I have been back to Mile High Bikram yesterday and today and while I had a huge improvemnet between yesterday and today, I do have to say that I am beginning to cringe at the thought of Triangle. My hips aren't open enough,my bent knee wobbles, my other leg aches even when I keep it locked, that is all before I try to move my arms to the correct position and do the twist with my body.
I seem to remember getting better at triangle when I went to class more often but for now it is just sheer torture! (I know, wimper wimper whine....) I am lucky to be healthy enough and have enough money to GO to Bikram but I get really frustrated when I don't have stamina to get through every pose. (not that I always get through every pose either, depends how much sugar I have had the night before).
ANYWAY, if anyone has any hints, PLEASE pass them along.
Anika taught class yesterday and today and has a spot on perfect dialogue! It amazes me how a teacher can make something she repeats every day still seem fresh and new. Anika complements and corrects but really sticks to the simple dialogue also!!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Just saw this on another blog!
I think this sounds like a Bikram yoga poem:
She let go.
"She let go. Without a thought or a word, she let go.
She let go of the fear. She let go of the judgments. She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head. She let go of the committee of indecision within her. She let go of all the 'right' reasons. Wholly and completely, without hesitation or worry, she just let go.
She didn't ask anyone for advice. She didn't read a book on how to let go... She didn't search the scriptures. She just let go. She let go of all of the memories that held her back. She let go of all of the anxiety that kept her from moving forward. She let go of the planning and all of the calculations about how to do it just right.
She didn't promise to let go. She didn't journal about it. She didn't write the projected date in her Day-Timer. She made no public announcement and put no ad in the paper. She didn't check the weather report or read her daily horoscope. She just let go.
She didn't analyze whether she should let go. She didn't call her friends to discuss the matter. She didn't do a five-step Spiritual Mind Treatment. She didn't call the prayer line. She didn't utter one word. She just let go.
No one was around when it happened. There was no applause or congratulations. No one thanked her or praised her. No one noticed a thing. Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go.
There was no effort. There was no struggle. It wasn't good and it wasn't bad. It was what it was, and it is just that.
In the space of letting go, she let it all be. A small smile came over her face. A light breeze blew through her. And the sun and the moon shone forevermore."
- Ernest Holmes
She let go.
"She let go. Without a thought or a word, she let go.
She let go of the fear. She let go of the judgments. She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head. She let go of the committee of indecision within her. She let go of all the 'right' reasons. Wholly and completely, without hesitation or worry, she just let go.
She didn't ask anyone for advice. She didn't read a book on how to let go... She didn't search the scriptures. She just let go. She let go of all of the memories that held her back. She let go of all of the anxiety that kept her from moving forward. She let go of the planning and all of the calculations about how to do it just right.
She didn't promise to let go. She didn't journal about it. She didn't write the projected date in her Day-Timer. She made no public announcement and put no ad in the paper. She didn't check the weather report or read her daily horoscope. She just let go.
She didn't analyze whether she should let go. She didn't call her friends to discuss the matter. She didn't do a five-step Spiritual Mind Treatment. She didn't call the prayer line. She didn't utter one word. She just let go.
No one was around when it happened. There was no applause or congratulations. No one thanked her or praised her. No one noticed a thing. Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go.
There was no effort. There was no struggle. It wasn't good and it wasn't bad. It was what it was, and it is just that.
In the space of letting go, she let it all be. A small smile came over her face. A light breeze blew through her. And the sun and the moon shone forevermore."
- Ernest Holmes
Adventures in Denver, CO!
I have been in Denver for three weeks now and made it to 2 whole yoga classes. I don't know if it is the altitude or just me, but I have had NO energy at all here. I expect a few days of the grind of not being able to catch my breath but nothing like this lethargy. Hoping to kick it in the butt once I have a car for the week next week.
