Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)

Hi Jane and Barky!!!

It is hard to say what the needs are of the people running the studio Jane goes to. Perhaps they have very low expectations of what people are capable of. I don’t suggest that yoga is the place to test your students to ridiculous levels. It is great to discover more of your limitless potential in a humble yoga studio. But clearly by your account, the needs of the students who are in the room, are not being met and not even when you go and tell them what your concerns are.

One thing that you can’t really do is do your own thing in this situation. If the teachers are teaching a class and they give a 20 second savasana and you want to start the next pose, then it would potentially bring up all sorts of issues – spoken and unspoken – for just about everyone in the room.

>> Despite the fact that your needs are not being met, there is a basic premise when you go to class that the teacher will call the shots as to the timing and your job is to listen and respond.

>> One of the primary concerns would be not being able to surrender to the instruction and therefore there would be SO much self-talk. If it were me I would consider it to be untenable. I am sure that it would be very hard to approach your practice with equanimity, ignoring the will of your teacher to approach your practice their way. Not to mention the issues of disrespect that would possibly enter your mind and that of others. Frankly I don’t think you should do it. Approaching poses in a way that is tweaked to give you better benefit because the instruction given is inadequate or potentially dangerous is a completely different matter. I think most people will know where I stand on that!

As for the newtimers not having their needs met – they really don’t know what they don’t know. Their first experience is guiding them to expect something similar. What a shame that they really don’t know what they’re missing.

What I can say is that one of the great things about a properly timed hot yoga class (and yes, even great classes vary in timing depending on the tempo, vibe, energy levels or abilities in the class) is that they are ANYTHING BUT BORING. One of the reasons that this yoga works is because there is something to do almost all the time. When the breaks are too long then the mind will most likely be distracted and start to think too much. Our minds are so busy that a slow class actually creates the exact opposite effect to the one I think your teachers are trying to avoid – boredom and restlessness, REDUCED ability to meditate.

When you use your body your mind has less time to think. You would probably be aware that it is in your times of stillness in the body that your mind can be most active. This is why Savasana can be your hardest pose. It is different if you have an active class and you have savasanas in between to recover and rest. But if your whole class seems like one big savasana then you may as well go to a Raja yoga class (meditation class). Hot yoga is a beautiful blend of physical exertion and mind cleansing to create a wonderful meditation. I am so sad for you that you can’t get what you want.

It sounds to me Jane as if you have already approached your teachers to no avail. Have you got no ally on the teaching staff that you can maybe be curious in your questioning about why as a group they choose to time it the way they do? Perhaps your curiosity with them will open up the way to understanding and create a dialog so eventually your wants and needs can then be heard and understood. Maybe the first port of call is not to complain but to seek to understand them!

Perhaps after you hear them out (because everyone wants to be heard 😉 ) you can ask them what they would do if they were you. Paint the picture and use the word ‘you’ with the aim of putting them in your shoes for a minute. If you get a self-serving answer after you have done your level best to stay curious and keep your emotions out of it then … well maybe that studio is not the place for you.

If you can’t get what you want and need then perhaps you are left with ‘voting with your feet’. But if you have that conversation based on curiosity about THEM first then maybe you have a chance. Even if that chance is to tell them that you won’t be attending any more if things don’t change.

Does it sound like something you can do? Try a different approach and see it from their point of view? What do you think?

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Never fear yogafan

We are only talking about people who have a wiry or athletic shape that don’t want to lose any more shape!!! The important thing is that one loses from a larger shape, and/or replaces fat with muscle (which is heavier than fat).

How are you finding your progress in your desired areas?

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi marblebomb

It is true that you can get wonderful cardiac benefits from doing this yoga. I can’t advise you on whether you should do the yoga. Only you can decide given what you know and discover balanced by the advice of your naturopath and your cardiologist.

It may be worth ‘sending’ your cardiologist to some testimonials of people who have (had) heart conditions. There are plenty on Bikram’s own website and I am sure you will find some on the forum but the former is a great place to start. You can also try doing a Google search on “congenital heart defect bikram (or hot) yoga”

You can tell them that cardiac output (CO) does improve. Blood pressure tends to stabilize. When they say that being in the heat lowers blood pressure, does that mean that they believe that it lowers BP dangerously or that it lowers it to normal levels? Would that make a difference to their thinking? Having a heart that beats more effectively is usually the result along with improved peripheral circulation.

Try presenting those facts and give the website details. The main thing is that there is a good level of education and information so you can be advised with the best information at hand. Many times there is misinformation because as you know, not everyone has done yoga, least of all hot yoga! 😉

Ultimately it is up to you to make up your mind. Hope that helps you.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Mark

There are questions of technique that may be relevant to you in this case. May I ask you if you have put piriformis in the search facility up the top right to search for some techniques to confirm if you are already doing your poses in the best way to avoid worsening your situation and make it better?

Please get back to me and let me know how else I may help you.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Carole

I have had students in my studio with the same query. Only one of them ever had to supplement their diet – but she was NOT an athlete – and it was temporary. I guess it is for you to try the yoga and monitor your shape (not necessarily your mass (what it says on the scales 😉 )- commonly talked about as weight). I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Come back and tell us what happens to you. And if you need help we are here for you. However I am sure that there are thousands of triathletes and marathon runners who go to hot yoga studios around the world who use this yoga to supplement their training with excellent results.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Rebecca

Thank you for your thoughts.

I am no longer even slightly inclined to believe “no pain, no gain.” The overarching direction in recuperative exercises is, “If it hurts, stop.” Some people think hurting means they are extra alive, or extra strong, or extra determined, or will live extra long. The truth may be that hurting may be … hurting you, perhaps forever. Please be careful.

