"This Yoga Saved My Life"

 Above photo via the Bikram Women's Retreat on Facebook. Photo below via FYeahYoga.

"Yoga saved my life. I now have the flexibility to cope, the calm to breathe, and the strength to hold on."


Have you ever heard a story like this? Or perhaps your yoga journey involves one that's similar?


I recently read a Patch article starring a yogini with a comparable tale. It reads:


"This yoga saved my life," said Curnett, who said she went went from having terrible asthma and allergies, being overweight, and being stressed out to becoming more forgiving, patient and loving. She's also given birth – twice – and returned to her pre-pregnancy weight both times.


I'm constantly astounded by the way a strong yoga practice can change a life so intensely. Yoga opens up so many possibilities, so many opportunities to grow -- both physically and mentally.


I'm taking a Bikram yoga class tonight after having been away from the studio on a slight hiatus. While I'm a little nervous to return to the heat, I can also feel by body longing for the medicine it so needs and has been missing. Then I've got a massage afterward... can't wait!


How has your yoga changed you lately? Do you find that change comes in waves when it comes to your yoga?


Sometimes it seems like what's happening in our lives is mirrored by what's happening in our yoga practice. Our strength on the mat leads to our strength in the world... and that, dear readers, is a wonderful thing.

 Above photo via Clayton Austin Photography. Below photo via Max Wanger.

Yogi Tattoos: Got One?

Photos via the Bikram Women's Retreat on Facebook.

Hey yogis! Happy Thursday. Hope you're having a rockin' end to the week.

Are you practicing your yoga? I'm excited: I'm heading to a class tonight at Grateful Yoga of Evanston, a local studio I love. Nick and Lela, the owners and head teachers there, are amazing people. So full of heart! I'll be posting about them again soon.

Plus, tomorrow I'm going to be teaching a little mini yoga class at Northwestern's huge philanthropy event Dance Marathon. I'll be leading the group's highest fundraising individuals (probably around 20-30 undergrads) in a short flow class. It should be fun to incorporate the most invigorating postures so they don't fall asleep on me! During the event they dance for 30 hours straight, and the class is being held about half way through... so I'll be making it as engaging and fun as possible. No savasanas :)

It should be a fun and yoga-filled end to the week. Where are you practicing?

And are you sporting a sweet tattoo at your yoga studio? Lately I've been a little obsessed with them.

I'm also planning a blog post featuring yogis I know with awesome body art. Want to be included? Send me an email with an image of your tattoo! (You can reach me at aliveinthefire at gmail dot com.) You can also leave a comment below and I'll follow up with you. 


Hope to hear from you (and see your sick tatts) soon, yogis!


PS Check out Teeg's awesome response to this post. Namaste.

Losing the Ego

Photo via Bikram Yoga Chaswick in London.

I came across an awesome article on Yoga Journal today about important lessons that will transform your yoga practice. It's inspired me to reflect on some of the same topics, especially what the place is for ego in the yoga room -- which is nowhere.


There is no place for the ego in the yoga room. The effort of yoga is to lose the ego, to experience motionless, to embody effortlessness... while exerting maximum effort.

Can you try harder? If you can, you must. Photo via the Bikram Women's Retreat on Facebook.

Once you learn to give up your own ego in the room, on your mat, and at your studio, then your heart opens to what yoga truly is.


Yoga is not about judging. It is about forgiving. And not just others around you, but forgiving yourself. For being imperfect. For sometimes judging yourself based on your ability to execute a posture rather than on your own personal character and true worth.


Yoga is about meeting your edge in class, not comparing yourself to others and risking injury.


Yoga is about taking care of yourself in the room, while also listening to your instructor's words to push, push, push you to do your best.


Yoga is about not being scared to fail and try again. Like if you fall out of a posture, you get right back in. Or if you fall on your face because you tried a ridiculously hard arm balance, you laugh it off and are proud of yourself for giving your best effort.

Photo via Yoga Dudes on Tumblr.

Yoga requires effort. Yes, we relax in savasana and in child's pose or half-tortoise pose, but a majority of our class is spent focusing our energies toward specific muscle groups. Flexing those muscles. Learning what power we have. Finding a perfect marriage of the heart and lungs. Or maybe even having a mini heart attack now, so we won't suffer one later!


