Student Spotlight: Necco

Bikram Yoga AZ Student Spotlight: Necco “Good, better, best never let it rest until your good becomes better and your better becomes best.”

After a little over a year of practicing Bikram Yoga, Necco has had some tremendous results. My mind before the yoga was chaotic and always racing. I now live with purpose and intention. With prayer, Bikram yoga and changes to my diet I have lost over 80 pounds. She has not had to heal any physical injuries but has worked through emotional wounds that the yoga helped her to acknowledge, allowing her to heal and move on.

It wasn’t quite love at first sight for Necco with the yoga. “I came with a few of my co-worker's and loved the way I felt after the 2nd class. After the 1st class I questioned the friendship of the people that thought it was a good idea to bring me to such a place!” But after sticking with it, she has really experienced the benefits of a consistent Bikram Yoga practice. She advises new students, “Continue to come even when the voices in your head tells you not to. What's good for you is not always good to you!”

She took her own advice when it came to camel pose! Camel is now my favorite posture for many reasons. It took me months to even attempt the posture without feeling sick to my stomach. I meditated and realized that I had some un-resolved issues that needed to be dealt with and some un-spoken words that needed to be said. Once I took care of that business I was able to get into the posture with ease. I no longer dread camel but now use it as my emotional thermometer.

What Yoga Has Taught Me About Writing

By Chris Schmidt

For almost a year now, I’ve been an avid student of Bikram Yoga—a system of yoga that Bikram Choudhury developed from traditional hatha yoga techniques, including 26 postures and two breathing exercises in a room preset to 105 degrees and 40 percent humidity.  Four walls, a mat, a towel and my flawed reflection for 90 minutes of moving meditation.

Although Bikram’s studios are often referred to as torture chambers, the hot room has become my own restorative chamber of sorts.  Physically and mentally, it’s done more for me than any doctor I’ve seen or medication I’ve been prescribed to date. Both spiritually and emotionally, I’ve found a deeper level of peace.  And, practically, it’s taught me a few things about writing.

Here’s what I’ve learned so far:

• Show up.  This is the hardest part about writing.  If I do that, the rest is easy.
• Stay present in the room.  This is the second hardest part, in my opinion.  Every time I remain in the room when I’m uncomfortable—my humanness exposed—I’m training my mind to adapt to situations beyond my control.
• Focus on the breath.  When, not if, the fight-or-flight response kicks in, I try to remember to breathe in and breathe out.  Additionally, meditation—repeating a mantra or imagining my Someday beach home—helps me to avoid potentially missing out on that epiphany I’ve been waiting for.
• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.  Although it’s nothing new, the grass is greener where I water it.  It’s called research.  As the famous doctor (Seuss) once said: “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” —even if it’s simply on paper.
• No one can steal your peace.  Make your writing space conducive—to writing.
• Mind over the matter.  There’s no such thing as a true writer’s block.  Just saying.
• Remove expectations.  Each time I show up at my pad and paper or laptop, I’m a different person.  I may be surviving on little sleep, worried about a situation outside of my power or I’m in total rock-star, can’t-do-anything-wrong mode.  No matter who I am in the moment, I receive 100 percent benefit as long as I expend 100 percent effort.
• Eliminate excuses.  I’m responsible for my own writing.  I can’t blame other people or external circumstances for something completely within my control.
• Every day is a practice, not a perfect.  Realizing this simple truth eliminates the pressure to perform and allows me to push the edge, risk failing and try again.  And again.
• Eventually—Someday—I’ll achieve final expression.  For me, this means seeing my first novel in print.  And living the [writer’s] life I dream of.

The practice of Bikram Yoga is the only [physical] activity that can be improved upon as we age.  According to Bikram, “You’re never too old, never too bad, never too late and never too sick to start from scratch once again.”  In my book, this goes for writing, too.

Bikram also says that in life you only have to travel six inches—the distance [or journey] from your mind to your heart.  My definition of writing is a marriage between the heart and mind.  And despite where I am in my writing journey, it is a lifelong commitment that continues to grow stronger every time I show up, stay in the room and give it my all.

