Bikram Yoga Classes in Jersey

Please share if you like this site

The Standing Series – Bikram Yoga

By Leave a Comment

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!

By Leave a Comment

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?

By Leave a Comment

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?

By Leave a Comment

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

Why Bikram Yoga is so Effective on the Body

By Leave a Comment

Bikram Choudhury doing Bow Pulling PoseIf you have ever taken a Bikram Yoga class anywhere in the world you will notice that the teacher seems to a have a problem with verbal diarrhoea!  I had to laugh when a student (who is now an amazing teacher) likened it to a “rap” when he attended his first class with me!  Yes I agree when you are not used to it it can seem a bit intrusive but after this post you may think a bit differently.

There is a reason for everything in Bikram Yoga – e.g. the heat, the order of postures, the timing and definitely the detail and that is probably why it is the most comprehensive series of postures that work every inch of you – inside and out – from bones to skin – from the fingers to the toes – to quote the Founder himself!

Every posture comes with a detailed set of instructions.  Why is that so?  Partly to ensure the correct timing (those last few seconds are the most effective) but also because we can get very “creative” in adapting postures to suit ourselves and thereby avoiding the whole point of the posture!  I know I was guilty of this for years, like Eagle Pose for example, being told to suck in my stomach at the same time as twist myself into a pretzel was going a bit too far I thought!  Come on Bikram – really???  Yes really!

Awkward Pose – the same thing – when your legs feel like jelly and then you have to make sure your stance is an exact “H” not even a slight hint of a “V” in there – oh PLEEASSSEE!  (Don’t worry if you have never done Bikram Yoga before and you think I’m talking gobbeldy gook – come to class and all will be revealed!)

I found out many years later how incredible each line of the dialogue really is and that is why I decided to teach this yoga again.  I took a break for a while and concentrated more on shifting the limitations of my mind / consciousness, and then when Bikram Yoga “came” to me again I was able to see everything with a fresh perspective and definitely new awareness and understanding of the postures.  I was amazed that much of the information that I had learnt and the awarenesses that I had gained in later years from many, many other body/mind modalities (I was a workshop junkie!) was actually already included in this series of postures and I was inspired once again.

I truly believe the detail, the timing, the order and the precision of the postures is one of the biggest gifts of Bikram Yoga.  I have taught this Yoga to many students over the years in various places around the world and I see first hand the difference that the Bikram detail (once applied) makes in anyone’s yoga practice and body and it is simply amazing.

Of course I understand if you have some bodily or physical challenges there may be much you cannot do and that is OK!  Just do the postures to the best of your ability in that moment (and never forget that things can change in any moment too – never limit yourself with your thoughts).  Concentrate on what you can do and do not judge yourself for what you can’t do right now and you will still get 100% benefit.  That is why anyone can do Bikram Yoga.

Even if you have practiced for many years and are proficient in the postures, make the effort to “re-hear” the instruction and see for yourself how many “short cuts” you take in your practice – as I said – we can get very “creative”!

There are gems hidden in the detail I can assure you.

Bevx

Why does Bikram Yoga use heat?

By Leave a Comment

Bikram Yoga is practiced in a hot room for a number of reasons – too numerous to detail in this post – however I can at least explain a few.  Of course one obvious reason is that the heat allows the body to feel more flexible and therefore can help the student to get into the postures,  reducing the chance of injury.   However that doesn’t mean you should abandon all awareness of what your body can do today – mind/body connection AND awareness should be paramount!  Some days you may be more flexible than others – and that’s OK!  It’s all part of a fascinating process!

The heat also serves as a detox  – not only a physical detox as you will sweat but it also provides a mental and emotional detox too.  For a beginner it encourages the practice of controlling the mind as of course it will feel a bit different if you have never worked out in heat before.

Remember however, whatever you put your focus on will increase so it is prudent to concentrate more on you than the heat.  By focussing on the heat you will give it more power and you don’t want to give your power away to something outside of yourself!  You have a far greater inner power which is waiting to serve you  – all it needs is your acknowledgement and your attention.

The “outer” is nothing compared to the “inner” so if you feel the heat – don’t get out of the kitchen / or yoga class! – just focus on your heart and BREATHE – that is where the power is to overcome what you think is bigger than you.  By doing that, it keeps you calm and you realise that the heat is not a problem at all.

After a few classes you will begin to love it – or even better you won’t even notice it at all, as all your attention will be on the wonderful you!

The Benefits of Heat in a Bikram Yoga Class:

  • Allows the body to get deeper into the postures
  • Physical detox when sweating
  • Emotional and mental detox as the control of the mind is increased
  • Allows you to prove your inner power
  • Melts and moulds stiff and brittle fascia in the body keeping the organs working well
  • Can help to mould your body into it’s lovely new shape!
  • and more….

Bevxx

 

How Bikram Yoga was introduced to the West

By Leave a Comment

I love the fact that yoga has been around for thousands of years – in India at least.  Then you can trust that it is not just a fad – it has a solid foundation that has been proved to assist the body, mind and soul for millennia.  It is only relatively recently that people in the West have been introduced to the practice.

By the way, Hatha Yoga is the name given to the physical type of yoga (there are many types) and the Bikram Method is just one type of Hatha Yoga.  Bikram’s is reputed to be the most hard working, dynamic, challenging and effective series of postures as it works every muscle, tendon, ligament, internal organ, every inch of the spine – you name it – it gets worked – right down to the cellular level.

What you may not know is that it was the Hollywood actress Shirley Maclaine who originally “found” Bikram on one of her spiritual journeys through India and it was her who persuaded him to come to the United States to establish his type of yoga there as she felt it could help people from all walks of life.

