Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)

Hi vyaskoushal

I had the same problem with my studio because it is very hot many months of the year and not really cold enough for there to be heating.

And what sane person heats their house to body temperature anyway?

So the problem is to find someone who understands. I was VERY lucky because I found somebody who was willing to do some thinking.

You want to cut costs. That is natural. So here’s what I suggest:

>> Your space is not enormous (but it’s not small)
>> You said by the way that it would fit 10 people, my first studio (in my double garage) was just over half the size you mention and I fit 12 (albeit squashy) so perhaps you should tell us the dimensions of the room rather than the area so that we can be sure
>> You should insulate as well as you can (in the ceiling)
>> See if you can find heaters that do NOT cut out at the domestic level of 30 degrees Celsius
>> Then start heating your room.
>> Get yourself a temperature and humidity gauge and start testing.
>> You would need a 2-3 powerful heaters to test it out
>> Then work with your surfaces
>> If all your walls are concrete then you have to realise that some hard surfaces STAY cold and will keep the temperature down.
>> You haven’t said if the concrete walls are covered with plasterboard.

We had concrete floors. It was impossible to heat. UNTIL I covered the floor with cardboard from flattened boxes. That’s when I had carpet laid. I would recommend indoor/outdoor carpet like they put on jetties, as that is your cheapest option that is cleanable even with a hose! (there are all sorts of rubber floors, bamboo, etc).

Oh, you may need to get some humidifiers.

That’s enough to start on in an inexpensive way. Beyond that you will have to keep asking around. Keep interviewing heating specialists until you find someone who gives you a PRACTICAL answer.

The world is full of people who will only give you a solution that involves using THEIR product even if they are unsure of the suitability.

There are many hot yoga studios where the heating system is poor in some way.

I know that there are people who swear by all the different types of heating methods. And I have heard pros and cons of them all.

@ Dave. I understand that you may be frustrated! 🙁 I am not a heating engineer. Are you heating a new studio? You don’t seem to have asked a question! 🙂

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Roxie

Did you mean does yoga move them around temporarily or permanently?

The body is an amazing thing. (Welcome to the forum by the way!) Those organs in your torso are largely in a sea of fluid protected on all sides by spine, ribs, muscle layers, fluid, all or some of the above depending on location and your own well being.

There is also an amazing network of connective tissue (viscera etc) that is holding everything in its place.

It’s hard to say what you felt. Our awareness of the inner parts of ourselves is different to surface sensation. Yes, you were in a very unusual position and yes, things do move in that sea of organs. And yes if you are compressing and contorting your body, then matter has to fit into the space that is provided. So yes, you may have felt something shift. The likelihood of that shifting and then staying in that new shifted position is unlikely. The body is very sophisticated! You didn’t mention if you felt it shift back to normal so I won’t make any assumptions. :cheese:

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Jeffrey

Would you try please sitting in a regular symmetrical kneeling position with your heels and knees and feet together please? It could be worth using this restorative position for while rather than sitting between the hips.

If you suspect that you have meniscus problems then it really is worth going to someone who can tell you what’s going on. A suspicion is not as good as a diagnosis! :cheese: Plus it’s harder to work with 😆

Still you’re having trouble with your ankle and not complaining about your knee. So it could be that damage to your knee has caused issues in your posture or normal function (eg by favouring one side) that is showing up in this pose.

Can you get some idea of true meniscus damage? Robert for example has a minor tear that limits his depth in a number of yoga poses but for him the damage is too minimal to bother with any surgical intervention.

You need to know what the issue is before we can go much further.

You may like to put your attention on your knees and ankles next few classes and tell me what exactly you feel is different in and out of class which could possibly give us more clues.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Kristin

I am sure we can find a way to make some improvements here. 😉

Firstly, I don’t think that any torso lengthening is happening, and if it is then it’s not instrumental in this issue.

I think we need to look at foot stance, hip alignment and where you put your hands exactly. You should NOT be getting any neck strain or pain in your shoulders.

The scoliosis just adds a little spice to the mixture. The direction of the curve may have an impact but i don’t think it’s your main ‘problem’ if I could call it that.

So, would you mind telling me a few things please?

