Bikram Yoga Classes in Jersey

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Yoga Planners and Journals

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I have recently designed many Yoga Planners and Journals as well as created Class Planners for teachers. There are also journals to assist on Teacher Training as well as Hot Yoga Challenge Journals to document your progress etc. They also make great gifts for the fellow yogi in your life! If you’re in the US click on Barefoot Bodeez Author Central Page to check them out!

If you are not in the US, go to your local online Amazon store and paste Barefoot Bodeez into the search bar and the many choices will come up! Please note by searching this way you will also have access to notebooks and journals for other themes too. I hope you like them as I love to create them!

Teaching Bikram’s again and loving it! Barefoot Bodeez Vinyasa classes also available

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Silhouette of a person doing Tree Pose in YogaHi there

It’s been some time but I have been setting up my Barefoot Bodeezart Etsy shop and it’s taken me a while! I now have 75 items in my shop ready as digital downloads which can be printed off as required.  Barefoot Bodeez is not just about yoga – it incorporates all of life and particularly positivity and creativity. I also have some cards and prints of my take on some Jersey icons available locally too.

So why am I teaching group classes of Bikram’s again? Well I am currently only covering classes when required at Carrefour at St Lawrence but it’s fired me up!  I absolutely love teaching Bikram Yoga because it is a challenging class and it encourages you to be more than you think you are and do more than you think you can do.  As my whole life has been about searching for more than the so-called “normal” way of life, Bikram’s has been a huge part of that – mainly because it assisted me in “waking up” to a lot more.  I never stop learning and more importantly applying what I learn.  For example, Bikram once told us “do the postures from the heart” –  a lofty statement I know but 100% effective!  I did not understand what he meant 20 years ago but I do now!  It’s the head that will mess with you but your heart will not.  I consistently experiment with my body and yoga practice (and much more) to try and understand everything I have learnt so far and I as a result I am stronger and more flexible than ever.  I say this only to encourage others as it is what I have changed on the inside that has made all the difference not the amount of my physical practice.  It’s never too late and you are never too old – hmmm I seem to remember that was a famous quote from Bikram himself!  I also find though that when that body starts to really move, energy shifts and it automatically brings in fresh new ideas – hence the manic “art attack!”  

I am also teaching Barefoot Bodeez yoga classes which are Vinyasa based, taking particular attention to alignment, breath and Presence.   There is no heat in these classes.  They are a great alternative if you are not a fan of Bikram Yoga.  You will find them at 9.45 am at Court E at the Jersey Squash and Racketball Club, St Clement’s.  You may check out Barefoot Bodeez website for more details if you’d like to.

Bevx

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Simply Divine Way to Create Your Ideal Body – new Ebook available on Amazon

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Image of The Simply Divine Way to Create Your Ideal Body Ebook Cover

Hi everyone

Well at last I decided to put my ebook on Amazon. I started writing it several years ago and as my awarenesses kept on coming, my book kept on changing! Having facilitated yoga and some very interesting body workshops in several countries around the world it has been proved to me many, many times that what a person thought about or expected their body to be has far more effect on it that anything from the “outer”. I have also experimented with my own body for many years and had some amazing revelations.

This book includes some of them and I hope to inspire anyone who has had disappointment when their exercise or diet intentions didn’t work out quite the way they had hoped!

There is another way!

By the way this book is not only about toning up etc – it is also how I turned my Bikram Yoga Class experience from “hard” to actually what I can honestly call “bliss”.

Yes it is possible – tried and tested or I wouldn’t write it!

Click here to buy from Amazon.co.uk – only (equivalent of )$2.99!

Click here to buy from Amazon.com – only$2.99!

I continue to learn about myself and my body in every yoga class I teach and practice. It’s an ongoing and never ending journey that I love. I hope it will inspire you to create your ideal body in a much easier and simpler way!

Namaste!

Posture #10 – Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee

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So now that we have mastered the Master Posture (the Triangle) and its “opening” abilities we will proceed to do the opposite and effect a compression posture.  It is this opening and then ,compressing that brings the body back into balance.  This posture is in fact a mix of the Balancing Stick and Rabbit posture.