CHRIS SCHMIDT

Chris Maday Schmidt is an undergraduate from ASU with a BA in Literature, Writing & Film. She is co-founder and member of Scribes @ ASU, a creative writing club promoting the social, cultural and academic interests of students enrolled at Arizona State University. Chris works as an assistant at a magazine publishing firm in Scottsdale, Ariz., and is a former intern with Superstition Review and beauty editor for In With Skin magazine. She has also contributed articles and blogs to online and print publications, including Kalliope, Superstition Review, In With Skin and Construction Superintendent, and is currently experimenting with both fiction and non-fiction pieces while continuing to dream of Someday.

More Posts - Website

Student Spotlight: Sue

This month, Sue will celebrate her 3-year anniversary of practicing Bikram Yoga. In just 3 short years, Sue has taken over 1,050 classes! That's amazing!

Over the past year, she has been practicing every day, at different times during the week. "It is challenging, cleansing and healing", Sue says. She continues to workout, bike and keep active as she did before yoga. Now, she does all with less intensity yet more ease.

Bikram Yoga hooked me gradually, as it "worked for me and was a changing structure, it gave me purpose and inner joy."

"I no longer have as many minor aches and pains. My body heals from injuries quicker and cleanses itself from the inside out, flushing both mental and physical toxins more rapidly. While doing Bikram Yoga, I healed broken ribs and even did the series with a broken bone in my foot!"

Sue says asking her which posture is her favorite is not a fair question! "Camel heals the spine, thus everything else because as we all know, everything is connected to the spine. Throughout the day I break out into backbends, both mini ones and full ones. They instantly rejuvenate me!"

When Sue talks to new students about BY (even random people on the street, haha), "I froth at the mouth because it encompasses everything positive for your well-being. I tell people to just give it a try and then come back a few times, to really give it a chance."

Student Spotlight: Jen

I have always been active in lots of sports - swimming, tennis, softball, basketball, golf, skiing - but as the work life takes over and age prohibits playing some sports at the level I would like, I found myself wanting and needing something else to challenge me. Before Bikram Yoga, I had never taken a yoga class of any kind. I always thought yoga would be boring and not active or challenging enough, and that the "monkey mind" would not meditate long enough. Boy was I wrong! I bought a Groupon and thought I would try one class and if I hated it, I figured I've spent $20 in worse places. After the first class, I was hooked. It felt so good to sweat!

After years of playing many sports and the wear and tear on all the joints, BY has helped my hips and knees tremendously. Before BY, I couldn't sit on my knees as in Fixed Firm. After just 6 months of practicing, I could feel a difference in my knees and hips, and now they are so much more flexible. Organized sports teach you to be competitive, so with BY, it's a competition within, both physically and mentally, and that's been a wonderful learning experience. Bikram Yoga has taught me to be calmer and carefree, and yet dedicated, motivated and enthusiastic about this practice. As weird as this will sound, I've always had a battle with sinuses and breathing through the nose, allergies as well as physical limits (even had sinus surgery!), so the biggest challenge has been learning to fight past this and breathe through the nose the whole 90 minutes. At first, it was a big struggle for me and I felt like I couldn't get enough oxygen into the lungs and would have to sit several of the postures out just to catch my breath. Cardio has never been my strong feature, so learning the 80/20 breathing has been and still is a learning process, as well as having power over the mind when it tells me to get out the posture early. From all the sports and sitting at a computer for work, tightness in the hips, knees, low back and shoulders are still trying to loosen up, but are definitely getting better. I feel like a million bucks!

Bikram Yoga is not only a physical challenge, but it's a mental challenge and a spiritual journey for me. I experienced a tragic loss 9 months ago and just wasn't physically or emotionally able to practice the yoga without having a total breakdown and cry my eyes out. After a grieving process, I pushed myself back into the yoga room. Yes, I cried a few times and felt like I was starting over, but there is something about the BY that is healing and very powerful and very spiritual. And the best part is 5 minutes into the final savasana after 90 minutes of hard work - it is the best meditation, awareness and enlightenment, almost like you're floating or weightless. I have finally reached the point where I can make the "monkey mind" pause, even if it's only for a brief moment. And I love the fact that I learn something new each and every class, whether it's something the instructor said, new awareness about my body, or just the moment I can push myself to a new limit.

