I went out on the web as you suggested and feel pretty certain that I’ll be able to tell if I am having any issues.
I really appreciate your fast and caring response. You could probably tell from my post that I was feeling a little bit hysterical last night. Part of that was that my early evening Bikram class was way overheated. The thermostat said 120 degrees and we were having a thunderstorm so the humidity was way up there. At the end of class I was completely drained. I think that lack of sleep makes it harder to deal mentally with that type of challenge.
I am REALLY hoping that this whole night sweats thing is not a warning of menopausal symptoms to come. :-S
Namaste,
Cindyin reply to: March 30-day challenge #4732Congratulations! Did you do 60 days in a row or did you do 60 days with a break one day per week? I just started a 60 day challenge with a break once per week. When I did a 30 day challenge in February, I found that there was always one day each week when it was very nearly impossible to get to the class. I think that having that one day when doing a challenge during busy summer months will help me meet the goal.
How often do you go to aerobics on top of the yoga classes? You must have amazing stamina. I walk about 3 miles every weekday morning with a neighbor, but we’ve done that for about 15 years and it doesn’t really feel like exercise.
Thanks for the reminder to tighten everything up before lifting into full locust. I had kind of forgotten that step and was basically raising up with my arms relaxed and then tightening up. After you reminded me, I went back to the right way and have had great improvements in this one. I have also been really tightening up my butt while doing cobra and it helps a lot. The more I do this yoga, the more I am thinking that it is all about the butt. :cheese: The stronger mine gets, the easier the poses get. Not to mention the fabulous yoga butt that comes from doing this yoga.
in reply to: 60 day challenge #4731Hi Abelanger,
I completed a 30 day challenge in February in which I went every day for 30 days in a row. Now I have started a 60 day challenge and will go 6 days per week. I found that–at the end of the 30 day challenge–I did feel stiffer and didn’t see a lot of progress in improving my flexibility. I did see a bigger improvement in strength and stamina. However, a week later, the change in everything was just amazing. One of my instructors had told me that the benefits from an extended period of frequent yoga will be seen after you are done more than while doing it. I found that he was absolutely right.Congratulations on completing your 60 day challenge!
Namaste,
Cindyin reply to: Love/hate relationship with camel #4700LOL 😆 You’re right, that might be awkward. However, how do we actually look down our nose when we are looking UP toward the ceiling?
in reply to: March 30-day challenge #4699It’s funny that you say you’ve got another 20 years to learn this yoga. I always say, I have the rest of my life to learn this yoga. Since we have two men in class who are in their 80’s (one is certified to teach), I feel that it is proof that we can keep doing this for as long as we want to.
in reply to: Love/hate relationship with camel #4689Camel is now one of my favorites, too. I nearly always get dizzy when I come up on my knees before the pose. I just tell myself that things will get better after I move into it. I have found that looking as far back as possible, as opposed to up my nose, makes all of the difference in the world. Thanks, Gabrielle, for that huge hint. That, combined with slow conscious breathing makes this one of the most enjoyable poses for me.
in reply to: March 30-day challenge #4688Oh my gosh – 50 days in a row! Hurray for you! Which posture was not enjoyable? I am challenged by Cobra and Half Moon these days. It’s odd because I used to think that these two were so easy. Interestingly enough, once I find out the RIGHT way to do the poses, they become more challenging.
in reply to: Hand Position in Eagle #4687Hi Gabrielle,
Ok, I will unattach myself. :red: It is SO easy to get attached to certain poses. The ones that come easy AND the ones that come hard. I do sometimes have a tendency to resist when I feel like something is working well for me. Pretty much every time this has happened, I have learned that there is a reason for every nuance of the poses and that I will receive more benefit if I can quit being stubborn!Thank you for the hint about the wrists. I’ll focus on this.
Namaste,
Cindyin reply to: Locust Epiphany #4686I was very happy in that picture. I was on a four day weekend vacation in San Francisco with my best friend. I had just been through a rough year of getting divorced after 23 years of marriage, both of my sons moving away to college and losing a job. By the time Lori and I took this trip, I had recovered and was very excited about starting my second adult life at the age of 43! Now I am two years into a very good relationship, my boys are home all of the time and my oldest has a daughter (so I’m a Grandma), and I have the best job of my career–not to mention yoga!
The bench that I am sitting on is outside of Bubba Gump’s restaurant on Fisherman’s Wharf. You can’t see them, but there is a pair of oversized molded running shoes to put your feet into. The suitcase and the box of chocolates are from the Forrest Gump movie.
Your dog is adorable. What is his/her name? What breed?
in reply to: broken hip #4661Wow Amy, this is the first time that I have read through this thread and I am amazed at your commitment. You are an inspiration!