Standing separate leg head to knee pose

Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee Posture

This posture looks simple enough – it is a very common posture that I personally used to practice many moons ago with my normal hatha yoga practice – isn’t it? Well, not quite!  In the Bikram series there is a “minor” adjustment which is making sure the forehead touches the knee ensuring that the internal organs get the proper compression.  In many other forms of yoga this posture is used more as a stretch as the head is allowed to go further down the leg.  That is still a great posture but has a different effect on the body.

To start, bring your arms up over the head and keeping your palms together cross the thumbs to keep them in place.   As usual, stretch up to the ceiling and keep your elbows locked.  The head stays glued in between the arms just like you do in Half Moon and other postures.  That is the great thing about Bikram Yoga –  the style of the postures is consistent and therefore once you get the hang of it, it all becomes second nature!

This time take a 3 foot step to the right so you end up with a slightly narrower stance than the last two postures.  Turning the right foot to the right, you twist the hips a few times as necessary to make sure the hips are “square on” and you are facing the side wall directly.  Make sure your heels are in the same line.  The back foot should be flat on the floor and turned to a 45 degree angle as this stimulates the kidneys.

Now the arms and head have to go down together so you need to exhale to do that.  With the chin tucked right down to the chest this will work on your thyroid and parathyroid glands i.e. your metabolism.  Where your eyes go your body goes so as the intention of this posture is to  compress your inner organs you need to look up at your stomach and place the forehead on the knee or even higher (if your really game) but definitely not below the knee.  Touching the forehead with straight legs can be a challenge for a lot of people so keep your leg straight as you go down and then you can bend the front knee or make a wider stance if necessary to enable that bit of ingenuity!  The pressure on the forehead is the main point of this posture and can be achieved even if you have to bend your front knee “big time” to do it so even first timers can get maximum 100% efficiency in the posture.   As with all yoga the point of the posture is what it is doing for your body whilst in the posture not the appearance of it even though that will improve as the body gets used to the positions you put it in!

Once you’ve got that forehead to the knee it’s time to start sliding your fingers forward away from the toes so that your elbows lock and the wrists are straight.  Then by pushing your hands against the floor you can try and get your knee locked with your “smiling happy face” as Bikram would say!  Exhale as you suck your stomach in.  Now this does not feel comfortable sometimes as the throat feels like it is choking but your breathing is “normal” meaning you don’t hold the breath.  Bring maximum weight on to the front leg and stick that hip up towards the ceiling as you will find this one likes to slip below the other one and you need to have both hips level so you get maximum compression.   The last adjustment is to lock the knee a couple of times very quickly before inhaling with full lungs and gently coming back up keeping your arms and head together.  Stop in the middle before rinsing and repeating on the other side.

To finish bring your arms down and bring the feet together – ahh bliss!

Summary of the main points:

  • Arms and head together with the palms glued together
  • Step 3 feet with the right foot
  • Keep the heels in the same line
  • Back foot should be flat on the floor i.e. even the heel and turned to a 45 degree angle
  • Twist your hips about 5 times until they are “square on” the side wall
  • Exhale and suck the stomach in
  • Place your forehead on the knee even if you have to bend the knee to get it there
  • Eyes open look up to the stomach to give greater compression
  • Lock your elbows, wrists straight as you slide the baby fingers away from the toes
  • Lift your front leg hip up to the ceiling to give the correct compression
  • Try and lock the front knee just before the end if not already locked

Summary of main benefits:

  • Marriage between the pancreas and kidneys, thyroid and pituitary glands
  • Extension of the oblongata and medulla – good for eyesight
  • Opening the throat and crown chakras – alleviates depression
  • Good for the digestive and endocrine systems, metabolism, body chemistry, immune system.
  • Compression of the pancreas, extension of the kidneys.
  • Slims and tightens abdomen, waist, hip, buttocks and upper thighs.
  • Tones arms when your arms are locked

See you next posture!

