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Bikram Yoga Postures – Friend or Foe?

April 25, 2015 By Beverley Brown 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

 

Filed Under: Athletes and Sport, General, Newbies and nearly newbies Tagged With: athletics, Bikram Yoga, change your mind, concentration, emotional, focus, friend, gratitude, mental, physical, physical health, posture, spiritual, sport, yoga classes, yoga practice

What’s the difference between yoga and sport / fitness?

March 25, 2015 By Beverley Brown Leave a Comment

All movement of the body is great – after all you need to move to maintain flexibility and strength in the body for starters.  It also helps the mind to get clearer – one of the keys to your body feeling  a lot more ease.

I’m not a runner but I know lots of runners who say that their sport allows them to go into the “zone” and when they are they in the zone they feel like they can run a lot easier and further etc etc.   It is the same in yoga when you obtain that mind / body connection you can experience a lot more ability and ease in the body.

But what then is the main difference with yoga?   Once again it is a massive subject but in the context of this post if you check out the page on this website (bikramyoga.je if you are on Facebook) about Bikram he boldly states:

“ Yoga is the only exercise on this planet from which you gain energy instead of burning energy. ”

He also went on to explain in class that consistent sport can wear down (or even damage) parts of the body after a long period of time or if there is a repeated action on one side of the body such as in tennis etc.  Some sports can also create a lot of tightness in certain areas of the body.  If you are an athlete you will probably relate to some of this!

So what does Bikram mean by that and what is the difference with yoga? It is that yoga works from the inside of the body to the outside not the other way round.  Every yoga posture (in the Bikram Yoga series at least) will work the spine – the “backbone” of your body – the “backbone” of your life in fact!  It has a knock on effect on your glandular system and therefore the organs and so it goes on!  Without a healthy spine, many parts of the body would be compromised not only physically but internally too.  Together with the brain, the spine forms the body’s nervous system which is essential for maintaining mental and emotional health which in turn is a major contributor to bodily health.   Suffice to say the spine is the centre of your body and it affects every other part.   With regular practice of yoga you will begin to realise that everything is linked and yoga is therefore is a “wholistic” method of exercise and also a completely natural type of “medicine” so to speak!

So what does that mean – you shouldn’t do sport? – of course not  – I’m a great believer in doing what you love as that in itself is a major reason to do it!  However it may be a good idea to incorporate a regular yoga practice to counteract the wearing down of tissues and the muscle damage that can occur.

Yoga is actually a “generator” of your body and does not deplete it or wear it down – it actually rejuvenates and can even reverse and at least halt the aging process.  This subject is my favourite of course but it will need a few more posts to talk about that!  It’s all about that “life force” (and more importantly what you do with it) that I mentioned in my earlier post.

I hope this explains at least a bit so you if you don’t like sport or normal fitness classes OR if you love it and want to stretch out and repair the body you may wish to give yoga a go!

Bev x

Filed Under: Athletes and Sport, General, Newbies and nearly newbies, News Tagged With: athlete, athletic, brain, cycling, emotional health, mental health, nervous system, physical health, spine, sport, tennis

Yoga leggings, other leggings and capris are now available in the 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.

Basic information for first timers

Welcome to Bikram Yoga!
If you have never attended a Bikram class before there may be a few things that you need to know. Bring a mat and a towel to put on top of it. If you wish to shower on site you will need another towel for that. Make sure you drink lots of water throughout the day as you will sweat. Also do not eat anything for about 3 hours before class. Wear something you can stretch in and nothing too baggy or it will feel hotter. We don't drink water until after Eagle Pose - not too long to wait and remember you can drink before class starts! Take it easy on your first class - just get used to the heat and the environment. Smile and come back next time!

Recent Posts

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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.

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