I did try to pick myself up out of the doldrums by getting a new yoga mat in the mail! My old mat had kind of shed its protective skin and when i cleaned it it took longer and longer to dry and always had a slight smell to it! So I got a Kulae yoga mat, http://www.kulae.com/yoga_mat.htm, and am very happy with it. It is a stickier mat than my cheapy was (cheapy because I bought three mats in a year and kept losing them). For Bikram, the stickiness isn't a big selling point because we cover it with a towel, but I will say that the towel didn't slip around like it is wont to, it stayed in place perfectly! I liked the thickness for the portion of the class on the floor and was easy to clean. AND my favorite part is the PURPLE!! I am a sucker for a frilly delicate color!
I finally dragged ass to Mile High Bikram here, which is just far enough from downtown to warrant a car or a bus ride. It is a 3 year old business owned by a couple who have a great business sense. The studio has everything you need, dressing rooms, showers, locker, mat and towel rentals, yoga clothing, and a great selection of water and juices! I had the part owner, David, as the teacher at my first class there. He looks so so young but has an awesome dialogue! Very spot on as far as the standard and yet just felt so authentic to me. Not like "OMG, I have said these words a 1000 times" but with a genuine feeling. I also felt that with the gentleman who taught my 2nd class, I think it was Zack but I am not sure. I just felt like they gave a damn about the people, both old and new clients!
The studio does have carpet but it didn't have a bad smell to it. The heat is amazingly well distributed which David said was due to the insulation they put in against the terrible Denver winters. There are 2 ceiling fans, but they were barely moving, but it never felt overwhelming or too cool.
They have a pretty awesome schedule as well with some 6 am classes, 9 am, 11 am, and even some 2:30, as well as a slew of evening classes of course. There is plenty of lot and street parking AND a great coffee shop, Geez Louise, across the street for after class smoothies, coffee and breakfast.
I am looking forward to another week here with such a great studio to heal in!
I did try to pick myself up out of the doldrums by getting a new yoga mat in the mail! My old mat had kind of shed its protective skin and when i cleaned it it took longer and longer to dry and always had a slight smell to it! So I got a Kulae yoga mat, http://www.kulae.com/yoga_mat.htm, and am very happy with it. It is a stickier mat than my cheapy was (cheapy because I bought three mats in a year and kept losing them). For Bikram, the stickiness isn't a big selling point because we cover it with a towel, but I will say that the towel didn't slip around like it is wont to, it stayed in place perfectly! I liked the thickness for the portion of the class on the floor and was easy to clean. AND my favorite part is the PURPLE!! I am a sucker for a frilly delicate color!
I finally dragged ass to Mile High Bikram here, which is just far enough from downtown to warrant a car or a bus ride. It is a 3 year old business owned by a couple who have a great business sense. The studio has everything you need, dressing rooms, showers, locker, mat and towel rentals, yoga clothing, and a great selection of water and juices! I had the part owner, David, as the teacher at my first class there. He looks so so young but has an awesome dialogue! Very spot on as far as the standard and yet just felt so authentic to me. Not like "OMG, I have said these words a 1000 times" but with a genuine feeling. I also felt that with the gentleman who taught my 2nd class, I think it was Zack but I am not sure. I just felt like they gave a damn about the people, both old and new clients!
The studio does have carpet but it didn't have a bad smell to it. The heat is amazingly well distributed which David said was due to the insulation they put in against the terrible Denver winters. There are 2 ceiling fans, but they were barely moving, but it never felt overwhelming or too cool.
They have a pretty awesome schedule as well with some 6 am classes, 9 am, 11 am, and even some 2:30, as well as a slew of evening classes of course. There is plenty of lot and street parking AND a great coffee shop, Geez Louise, across the street for after class smoothies, coffee and breakfast.
I am looking forward to another week here with such a great studio to heal in!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Live like you were dying!
Well, I finally got to Bikram Yoga Tempe today after taking Sunday and Monday off, just feeling very blah, spending a little more time dwelling on my Dad and missing him. Then, on the way home from having dinner with my nephew last night, I was going through radio stations since NPR went from news to Jazz. As I hit a country station, Tim McGraw's "Live like you were Dyin'" came on. Now, when I first heard this a decade ago, it certainly affected me but nothing like it did last night.