Bevx

Posture #9 – Triangle

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Bikram Yoga Triangle PoseSo now we get to the  Triangle Posture which is often known as the Master Posture in the Bikram Yoga Series.  This powerful posture works every muscle, joint, organ, tendon, ligament, and major gland of your body!  It is towards the end of the Standing Series and everything you have done up to now has prepared you for it.

It’s an “opening” posture – it’s going to open up the chest and of course the hips and other major joints.  I always think of it as a “heaven and earth” posture as your top half should be reaching for the stars while from the hips down you should be glued to the floor.

I always believe if you set your posture up before you start you will find a lot more strength and energy available to you and soon it will just feel “right”.  So here goes:

How to get the best out of the Triangle

This is a bigggg posture so you need to take a bigggg step to the right – at least 4 feet minimum while your arms raise over your head.  Now to balance that bring your arms down parallel to the floor.  This will open up the chest and give you more “puff” to hold the posture!  The stronger you can hold your arms the better or course and as always fingers and thumbs together and palms are down.  The added benefit to this is super toned arms as a result!

Focus in the mirror as this always gives you much more strength and before moving anything else open the hips up by pushing them forward and lean your upper body back (opens the chest).  From there turn your right foot all the way to the right.  Bikram always used to tell us to turn it “1/2 inch more” to make sure it is exactly parallel to the mirror or  wall  in front of you.  The heels should also be in one line as if you could draw a straight pencil line behind them.  These seemingly minute details will assist greatly with your alignment.  I’m a bit of a stickler for alignment as a sloppy set up completely messes with the integrity of the posture and is just plain uncomfortable for the student!  Once that “muscle memory” is there it will be easier from then on so it is really worth the work at the beginning.

Bending the knee is next (while your spine is straight) and trying to get the leg in that famous “upside down L shape” is the next challenge – again the posture will feel easier quicker if you can give attention to that.  The ankle and knee should be in line with each other to prevent any stress on the knee.  This is also where you try and keep those pesky hips down as they have a sneaky tendency to try and rise up at this point.

Keeping your hips forward and arms and body back so your chest is open and the spine is straight like a candle down the centre, inhale and as if a broom handle move both arms at the same time.  The right hand fingers should be placed between the big toe and second toe – the elbow being a the same level as the knee, taking care not to put any pressure or weight on the toes or the floor.  The weight should be on the bent leg instead.

Now it’s time for a bit of star gazing and eventually your chin will touch your shoulder.  At one time my chin was way off the shoulder – I could not understand how it would ever get there until one day it just did!  Sometimes the shifts can be very sudden so stay open to that possibility even if it seems a long way off today.

Taking a deep breath keep reaching for the moon and rolling the left hip forward push the other knee back with your elbow.   This ensures the joints are opening up and the alignment is kept.  Touch the toes!  The last part is a mini spine twist as you stretch up to the ceiling.

Ditto on the other side……

I know this posture sounds near on impossible but I have seen new students make incredibly fast progress if the set up is correct from the start.  Progress is made by “muscle memory” so may as well get that memory happening early on in the piece.   It truly amazes me every class and it is so rewarding to see.

Summary of the main points:

  • Step wide – at least 4 feet
  • Strong arms and open the chest as much as possible
  • Hips forward before turning the foot to the side
  • Try to keep the heels in one line and the foot turned “1/2 inch more” as detailed above
  • Bend the knee and aim for an upside down L shape
  • Take care that the knee is in line with the ankle
  • Try to move both arms at the same time as if they were a broom handle
  • Stretch up, stretch down – fingers between the big toe and second toe and the elbow in line with the knee
  • Try to keep the hips open and the bent knee back a little (without strain of course)
  • Touch the toes but with no weight on the toes or the floor
  • The spine twisting part at the end will ensure you reach for the stars!