If you're not sweating, concentrating hard, and challenging yourself, you're not making the most of your yoga experience. And this goes for both heated and non-heated classes :)

Now that's yoga that requires effort: Balancing Stick pose! Photo via Bikram Yoga Richmond.

In yoga, you learn to let go. Even if you're annoyed by the yogis around you, or the teacher at the podium, or the stuff that happened at work before you came to class.


Unless you allow yourself to clear your mind by engaging your body, your yoga gets you nowhere.

Photo via the Bikram Women's Retreat on Facebook.

Run, Yoga, Run: The Bikram Athlete

Photo illustration via Blow Up Studios and their ad campaign for Pure Yoga. 

Hey yogis. How is your week going? Are you busy shoveling snow?


Perhaps you've had to mix up your workout this week because of inclement weather. Just this morning the Hubs and I helped push a neighbor's car over a pile of snow, and it got me thinking about those muscles we don't usually use in the Bikram room. By engaging in other core-building or stamina-enhancing exercise, we can improve our yoga practice. 


Sometimes we need to mix it up in order to improve not only our physical health, but our mental health, too. The repetitive nature of Bikram yoga (as a result of the dialogue and our familiarity with the 26-posture sequence) makes it tempting to zone out during class -- to disengage, stop listening, and go with what we know.


At those moments, we risk injury.


Often it can be great to mix up your work out routine by adding different styles of yoga or different cardio activities to your schedule.


Do any of you readers do Bikram on the side? Maybe you are into cross training, running, swimming, or biking -- but you find yoga to be a great complement to your other athletic endeavors.


No matter what your first fitness love is, Bikram can help you build the strength and flexibility you need to perform at your best, and live your healthiest life.

Photo illustration via Blow Up Studios.

One reader of the blog recently contacted me about her work as a personal trainer. Jeozette of MVP Personal Fitness Consulting recommends that athletes balance their cardio with Bikram, as the two can inform each other and provide awesome balance. The rest of this post is adapted from Joezette's article here.

You Gotta Have: Total-Body Conditioning 
(not simply strong quads) 

Consistent running can lead to a lot of tightness and strain in the spine, shoulders, hamstrings, and hips. This is why it is so important to condition and stretch those areas to develop more strength and movement to your body.


Try the following cross-training exercise to build arm strength and flexibility.


EXERCISE: Push-up; one of the best exercise for muscles of the chest (pectorals), arms (bicep and triceps) and core development.


Start face down on the floor with your feet together curled slightly so you rise on the ball of your feet. Place you hands close together so your thumbs and index fingers form a triangle on the floor. Keep your stomach contracted.
Inhale as you raise your body up till your arms are straight. Keep your head and neck level with your body and back straight. Exhale out as you lower your body back to the ground.

Photo via mewall82 on Flickr.

You Gotta Be: Pain Free!

Bikram Yoga will put an end to the tightness that leads to pain by opening up your joints and stretching all your ligaments, tendons, and muscles. Remember that running doesn't use ALL your muscles. You need a pose that will utilize your whole body.


Try the following Bikram Yoga pose to help straighten rounded spines and relieve backaches. This pose will also increase circulation to the spine and strengthen the abs, arms, thighs, and hips.It will improve the flexibility of the scapula, deltoids, and traps.


POSE: Bow Pose; Start lying on your stomach, bend your knees and bring your feet down towards your glutes. Reach back with your arms, take hold of each foot from the outside, grasping about two inches below the toes. Keep your feet and knees six inches apart throughout the pose. Take a deep breathe, look up towards the ceiling and lift thighs and upper body off the floor. Kick back lifting legs higher off the floor. The main goal is to balance on your abdomen. Hold pose for 20 seconds while breathing in and out through the nose.

Photo via creativENERGYoga on Flickr.

You Gotta Have: Agility, Coordination, and Balance

Agility, coordination, and balance are also important factors in day-to-day activities, such as standing and walking or (running). Try the following Cross-training exercise to improve these basic functions.


