Can Anything Steal Your Peace?

By Nicole Deacon

“If anyone can make you angry, upset, take your peace away from you, you are the loser.”  -- Bikram Choudhury

What Bikram?  Come again?  If someone else does something that makes me angry or upset aren’t THEY the jerk?  What do you mean I am the loser?

We cannot control what other people do, say, and feel; but we can control what we do, say, and feel.  When someone does something that makes us upset, it is easy to blame them and easy to think that if they would just do what we want that we would be happy.  There is a great saying, “Resentment is like drinking poison hoping the other person is going to die.”  This is what Bikram is saying.  When we have negative feelings towards someone else, whether they deserve it or not, it is not them that suffers, it is us.  When someone cuts you off in traffic and you get mad… they may never know it… it doesn’t really affect them, but it does affect you.  You could be having the best day of your life, someone cuts you off in traffic or says something mean to you, and then you are having the worst day.

One of the most important lessons I have learned from Bikram is to “let nothing steal your peace away from you.”  That’s one of the reasons this yoga is so great.  You are in a HOT room, with florescent lights, smelly carpet, looking at your imperfect reflection in the mirror, a teacher with a microphone is yelling at you to do more, your mind yelling at you to quit, the person next to you is driving you crazy, and then what…. you find a way to breathe in the chaos.  Despite everything going on around you, you let none of it take away your peace of mind.  It starts in the yoga room for 90 minutes at a time, but then before you know it…. You’re more patient in traffic, kinder to your kids; little things don’t set you off as easily.  Little by little the yoga starts to make its way into your everyday life.

One of my favorite stories is about a mom who had taken a few months break from the yoga.  When she walked in the door after being gone, she looked up at us with this sad face and said, “My kids sent me back to yoga.  They said I was a better mom- more patient, less moody.”

During the Holiday season I find the yoga to be more important than ever.  With added stress and added time with family it is a good test to see…. Can anything or anyone steal my peace?  When I’m not doing class regularly, my answer is YES, so I make it a point to go to yoga.  When I’m done with yoga I feel stronger, more centered, more stable, more peaceful.

Happy Holidays.  May nothing steal your peace away.

Yoga for “Type A” Personalities

By P.J. Stuart

Before I started my Bikram Yoga practice, I’d heard it described many ways. It was called everything from a torture chamber, to a grueling workout, to a smelly room.

“There’s ‘om’ yoga, and then there’s ‘ohmigod’ yoga … this is ‘ohmigod’ yoga,” someone explained; and it didn’t take me long to find out why this was true.

But what resounded most clearly with me was when BYPV’s Nicole Deacon said during a class that this yoga tends to attract a lot of type-A personalities – ambitious, achievement-oriented people who aren’t afraid of rising to a challenge in the name of self-improvement.

It makes sense to me – Bikram’s series of ever-intensifying commands (“Go back! Waaaay back! Fall back!”), the sweltering heat, the 90-minutes of heart-pumping challenges – how could any health-focused, type-A personality truly stay away?

Interestingly enough, this works out quite well for more reasons than you might think.  It turns out, Bikram Yoga and type-A personalities really are a perfect match.  And not just in the way that peanut butter and jelly go well together.  For those of us who are a little higher strung, it might also be just what the doctor ordered.

The phrase “Type A personality,” and its corresponding psychological diagnosis, was coined by two cardiologists in the 1950s -- Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman. They conducted an 8.5 year study in which they determined this personality type carried double the risk of contracting coronary disease in otherwise healthy individuals.

What better designed self-defense system could there be?  Like flies to the light, the Bikram Yoga series draws the type-A personalities in to the torture chamber to quench their desire for ambition; then, systematically eradicates the very risk they are prone to by their sheer nature. (Think: flushing the arteries in balancing stick pose or marrying the heart-and-lungs in triangle pose).

It’s either genius or serendipity that it’s designed this way, I’m not sure which. Bravo, Bikram, bravo.

More recently, scientists have refined Friedman and Rosenman’s theories, stating only certain attributes of type-A personalities create the risk for poor cardiovascular health. Namely:  impatience, workahol-ism, and the stress derived from constant exposure to a competitive lifestyle.  A little pranayama breathing and some time spent in savasana is probably good for that too.

As a personal observation -- If you are prone to the type-A personality’s constant “need-to-succeed,” Bikram might keep your ego in check, as well.  There’s no better way of keeping us humble than a standing head-to-knee you just haven’t figured out yet, or a triangle pose that makes it hard for you to win …

And that’s why we never give up!