The Benefits of Triangle pose

  • Works every muscle, organ, tendon, ligament, joint and major gland of the body – wow!
  • Strengthens and tones just about everything!
  • Opens up the chest
  • Great for posture
  • Tones the arms
  • Of course it works the spine – especially helpful for assisting with crooked spines and lumbago

Bevx

The Standing Series – Bikram Yoga

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The first part of class is the Standing Series and starts off with Pranayama Breathing – probably the most important “posture” of all.  Deep breathing will detox and revitalise the body in preparation for the practice of the following 25 postures.

The standing postures are designed to increase strength and flexibility and bring about a balance between the two.   If you are very flexible you may struggle more with the strength side of things and vice versa – great strength can compromise flexibility.   Strength can be seen as the masculine trait and flexibility can be seen as the feminine trait – whether you are male or female – the body is better off with a balance of both – go “Androgynous”!!!

The Balancing Series – i.e. Standing Head to Knee, Standing Bow Pulling Pose and Balancing Stick are all great postures to train the mind and body to work together and bring about that balance – a balance in the body created by a balance of the body and mind.

Each posture is specifically placed in an order to work the body systematically. For example an “opening posture” such as Triangle (sometimes known as the “Master Posture of the Series”) is followed by a compression posture – Standing Separate Leg Stretching – followed by another opener – Tree and so it goes on.  There’s a reason for everything.

At the end of the Standing Series there is a lovely 2 minute Savasana which I can guarantee will be well earnt and feels simply amazing!

Enjoy!

Beverley

 

 

Good lesson learnt – more water!

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Hello there

Well I’ve always said I learn from every class I practise and definitely every class I teach!

In the early days I did not use to drink as much water as I should as I was always worried that I would need to go to the loo mid class!  Then when it was really drilled into me that I should be drinking a lot more water than I had been, I started upping my intake.  What I found was my strength and practice was like night and day (it was almost like a totally different experience) and I was amazed at how such a simple thing could shift how much stronger and more capable I felt.

The other day I went to class and realised very early on in the piece that I did not feel as strong in the postures.   Then it dawned on me that not only had I eaten something salty for lunch I had not drunk very much water after that.  The difference in my practice was almost tangible so I thought I would reiterate it here how important it is to drink water throughout the day.   It really is necessary and definitely helps so much with your determination, concentration and focus which is such a part of this dynamic Bikram Yoga System.

Bevx

 

 

Bikram Yoga – what’s all the fuss about?

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Here is an article adapted from one of my earliest that I wrote on Bikram Yoga when it was virtually unknown in Europe:

Beverley Brown doing yoga

Bikram Yoga is reputed to be “THE most challenging, dynamic, effective, and hardworking yoga system” – a tall statement indeed – so how does it live up to this?

I must admit when I first started practicing Bikram Yoga many moons ago it was purely for vanity reasons – my body shaped up so quickly I thought I had found the perfect exercise. In those days that was all I was interested in I’m embarrassed to say. Although it appears to be more physically based, having practiced hatha yoga for over 40 years I must say the benefits are far more reaching.

So what makes Bikram Yoga so different?

Firstly, it is a scientifically designed system founded by one of the yoga world’s most famous gurus – Bikram Choudhury. Each 90 minute class consists of the same 26 postures designed to work out every single part of the body, both inside and out and much more. The pace is fairly fast compared to most other yoga classes and there is no meditation time. Bikram declares when you are truly concentrating on your practice, THAT in itself is the equivalent to a meditation – a moving, open eyed meditation. Certainly, you don’t have chance to think about anything else when you learn to be fully IN THE MOMENT.

Whilst the gyms and aerobic classes turn on the air conditioning Bikram teachers are doing the opposite – they are turning the heat up! There is method to this madness – warmed muscles are much less likely to suffer injury, toxins are released very quickly, the body rejuvenates, tones and shapes up at a much faster level. The challenge of working out in heat also trains the mind to detach from the environment which can be very useful in our daily lives. There are also many other benefits but the length of this article prevents me from giving too much detail.

Instruction of the postures is very exact by way of a continual dialogue and aims to motivate and correctly align the student preventing bad habits from occurring. It is this precision that I believe sets Bikram yoga apart from any other hatha yoga that I have practiced.

