Dudes

Photos from Yoga Dudes on Tumblr.

Some awesome posts on the Yoga Dudes Tumblr today, so I thought I'd share.

Guys, are you doing your yoga this week? Where are you practicing, and what styles are you loving right now?

Don't know about you, but I can't wait to get my Bikram groove on tonight!

Sponsored Yogis Coming Soon!

Photo via Dudes Doing Yoga on Tumblr.

Happy Friday, yogis! I hope you're celebrating the weekend already.

Anyone have any fun Super Bowl plans? Amazing appetizers you're planning to make for friends and family when they come over to watch the game?

The Hubs and I aren't sure of our plans yet, but there very well could be some tasty hot wings involved. And definitely guac. :)

Just wanted to share a little update with you on the Alive in the Fire Yogi Sponsorship 2011 program. I've been receiving all sorts of amazing applications and I can't wait to share the results very soon!

Photo via Dudes Doing Yoga on Tumblr.

I hope to have an announcement for you on Monday. It's going to be a tough decision to say the least!

A big thank you to all of the applicants and to upcoming sponsors. You guys are the best! And I hope that regardless of the results, you've been learning more about your practice and what yoga means to you. That's the whole point of the process, and I hope it's been rewarding.

Photo via FYeahYoga on Tumblr.

In the days and weeks to come, you can expect to see a lot of awesome stuff going on around here at Alive in the Fire. I will be incorporating a ton of new ideas from applicants, including guest posts, some re-design, and the start of a new series or two. (And don't worry, Real Men Do Yoga and Beyond Childhood certainly aren't over! Neither is the Everyday photographer series either.)

The best part? You're going to be getting a lot of quality info about yoga and hearing from some new voices. These sponsored yogis are passionate about their practice. They've got inspiration to share.

They are fiery, fun, and super creative and insightful. I can't wait for you to meet them!

Keep an eye out and get excited. More to come very soon.

PS. In other news, I've written over 300 posts! Eeps, how exciting :) Oh, and keep those followers coming... we're almost to our 100 party!

Photo via FYeahYoga on Tumblr.

Real Men Do Yoga: Jacob Stickney

Jacob Stickney is a Bikram yogi who practices regularly at Bikram Yoga Seattle (Fremont). This is his story.


Fruits of Intensity


"1...2...3...4...5...6..." The teacher speaks loudly so everyone in class can hear, counting out the breaths. 


Beginners to experienced, yogis stand near each other on their mats and towels, facing the mirrored wall.


I collapse my shoulders to my sides; legs, feet, and ankles locked together as instructed. It is only the start of the second set of the Pranayama series, the standing deep breathing exercise that sets the tonality for the 26 postures to follow. 


My entire body is already drenched with sweat...not even five minutes into the class. I engage fully in the second set with my inhale and exhale, the closure and expansion of the shoulders executed as fully as possible. 


When the warm-up postures are complete, I take a few sips of water from my Nalgene bottle and maintain a calmness, letting short bursts of air release through my nostrils. As I look around, I notice I'm one of the youngest students in the room. 

Photo courtesy of Jacob Stickney via Darrah Parker Photography.

The room is 105º (40º C) at roughly 40% humidity, men wearing only shorts, women often in clothing that often does not leave much for the imagination. There's an overwhelming amount of sweat in the room. 26 postures, 2 breathing exercises to open and close the class. A 90 minute meditation.


Bikram never gets easy, even for the more experienced practitioners. I am by no means steeped with experience, I have just been fortunate to have excellent instructors thus far and have enthusiastically thrown myself into the fire so to speak. 


Even the instructors who have been practicing and teaching for years get slaughtered by the simple yet vigorously intense curriculum that is the Bikram trademark. And yet we all love it, and the yoga feels wonderful.


Bikram yoga has sparked some controversy as it is a yogic practice rooted in the cultural purity of India but brought to American culture. Some say that Bikram yoga is a cult. I don't know about that, but I do know that the 26-posture series incorporates only a tiny fraction of the number of yoga postures that have been developed over thousands of years.


Bikram Choudhury devised a specific and fairly punctual method for exhaustively working the entire body of muscles, systems, and organs. The order of the postures in the sequence is quite intentional: each posture serves a purpose, and is a reaction to its neighboring postures, so that the intensity of each posture is maximized. The entire series is a specific method used to get specific results.


Bikram yoga is an opportunity to become immersed in the marriage of thriving intensity and cultural expansiveness. It's a practice in which the teachers are always students. Including it into my life and surrendering to its intensity is nothing short of life-changing on various levels. I hope to sustain the practice until my heart tells me otherwise.