He said: "I was in my early forties,
"With a lot of life before me,
"An' a moment came that stopped me on a dime.
"I spent most of the next days,
"Looking at the x-rays,
"An' talking 'bout the options an' talkin’ ‘bout sweet time."
I asked him when it sank in,
That this might really be the real end?
How’s it hit you when you get that kind of news?
Man whatcha do?
An' he said: "I went sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,
"I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu.
"And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,
"And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying."
An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,
"To live like you were dyin'."
He said "I was finally the husband,
"That most the time I wasn’t.
"An' I became a friend a friend would like to have.
"And all of a sudden goin' fishin’,
"Wasn’t such an imposition,
"And I went three times that year I lost my Dad.
"Well, I finally read the Good Book,
"And I took a good long hard look,
"At what I'd do if I could do it all again,
"And then:
Like tomorrow was a gift,
And you got eternity,
To think about what you’d do with it.
An' what did you do with it?
An' what can I do with it?
An' what would I do with it?
"Sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,
"I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu.
"And then I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,
"And I watched Blue Eagle as it was flyin'."
An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,
"To live like you were dyin'."
It loses a bit without the music to back it up but....it got me thinking about a few things. First, why I didn't go to yoga for two days. Sure I was tired but I know I always feel better physically and emotionally when I do go. Something about striving for balance and form while trying to shut my brain off really chills me out. I should go when I can to make up for the cities where it isn't close enough to go or just isn't offered at all. Then I thought about a grudge I have been holding against someone I had admired so much who had failed me at a very important time in my life. And the "giving forgiveness I had been denying" really hit home. I think I needed to forgive myself first for wanting someone else to ease my pain during a bad time and then forgive the person who hurt me, they had no idea that I relied on them so much.
I am sure I overthink things a lot, but yoga and music really do heal a lot of bruises.
So today I finally went to class, 9 am, Gabby, who was the teacher last Friday when I felt like dying, was teaching. She has an excellent dialogue as I said. It is so nice to hear, almost like the repetition helps with the moving meditation. There were also something like 6 Bikram teachers taking class which was great for peeking and seeing how their pose looked to imitate. Also in the class was a gentleman in a wheelchair who doesn't have the use of his legs so he does the standing series seated and has some adjustments for other things. Now, I would hope that I would have such courage and stamina if I were in his position but really, who knows. I hope he knows how greatly admired he is.
I asked Gabby a couple questions after class because I have gotten some conflicting information from a teacher who said the glutes shouldn't be engaged during Camel pose or any of the back bending poses. Gabby's though on it, which I agree with, is the engaging the glutes allows for more lift through the ribcage and upper body so the backbend is the correct angle. I tried it without the glutes and felt like I was going to injure my back.
The other thing was whether I was hyper-extending my right knee in standing positions. Now, granted, I can rarely stand on one leg long enough for anyone to really get an idea of whether I am hyper extended but....I think because I have such a hard time using my whole foot that the entire leg looks off which leads to the "Hmmm, is that hyper extended?" But I am comfortable with it locked and when I can actually control my big toe and get it to stay on the mat, I feel great and totally not strained at all.
So the moral to my convoluted blog is: Go to Yoga, do what you want to do, as long as you possibly can, because someday you may not have the chance!"
Namaste!
He said: "I was in my early forties,
"With a lot of life before me,
"An' a moment came that stopped me on a dime.
"I spent most of the next days,
"Looking at the x-rays,
"An' talking 'bout the options an' talkin’ ‘bout sweet time."
I asked him when it sank in,
That this might really be the real end?
How’s it hit you when you get that kind of news?
Man whatcha do?
An' he said: "I went sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,
"I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu.
"And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,
"And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying."
An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,
"To live like you were dyin'."
He said "I was finally the husband,
"That most the time I wasn’t.
"An' I became a friend a friend would like to have.
"And all of a sudden goin' fishin’,
"Wasn’t such an imposition,
"And I went three times that year I lost my Dad.