It caused quite a stir especially in Hollywood where many stars, celebrities, and professional sports people sweated their butts off in classes taught specifically by Bikram Choudhury himself – the founder of this ground breaking yoga system.

The first Bikram book was published in the Seventies and it was this book that I studied and practiced from every day for 12 years in my bedroom before waking up suddenly one morning with an absolute knowing that I had to teach it!  Over the decades it has spread dynamically around the world, myself being the second person in Europe to have been trained in this system.   I originally brought it to Jersey in April 1997 and it took the island by storm!

It is definitely a challenging workout but my aim in teaching is to impart the importance of what I believe it is really about and that is a “body mind connection” experience.  The more harmony you can create between your body and mind the better your body will be.   Once you can establish that it is amazing what your body will do!

Bevx

Why are my best Bikram Yoga classes when I’m tired?

By Leave a Comment

I have noticed something time and time again.  Sometimes when so tired from being in an office all day and almost talking myself out of going to class I actually have the most amazing class and to top it all I am no longer tired afterwards!   Why is that?

Well yoga actually gives you energy instead of depleting you of it as it works from the inside out not the outside in.   The body actually has so much energy available that we are not even aware of and it is just waiting to be released.  You could look at the postures as a way to free up that energy.  As you allow the body to move and be held in certain positions “trapped energy” will be released and start to flow more.  After regular practice you may notice how life “flows” more when practicing yoga than when you don’t as the body is intrinsicly linked to all areas of your life.

By the way, you may wish to look at inflexibility as energy that has got stuck – once you move that body part a few times, blocked energy frees up and the body “becomes more flexible”.

When you’re tired you may just not “try so hard” but instead let go and allow the body to open up, allow energy to flow which will automatically bring more ease to the body.  For a long time I used to “fear” some postures as I found they hurt but after studying energy and many other modalities over the years I realise now that I was not willing to just let go – I was trying to control it so I would “get it right”.  So for me when I am tired I let go so much easier, I stop trying so hard and hey presto I have a great class and uncannily feel much stronger and have oodles of energy after class as an added bonus!

You may like to give it a go when you find yourself battling the excuse of being too tired to go to class.  You could be pleasantly surprised at the result!

Bevx

Bikram Yoga Postures – Friend or Foe?

By Leave a Comment

When practicing Bikram Yoga you will inevitably find some postures easy but there may be a few that seem incredibly hard!  Perhaps it’s the balancing on one leg bit that challenges you the most or maybe trying to place the head on the knee and not below the knee in the many compression postures.  Often, for someone who has a busy and hectic life or is an ideas type person, the Savasana (the lying down between the floor postures) maybe the biggest hurdle of all!  Everyone is different and can be challenged in different ways.  The person on the left of you may do a near perfect Standing Bow Pulling Pose but find the Triangle somewhat difficult!  So what causes this?

A strange phemonena!

Well one “phenomena” I have noticed happen many, many times over that when something is going to do us “good” or provide some type of freedom for example, there is a part of us that fights that or tries to push it away!  You may have experienced that yourself in other parts of life too.  Sometimes we hold back on allowing ourselves to experience the good stuff and will find a way to “block” it.   I can categorically say from my own experience and from talking to friends, it is quite common.

So what is the posture actually doing?

So what does that have to do with the postures?  Well each posture is placing the body in a certain position to allow it to experience certain things.  Some postures for example, will stimulate organs whilst in the position, bringing the body back into balance when lying in Savasana.  Other postures will stretch the spine out as much as possible and compress the internal organs, others will do the opposite by compressing the spine and stretching out the internals.  Standing Bow Pulling Pose for example will shunt blood from one side of the body to the other and then stimulate a balance of the two sides of the body when you stand still after the posture.  Others assist greatly in the training of the mind and focus.  And so it goes on.  There is a reason (or rather many) for every posture.  Yoga is holistic, the postures work on other levels too, not only on the physical but also on the mental, emotional and if you are open enough, even the spiritual too.

Don’t fight or resist the posture!

The reason why I have explained the above is that very often the posture that you or your body needs the most will be the one you dislike, or even “dread” the most or find the most challenging!  It is almost like there is an internal (subconscious) fight going on.  I have taught several types of energy work for many years and this is the thing that has fascinated me the most.  We can often put up amazing resistance to the things that will allow us to change something for the better.  It feels easier to stay in the comfort zone instead of challenging yourself to go outside of it!  This is actually a very large subject and I am finding it hard to put into words but I hope you get the gist by the end of this post!

See the posture as the gift it really is!

So what to do about it?  Change your feeling and focus about the posture.  That actually is very easy to do as it is just a thought and feeling.  It may take longer for the body to enjoy the posture but you can change what you think about it in a nano-second!  So instead of seeing it as the posture to dread, or the “punishment” it may feel like at the moment, see it is the “gift” it really is for you.  Have gratitude for what it is doing, even for how it is teaching you something about yourself for example.

Be aware that on some level this posture could give you a freedom that you may never have experienced before. It could give you incredible focussing ability to improve your sport for example.   It could just open you up to many opportunities.

Funnily enough, once you’ve cracked this, more often than not it will then become your favourite posture and the easiest to do!

So is that Bikram Yoga posture your friend or foe?

It is whatever you choose it to be in that moment!

Bevx

 

Archives

Yoga Leggings and Capris are available in my online shop

image of surf's up yoga leggings
Over 80 different Yoga Leggings designs are now available in several sizes. They can also be purchased in a plainer style in both long and capri lengths. These can be used for yoga and also as a welcome addition to any wardrobe! Click here to go to the shop and browse the many designs available.

Please follow & like us :)

RSS
Follow by Email
Facebook
Facebook