From the Hot Room to the Bedroom …

By P.J. Stuart

Va-va voom!

Nothing fuels your body quite like Bikram Yoga does. Know what I mean?

It’s no urban legend or old wives’ tale.  If you’ve been practicing for a while – you already know it, first hand.  Your whole system is working better. You love it … and so does your mate. Yeah … I see that smile.

“Whatever are you talking about, PJ?” you ask, innocently.  (Mm-hmm).

I’m talking about all that nitric oxide coursing through your veins, of course.

Ahem.  When this powerful gas molecule is released into your bloodstream, it relaxes the blood vessels, expands the capillaries and increases circulation. (See where I’m going?  Gentlemen, start your engines.)

Fortunately, for those of us who practice Bikram Yoga, there is ample opportunity to produce nitric oxide during class.  Going through the 26 postures of the Bikram series, we activate muscles in every part of the body. As with any type of exercise, those muscles demand oxygen, supplied by the blood.  In order to send blood to those areas more easily, when the need arises, nitric oxide is then released from the lining of the arteries.  Presto.

Some scientists call nitric oxide “the hero of human biology.” By dilating the artery walls, it enables blood to travel faster through the body.  One popular metaphor physicians may use is that of a fire hose.  As water rushes through it to put out a fire – the hose needs to expand enough to handle the pressure, still keeping enough force to put out the fire.

Thank you, nitric oxide, for treating our circulatory system the same way!

You can imagine – during a 90-minute Bikram class, as we send blood to all areas of the body, we produce a lot of nitric oxide.  This is what makes Savasana so delicious and restorative.  And in the bedroom, it’s what …  Well, you know the rest.  I won’t use adjectives there, but they’re good ones too.

I don’t want to get in any trouble with the pharmaceutical geniuses who decided to put the power of nitric oxide into a pill … but … wouldn’t you rather get your dose of Viagra the natural way?  Avoid the need for it all together?

That’s right … see you in class!

Living the Life I Still Had Inside of Me All Along!

Sam was born with Congenital Spinal Stenosis - a narrow spinal canal sometimes resulting in unusual pressure on spinal nerve roots usually resulting in painful symptoms. Over the years calcium has built up around his spine (arthritis) and made the narrowing even worse. In October of 2010 he began practicing at Bikram Yoga Paradise Valley, a few months before having his first spinal surgery to open the L4/5 pathway to ease its restriction of the spinal cord. He continued to do Bikram Yoga (BY) during rehab and another surgery was scheduled for June to open his L3/4 pathway further down the spine.

“The doctor actually turned me away on the day of the second surgery and told me, ‘whatever you have been doing keep it up, it's working to change your spine, at this point there is no need of further operations’.” Within just eight months of practicing Bikram Yoga, Sam’s second spine surgery was called off!

Along with radically improving his spine, Sam has lost over 50 pounds and eight inches on his waist, stopped all medications, and his cholesterol is now under 170 (it was over 240). Before practicing BY Sam says he sat around, watched tv, and ate. He hadn’t made time to do anything for his physical health for years. Now Sam says, “I feel as if I am in the best overall shape of my life. I can walk. I just started to run again. And I hike the mountain preserves as long as I want to! I feel taller somehow. I have more self-confidence in all I do. And it all seems to keep on getting better.”

On the topic of getting better, Sam is working hard on his Standing Bow Pose. “I have used it to compete with myself. Hold it now, no matter what, work on my form, look at myself in the mirror. Looking in the mirror for 90 minutes during class helps me to remember I am NOT 25 anymore. I see my Dad at almost 60. But in my mind I am still 25. The more classes I do, the harder I work at it, the better I feel and look. I eat better throughout the day knowing I have to come in and look at myself. I now understand I can always improve on everything.”

His wife, Shirley, and daughter, Megan, all go to Bikram Yoga now. “We love coming here and practicing together three plus times a week. Thanks for showing me another life I still had inside of me all along.”

My Life as an Onion

Journey through Bikram Yoga By Karen Carnow

I have spent many years as a Vinyasa yogini, but due to injuries, my practice needed a change.  My friend, Amy, asked me to join her at Bikram, and I did; sporting a very negative attitude.  That particular class did not make me very happy.  The heat was gross, people were wearing bizarre outfits, the poses were boring, I wanted to leave early.  Where was the music, and the flow, and people doing cosmic headstands and arm balances?  What was this? And the worst part, the instructor wanted me to look in the mirror.  She must have been  kidding; for I had not really looked into a mirror in years.  All the yoga I had done previously,  was in a very dark room, preferably with my eyes closed.

But, understanding that I needed yoga in my life, I decided to go again the next day.  I hated that day even more. So hot, so uncomfortable, and no; I am not looking in the mirror.  As that morning wore on, I was amazed at how good I actually felt.  This could be an interesting concept; yoga without pain and competition.   “Fine,” I said to myself agreeing to give Bikram one more chance.

On this third day, an epiphany hit me. I decided  as I “glanced” up, that perhaps the reason I don’t want to look at myself was something very deep and very repressed.  So in final Savasana, I became an “Onion" determined to peel away some of my layers, to find some inner core.

The first layer I needed to attack was my night food binges.  Maybe if I curbed that, I could wake up feeling lighter and less angry. Done.  Layer magically peeled.

The second layer was to change my eating habits, and to replace bad carbohydrates with good ones.  Oh, snickers…how you will be missed.  Layer peeling.

The third layer would be the toughest and would be a work in progress; liking myself  again. Being patient with myself, and knowing that at 56 years old I am doing “pretty darn great.”

I am proud to tell you that I have been doing Bikram almost every day for 8 weeks, and I stopped my abusive food habits. The evolution has been transforming and my onion skins are really starting  to peel away. I am finding self acceptance, and a desire to peel away more layers to find the core with in.

