Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)

Hi Rita

Woops, you replied to the post notification instead of posting on the forum. You wrote:

Yes it is in the bikram version of the tree. I try to keep my heel in the centre of my body as much as possible. Would you ever recommend maybe taking Glucosamine for a while?

You are right to try to keep the foot close to the centre of the body, but unless I am interpreting your words incorrectly, this could be aggravating your knee at the moment.

If your knee is hurting in Tree and in Pigeon, I would suggest that it could be because your lower leg is crossing the midline and causing undue pressure on your knee at the moment. I have had an issue like that last year and with careful attention I was able to return to my normal yoga. But I avoided the ankle going up to the opposite hip for a while.

While glucosamine may make a positive contribution to your body I am not sure you can cure your condition with it. I tend to think it’s an action you can tweak in your functional body movements in and out of yoga.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hello Max

With what you say it does seem that you have a pretty good breathing capacity!

Would you be able to tell me from where the sounds emanates when you breathe? You mention you breathe through your nose. Is that also where the sound is coming from?

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Rita

I hope your knee is feeling a little better over time.

For starters I would only do Tree without the binding. Can you tell me which cross legged pose you were experiencing difficulty in? And in pigeon, can you tell me please the angle your shin is to your femur? Or you could tell me if you are aligned along the length of your mat, whether your shin is parallel to the top of the mat? What angle to the top of your mat is your shin?

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Jillian

Any news on the yoga front? Would love to hear how you’re going.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi again Allison

It is actually possible to take a break with minimum distraction and maximum focus. Granted, it may not get you a ’10’ on my artificial scale, but a well-intentioned fidget-free highly-focused break, when taken because of necessity is fine. One could still get a high 8 or 9 score personally or as a studio with that kind of culture. Something to think about. When I am in a room like that, I find it exhilarating. It’s when you feel that beautiful synergy of an excellent group experience.

Looking forward to hearing about your fellow yogini!

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Daniel and of course Allison

Daniel, I have some questions that I request answers for each.

>> Would you please tell me how you’re sitting? Are you sitting with knees parallel?
>> Are your heels to the sides of your hips?
>> Can you please tell me how you are holding your body up? What I mean is, that with your hips in the air above the ground, do you need to put your hands on the ground or are you hovering hands-free? Is that comfortable? Or is there a general inability to settle at that point above your heels? I can reword that if that doesn’t make sense 😉
>> Where exactly are you feeling the discomfort in your right knee? Inner, outer side, or around the patella (some people feel something behind it).

Ciao for now

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hello Allison

I am curious about this comment the teachers: “They do this and often discuss in class”

Are you able to tell me how the subject is dealt with in class?
Is your studio a strict recital studio?

Often the ‘culture’ of focus (or lack thereof) is created by the way the instructors instruct or teach. Would you be able to indicate the level of focus of the entire studio every class?

Here’s your guide: On a scale of 1-10, 10 is where there is absolute stillness. Nobody (and I mean NOBODY) moves their feet, shifts their weight, plays with their hair, adjusts a yoga outfit or a towel, only picks up a water bottle for a quick sip when and only when they need it. A 10 means a student’s eyes are on themselves only. That after a standing pose when you’re practising that in your peripheral vision you detect no ruffle or ANY fidgeting at all around the room. A 10 is a lofty goal and perhaps you can achieve that in your own practice as it is possible. But to get everyone in a room to do that is nigh impossible. A 1 would be somebody who is in the room practising their own thing with absolutely no regard for what the teacher is saying, chugging water in the middle of poses, cursing audibly when they lose balance… you get the picture. What score does the woman in question qualify for? :cheese: What’s your score?

I know this forum is very popular, but I can promise you that despite it being the most visited hot yoga forum in the world, that not everybody comes here. (Boy, I wish they would. Haha) So if you feel comfortable giving examples, that will be perfectly fine. You are a respectful person and I am absolutely positive you will share your information with respect and with high intentions.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi John

Your dentist asked you that question for a very good reason. Most people grind their teeth to some degree at some stage. Either awake or asleep. It’s whether it is causing harm or excessive wear or whether it is stress-induced (and I won’t touch on all of the conditions here) that may have one feeling the effects.

If your dentist thinks you grind your teeth then you probably do. We’ll get to the mouth guard soon.

You may not believe you grind your teeth at night but how can you tell? You are asleep! 😉 I could ask you if you ever feel any signs of the grinding or clenching (say pain, discomfort in the teeth, the temporomandibular joints, the masticatory muscles which are obviously around the jaws and also the sides of the face up into the skull area proper).