Enjoy the Moment

Imagine practicing Bikam Yoga for a decade! Well our November students of the month have done just that! Neeta and Bharat have been practicing for 11 and 10 years, respectively. Neeta started at the urging of friend who told her about BYPV and within a year Bharat was practicing as well. Having suffered from significant neck pain and generalized arthritic pain for years, Neeta says Bikram Yoga has really helped to lessen these ailments and improve her physical well-being.

Bharat, who was already very active and healthy prior to practicing, (gym, weight training, cardio, personal trainer, sauna steam room, hiking, 5 and 10k runs) says that he has stuck with just the yoga for the past 10 years, never looking back on all of the other exercises he used to do. He says, "That tells you how much I like this and how many benefits I have experienced from yoga". His weight is under his control, HDL went up from 39 to 59, all numbers were good on his recent physical, he feels good, sleeps well, performs actively, and has no tiredness.

As Bharat talks about the yoga, he states, "Yoga has been an ancient Indian method of keeping ones mind and body in harmony. It has been practiced over 5000 years. There are many different types of yoga and all help, but Bikram has formatted this ancient yoga in such a scientific way so that it can be easily applied in today's busy life and yet still get all of the benefits of yoga."

Neeta's advice to new students is to "keep coming to class and continue your practice! That is the key to gaining the most benefits from Bikram Yoga." Bharat advises, "Be fortunate to have discovered Bikram Yoga in America which was only kept to the East. Be patient, and continue the practice at your own level and all the benefits are just the bi-products as your mind and body become harmonious. Be peaceful, be in the present, and enjoy the moment."

Appetite for Yoga

By Rachel Payne

When I was first asked to write about yoga and nutrition for our BYPV blog, my first reaction was that of resistance.

Why, you may ask?  After all, that is what I am going to school for.   To honestly answer that question, I don’t know why I resisted.  Maybe because I am always bogged down with essays, and research papers and the thought of having to write ONE MORE THING purely nauseated me and sent me into a child-like rebellion (and straight to the kitchen).  Or perhaps it was because when it comes to nutrition and fitness, there are so many variables, and one size does not fit all, so I felt like it was going to take a lot of preparation on my part and that was stressing me out. Or maybe it is my ever increasing senior-itis, and I just don’t want to do it.  Whatever the reason, it’s insignificant. Ultimately I wanted to deliver something personal, and authentic.  I wanted to talk to you about a subject that I have a passion for, a topic that many can relate to, something that keeps me up late at night reading and meditating upon….something that is me and that is potentially you too.  After a lot of prayer and meditation, I felt led to guide you through this mini journey of my life….my yoga and my nutrition…but with a much different twist. If I reach but one of you, my mission is accomplished...deep breath...are you ready?  Or a more appropriate question, am I ready?

From as far back as I can remember I have had a poor relationship with food.  Through all the tragedies and circumstances this life has handed me, food was my comfort.  It never talked back, it never disrespected me, it never judged me, it never abused me, it was always there; it flooded my brain with all the feel-good chemicals that I needed in order to temporarily ease the pain of the moment.  And now as a 30 year old adult, my relationship with food is still poor.  It is a vicious cycle, stressful emotions lead me straight to the kitchen, followed by remorse and guilt, which then sends me back into the kitchen.  Many variables play into this aspect of my life.  It is not just one thing that keeps me a slave to the cookies, cake, pudding, and ice cream.  But the bottom line is, it is an addiction.  But unlike the addictions of sex, drugs, alcohol, gambling, exercise, (insert yours here), food cannot be taken away.  We need it to survive.   Thus continues my struggle to overcome, or mend my relationship with food.  I feel like my own prisoner sometimes, trapped in this body that I cannot seem to maintain.  I bust my tail in the gym 5-6 days per week, I do yoga, I eat clean, I hydrate, and I rarely-to-never eat out.  Yet I cannot maintain any amount of weight I lose on a permanent basis.  As a Dietitian to-be, and nutrition professional, this is a constant struggle.  I want to live authentically, practice what I preach.  Every day I battle this addiction.  Every day I am faced with emotions that are hard to handle, not to mention the ever expanding waist line due to my frequent binges.  I have always been one who tries to practice what I preach.  And it is ever imperative that I lead a lifestyle in which my future clients will look up to and respect.

