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Hi Freia
Here are my responses to the students being asked to leave: I think you already know how I feel about the kind of regimentation of which you speak. Regimentation and discipline mean different things to different teachers. What one chooses to be firm on can change from person to person and they yield different results. There have been times where we have politely asked someone to leave if they have insisted on talking unnecessarily, even continuing a mobile phone conversation (really!) after being asked to stop. A hot yoga class is not the place for doing your own thing. They can do that elsewhere. The approaches may be different from teachers, and one teacher may have been able to influence a behavior change so that the student chooses to stay, but given the scenarios, those instructors were right to request those students leave.
Regarding the woman with too much stuff in the studio. Our rule: don’t bring anything in except your mat, water and towel. Don’t bring a wallet, your bag, your watch, anything. It’s too distracting even to have it at the back corner of the room! Certain things could stay with agreement for example, a doctor on 24 hour call can bring his beeper in. Stuff like that. It’s the way the situation is handled that counts. Then it’s up to the customer to choose their response. Mutual respect is paramount.
Back to Triangle pose. You make some very good points. My stance (pardon the pun) on it is this: If in Triangle you are STRUGGLING to stop slipping because of a REAL RISK of injury then your body is setting up all sorts of tensions to be able to stop yourself from falling. A lino floor is slippery. And by the sounds of it, students’ practice seems to be being compromised by this problem. Myths of yoga on ice are myths. Yoga on marble floors is easy if you’re not sweating and the floor stays dry beneath your feet. It’s a shame that there is limited choice for you because it seems you can’t vote with your feet and still attend a hot studio.
May I ask you questions about your word choice? You say:
Modifying any pose is a tough call for me simply because like most people, I’d LOVE the “easy way out”. Some of these poses are HARD, dang it!
I’d like to ask you whether you think the poses are hard or whether they are challenging for you? Do you feel that with current conditions you are able to ‘get’ the poses but you find them challenging? Or is it that you find them hard and you are struggling to get them? I know it’s semantics, but often in the forum all we have are the words. 😉 You are a great wordsmith and I look forward to your reply and thoughtful insights.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Major setback. And so disappointed! #6280Hi wabbit
I’m disappointed for you too! 🙁
Thank you for providing the detail in your post.
It would be really remiss of me if I did not address the question of core strength straight away. You say that you have had these issues before elsewhere in the spine. However I would like to exclude this as a problem right from the get-go. Have you been to a physical therapist for them to assess your ability to turn on your core muscles? Your issue mid-lumbar COULD mean that over time your strong body has compensated for a lack in that area. So first place is to check this.
OK, so another question is about your other painful experiences in your neck and spine, related to your Bikram yoga practice. Did these other episodes happen before or after you had established a regular and frequent yoga practice?
>>>> It could be that your spasm literally needs a physiotherapist’s care. Many preyoga years ago I went to a step class(!) and within an hour afterward I was in THE WORST pain unable to stand, walk, lie down – I was simply at a loss to know what to do, unable to feel comfortable in ANY position. Seems a similar condition to yours! I went to a physio for manipulation, massage, some ultrasound and it cleared up almost immediately (she was VERY good). She said she could see the muscle spasm – and I of course could feel it – in my upper lumbar, lower thoracic area.
To answer your 3 questions:
1: If you have muscle spasm that is causing this terrible problem then I would resolve the spasm before causing any more issues. If you are sure it is not a spasm then regular cobras and arm assisted cobras are good to start with. Let me know if you have my email newsletter on back pain because it has some exercises in there (and a great relaxation pose). I will send it to you if you need it.
2: Why? See above. I am leaning more toward the muscle spasm theory.
3: Take care of your acute pain first before going back to class. If you’d be willing to respond to the preceding questions that would be great before I give any other advice about what to look for.I think it’s possible that if you have a spasm it could have partly resolved by your rest. I would seriously consider hands on work first because the pain meds don’t seem to be giving you the reprieve you are after.
Get back to me. I want to help you in any way I can ASAP.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Cannot breathe in the back bend…help! #6279Thanks Stefania!
I am SO happy it worked for you. Use the same principle in all your poses with your arms over your head (including Half Tortoise, Stick etc). It is somewhat counterintuitive but if you relax those shoulders you will be able to get them further back and in time you will be able to straighten them with ease and no risk of stress at all!
Woo hoo!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Cannot breathe in the back bend…help! #6274Hi Stefania
There aren’t many who can actually keep their arms right back with their ears in a full backbend.