Often the effects of bruxing at night are not felt but with any 2 surfaces gliding over each other there is going to be some wear.

If you’re aware of clenching in your yoga poses it is definitely possible that you are overdoing something. What that something is I don’t know and perhaps you don’t know yet either. It may be worth checking in to see when exactly you are clenching. Check into see what your body is doing. Then if you can feel that there is some source of strain or struggle in your body, or some need for you to improve a pose that is not serving you and that is causing you to strain, then fix that. It is possible there is some pushing beyond a point that is setting up stresses.

As I have always said, the only time your teeth should be touching is when you eat. They shouldn’t touch when you talk or do other activities. Sure, they could touch from time to time when you swallow or when you could be doing some kind of physical work. But for some their tongue just places pressure on the hard palate.

Just start making notes (mental or otherwise) on what you do.

Yoga should not be causing a clenching or grinding habit. Quite the opposite.

The dentist’s suggestion for that custom-made mouth guard is a good one. I call them ‘occlusal splints’. But that’s what s/he is talking about. They are carefully engineered appliances that will cause your muscles to relaz, they will reduce wear and they will also help your perform better by relieving the stresses in the jaw, lengthening and relaxing the muscles. You could actually feel fantastic as a result. It will also help translate any clenching or grinding habit into something positive.

Occlusal splints are not mouth guards per se. Well, certainly not the type one buys at the pharmacy or sports shop that protects teeth during impact sports. The one that you bought will do nothing at all for you (I am sorry to say!) except to maybe give you some awareness (as you suggested).

You may notice that some elite athletes wear occlusal splints. There are not because they grind. It is because they can actually focus better and it helps improves performance. I have written about these splints elsewhere on the forum. Use the search facility and see if the ideas fit you!

I hope that helps you! I know going to the dentist is expensive. But this grinding is in all likelihood a long term habit that is not related to your yoga. It is a problem with your practice if it is. So find out one way or the other. If the wear is appreciable and starting to lose you lots of tooth matter then I tell you that buying an ‘expensive custom made mouth guard’ every once in a while, is far less expensive than dental fillings, crowns, bridges or dentures!

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hello Allison

You know, I do wonder about this as well. You’ve been doing this yoga for a long time. I imagine you haven’t noticed this before because you would likely have mentioned it. Do you have any details for me about how these bruises are distributed? Is there anything unusual about them?

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hello Mette and Jillian

Thank heaven for you Jillian! 8-/ How terrible that you Mette, got back to me straight away and then I did not respond. I had a few days back then where I was unable to post (technical glitches).

The most important thing is to know how you’re feeling right now.

Jillian, you are on the money. And you appear to have some knowledge/experience in the right places. So thank you for chiming in.

I also believe that if you, Mette, can learn to deal with the anxiety in the hot room, knowing that the environment is a safe one, you will develop the coping mechanisms to dealing with the anxiety ‘out there’.

If you’ve been keeping up your practice in the last month, you may have started to notice that the triggers are less ‘hot’. Perhaps you’ve noticed (or will notice) that sometimes what would normally trigger the feelings doesn’t work and other times it does. As Jillian suggests, the work with the breath is a big factor.

It is interesting that the anxious feelings only happen on the floor. I wonder whether that is because your coping mechanisms have a certain time limit (allowing you to get only so far in class). Or it could be a physiological trigger that has something to do with body position and or contact on the floor.

What are your thoughts or experiences considering the latest posts and the long time since you posted your responses?

My radar is out for your answer.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hello Pamela

Just firstly straight up: That person should definitely NOT be counting in Russian (waiver, if she’s ALWAYS and ONLY ever counting in Russian). I wouldn’t mind if it were a lighthearted approach to occasionally introduce some counting in other languages sporadically but if it’s happening all the time that really is not appropriate. As you can see it’s taking you out of your practice. Is it happening to others? It would be interesting to know from fellow students.

What other feedback to you hear in the change rooms or elsewhere about the new climate?

You’re right! That would be a tough choice. You would say something to the owner of your all-time favourite cafe, if all of a sudden the quality went downhill. You are, in this case too, your studio’s customer and you really owe it to yourself and the owner to say something.

Sometimes people are wary about saying something that could be deemed unpleasant because it can put the complainer in a vulnerable or embarrassing position. Worse, it can make the ‘complainee’ feel defensive.

I remember at our first big studio where it was more than just me as the teacher, we had a number of instances that helped us shape our studio’s culture.