This struggle and reality is what led me to yoga.  Every day I face myself in that mirror.  It doesn’t matter how far away I am from the mirror, from the front row to the back row, I cannot hide.  That mirror is MY accountability. Looking, loving, and accepting myself is the hardest feat.  To accept today, the now, and THIS body is all my body wants.  My 90 minute moving mediation is my “cure”.  Every day when I am faced with difficult emotions that unconsciously send me straight to the kitchen, I stop and breathe.  What would happen if in that moment I put into practice all the discipline and focus I demonstrate on that yoga mat?  What if I allow the emotions to arise, watch them as a spectator without judgment, just as we are instructed to do in our daily yoga practice?  Imagine, most of our suffering comes from resisting what is already there, particularly our feelings.  All any feeling wants is to be welcomed, touched, allowed. It wants attention. It wants kindness. If we treated our feelings with as much love as we treat our dog or our cat or our child, we'd feel as if we were living in heaven every day of our sweet life.  This is what my yoga has taught me.  Have I mastered this? Absolutely not.  Every single day I start over.  Some days are better than others, but what I do know is that I always have my yoga.  It calms me, teaches me, encourages me, and keeps me in that space of gratitude.  All our bodies want is love and acceptance, and from that space, we are overcomers and conquerors.  There will always be problems, so many problems, but if we stay grounded in our own presence, in our own “alrightness”, we can deal with them from a clear space that our yoga practice creates within us.  The more and more we love and accept ourselves exactly the way we are, the better and better we will get at EVERYTHING.  Such self-acceptance creates emotional freedom which inspires all of us to grow to our fullest potential.

Thank you for allowing me to share this with you. You all motivate, encourage and inspire me.  I am grateful.  I look forward to sharing with you again, perhaps next time on a more educational note about yoga and nutrition.

Sucking It In To Move Forward

 By Constance Bradley

“Suck it in, Constance!”

If you have practiced in the same class with me, you have probably heard the teacher give me this correction.  Being told to “suck it in” is a frequent correction for me; I hear these words several times in each class.  Before you feel sorry for me, or think that the teacher is picking on me, you should know that I ask every teacher to remind me to “suck it in.”

You see, sucking in my stomach is one of the most difficult parts of class for me.  I find most other parts of class to be somewhat effortless.  Balancing on one leg? No worries.  Backward bending? I’m all over that one.  Sucking in my stomach?  That presents a whole new challenge for me.  “Suck it in,” the teacher tells me; sweat drips down my face, and I engage my core.  “Suck it in,” she tells me again, as I realize I have let my stomach creep outward.  Is it possible for me to find some inner meaning in all of this?  I rationalize anything challenging in class as a yoga gift, and I’m eager to open new presents.   This is why I ask teachers to remind me of my challenge during class.  As for inner meaning, the only thing I can figure is that I have to engage more of my core to properly complete the postures.

As a teacher, I fully realize that engaging more of my core is a technique that will pay dividends in the postures.  I have come to the point in my practice where I realize that proper technique and good alignment are critical to success in the postures.  One of the great masters of technique, Pablo Picasso, wrote, “The more technique you have the less you have to worry about it. The more technique there is, the less there is. ”  This idea resonates for me – I know that when proper technique is mastered, everything else will fall into place naturally.  I want to cultivate a lifelong yoga practice based on precise technique such that I am able to receive all the benefits of the yoga for many years to come.

However -- I will be blatantly honest here-- sucking it in is my own personal torture.  It’s uncomfortable; a technique that does not feel natural to me.  I admit that when I’m having a particularly difficult class, it is tempting to be dismayed when I hear this correction.   It is easy to feel discouraged; sometimes I wonder if I will ever succeed in having this be an effortless part of my practice.

“Suck it in,” the teacher says; sweat drips down my face, and I engage my core.  “Suck it in!” the teacher tells me 30 seconds later.  Once more I engage my core, my body weight shifts, and just like that, I’m deeper into the posture than ever before!  Suddenly, I find more meaning in these words.

Each time I suck it in, I am cultivating habits of proper technique and mindfulness in my practice.  As a student of philosophy, I often think of Aristotle’s central teachings in Nichomachean Ethics,   this notion nicely.  “We are what we repeatedly do,” Aristotle claims, “excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”  It’s not difficult for me to see where I have worked to develop other good habits in class, such as stillness in savasana or moderating water consumption.  Through repeated action, I am striving for excellence in my practice; each time I suck it in, I foster good technique and mindfulness despite physical discomfort and emotional travail.

Suck it in. 

Sometimes, it’s what you have to do to get where you want to go.