I opened this one up to take a look because I am trying to do some research for my sister re: doing Bikram yoga after hip replacement surgery. She is only 41 years old and last year had one hip replaced and the second one done about a month ago. Apparently, she has some type of degenerative disorder, but the doctors have not been able to identify what it is. Anyway, she has had pain in her hips since her twenties and it has caused her to walk incorrectly. During that time she has gained a significant curve in her lower spine and she is working hard to learn to walk correctly again. I have talked with her about the spine straightening benefits of Bikram and I believe that it could really help her. She is nervous about trying it as her surgeon told her that she shouldn’t do “yoga”. I believe that there is some risk of hip dislocation in deep stretches. In my opinion, there aren’t any poses in Bikram that place that level of stress on the hips. I could see where pigeon pose might be a problem, but that’s not one that Bikram includes.
All that said, her doctor did not give her any advice more specific than “avoid yoga”. My sister has worked out regularly and intensely for many years in spite of the pain in her hips and she is in incredible shape. She always said that her hips hurt whether she worked out or not, so she just as well work out anyway. She was walking four miles a day within two weeks of her surgeries. I think that Bikram would be perfect to help her get back to normal. Does anyone have any recommendations or sources that we could reference to determine if it is safe for her to do Bikram?
thanks,
Cindyin reply to: "Pulling is the object of stretching…" #4660I agree with all of you. It usually makes me smile a little when I hear that one, though.
I think that I understand what they are saying now that I have heard about the reciprocal stretching theory. (Gabrielle, did I get that right?) Once I read about that and started using it in the stretches, I was absolutely amazed to feel my hamstrings relax almost simultaneously with the biceps flex.
in reply to: Locust Epiphany #4659Isn’t it great?! I always felt ok with my leg height in this pose and just kept going along doing the same thing. Then one day, the instructor said “struggle a little harder…” I’m not even sure what I did differently, but suddenly I felt my legs lift significantly higher. It really wasn’t even hard. I suspect that the strength gained in my hips and lower back from doing other poses had a lot to do with it. It is really cool how the poses are so integrated. At the same time, it was like my body just finally figured out what it was supposed to do.
Wow a 60 day challenge – congratulations in completing that and with your success in the pose.
in reply to: Balance? Tips for getting up and staying up? #4610I have had success with the same techniques plus keeping my arms extended and firm. It helps me to get higher on my toes if I think about pushing my ankles forwards like I am trying to stretch the fronts of my ankles.
in reply to: Backpain – stretched muscle..?? #4605Thank you, Gabrielle. I have had a lot of different pains over the last year of doing Bikram. The only one that hurt during poses was my hamstrings. I KNOW that one was an injury because I specifically started Bikram and stopped Vinyasa/Hatha Flow yoga in order to try to heal them. All of the back, hip flexor, etc, soreness/pain has resolved itself (usually within a few weeks of appearance). None of these has hurt while in the pose. Often it is in the entry stage that I can feel it. So, I guess that I have evolved. :cheese:
Namaste,
Cindyin reply to: Triangle: Slipping feet #4584I found that I was leaning to far forward over my bent knee when I was experiencing slippage. Once I started really stretching toward the ceiling and centered my weight over my hips more I stopped slipping so much.
in reply to: Backpain – stretched muscle..?? #4583Hi All,
I recently had some pain in my lower back and my instructor told me that it was probably my body evolving into better alignment. After a week or so it went away so I assume that she was right. How can we evaluate when these pains are due to evolution as opposed to injury?Namaste,
Cindyin reply to: Yoga Competitions #4582Hi Gabrielle,
I believe that many of the people who do yoga in my area (in the US) feel that they, themselves, need to be like vegetarian-hippy… sort of–in spirit anyway–but not really make the full commitment to be there. After all, wouldn’t that mean giving up the life that we’ve become accustomed to? Things like meat and SUVs? I’m not criticising really–I do the same thing. I might still be doing it. Actually, yeah, I am, but I don’t drive an SUV.
Also, you mentioned this as the western ideal of yoga. I agree completely. I am wondering if the eastern ideal is the same as what we try to make it into. Have we, perhaps, taken a small piece of a very large and encompassing belief system and decided that practicing yoga makes us spiritual in the same way? Is there any possibility that we are–at least partly–persuing a yoga butt?
I can see where it is difficult to reconcile the conflicting ideas of yoga for “world peace, etc.” and the idea of competition. But I would like to say to them (and me) come on, really, we are products of a competitive society. I am considering your idea of competing without attachment to winning. I like it. Do you think that the people who compete are able to do that? It is a concept I have to think about a bit. My ex-husband and my son are football coaches and both of my sons were very successful football players in High School. They had to quit playing football in college due to health issues for one and a devotion to academics for the other. I have lived with a high level of competition and total devotion to winning in my household for many years. I think that this makes it more difficult for me to reconcile competition with yoga. At the same time I like the idea.