I had teachers from overseas too. However, the situation was that we are in a metric country and all the Bikram words are in imperial measurements. We had some complaints that the measurements had to reflect the country and culture we are in. So we changed that immediately. Sounds small, but it was not.

We had some complaints that the new teachers did not teach with the same quality that I and my friend and Robert were providing. (Which should prove that teaching is not all about ‘those particular words’.) There were specific things about new teachers using the exact same words each class.

People noticed that the good teachers give better cues for starting poses, finishing poses and for instruction within (ie not recited). We even had some people say that they objected to particular teachers using the word “guys” to give commands or compliments (‘great job guys’, ‘you guys’ etc). These people were peeved because most people who go to class are women and not ‘guys’. Many times back then, the classes were either exclusively women or had 1 or 2 men only. I think people reflected that they felt that the teacher was too much on autopilot.

All complaints and enquiries have to be taken seriously and simply LISTENED to. They are either acted upon or not. They are just someone’s opinion. But the person that steps forward is courageous and shows that they trust that they will be listened to. I believe that given in the right way, that feedback truly honours the owner of that business because of the courage it can take to come forward.

You have many great things to tell the new owner about their business and their own teaching. Surely they will appreciate your dilemma and recognise that if you’re feeling strongly enough to act that others might also be feeling similarly. They don’t want their most precious asset – their customers – to start voting with their feet (going in the wrong direction!).

What do you think? Will you go to the new owner?

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Sejal

You’re welcome! The easy way to make sure you have enough electrolytes is to consume some good quality sea salt. Some of my research suggests 1 teaspoon a day of sea salt. Perhaps you should make sure it’s 1.5 per day for the first 2-3 weeks.

For those of you who believe in low salt diets, please know that much of that ‘belief’ is marketing-led and science is now back-peddling and saying that low salt is not healthy.

The other thing to know is that for the vast majority of people it is almost impossible to have too much salt. But one can die of too little salt (search ‘hyponatremia’). The body resets salt levels quickly if you take in too much. In your case Sejal you want to balance what will definitely be higher salt losses in the first 2 weeks (for a reference L. Armstrong “Performing in Extreme Environments”).

You can take that salt in any form: A pinch in your water (with a drop of lemon juice for taste); more on your food.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hello Sejal

It sounds to me as though you are in two minds. You want to do it but are justifiably fearful of what could happen given your medical history.

Would you be willing to tell me where in the world you live?

There are several things I could recommend:

The very first step you could take might be to go to class in the heat NOT to do yoga but to physiologically acclimatize your system to the heat. This is a process that your body MUST go through regardless of any physical exertion.

I think that the benefits of being in the hot room on your body would be beneficial to see if you can even handle the heat WITHOUT the exercise. You could lie there and rest, learn to breathe and focus. Heck, you can even go there to fall asleep. Your Cardiac Output (CO) will improve. You could even watch the class at times to learn techniques you would use when you start the yoga.

You see, when you start exercising in the heat (and this is true even if you just visited a hotter country) your body is not used to the heat. BUT more importantly, while your body’s systems CHANGE and adapt to work better in the heat, for those first 2-3 weeks you actually LOSE MORE SALT than when you do when you establish a regular hot yoga practice. So it’s [strong]ESSENTIAL FOR YOU[/strong] to take lots of sea salt and or electrolytes for this first 2+ weeks.

Your body will settle into a regular amount of salt loss through sweating after this time (most likely – as there are some rare exceptions which I will not go into right now). And in a regular frequent practice you would also continue to take electrolytes. For you I would take more than you think is necessary for those crucial first weeks in the heat.

One way of building stamina is to NOT do the whole class at one time. You do very minimal exercise so jumping into a 90 min class and doing the whole thing will definitely NOT be good for you. One way to approach a heated public class when you know it would not be good to do everything, is to do the second set of each pose (we usually do each pose twice, so you can do it the second time, after watching it the first time).

After a while then you could do the first set instead of the second set. And then you can introduce more and more poses that you do 2 sets of. Just build it up slowly. Don’t let your ego do more than you should.

Another way is to establish a home practice without the heat. This could be the best way to start. When you have built up stamina without the heat you could then attend a heated class and just do what you can as your body acclimatises to the heat. The yoga will do you a lot of good with or without the heat. The heat does make it even better. So at home you can heat it to the temperature you want. Public studios often heat too high and this would be dangerous for you (or indeed anyone) to turn up and over exert yourself.

Tell me what you think appeals to you the most and we can take it from there.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