Would you be willing to try something for me?
Next time you do your Half Moon backbend, do what you can to completely relax your arms and neck and shoulders before and after you place your head back. Keep your arms relaxed in your backbend. For now, if your arms have to stay with a micro bend to allow your shoulders etc to stay relaxed then so be it. Make relaxing your shoulders your primary objective.
My guess is that, no you don’t have to stop yourself from going back so far. Quite the contrary, I think you will find that you are able to free yourself up to go back a bit further. I think that the tension in your shoulders is holding you back. And the tension created is creating that paradoxical breathing.
So with this little experiment, notice how much easier it will be to slow and even deepen your breath. You will still be able to bring your arms back in your backbend, just don’t be concerned about straightening them just yet.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Freiamaya
I agree! Sometimes studios have policies that are not in the best interest of their customers. It seems to be an issue of politics and for me that doesn’t make sense.
My rule of thumb would be that if you and others are struggling constantly, regardless of your ability to do the pose (say with the mat under your feet) and it is NOT simply your leg strength then a solution has to be found for all.
What about doing your standing poses with your towel in a T? You don’t fuss you just change the orientation when you get to the floor! Added advantages, you don’t get distracted by managing the risk of slipping, your towel does the mopping for your studio and needs less cleaning! :cheese: Well, I thought I’d throw that one in because you might need some supportive ammunition.
Personally I’d just do it and not worry about a poor reaction. What are they going to do? Throw you out because you look after your safety? TRY to humiliate or embarrass you because of a towel? When you look how trivial the issue is it’s quite laughable that there is even the possibility that you could be taken to task on this.
I know there are other considerations (like trying to conform and not wanting to stand out by doing something a little different) – but I am on the way out now! – so perhaps later. 😉
What do you think?
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Hot Yoga for Children #6271Hi Sandra
If the child has interest then that is a good place to start. I think that the environment has to be considered. If your studio is heated to body temperature and not more (in other words you have a controlled environment where nose-bleed temperatures are not the norm) then it is OK!
Take a look at other considerations that we discussed in these other threads:
>> How Old Do You Need To Be To Start?
>> Would Hot Yoga Be Good For A 10 Year Old Child With Diabetes Type I?
I hope that helps you!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Pip
You may find that you won’t be able to stand on others’ mats. If you have your feet on 2 different mats you are more likely to find that you do slip and this can be a risky situation. Anyway, I am positive you will find the space to put your feet. People move themselves around. I know that at times I have had to negotiate a mat or 2, even sometimes placing my toes under the neighbor’s mat. I have seen people fold their mat up at a corner (not the best for a distraction-free practice!). It all works out!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi ladies
Thanks for the vote of confidence. I don’t know about better insights but maybe other ones! 😆
Interestingly there are times I have had headaches during class and out of class ONLY when I haven’t been practicing enough. In class it has happened during Camel and just a persistent bad headache out of class that required some analgesia. This has been on the odd occasion when I have for some reason or another had an extended break from yoga. As soon as my regular practice is reinstated the headaches disappear. It is probably worth noting that before yoga I didn’t actually get headaches more than once or twice a year. But I get headaches if I stop practicing and run out of ‘yoga credits’. Otherwise headache free.
Dehydration is a very valid place to investigate, thanks RF!
So for you Rachel it could simply be part of your process towards creating more vibrant health for yourself. Your words seem to imply that you weren’t having them before, so as uncomfortable as they are, just look after your nutrition, your hydration and notice how the signs reduce and you feel lighter and pain free probably over a very short period of time.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Home Practice Pace #6255Hi Sandra
A home practice is your own! You can do what you like. You sound very ambitious and motivated. So let me see if I can guide you with a few suggestions to sustain your motivation and feed it so that you always enjoy your practice and learning something new every day, for the long term.
So here are several ideas for chunking your learning for success.
>> Start your first classes by watching the first set of each pose on DVD 1 (the double set classes) and then doing the second set. This will help you build strength and stamina too.
>> There is really no real benefit to making your class too long and introducing too many breaks. It’s very distracting for your mind and you may end up dreading the time it takes to finish a class. So try to limit it to about 90 minutes. It’s a pretty long time as it is. 😉
>> I would suggest that reading the introductory chapters in the manual will help you understand some more about some general principles of yoga and your own learning process.