EXERCISE: Jump Rope; Holding the jump rope handles, one in each hand, the rope should be resting on the ground directly behind your feet. Your head should be up, eyes looking forward, not down at your feet. Your elbows should be positioned in close to your body. During the jump, your body should be erect. A basic jump is straight up and down and about 1 inch high. The rope gets its momentum with a basic swing of the wrist and forearms. The knees should flex and extend slightly with each jump. As you jump, try to develop a rhythm (the speed at which the rope turns).

Photo via kait.rich on Flickr.

Bottom line? Mix up your work out and balance it out with some hot yoga! You'll be happy you did when the winter storm hits and you don't have to pull any muscles while shoveling snow. 

Have any other advice on how to adapt to Bikram as an athlete? I'd love to hear from you, runners, swimmers, bikers, and tri-athletes! Leave a comment below.

Photo illustration via Blow Up Studios.

Get To Yoga Giveaway, Round Two

Photo via Dudes Doing Yoga. 

2011 is a great year for yoga. Are you practicing regularly?


Whether you've been on the mat every day in January or you are in need of a push in that direction, I've got a special giveaway today for you.


Calling all sexy, motivated yogis and yoginis!

Enter below to win one piece of clothing from PhatBuddha. Photos via the PhatBuddha site. 

Comment below to win the Get to Yoga Giveaway (round two!), featuring:

• One piece (top or bottom, guy or girl) from Phat Buddha Wear.
• Some HuggerMugger mat cleaner via Yoga With Style.
• A couple of fancy soaps, including one from Sharilynn Studios on Etsy.
• Handmade/ handrawn note cards from DrawnbyNatski and ElisaAnn.
• Personalized inspiration for your new year from me! That's right, I'll be writing you a little note and mailing it myself. You'll also have the chance to ask me questions about poses you need help with, advice on how to take your practice to the next level, and anything else you can think of. I'll include a general guideline for trying Bikram (if you're a beginner) or stepping up your advanced class (if you've been in the heat for a while).

Win these notecards from ElisaAnn on Etsy by entering below. 

Win this lovely any-occasion greeting card from DrawnbyNatski on Etsy.

Win the yoga mat cleaner at right from Yoga With Style (made by Hugger Mugger).

Win a handmade soap from Sharilynn1999 on Etsy.

With this giveaway, you'll be all set to practice your yoga, keep clean after class, write to friends and family via snail mail (a fun way to keep in touch), and ask your favorite yoga blogger for new ideas on deepening your practice!


It's a pretty big win-win situation: a whole new year, a whole new you.


Plus, an incentive for all readers: get FREE SHIPPING on your order with Iluka Activewear if you enter the coupon code "ALIVE" when you check out. Comfortable and sexy outfits with free shipping... it doesn't get much better than that :) 


To win, please visit each shop and comment below with your favorite item you found. Also please note your yoga goals for 2011!

Everywhere Yoga

Bring your yoga anywhere. Photo via FYeahYoga.

I love that you can bring your yoga anywhere. What we learn on the mat can be used at any moment: at a friend's birthday party, when you're upset with someone you love, when you've stubbed your toe or missed the bus and need to deal.


Especially in Bikram, you learn this sort of 'everywhere yoga.'


Standing face-to-face in that heat, you've got to decide not to suffer, or chances are, you will. You must ignore the rest of the room -- the day, the thoughts, the world -- and enter your meditation.


Lately I've been so grateful that since I returned from the holidays, it feels like my yoga is back. Not only while I'm practicing (and I have had two of the most electric, ecstatic classes I've ever experienced this week), but also during the small moments of my day, I am calm, at peace, in the moment.


I am patient, even during the annoying moments or when I encounter frustrations or sadness.


I am my yogi self again, finally! Body, mind, and spirit have aligned, and it feels beyond wonderful. Have you experienced this sort of interconnected joy? Once you have, losing it can be really hard. And during our travels and my hiatus from the home studio, I felt as though I had lost that self-loving, flexible, upbeat yogi me.


Well, welcome back, yogi me!

You are your meditation, not the world around you. Photo via FYeahYoga.

Today at the studio I practiced in a class of 60 people. 60 yogis! We were sardines, piled in the room. I was in the first row, on the hot side. I was a puddle before pranayama even got going! At one point, I literally felt as though I had melted. I was a wet noodle.


It was awesome.