I would probably have to say right now my favorite posture is Standing Head to Knee, only because I'm finally getting my head down without falling over! When I can nail it in class, I feel awesome. And Triangle used to be my nemesis because my hips would hurt and I couldn't breathe, (I used to sit a round of this one out!) but now I've almost conquered it. I find the Full Locust and Bow to be my most challenging because I feel like I'm hardly bending in the direction needed!

When asked what advice she would give a new student, she said, "Be patient with yourself as your body changes. It's not about how far you can bend, it's about doing the postures right and depth will come. I read Bikram's books in the very beginning which helped me learn more about the postures, and I highly recommend taking a Boot Camp class or a private lesson!"

Yoga at the Office?

Having good posture throughout the day can help to relieve a number of common ailments. If you work at a desk, these tips may help you have a more comfortable, enjoyable work day! The following video contains some great information about our natural body posture and alignment, and below you'll find suggestions of "Good Working Positions" from OSHA. Happy sitting!

Setting up a Workstation & Good Working Positions (from OSHA)

To understand the best way to set up a computer workstation, it is helpful to understand the concept of neutral body positioning. This is a comfortable working posture in which your joints are naturally aligned. Working with the body in a neutral position reduces stress and strain on the muscles, tendons, and skeletal system and reduces your risk of developing a musculoskeletal disorder (MSD). The following are important considerations when attempting to maintain neutral body postures while working at the computer workstation:

• Hands, wrists, and forearms are straight, in-line and roughly parallel to the floor.
• Head is level, or bent slightly forward, forward facing, and balanced. Generally it is in-line with the torso.
• Shoulders are relaxed and upper arms hang normally at the side of the body.
• Elbows stay in close to the body and are bent between 90 and 120 degrees.
• Feet are fully supported by the floor or a footrest may be used if the desk height is not adjustable.
• Back is fully supported with appropriate lumbar support when sitting vertical or leaning back slightly.
• Thighs and hips are supported by a well-padded seat and generally parallel to the floor.
• Knees are about the same height as the hips with the feet slightly forward.

Regardless of how good your working posture is, working in the same posture or sitting still for prolonged periods is not healthy. You should change your working position frequently throughout the day in the following ways:

• Make small adjustments to your chair or backrest.
• Stretch your fingers, hands, arms, and torso.
• Stand up and walk around for a few minutes periodically.

These four reference postures are examples of body posture changes that all provide neutral positioning for the body.

Upright Sitting

Upright sitting posture. The user's torso and neck are approximately vertical and in-line, the thighs are approximately horizontal, and the lower legs are vertical.

Figure 1. Upright sitting posture

Figure 2. The user's torso and neck are approximately vertical and in-line, the thighs are approximately horizontal, and the lower legs are vertical

Standing

Standing posture. The user's legs, torso, neck, and head are approximately in-line and vertical. The user may also elevate one foot on a rest while in this posture.

Figure 3. Standing posture

Figure 4. The user's legs, torso, neck, and head are approximately in-line and vertical

Declined Sitting

Declined sitting posture. The user's thighs are inclined with the buttocks higher than the knee and the angle between the thighs and the torso is greater than 90 degrees. The torso is vertical or slightly reclined and the legs are vertical.

Figure 5. Declined sitting position

Figure 6. The user's thighs are inclined with the buttocks higher than the knee and the angle between the thighs and the torso is greater than 90 degrees. The torso is vertical or slightly reclined and the legs are vertical

Reclined Sitting

Reclined sitting posture. The user's torso and neck are straight and recline between 105 and 120 degrees from the thighs.

Figure 7. Reclined sitting posture

Figure 8. The user's torso and neck are straight and recline between 105 and 120 degrees from the thighs