"Well, I finally read the Good Book,
"And I took a good long hard look,
"At what I'd do if I could do it all again,
"And then:
Like tomorrow was a gift,
And you got eternity,
To think about what you’d do with it.
An' what did you do with it?
An' what can I do with it?
An' what would I do with it?
"Sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,
"I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu.
"And then I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,
"And I watched Blue Eagle as it was flyin'."
An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,
"To live like you were dyin'."
It loses a bit without the music to back it up but....it got me thinking about a few things. First, why I didn't go to yoga for two days. Sure I was tired but I know I always feel better physically and emotionally when I do go. Something about striving for balance and form while trying to shut my brain off really chills me out. I should go when I can to make up for the cities where it isn't close enough to go or just isn't offered at all. Then I thought about a grudge I have been holding against someone I had admired so much who had failed me at a very important time in my life. And the "giving forgiveness I had been denying" really hit home. I think I needed to forgive myself first for wanting someone else to ease my pain during a bad time and then forgive the person who hurt me, they had no idea that I relied on them so much.
I am sure I overthink things a lot, but yoga and music really do heal a lot of bruises.
So today I finally went to class, 9 am, Gabby, who was the teacher last Friday when I felt like dying, was teaching. She has an excellent dialogue as I said. It is so nice to hear, almost like the repetition helps with the moving meditation. There were also something like 6 Bikram teachers taking class which was great for peeking and seeing how their pose looked to imitate. Also in the class was a gentleman in a wheelchair who doesn't have the use of his legs so he does the standing series seated and has some adjustments for other things. Now, I would hope that I would have such courage and stamina if I were in his position but really, who knows. I hope he knows how greatly admired he is.
I asked Gabby a couple questions after class because I have gotten some conflicting information from a teacher who said the glutes shouldn't be engaged during Camel pose or any of the back bending poses. Gabby's though on it, which I agree with, is the engaging the glutes allows for more lift through the ribcage and upper body so the backbend is the correct angle. I tried it without the glutes and felt like I was going to injure my back.
The other thing was whether I was hyper-extending my right knee in standing positions. Now, granted, I can rarely stand on one leg long enough for anyone to really get an idea of whether I am hyper extended but....I think because I have such a hard time using my whole foot that the entire leg looks off which leads to the "Hmmm, is that hyper extended?" But I am comfortable with it locked and when I can actually control my big toe and get it to stay on the mat, I feel great and totally not strained at all.
So the moral to my convoluted blog is: Go to Yoga, do what you want to do, as long as you possibly can, because someday you may not have the chance!"
Namaste!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
MORE on Bikram Yoga Tempe!
I forgot to say what an awesome website Bikram Yoga Tempe has as well! I LOVE reading testimonials from people who's lives have changed for the better from doing yoga. They inspire me to keep a smile on my face every day!
The website has information on the yoga,on Bikram Choudry, and details on your first class and the postures that I hope really sway people into trying this fantastic yoga!
www.bikramyogatempe.com
The website has information on the yoga,on Bikram Choudry, and details on your first class and the postures that I hope really sway people into trying this fantastic yoga!
www.bikramyogatempe.com
Bikram Yoga Tempe is SO perfect!
I have previously visited Tempe and gone to Bikram Yoga Tempe. They have changed locations since then and the new studio is big and damn near perfect. I attended last Friday's noon class and had made the mistake of having coffee that morning and a huge chocolate cupcake the night before. The studio was just a bit hotter than usual to me and the caffeine made my heart pound like crazy. I sat out a lot of second sets but stayed in the room! I cannot remember that teacher's name but Saturday morning at 9 am, the teacher was Jill. Craig Villani from Bikram International had just been there earlier in the week and both the teacher from Friday and Jill had a few worthwhile bits of advice to impart. Jill's tweak on getting the shoulders behind each other in Standing Bow Pulling Pose was very important to me since I couldn't figure out why my right and left sides were so different in that pose. Now I can feel and see how I line up my shoulders to the right side but not to the left. Maybe now I can try it without bending my right knee too when I feel so out of whack in that!