I was definitely the flower petal blooming! I loved the warm up series, and the way my body just moved to the words, bending and opening and relaxing into each posture. There was no resistance; I could not resist any posture because I had no energy to overcome the intense heat. (Before class, I checked the little thermometer up on the teacher's podium. It read 107! And that's before everyone was in the room, working up a sweat.) Incredible. It's amazing to me what a difference those two to three degrees make!


It was a beautiful class. Such an intense mixture of concentration from the new students, as they strained their ears to listen to the words and do the postures correctly, and joy and strength from the advanced students, as though their energy and expertise were pulling the rest of the bodies through when they thought it was time to give up.


We had a fair amount of drama in class, too. During the warm up, a new guy decided he had to leave the room. He was muttering "I'll be fine, I'll be fine" as he marched out of class, our teacher desperately asking "Where are you going?!" in between sets. He did come back, which was impressive. And the yogi by the door who didn't have enough room for Triangle finally figured out that it would help to scoot up toward the mirror.


We got through. We made it. And I was actually laughing the whole way through, marveling at what an interesting psychology experiment a yoga room really can be sometimes.


The lady next to me and I were chuckling at a few points along the way, too. Right before Full Locust she put her whole arm on my arm, locking us together as if we were one strong yogini, a force to be reckoned with.


We both smiled, dripping sweat in each other's space. And then we rocked the posture.


This was truly the bliss of Bikram: to be so close to your fellow yogis, so overwhelmingly given in to the situation, so intensely and intently present in the room. Unable to resist, and not wanting to.


To be able to smile through the second set of an exhausting posture while most other yogis are cringing and letting themselves to suffer instead of relax.


To, quite simply, be there.


To be.


I felt exhilarated. I'm going back as soon as I can.

Enjoy your yoga in the everyday. Photo via FYeahYoga.

Morning, Yogis

Photo via Mika Yoga Wear on Facebook.

Hello morning yogis! Are you rolling out your mats for your first class of 2011? Me too. I'm really excited to get a 90-minute torture session in before we pack up and head out to Chicago today.


I need the heat!


I hope you're enjoying the day and sticking to your practice. There is nothing better!


Here's to making 2011 a year for yoga.

Change Your Life

Photo by the one and only Cassi Saari.

Anyone know this famous Rilke poem? I was reading it over again today, trying to inspire up some poetry, and I fell in love with the last line all over again.

Plus, it's an all-around fantastic poem to be reading as the year draws to a close.
Archaic Torso of Apollo

by Ranier Maria Rilke
We cannot know his legendary head
with eyes like ripening fruit. And yet his torso
is still suffused with brilliance from inside
like a lamp, in which his gaze, now turned to low,

gleams in all its power. Otherwise
the curved breast could not dazzle you so, nor could
a smile run through the placid hips and thighs
to that dark center where procreation flared.

Otherwise this stone would seem defaced 
beneath the translucent cascade of the shoulders
and would not glisten like a wild beast's fur:

would not, from all the borders of itself,
burst like a star: for here there is no place
that does not see you. You must change your life.

These beautiful words are based on an unfinished statue, and the way it took the breath away of a poet as he viewed another artist's work. Have you ever been blown away by art so fully that you feel you must change your life?

Now is the time of year that I think about the transformations we go through, the way our art changes, our circle of friends shifts, our time spent moves toward new activity. 

This is definitely the time of year when I look back, and there's a lot from 2010 to remember.

A year ago my sister had a newborn; now she smiles at a little boy and prays with him and teaches him how to speak.

A year ago the Hubs and I were stressed-out students, dating and longing for marriage, trying to plan the details of our Big Day. Here we are now, enjoying the holidays together and getting ready to return to our urban apartment life and full-time jobs.

A year ago today I was about to experience a panic attack, a tough bout of depression, and a long haul climbing back to my usual energetic, well-slept self. Today I feel amazing, so much more in tune with my personal needs and capabilities, and now I know that I have the power to avoid ever slipping into such a dark place again. I'm well-armed with family and friends that mean the world to me, with my yoga practice, and with a life spent doing the things I love. (And a blog where I can write about them and share them with you, dear readers!)

I couldn't be happier to be here, guys. Thanks for reading!

A year ago I didn't know the joys of Bikram or whether I'd have a steady job that I liked after graduating from Northwestern. Today I work full-time at a company I love, and I have plans to complete Bikram Yoga Teacher Training and fulfill my dreams of sharing this yoga with others.