>> How far are you feet apart? Measure from heel to heel.
>> Are you heels aligned? (My guess is yes. But if you are having hip issues you may find that this is difficult and they may not be exactly in line and one could be a bit out to the side. (Any balance issues?)
>> Where exactly do you place your hands on the floor in order to push up?
>> What could you tell me about your hip alignment? You may not be aware of it or you may know it’s perfectly aligned (parallel to ceiling or floor) or that one side or both unable to swing them into the right place.

By the way, those with a forward bending challenge as you have can find head to knee poses (as you have mentioned) to be the most difficult. It’s a body geometry thing. Don’t be concerned.

Our aim is to get the struggle and angst out and of course have you enjoying the pose without thinking you’re screwing it up.

Remember if you’re being taught with the script then you’re being given stock standard answers to your problems. It’s pretty clear this is happening here. Your question is ultimately not about the benefits of this pose. So to have ALL your issues dismissed with an off hand comment that your throat is being choked is just proving my point that learning with a script does not serve anybody. It doesn’t honour or help either the students or the teacher.

Let me know your responses and we’ll get there!

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Charlie

Thanks for posting again. You obviously have an issue with your knee that really concerns you.

Please detail exactly:
>> what the pain is like
>> when does it hurt
>> when doesn’t it hurt
>> what makes it feel better

>> answer all those questions as it relates to when you’re NOT doing yoga and tell me exactly what you’re doing
>>and then answer them as it relates to when you ARE doing yoga and tell me exactly what you’re doing.

Then if your knee hurts more during certain poses, I need to know which poses it is happening in and at what point of those poses.

It could also have a lot to do with your posture and how you’re weighting your leg, or a number of other factors. I don’t know anywhere near enough to help you … yet! 😉

IMHO there are some important things going on that really should be addressed. I did ask you some question in your first post (which you gave the subject line “how”). I don’t know if you have seen that response but I think that trying to get as specific as you can will give you clarity and will help anyone (not just me) help you.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi mfm 😉

Can you weight your foot progressively while you’re sitting? In other words can you sit, rise up on to your left toes and move your foot around in all directions? And if you can do that, are you able to try more and more weight on it?

Still piecing it all together :cheese:

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi

May I suggest then that you contact a heating engineer? You will have specific requirements that are going to be linked with the ambient conditions. Heat and humidity have to be considered, fresh (make-up) air, the number of students, the size of the room, the height of the ceilings, the materials in the room, the flooring and so on and so on. There are so many details.

Of course, if you have some specific details you want to share, then studio owners may be willing to share their experience.

You asked about exhaust. A domestic model would work for a small room. But how small is it?

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Tim and Kristin

Awesome news Tim. That’s so fantastic you have self-managed your cholesterol. As most conditions are diet related it seems prudent to try the nutritional route first! Well done. And thanks Kristin

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Charlie

Welcome to the forum! 😉

Can you tell me what your question is exactly? I need to know more. If you are having difficulty it really helps to be specific. For example with the sparse info you have provided, here are a couple of scenarios. You could either be out of shape having not done much exercise and just going through normal acclimatization. OR you could be experiencing something very serious because you could be dehydrated or not having sufficient electrolytes.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg. I can think of 100 questions I could ask you. But it pays for you to lead us in the right direction. Come back and fill us in.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Liliana

I had a computer die on me about the time you posted. Here I am though! Back ready to help you solve this problem.

Can you tell me at what point exactly you are feeling the pressure?

You see, it is highly possible that you are entering the pose quite well (we could determine that too!) but in your efforts to get your head on the floor your pressure could be occurring. Is that right?

We’ll get to hips later.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Valeria

I think you could benefit from some development of the muscles in that foot and ankle. Please go and look at the video Great Posture From The Ground Up. I would like you to pay particular attention to the bit about standing on the toes and how to practise that when you’re sitting or standing at a bench or table, and not just when you’re at yoga.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Toni

Thanks so much for posting. I know that many others will appreciate you sharing your objective opinion.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Jeffrey

Thanks for posting. It would appear that something is happening BECAUSE of the technique in your yoga practice.

Can you tell me if there is ANY pose or specific movement that you feel some discomfort, or twinge, or spasm?

I have an idea where this may be heading, but let’s hear from you first to clarify the situation. Any further specifics will be much appreciated.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