>> To support your learning process you can choose to simply review one pose before class (from DVD 1 by selecting the pose only, and if you want very detailed information also read the corresponding chapter on that pose. It has the step by step process including photos of technique and then a comprehensive section on the common mistakes and how to fix them. The photos will help you recognize and therefore avoid making those mistakes from the get-go). Then after your review of that pose, you do the whole class and only refer to the manual if you really need to. Try to enjoy the flow of the class. Trust yourself!
>> For example a great place to start would be to review Pranayama breathing exercise.
>> You could choose any pose or a couple of poses after that. Here are a few important poses to review. Half Moon, Standing Head to Knee, Standing Bow, Standing Separate Leg Intense Stretch, Sit-Up, Camel, Rabbit, Floor Head to Knee and Floor Intense Stretch.
All these poses have some important mechanisms and principles to learn that will be repeated in some way in the rest of the class. I handpicked those poses above because they will address many safety issues for you and minimize any risk of injury.
I won’t give you the next few to review just yet. Please feel free to come back and ask me which ones to guide you through next. There is no need to overwhelm any new student with too many things to do (read about that in the introductory chapters “Learning About Learning” from page 14).
The main thing is to enjoy your process, your discovery. The poses are fascinating in themselves. But remember to let go of trying to do them perfectly right from the beginning. It’s OK to make mistakes. So just review a bit at a time. Take your cues from the stills in the DVDs which are clearly marked showing you technique and mistakes. You’ll also really value having the chance to go through a few poses without looking at the manual every few moments. It will help you get the meditative benefits of your practice and not just get the poses right. It is an holistic practice after all! So allow it to unfold.
OK now for your other question: Can you practice every day? Well, yes you can. Many people practice 5-6 times per week. It is important to give your body rest and recovery time whenever you need it. One day per week is sufficient. And a practice of 3-4 times per week is a very satisfying frequency.
I hope that at least begins to answer your questions! Remember, we’re here to help!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Bikram for weight loss – any stories for me?! #6253Hi Ily
You know, this brain stuff is so fascinating. I recently saw the movie “What the Bleep do we Know?”. If you haven’t seen it then it is definitely worth checking out. I watched it – TWICE – and then borrowed the book from the library. I love the book and will now buy it. It definitely explores the possibilities of the mind and how we create our reality. It talks of addiction to our own emotions and how that serves us to rehash the same emotions again and again rather than programming ourselves to find the newness, to be curious and to create something different for ourselves.
Anyway I thought I would share that with you. As I read it I have interesting conversations with Robert and I also am pleased to note that it is giving me a new focus to examine my habitual responses.
So when I read that you have had some resistance from others (including your doctor) about NLP or other mind sciences, I find that amazing that people (including me!) will get stuck in a certain way of thinking.
I’m interested to know if you’ve had exposure to this book/movie/concepts of quantum physics and what your thoughts are.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Health Issues and Bikram Yoga #6252Hi Rebecca
Thanks for closing the loop on your story and for the happy ending/beginning!
I am a firm believer in that bladder/brain connection and understanding the difference between the urge and the need! Thanks for putting it so eloquently.
I am glad you have found what works for you yoga-wise. I am sure that given the right instruction you would probably be safe in any type of yoga. You will certainly have your attention focused on good alignment and form in any case.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: ACL Reconstructed #6246Hi Elizabeth
Now that your stitches are out, how do you feel? Is the swelling down?
OK I agree with taking it easy, but what does that mean? How does that translate into what to do at the studio?
Well, I would set up next to a wall. I don’t know what your ability will be to lock out your leg with stamina and how strong your leg will be. So if your leg suddenly buckles for any reason, then I would want to make sure that you can throw out an arm to the wall (or some support).
When you lock your leg in standing head to knee and standing bow for the first few times don’t lift the other leg up off the floor so that you are on one leg only. Just work on stability and rebuilding strength and stamina. If you lock the right leg just pick the left leg up just enough to rest the left toes on the floor for balance without leaning or dependence.
I would probably avoid tree pose and fixed firm for a little while. So for tree, just bring the sole of your foot to the inner thigh or the lower leg but not the knee. Fixed firm kneel with hips on heels knees to toes together sitting on the tops of your feet.
Maybe avoid bringing the toes around the back for eagle pose and just place one leg on top of the other.
In stick, keep your body long strong and straight but try first to be at 10-30 degrees from vertical rather than 90 degrees!