A year ago none of us were who we are today.

It's been a crazy year, yogis! It's been an awesome one, too. Hope you are having fun taking a glance back at where you've been, and getting pumped for what's to come. Here's wishing you a wonderful close to 2010, and please share your stories past, present and future!

As for the Winter Extravaganza... a big congrats to Emily. You win the NYE giveaway! Please contact me with your mailing address so we can get those goodies shipped.

And speaking of shipping, if there are any winners out there who are still waiting to receive loot (and who have been waiting a while), please contact me ASAP. I want to make sure you all get your gifts in a reasonable amount of time. 

A big thanks to all our wonderful Alive in the Fire partners, too. You guys are some of the most generous people I've ever encountered (honestly!) and I hope you've enjoyed the exposure to the lovely Bikram community here at the blog. 

Namaste to all, and happy impending 2011!

Photo by the tall and talented Cassi Saari.

A quick and final note on partners: I will be posting more in-depth in the next week on what it means to partner with Alive in the Fire, how you can get involved, and the benefits of getting exposure to this Bikram yoga and blogging community. If you've got a small business -- yoga related or not -- and want to promote your goods through a lively, green, and growing outlet, please contact me today @ aliveinthefire at gmail dot com. I am looking forward to collaborating with you!

Get to Yoga Giveaway

Mika Yoga Wear in action via the company's Facebook profile.

If you're like me, then practicing yoga is one of your biggest resolutions for 2011. In fact, the entry on your list probably reads: 

More yoga, more yoga, more yoga!

Are you ready to hit the Hot Room for some Bikram sessions? 


Signed up for some Hatha, Yin, Ashtanga and Kripalu classes to balance out your fire?


Maybe you need a little push toward your mat. Perhaps a hot top from Mika Yoga Wear would help? This line is inspired by dance wear and is made to hold up especially well in the heat.

Who wouldn't want to wear outfits that allow you to do this?! Mika Yoga Wear in action via the company's Facebook profile. 

Evanston yogis, maybe you could use a free week of classes, and a little break on your bank account? I've got you covered. Nick and Lela Beem, the generous owners at Grateful Yoga in Evanston, are donating a free week pass to today's giveaway.

Lela and Nick Beem of Grateful Yoga in Evanston are incredible teachers and some of the best studio owners I know.

Today's giveaway features one item from Mika, plus a free week of classes at Grateful Yoga in Evanston, IL! (Open to Chicagoland residents only, please.) 

To enter, please check out each site and enter a comment below about why you're excited to get back to your mat & which Mika piece you'd love to have.

Double your chances of winning by doing any of the following. Be sure to note this in your comment below, so I enter your name twice!

• Check out Mika's social media sites and leave feedback on their Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube site. While you're at it, read owner Laura's stellar LinkedIn profile and connect with her there.
• Read Nick Beem's blog about all things yoga and the way he balances being a teacher, business owner, and loving husband.
• Connect with Grateful Yoga on Facebook.

 

More about Mika Yoga Wear, the supportive, sexy line you've got to try:

Developed by a Hot Yoga yogini, each piece in the line was made with the right understanding and care. We make flattering hot yoga clothes that move with your body & hold shape during perspiration. Bonus? Most pieces in the collection can be worn numerous ways, allowing you to get creative with your yoga wear. The Mika line offers women comfortable, durable & flattering yoga wear looks at affordable prices.

Get to know Lela and Nick Beem at Grateful on Davis Street! You can tell from their teaching style and their interaction with each other that their relationship is like their yoga: all about love, love, love.

More about Grateful Yoga, one of the best Evanston studios:

We've been in business for five years, supported by students who value a mindful practice that's a balance of effort and ease in a peaceful, non-competitive environment.  Our teaching is informed by the full breadth of the yoga tradition, as well as the modern insights of growth psychology, kinesiology and neuroscience.  Come try one of our 13 weekly classes, which range in level from Basics to Intermediate. We also offer private instruction, yoga therapy, prenatal yoga, and 8-week stress relief groups.

Grateful Yoga is located at 1108 Davis Street in Evanston. Email info@gratefulyoga.com for more info about their class offerings.