May I just put in here that there are studios or teachers that DO go along with the “no pain, no gain” theory. I must point out that if that was your experience in the studio you chose to go to then I am sorry that you were not guided into a great practice with solid instruction. It is unfortunate that some actually recite certain phrases like “go back til it hurts”. I am not alone when I say that this is wrong.

Any good instructor would never, ever tell you to “go back until it hurts”. There is a difference between eliciting a pain response and taking your body to a point of resistance where, when the correct techniques are applied that it creates opening and encourages strength building.

You are right when you say “if it hurts, stop”. Pain is subjective of course and we all have what is commonly referred to as our ‘edge’.

As for the yoga actually causing your disc problems I guess you can never really be sure. I have read that a huge majority of people have herniation of discs that are completely asymptomatic for many years and cause no problems at all. You would be lucky to be even guess what was the root cause of a longstanding condition?

I truly wish you well on your journey toward recovery. I am pretty confident that in the hands of a good instructor (in whatever style) you would be feeling better and experiencing progress or at least in the past could have avoided getting into the serious predicament you find yourself in.

There is no ‘one size fits all’ philosophy, exercise or tool (unfortunately 😉 ). We all have to follow our own path and be happy with our choices too.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Andrew

I remember reading your post but was severely jet lagged at the time. Here I am back again (one month later and back from the trip – woops) to tell you that without seeing you in the pose my first response would be to keep working on the proper position of your shoulders and the decompression of your neck. In time you may find that you can find more ability to ‘lock’ out those arms. If activating your arms causes a problem with your shoulders and neck region I would choose to avoid the problem first. Every so often you can engage your arms to see what progress you are able to make.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Janet and hi Ame

Thanks for that interchange. I certainly agree with the concept to “use struggle as your guide” – which is what I teach (using those words in fact). Sometimes our expectations of ourselves can be quite unrealistic. This particularly happens in the first period of practice when we are relatively new to hot yoga. As a result the idea of being mindful can fly out the window as achievement takes its place. Awareness of that is usually all it takes to make the learning.

As far as locust goes, usually what happens is with all the effort involved (mostly with the double leg lift and it could be because you are face down) that often the breath is held. Could this be the case with you? Also don’t be concerned with how far of the ground your legs are, just keep them straight and strong and long and then lift them even if it is just an inch or 2. Let us know what sounds right.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

PS after maybe 5-6 months of practice (so I wasn’t struggling or working too hard) I actually had to leave one class (and I NEVER leave class) because I was having palpitations and my heart wouldn’t slow down for about 40 minutes. I was a bit scared and lay out in the cool corridor til after the class finished. It never happened again. One of those strange anomalies with no explanation (was it physical? emotional? I will never know.

Hi Darin

Thanks for your question. I have one or 2 of my own. It is so great that you can manage your own healing without anything outside of yourself. That is such a relief really. As you say, you take yourself wherever you go!

When it comes to strengthening your knee I would really love to know what if any limitations you have to your movement in and out of your yoga classes now. I also imagine that you would have at least in the past have had some professional advice. Did you have any particular exercises you were asked to do back then that you still do now? How are you with weight bearing on that single leg? And then how are you with weight bearing on a single leg while you are bending it?

Looking forward to your response

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hello shely

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Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hello DaisyDream

You have come to the right place!!! I can tell you from personal experience that this yoga can transform your body. Depending on the frequency of practice you could largely reverse or fix your problem.

I am very excited for you that you have noticed such wonderful improvement in such a short time.

May I suggest you pop the term ‘scoliosis’ in the search box up the top because there is quite of lot of discussion elsewhere in the forum. Here is one discussion worth looking at: Scoliosis – difference between right and left increasing and this one: Scoliosis in neck and upper back.

In short I really recommend that in half moon you simply work on your best ever alignment every single time. Carry that through the entire class because depth is not as important as your form is especially when it comes to trying to even out your spinal curves! You will definitely find that one side is FAR easier than the other. I still find that my bend to the left side is more difficult. It does get easier if I get to practice many classes over a short time.

I am concerned about what you say about your Rabbit pose. It sounds as though you have a technique problem that needs to be dealt with. Would you please mind taking a look at the information for Rabbit? I guess we really need to assess what your neck/chin is doing, maybe your arms, or your legs or your feet. Any of these could be culprits (or more). Let me know if you hear any bells that ring when you read those posts. Rabbit should be a release for you. You may feel the ‘lump’ or twist in your back but you should feel those spasming muscles actually want to release and open up for you in this pose (and it feels wonderful). Your pain is indicative of the need for attention here. Let me know what you come up with.

I would actually do both sides of spinal twist. You do want to create movement in your vertebrae so that they more willingly shift when your body is ready!

Make an effort to lie on the floor in alignment. I know that it helped me to lift my head (from time to time and NOT all the time but enough to get my body and mind to ‘get’ what straight means) and see that where my heels touched together was at my midline. When you are on your stomach you can bend your legs and check your alignment (once again every once in a while). This will go part way to assisting your body to realign itself in the process.

I am sure you are on the way to realizing your dream of a straighter spine. Looking forward to hearing from you soon

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Ali

I was wondering if you can tell me how long you have been practicing and how frequently. This may give us some ideas to work with for both elbow and foot problems.

Sore elbows (particularly in locust) is quite a common issue with many practitioners especially towards the beginning of their practice.

Foot cramping can be happening because as you learn balance and hopefully good overall ankle/knee/hip alignment that you are actively using muscles through the center of your foot to keep your ankle (and your arch) from collapsing. Does it sound like this could be happening for you?

Get back to me with more information and we can work it through together.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