If you have seen the triangle pose tutorial go check out C1 practice tip about using the wall. Use it if you need to. Even just on one side.
Let me know if you need any other modifications. I am pretty sure that you just need the mods to discover what you are capable of and you won’t need them for long.
Please tell me how you go
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Cannot breathe in the back bend…help! #6245Hi Stefania
I was wondering if your neck feels relaxed or if there is tension in your shoulders? Are your arms straight? Where do you feel the struggle in your body?
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: tendonitis #6244You’re very welcome Megan. Please keep us posted.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Sweat a lot, difficulty to hold postures #6239Hi bubba
Thanks for your insight (and for graduating from lurker to poster :cheese:)! It’s amazing how different things are with a twist in one’s mindset.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: My knee popped in head to knee pose #6235Hi Kevin
How utterly disappointing for you.
From your few words describing your attempt at the pose it is possible that another approach could have been taken. You used the words…
the teacher was really pushing me to wrap my hands around my left foot
… Those words read as though you were having difficulty in reaching your foot. Can you tell me if that is the case? Are you aware whether you were told to bend down and pick your foot up? Or were you instructed to lift your leg independently first and then put your hands under your lifted foot? These details may seem trivial, but it would help me get a better picture of what happened.
Now to the right knee in its current state. Have you iced it etc? Where do you think the injury is? Are you thinking of getting it looked at professionally? It’s hard from here (wink, wink). For the moment I would want to feel more comfortable walking and getting any acute inflammation down before going back to class. I may have a modification for you but I do first want to read your answers to the questions above.
There are physical therapists and body workers and teachers that routinely read this forum so I hope that they can give you some advice or comment on your post.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: What are the benefits of a 30-day challenge #6234Hi Nynn
I guess it all boils down to your own personal challenge and commitment. What you are prepared to commit to and then action is the ONLY thing that counts.
The more complex the rules the harder the compliance. That’s why simple guidelines work. 6 days per week, one day off (optional). This makes the challenge SUSTAINABLE and allows people to feel comfortable continuing with their own maintenance program after (which may stay at the same frequency or not).
Restricting the number of doubles was something we had to do because there are those who will not carry out their commitment because they have the backstop of the double class option. That ‘backstop’ stopped them coming to class when they should have because it provided them a kind of excuse not to come. It’s 6 daily classes a week, not 3 doubles per week (which seems to defeat the whole purpose).
Does your studio provide in their (complex) guidelines a day off or not? Interested to know.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: tendonitis #6230Hi Megan and brew
Brew thanks for your story. I agree that this will also help for you Megan. It seems that the habitual bending of your arm and associated use could be part of the cause. Your guitar playing probably highlighted the problem too because of a similar pattern of usage.
There are things you can do to try and reverse this. Locust pose as brew suggests is one of those poses that will help. What you can do from time to time during the day is to stretch out that arm. Place your palm against a wall (fingers in line with shoulder and arm) straighten your arm and turn your body away from the wall. Another exercise is to interlock fingers behind your back and lift your arms (and turning your hands out as well).
A final point about locust. It may be very difficult to get your arms right under your body right now. So if that is the case line them up next to your body. Test where you can place them. Avoid excruciating and debilitating pain but even if you can’t lift your leg or legs, at first lie with them at a distance that YOU can manage whether right next to your torso or just a little under your body.
Try not to avoid that pose. This slight modification will help you. As you make progress you will be able to bring the arms closer and closer. Be careful to try to spread your shoulders outward and not draw them centrally!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: YogaBody supplement really works #6229Hi folks
I take 3 Yoga Body caps twice a day too! Even on days when I don’t do yoga. I like the idea that it provides the right green stuff and helps support the alkaline conditions that I am promoting in my diet and body!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: How much does everyone sweat? #6228Hi Bonnie
And bravo to them for changing. It makes no difference to the yoga if you are facing one way or the other. What matters is that it is a practical, sensible repositioning that minimizes problems for people’s health and wellbeing (with regard to slipping, safety, microbial concerns and so on).
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂PS I commented about an option for those who can’t change direction for whatever reason on your new thread Does your studio get you to straddle your mat or turn and stay on your mat?
Hi Bonnie
I am interested to see the contributions of others here. It is certainly logical and practical to turn for those 3 poses. It obviously helps if there are mirrors on 2 walls.