The studio is very organized and friendly. The people greeting at the front desk are very courteous to first timers and do a little explanation if they have never been to a class before. I bought a 5 class pack for $75 which is pretty standard. They have a "New Student" Special but use it only for Arizona residents which I completely understand. There is a decent size changing room with cubbies for backpacks and toilets and showers. The lobby has a couple sofas and benches and people hang out and chat which says a lot for the friendly atmosphere. Occasionally I have felt in other studios a "if you aren't in your 20's and skinny, why are you here" vibe, here there is a GREAT mix of ages and sexes it is just a very easy going feeling to go with.
The studio itself is CLEAN!! The carpet is totally free of smell and it is large! There are stripes on the carpet to lay your mat over and dots on the walls to line up the up/down part of your mat so that the maximum number of mats can fit and still have everyone seen by the teacher. The first day my friends and I thought the sound a little loud from the teacher's mic but didn't feel we should say anything. Saturday it was a little lower and more comfortable.
The heat is well spread throughout the room, not blasting out of a few sources, and the humidity was high which I am thinking is not easy to do in Tempe! I applaud them for it!
The teachers are perfect! Their dialogue so in tune with the Bikram standard yet given with energy and not boredom! I feel like they are really watching the class and not just saying "blahblahblah" to get through the day. In such a large room, they also know many of the peoples name and address them individually. It just makes it feel like almost a family atmosphere and makes me want to return!
And I almost forgot to say what an amazing array of yoga clothing they have for sale in the lobby! I love to see new styles and colors and it is fun to see leopard print tops shorts and onesies! Great colors, lots of styles for different bodies!
They have water, coconut water and smart water available and mats for sale or rent as well.
I HIGHLY recommend anyone who even has a glimmer of an idea of going to Bikram Yoga Tempe, they will make you a yoga addict like me in no time! They have an AMAZING amount of classes and the energy in the room will keep you coming back.
The studio is very organized and friendly. The people greeting at the front desk are very courteous to first timers and do a little explanation if they have never been to a class before. I bought a 5 class pack for $75 which is pretty standard. They have a "New Student" Special but use it only for Arizona residents which I completely understand. There is a decent size changing room with cubbies for backpacks and toilets and showers. The lobby has a couple sofas and benches and people hang out and chat which says a lot for the friendly atmosphere. Occasionally I have felt in other studios a "if you aren't in your 20's and skinny, why are you here" vibe, here there is a GREAT mix of ages and sexes it is just a very easy going feeling to go with.
The studio itself is CLEAN!! The carpet is totally free of smell and it is large! There are stripes on the carpet to lay your mat over and dots on the walls to line up the up/down part of your mat so that the maximum number of mats can fit and still have everyone seen by the teacher. The first day my friends and I thought the sound a little loud from the teacher's mic but didn't feel we should say anything. Saturday it was a little lower and more comfortable.
The heat is well spread throughout the room, not blasting out of a few sources, and the humidity was high which I am thinking is not easy to do in Tempe! I applaud them for it!
The teachers are perfect! Their dialogue so in tune with the Bikram standard yet given with energy and not boredom! I feel like they are really watching the class and not just saying "blahblahblah" to get through the day. In such a large room, they also know many of the peoples name and address them individually. It just makes it feel like almost a family atmosphere and makes me want to return!
And I almost forgot to say what an amazing array of yoga clothing they have for sale in the lobby! I love to see new styles and colors and it is fun to see leopard print tops shorts and onesies! Great colors, lots of styles for different bodies!
They have water, coconut water and smart water available and mats for sale or rent as well.
I HIGHLY recommend anyone who even has a glimmer of an idea of going to Bikram Yoga Tempe, they will make you a yoga addict like me in no time! They have an AMAZING amount of classes and the energy in the room will keep you coming back.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Needing Inspiration!
Can I hire someone to kick me in the ass every morning to get me to yoga? I am finding myself in a HUGE slump and while I know in my head that I would feel much better emotionally and physically if I got to yoga, when I wake up, I feel so glum and disorganized it all goes to hell in a handbasket!