My younger son is actually all of the things that you listed in the vegetarian, etc. list. He gives me trouble about the idea of yoga competition. It is possible–actually quite likely–that he is just taking himself too seriously. I guess that I am wondering if everyone is making these decisions as to what yoga is supposed to mean without complete information.
I love your last idea. “I say stand back, remove judgment and let ‘em all do what they want to do! LOL I just wonder what all the fuss is about!” It fits so closely with the way that I try to live. I have always had a “live and let live attitude”.
I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts on this.
Namaste
Cindyin reply to: How much does everyone sweat? #4581It is amazing how hard it is to just be still and focused. That may be the most challenging thing about Bikram.
in reply to: How much does everyone sweat? #4576Bonnie,
Congrats at finding a higher level of peace! When I first started Bikram I never would have believed that something as innocent as wiping sweat could ultimately prove to be such a huge distraction.I also can get distracted by people wiping now, but I try REALLY hard to not pay attention. Just this last Monday I was in class next to one of the instructors who has been doing Bikram for seven years. At the break she took her hand towel and wiped her face, chest, arms, belly, back, down her legs and her feet. I was really surprised to see that.
I have found a new distraction, though. Now I spend an inordinate amount of time straightening my feet and heels on the line-moving them back and forth, turning them just so. I’m aware that I’m doing this, but having a hard time stopping. Oh well–just need to work on it more.
Namaste
Cindyin reply to: Bikram Yoga and Philosophy #4524I really disagree with you on that one. I don’t believe that any studio owner should ever screen potential new members for suitability to the practice. How could one possibly screen for “problematic” newbies? How would you even define a “problematic” newbie? Everyone who wants to try Bikram should have a chance to try it!
Not everyone is going to like it. I didn’t particularly like Bikram when I started. I had two years of “I’m ok-You’re ok” type yoga under my belt and was used to a very gentle and permissive teaching style. However, I continued to attend Bikram and, after about a month, developed a deep passion for it. I intend to continue with Bikram as a lifetime practice.
I do not believe that you have to be in good physical shape to start Bikram. I believe that you can be in any shape to start and that practicing Bikram will get you there. I think that the following quote applies here:
“It’s never too late, you’re never too old, you’re never too sick to start again from scratch.” Bishnu Ghosh
There are some people in my Bikram classes who do not appear to be in great physical shape, but they are continuing to attend and are quickly improving their condition. I know one woman in particular who is quite overweight and she LOVES going to classes. They give her great satisfaction and purpose. What if she had been turned away before she ever had a chance to begin?!? That would have been tragic.
There are unsatisfied people out there who want to “talk smack” on the Bikram style. One of them is a former instructor of mine who teaches Hatha flow. I adore her and her class, but Bikram was just not for her. I say “so what?” It’s not for everyone. That is no reason to make it into an exclusive practice that only allows suitable practitioners.
in reply to: How much does everyone sweat? #4523Wow, it sounds like it is going really well. I did a 30 day challenge in February and just loved it. I found that the biggest challenge was getting there everyday. That challenge wasn’t because of reluctance to go, but it was work and other things that came up. I did my first back-to-back double on the last day of my thirty days. I will do it again, but am going to wait until there is a day that I am moved to do so rather than planning for it–like I did that one. I recommend it. One thing that I would do differently–I stayed in the hot room between classes (which I would prefer) but started the second class with soaking wet clothes and a soggy towel. As is the subject of this thread–I tend to sweat a lot. If I do it again, I’ll change between classes and start with a fresh towel. I think that starting with my clothes clinging with sweat made me feel more sapped than I would have otherwise.
Good luck with your challenges!
in reply to: How much does everyone sweat? #4518Congrats, Bonnie! It feels so liberating to me every time I give up one more thing that I think that I NEED to have to finish a class–like water. Did you complete your 30 day challenge yet?
in reply to: room too hot, or am I a wimp? #4517The rooms can definitely get too hot.
It is often very humid here, and the instructors can have a hard time controlling the humidity. I also think that there are some instructors who just crank the heat as high as possible to provide more challenge. For awhile, I saw the heat portion of the class as the big “challenge” to get through. However, I have found that when the heat is around 105 rather than 115 in the room, I am able to focus much more productively on the poses. That said, if it isn’t warm enough, the class seems too easy.
I have gained enough experience to gauge when the room is going to be hotter–level of heat and humidity outside, number of people attending class, who is the instructor (is she one who likes it hot?), time of day, how does the room feel when I first enter. I usually pick my spot in the class once I have evaluated the situation.
It sounds like there are other people in your classes who feel that the room temperature is higher than it should be. It couldn’t hurt to speak with an instructor or the owner about your concerns. In the meantime, if you studio is like mine, morning classes next to the outer wall will provide the coolest environment. I also agree with Fraseram–it is a good idea to focus on your breathing and stay calm. Try to not let the heat itself overwhelm you.
Good luck!
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