I am sure I have mentioned this elsewhere on the forum… but here goes…Space and mirror constraints can determine whether people take the option to turn to the side for these 3 poses.
Our first public studio was at home and our home started smelling of sweat straight away. So we placed the towels across the mat in a ‘T’. This had immediate good effect.
This works well (if you only face one mirrored wall) because:
>> the towels get washed and it minimizes the sweat on the floor regardless of floor type.
>> If it’s a smooth floor (no carpet) then it minimizes the risk of slippage and if it’s a carpeted floor it minimizes slippage, the stink and the likelihood of creating a breeding environment for microbes (yuck!).
>> There’s no mucking around (distractions are minimized) because you place your towel like that before class and then realign it along the mat after you have finished the standing poses.We actually did choose an indoor outdoor carpet that is fully washable. And with the towel across the mats the only reason the room smelled was sweat in the air not emanating from the floor! All the studio needed was a good airing.
In my next studio I will explore other options like rubber matting etc but I hope this gives an option to those who can’t change anything right now.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: I am quite overweight and doing hot yoga #6219Hello bikrambride
I believe that you can lose a lot of SHAPE by doing this yoga. I know that you are very likely to build lean muscle mass. Comparing similar volumes of fat and muscle you already know that muscle weighs more than fat so can you expect to lose 25 pounds of weight? Maybe not.
BUT with:
>> A schedule of 5-6 classes per week (making 5 minimum your aim)
>> A strong belief that you can do it
>> Letting go of the firm expectation that it will happen in a predictable way
>> A focus on good food consumption (my favored system is food combining) plus ensuring that more than half the food you eat is raw
>> A reasonable amount of time to achieve your goals
>> Commitment without compromise …I think that you can CREATE the SHAPE that you want doing Bikram yoga alone.
You didn’t give us a time frame btw. I think that with 5+ classes per week you could really burn yourself out IF YOU ADD other types of exercise. Everyone wants to look great at their wedding. Don’t overdo it. If you add in other forms of exercise then make sure it is reasonable. 5 classes plus a leisurely walk is good. 5 classes plus 3 weight training sessions for example, is something I would caution against unless you are an exercise junkie.
And please stop counting calories. Getting stuck on the numbers on your counter and your scales is really so un-yoga! 😆 Have the goal, work toward it by enjoying the journey. Let go of the obsession of checking whether you worked hard enough. In my experience people don’t see changes on a day to day level. But they may see changes sneak up on them. They often report feeling despondent looking in the mirror and thinking “I’ve been going to class 15 times in the last 3 weeks and nothing’s happening”. Then next week they look in the mirror and see a massive change that seems to have simply materialized.
So… be happy that you are there every day. Say supportive things to yourself every time you look in the mirror (in and out of class (like “I’m feeling and looking better and better” or to borrow wabbit’s word “Look at me! I deserve to shine. Where can I go now?” or anything that seems to work for you).
Make your commitment SUSTAINABLE, take rest when you need to and enjoy yourself. Enjoy noticing how much better you feel and that will support your beliefs about your efforts. Oh, and throw away your scales and your monitor (at least hand them over to a friend or neighbor for the moment so they don’t tempt you to keep second guessing yourself).
Please keep us posted
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Hot Yoga for toning?? #6214Hello Gina
Congratulations!
You have plenty of time to tone your body! How many times per week can you manage? 30 day challenges are fine but you really just want consistent effort over the time. I would suggest minimum 4 times per week, and try for 5. Wabbit suggests a routine for you. So now it’s decision time for you! Whether to include weights and at what frequency. The hot yoga is cardio enough!
Have fun
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Keeping Wrists straight? #6204Hi Cyberry
Yes please, do send me the pics. You have my email address…
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: when kicking out – can't reach my feet!!! #6203Hi Gina
It could be an issue with your grip and the way you are moving into your “L” position. Sometimes this problem is reflected in trying to muscle your leg into position with your arms. Is there any chance this is happening?
Here are a couple of scenarios that you may fit into. If you don’t perhaps you could use them to help you further describe your experience:
You see if your arms really are too short and you are doing this part of the pose correctly then your leg would be bent a little and your arms would be outstretched relaxed and your heel at hip height. On the other hand you could be struggling with your leg out in front of you straight, perhaps with leg angled downward, as you feel compelled to fall forward.
In the first suggested scenario, you would still feel good in this pose. So if there’s any struggle then you may need to modify your approach.
I would love to hear a little more detail.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂 -
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