Having a yoga Buddy is an important thing to me. Often my boss's wife, Ashley, will go, or our Asst. Sound, Sara, but I haven't even tried to organize them into pepping me up and I NEED to. Although maybe if someone were always bugging me to go like I bug them maybe I would just want them to go AWAY. How do you all organize your days so you fit the Bikram in?
I wish I had the kind of will power that made me pop out of bed each morning eager to begin the day, but lately that has not been the case. I am sure in my deep seated psyche, I am still grieving the loss of my father. I have read enough self help books to know where my brain goes awry. I just don't know how to reactivate it.
Maybe the first thing I need to do is text Ashley and Sara and maybe even post a note on the company callboard so that I get my fat ass out of bed in the morning and go? Ok, I am going to try that and will let you know the outcome.
But any other suggestions are welcome!
Having a yoga Buddy is an important thing to me. Often my boss's wife, Ashley, will go, or our Asst. Sound, Sara, but I haven't even tried to organize them into pepping me up and I NEED to. Although maybe if someone were always bugging me to go like I bug them maybe I would just want them to go AWAY. How do you all organize your days so you fit the Bikram in?
I wish I had the kind of will power that made me pop out of bed each morning eager to begin the day, but lately that has not been the case. I am sure in my deep seated psyche, I am still grieving the loss of my father. I have read enough self help books to know where my brain goes awry. I just don't know how to reactivate it.
Maybe the first thing I need to do is text Ashley and Sara and maybe even post a note on the company callboard so that I get my fat ass out of bed in the morning and go? Ok, I am going to try that and will let you know the outcome.
But any other suggestions are welcome!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Bikram Yoga Tempe!
After a week of hiking in Sedona, AZ and the Grand Canyon, I am back at work in Tempe, AZ and thus must make my way back to yoga at Bikram Yoga Tempe. Last time I was here, 2 years ago, I was very inspired by a man who took class who was paraplegic. I know I have healed a lot of mental wounds by doing yoga and I also feel that one of the reasons I am fit enough to do my job is because I practice yoga. It opens your body and mind to so much and allows faster healing of bruises whether inside or out.
The Bikram studio here has an incredible amount of classes and tomorrow I am available for the 9 am, noon or 2:30. I will let myself sleep in a bit and then decide! It is nice to have so much choice and I know that so many studios can't because they wouldn't be able to operate with that cost. But a noon class for those of us who work long shows (2 hours 50 minutes) and wake up late, (9am most days, though most of the crew doesn't get up until the double digit hours)is absolutely the best!
Have a great night and look forward to tomorrow, another performance of Billy Elliot is due to begin!
The Bikram studio here has an incredible amount of classes and tomorrow I am available for the 9 am, noon or 2:30. I will let myself sleep in a bit and then decide! It is nice to have so much choice and I know that so many studios can't because they wouldn't be able to operate with that cost. But a noon class for those of us who work long shows (2 hours 50 minutes) and wake up late, (9am most days, though most of the crew doesn't get up until the double digit hours)is absolutely the best!
Have a great night and look forward to tomorrow, another performance of Billy Elliot is due to begin!
Friday, April 15, 2011
This is not the blog you think it is....
I just read a book called "This is not the story you think it is" by Laura Munson. No, its not a yoga book but yoga has led to meditation and self help issues for me and that has led to a lot of alternative writings and thought so....well, it isn't like I have anyone actually reading this on a regular basis and I feel like telling myself and anyone who happens on this my peculiar philosophy. Anyway, here is a link to an article where she addresses Inner happiness/freedom, and I think it is very interesting:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-munson/choosing-your-emotions-in_b_845897.html
I think that Laura Munson was able to pull together so much of what she has read (a prodigious list of self help books, poetry and literature that she keeps alongside her bed) and really make a few succinct statements.