I am amazed that the teachers all guide with a  scripted instruction; and how uniquely different they all are.  Sometimes, I feel like a pretzel, sometimes superman, and sometimes a tin man; it's always different.  Every day. Every instructor.   But, I am finding,  that it is all good.  And that I want more.  And to feel more.  And to peel more.

My goal is to stand in front, wear a cute skimpy outfit, and look in the mirror.  Really look.  And then, I will finally be at the base of my onion.

Call to Action

 By H. J. Klingman Most of us do more to care for our automobiles than our bodies.  Would you put sugar in your gas tank? Of course not! But we’ll put sugar in our body’s “tank” day in and day out, though it can not process it as effectively as other fuels. Would you drive for miles on a flat tire and let your wheel rim grind into the ground? NO! But we'll let a persistent pain or injury in the body go untreated for years before taking action?

Taking action to participate in maintaining our health is not a luxury or a burden; it is our duty, a call to action, our Karma Yoga. Karma yoga is our duty to care for our bodies and our health. Bikram reminds us constantly of the importance of caring for YOUR LIFE. Nobody else can take care of your life for you, it is your own effort required to fulfill this aspect of your Karma Yoga.

The word “Karma” translates literally to “action”.  When we begin to practice the physical, or “Hatha” yoga, we are taking action by caring for our bodies, fulfilling our Karma by doing our duty. Taking action to keep your body and mind healthy and functioning, allows you to perform the other kinds of yoga in your life.  Both actions and the results of those actions are Karma. According to Bikram , “Karma Yoga is number one; nothing is more important in your life, in my life or in this world than fulfilling your duty. This is what maintains balance and harmony in the universe.”

By practicing Hatha Yoga (the physical aspect of yoga) and Raja Yoga (the mental aspect of yoga), we prepare the body for Karma Yoga.  When we practice Hatha Yoga we can discover where our Karma lies, and how to carry out our life’s mission. So, if ever you are feeling lost or without direction, all you need to do is roll out your yoga mat and begin practicing Asana (postures) and Pranayama (breath control). When you care for your mind and body your mission will come to you. Through patience, practice, and persistence you can begin to perform your Karma Yoga and fulfill your life’s mission one posture at a time.

Ditching Your ‘Yoga Drama’

By P.J. Stuart

It’s not what you think. But it’s real. And it’s hurting you.

No, this is not Junior High School, and there are no stories after class about who-pushed-whom out of Standing Bow pose. There’s no gossip in the locker room over how poorly someone dressed for class that day; and we’re more than likely to thank the teachers who “picked on us” during class rather than harbor grudges toward them afterwards.

This is a different kind of drama.

The 90 minutes we spend sweating through 26 postures, time after time, can be grueling. Physically as well as mentally, we are pushed to our limits and learn to operate well outside our comfort zone. Some days, the heat and the intensity are so taxing we can hardly bear it. We think we might rather die than persevere.   And yet, in bona fide test of character, we go on.

Here’s where the Yoga Drama kicks in.

For me, on an especially dehydrated or overly-tired kind of day, it usually hits me right around the time of Poorna-Salabhasana (aka Full Locust Pose – “the 747 taking off”).  Substitute whichever posture you prefer, the internal dialogue leading up to Yoga Drama usually goes a little something like this:

Oh no. Not this one. I hate this one. Shouldn’t class be over by now?  Seriously it’s awful today. The room is like 1,000 degrees hotter than usual. I don’t think I can do it. Maybe I should just keep my head on the floor and sit this one out. Ugh. Here goes nothing. Hands up. Legs up. Higher. Higher. Seriously?? Are you #%@& kidding me?? How long are they forcing me to hold this one today. I can’t breathe … this hurts … I’m dying!

And then it happens.  As you release yourself from the posture, it comes out …

“UGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH………..sigggggggggggghhhhhhhh…………”

The loudest, most deflating sound effect a human can make as they exhale. That’s Yoga Drama.

Maybe sometimes we have the desire to surrender to our own struggles. Or sometimes, we’re just so desperate to let others know we are suffering. Maybe we want the teacher to hear it, as if to say, “Hey! Quit pushing me so hard.”

How it Hurts:

Fair enough.  But Yoga Drama creates a real handicap, not only for you but also for your fellow yogi classmates and the overall energy of the room.

By affirming your inner pain and discomfort in such an extroverted manner, you are giving power to the nasty voices inside your head that say “I can’t.” It pushes you further away from your own strength.  Underlining your discomfort in such a fashion makes it more tangible, adding negative momentum to what is already a punishing battle of the spirit.

Furthermore, once your inner pain is externalized, it moves into the space between you and your neighbors. It serves as an audible reminder to everyone near you of how tough this practice really gets.  Anyone else struggling to keep up may be susceptible to your moans and decide to start commiserating with you.  Suddenly, the whole class is in rough shape.  (Ok - now I’m being dramatic, I know).

“My biggest concern when I hear the gasps is that it signals the student is probably holding their breath,” says BYPV teacher Mark Trinitapoli.

How to Let it Go:

Just as negative emotion is contagious, so is positive emotion.

1.  Look around you at the amazing will power of those you share the room with. People of all ages and backgrounds are sweating through the yoga with you, enduring their own inner battles of mind over matter. Let them serve as an inspiration to propel you forward with greater strength. Together we thrive.
2.  Give yourself credit for being in the room and don’t be upset or discouraged.  Fight the good fight. Take rest where you need to.
3. Remember, the pain and discomforts you experience are temporary, fleeting feelings. Best of all, they can be vanquished with the simple power of your own deep, steady breathing. (As in Bikram Yoga, as in life itself!)

From one “Yoga Drama victim” to another,

Namaste my friends!