Repetition is the Mother of Success

You may have heard the saying “Repetition is the mother of success” and this is a perfect example. By hearing the same instructions class after class the mind starts to understand the postures and then the body begins to be able to perform them. As Bikram says, your body is capable of much more than your mind lets it do.

Progress can therefore be extremely fast and in my experience after a few classes even total beginners can look as if they have been practicing yoga for years. It is so rewarding to encourage people and see them surpass their own expectations in a relatively short period of time. There is no competition in class as everyone simply performs the postures to their own ability.

Another thing that makes Bikram Yoga unique is that it attracts people from all walks of life. From athletes to city workers, from spiritual adepts to the body conscious – everyone gets what they need out of their practice. Even a few confirmed couch potatoes have been converted!

Contrary to popular opinion, sport can actually wear out the body tissues but this can be counteracted by additionally practicing yoga as it actually rebuilds the body by encouraging new cell growth and is ideal for stretching out. It can also give a leading edge in competition sports with increased concentration, determination, as well as the necessary strength and flexibility. Removal of toxins and the thorough cleansing of the emotional and mental bodies helps to eliminates stress and provide clarity and peace of mind. For myself, after class the feeling of a clear body and well-being is second to none.

Bikram is very definite in his belief that the way to the spiritual is through the physical. Consequently every posture works the spine in some way and by the end of each class the spine has moved in every direction encouraging the free flow of Universal energy with which we are continually provided every moment of our lives. On a physical level this energy basically keeps us alive by feeding our energy centres known as chakras. These in turn direct the energy to the internal organs for their proper functioning via the endocrine glands. If the energy gets blocked along the way, ageing, stiffness, disease and illness result. Again this subject is enormous but for the purposes of this article it is sufficient to say that the free flow of this powerful energy keeps the body and mind healthy and helps prevent problems.

You may have guessed I love this subject and I have continued studying the body for many years and from a number of different angles. I am qualified in many energy based therapies including various types of massage but my first love is teaching yoga and how our consciousness has an immediate effect on the body.

Bevx

What’s in a Bikram Yoga Class?

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A Bikram Yoga class is quite a different experience from what a lot of people may expect from a yoga class and there are reasons for this of course.  There’s no OMMING, no chanting, no time for meditation and definitely no navel gazing!

Instead the comparatively fast paced 90 minute class concentrates on working every bone, limb, organ, muscle, ligament, fibre and even cell of your body – inside and out – bones to skin and fingers to toes!  It is very physical and it therefore demands concentration, determination and focus of the mind.  It is when the mind and body are working together instead of two separate entities that the magic can begin!

26 Postures to include 2 Breathing ones

There are 26 postures that except for a few are performed twice in the same order each time.  They therefore systematically and synergistically work each part of the body to bring maximum function to all the internal organs, blood vessels, ligaments, muscles – you name it – nothing gets left out!

Bikram Choudhury doing Head to Knee with Stretching PoseYoga rebuilds the body from the inside out and with Bikram Yoga the postures are performed in a heated room to speed up this process.  Waste products and toxins of all the glands and organs of the body are flushed away and old cells are sloughed off quicker as the body is cleansed at a cellular level.

Beginner’s Class – challenging but not advanced

The postures are challenging but not advanced in any way – the 90 minute class is actually the Beginner’s Class and everyone practices the postures to the best of their ability.  Everyone’s body is different and some postures that seem easy for some will be more challenging for others and vice versa.  Each person will have their own goal and accomplishment and that is all that matters.  The standing postures train the mind, and encourage a balance of both strength and flexibility.  The floor postures work the insides of the body – and ensures correct functioning of the organs and glands.  When the insides are working efficiently the outside can take shape.

 After class – bliss!

I have to say there is nothing quite like it on the planet and the feeling after class is second to none. No matter how hard your day was or how stressed you felt before you went to class – guaranteed it’s all forgotten as you float out of class!

Bevx

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