One of her "ideas" that of course, I am probably paraphrasing wrong, is to start ignoring the bitchy evil whiney kid in your head, who constantly reminds you WHY you should be unhappy. She even names her little kids, Sheila, to address her more firmly. The first time I went to Bikram Yoga in Chicago, I looked in the mirror and thought about how fat and old I looked. I was envious of the slim tight muscles the younger yogini's had. I almost threw up when the guy ahead of me poured out sweat in standing bow pulling pose.
I put my "evil twin sister", Renata in the past now and I feel like I am a different person now.
I see a 47 year young woman who is reasonably strong and flexible. She has a relatively peaceful look on her face, sometimes. She can finish a tough pose and let go of it and not mentally chastise herself for not doing it better. She has taken the phrase that was burned into her head when she was younger, "Your sister is the pretty one, and you are the smart one", and finally gotten it out of her mind.
I can be pretty and smart and I AM my own happiness!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-munson/choosing-your-emotions-in_b_845897.html
I think that Laura Munson was able to pull together so much of what she has read (a prodigious list of self help books, poetry and literature that she keeps alongside her bed) and really make a few succinct statements.
One of her "ideas" that of course, I am probably paraphrasing wrong, is to start ignoring the bitchy evil whiney kid in your head, who constantly reminds you WHY you should be unhappy. She even names her little kids, Sheila, to address her more firmly. The first time I went to Bikram Yoga in Chicago, I looked in the mirror and thought about how fat and old I looked. I was envious of the slim tight muscles the younger yogini's had. I almost threw up when the guy ahead of me poured out sweat in standing bow pulling pose.
I put my "evil twin sister", Renata in the past now and I feel like I am a different person now.
I see a 47 year young woman who is reasonably strong and flexible. She has a relatively peaceful look on her face, sometimes. She can finish a tough pose and let go of it and not mentally chastise herself for not doing it better. She has taken the phrase that was burned into her head when she was younger, "Your sister is the pretty one, and you are the smart one", and finally gotten it out of her mind.
I can be pretty and smart and I AM my own happiness!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Back from the beyond!
It has been ages since I have sat down and written anything good, bad, or ugly. I had a few very busy months flying back and forth to Ohio as my father slowly lost his fight with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. No one tells you when you are young that right when you have YOUR life together and are happy that one of the best people in your life will leave you feeling so lost you don't think you will ever feel good again. I am a work in progress every day, and I miss him every day, just like I have missed my mom since she passed away 8 1/2 years ago. It really does feel like you are suddenly an orphan, that no one will ever love you as much as those two people did.
I will say, as quickly as I can because while this is not yoga but it is about life, my dad was my hero! He worked his whole life from the time he was 8 when his dad died. He and mom who had also lost her dad young, did an amazing job at raising us with love, tenderness, morals and ethics and anything we have done wrong since then is PURELY our fault!
ANYWAY, I have been to a couple of "Bikram" yoga studios in the last month, Breathe Hot Yoga, in Seattle, WA,and Cel Rejuvenation Center in Portland, OR.
Breath Hot Yoga is a very nice open studio with a lot of room and a very interesting set up in the yoga studio. They have two rows up front where the heat is 105, then as the rows go toward the back the intensity of the heat dissipates to 85. The first day I went after a long time between any kind of yoga at all, I was in the third row and was very comfortable. When I moved up, that was great too since I have grown very fond of the sweat falling into my eyes.....
The teachers are very good, they do a few different routines that the first day were a little strange but grew on me. The yoga on the floor they do one of each of the 4 positions then they rest then do them again. Then the first two sitting postures are ganged together which is a little less fluid but worked for me. The teachers are very good about correcting people here an there without being obnoxious about it. This studio has a very nice changing room with plenty of space too! They have yoga mats and towels for rent and sale and a few yoga clothes. They also have a personal trainer to teach other methods of physical fitness.
One of the things i liked about this studio and the Cel Rejuvenation Center in Portland, is they have wooden floors. I do not have super hyper sensitive sense of smell but I do have to say, I have been to a few studios that have a pungent odor that no amount of carpet cleaning will ever dissolve. The wooden floors really do away with any smell at all and they just FEEL cleaner!
The Cel Rejuvenation Center (CRC) was the former Bikram PDX, still owned by the same woman but they now have this center with a lot of different types of yogas, Nia, and Yin to name two. They also have a massage therapist and a Live Food Cafe. The official Bikram is now across the river but they still have some Bikram classes at this studio. When I was first trying to find it on the map I kept coming up with different information because of the remake of the Bikram and the renaming of the original to CRC. When they were told of the difficulty of doing a web search the people at the studio were on top of it to make sure it wouldn't be hard for anyone else.
The owner has taught the three classes I have been to and she is very good. She has a great patter and a feel for when to help people to get the most out of the pose. They have a great heat there and a natural Portland humidity right now since it has rained every day for two weeks!
I am off to Sedona, AZ next week and haven't yet had a chance to research yoga there. Hoping to do a few classes between some major hiking and meditation!
Speaking of meditation, I did a great set of private classes in Charlotte, NC with Ranjit Deora, http://www.charlottemeditation.com/
He is a fantastic teacher and mentor with tons of experience! While I still have problems sticking to my schedule, Ranjit gave me a lot to work with in the future and keeps in touch via email!
I will say, as quickly as I can because while this is not yoga but it is about life, my dad was my hero! He worked his whole life from the time he was 8 when his dad died. He and mom who had also lost her dad young, did an amazing job at raising us with love, tenderness, morals and ethics and anything we have done wrong since then is PURELY our fault!
ANYWAY, I have been to a couple of "Bikram" yoga studios in the last month, Breathe Hot Yoga, in Seattle, WA,and Cel Rejuvenation Center in Portland, OR.
Breath Hot Yoga is a very nice open studio with a lot of room and a very interesting set up in the yoga studio. They have two rows up front where the heat is 105, then as the rows go toward the back the intensity of the heat dissipates to 85. The first day I went after a long time between any kind of yoga at all, I was in the third row and was very comfortable. When I moved up, that was great too since I have grown very fond of the sweat falling into my eyes.....
The teachers are very good, they do a few different routines that the first day were a little strange but grew on me. The yoga on the floor they do one of each of the 4 positions then they rest then do them again. Then the first two sitting postures are ganged together which is a little less fluid but worked for me. The teachers are very good about correcting people here an there without being obnoxious about it. This studio has a very nice changing room with plenty of space too! They have yoga mats and towels for rent and sale and a few yoga clothes. They also have a personal trainer to teach other methods of physical fitness.
One of the things i liked about this studio and the Cel Rejuvenation Center in Portland, is they have wooden floors. I do not have super hyper sensitive sense of smell but I do have to say, I have been to a few studios that have a pungent odor that no amount of carpet cleaning will ever dissolve. The wooden floors really do away with any smell at all and they just FEEL cleaner!
The Cel Rejuvenation Center (CRC) was the former Bikram PDX, still owned by the same woman but they now have this center with a lot of different types of yogas, Nia, and Yin to name two. They also have a massage therapist and a Live Food Cafe. The official Bikram is now across the river but they still have some Bikram classes at this studio. When I was first trying to find it on the map I kept coming up with different information because of the remake of the Bikram and the renaming of the original to CRC. When they were told of the difficulty of doing a web search the people at the studio were on top of it to make sure it wouldn't be hard for anyone else.
The owner has taught the three classes I have been to and she is very good. She has a great patter and a feel for when to help people to get the most out of the pose. They have a great heat there and a natural Portland humidity right now since it has rained every day for two weeks!
I am off to Sedona, AZ next week and haven't yet had a chance to research yoga there. Hoping to do a few classes between some major hiking and meditation!
Speaking of meditation, I did a great set of private classes in Charlotte, NC with Ranjit Deora, http://www.charlottemeditation.com/
He is a fantastic teacher and mentor with tons of experience! While I still have problems sticking to my schedule, Ranjit gave me a lot to work with in the future and keeps in touch via email!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)