Thanks for reading. 
In joy,
Jacob 


You can read more from Jacob on his blog here. Also consider contributing to the Real Men Do Yoga series by submitting a few paragraphs about your practice and why you love yoga. Email aliveinthefire at gmail dot com today!

Real Men Do Yoga: Rich Krzyzanowski + TruHarmony Yoga in Chicago

Next up in the Real Men Do Yoga series comes a dedicated yogi from TruHarmony in Chicago. The studio is located in River North and features heated classes based on Baron Baptiste's Vinyasa classes.

TruHarmony has been reviewed by TimeOut Chicago as offering classes that will burn more calories than other types of yoga, and Chicago Now calls it one of the best studio spaces in an office building.

Thanks to Rich for mentioning the blog at TruHarmony, I will be joining some of their talented instructors for class in the next week or so. I am stoked to meet studio owner Megan Chappell and try out a 90-minute vinyasa flow class. They've also got incredible candlelight yoga classes! Check out TruHarmony's site for more info.

Photos via this review on Chicago Now. 

Rich practices often at TruHarmony in Chicago. He is a dedicated yogi with a passion for all things yoga, and he's recently gotten more involved at the studio by working part-time to help around the space. He loves the community there, and the stellar classes that have transformed his mind and body. This is his story.

Photos courtesy of Rich Krzyzanowski, a yogi at TruHarmony studio in Chicago, Illinois.

I got involved with yoga in early August of 2010.  I practice at TruHarmony Yoga at 900 North Franklin Street in Chicago.  It is a hot vinyasa studio.  

My sister got me a mat and some private lessons for my birthday.  She and I went to the lessons and I was easily the weakest one in the room!  I was also the only male.  Needless to say, I am hooked now.   


I love to see where my body will go on any given day.  I am also really impressed with how quickly the progression from not knowing how to do anything or not being able to do anything to feeling like I can do anything has come to pass.  


I love looking at what someone is doing and being able to say, "I can do that."  I may not be able to do it right now, but I will practice some and get there when my body is ready.  

Through yoga, I have discovered meditation, too.  I am just embarking on that journey, but I am really excited about where it will go.

Namaste,
Rich

Real Men Do Yoga: Stuart Getz

Photo by Emily Voigtlander. 

Next up in the Real Men Do Yoga series is Stuart Getz, the incredible owner at my home studio, Bikram Yoga Evanston. Stu is a man with a heart of gold, a dedicated Bikram yogi, and a talented musician with a wonderful sense of balance. His confidence and humility are inspiring, and his energy radiates throughout the studio.

Stuart has created a beautiful community at BYE. As you enter the lobby of the studio, you will find yogis chatting and getting to know each other or laughing over the moments in class they've just experienced. A teacher behind the front desk will welcome you, give you some pointers for class, get you ready for your 90-minute meditation. 

Photo courtesy of Stuart Getz. Now that's an uncle that loves his niece.

Chances are, you'll find Stu hanging out with students or giving them advice on a posture or two. He could be jamming in his studio -- a cozy room near the Hot Box -- or catching up with some of the teachers. He might be posting a notice about an upcoming challenge or a reminder for how to be strong in and out of your yoga ("We don't sell cheesecake!").

Whatever he's up to, Stuart's got a big smile to share. He cares about his people, and he's created a magnificent family at BYE. An atmosphere of humility, peace, strength. An oasis in a world of pain, vice, and people who often forget that they can choose not to suffer.

Since its opening two years ago, Stu has stuck to the integrity of Bikram yoga. As he says in class sometimes, it's not his job to be your best friend; it's his job to push your buttons and help you do the yoga the right way.

Stuart is a wonderful teacher because he will give you the corrections you need to hear to improve your practice. He will love and accept you for who you are. And kick your ass. As he says, "Welcome to the posture!"

Stuart Getz is a Bikram yogi and studio owner. This is his story.

It's really quite beautiful how I came to practice Bikram yoga. As they say, "One door closes and another door opens."

I had just gone through a pretty horrific break-up with a woman I loved. The poor thing had revealed to me some really sad and troubling information about her childhood. I suggested she start talking to a therapist and offered to go with her to a few sessions to help her get started. After her second session, she thought it might be more helpful to start sleeping with her boss – a man who was 22 years her senior! This behavior with older men was nothing new to her. It was her addiction and had a direct correlation to her dysfunctional childhood.

I was completely distraught, not out of jealousy, but because I truly believed she needed a good ol' fashion intervention! When I approached her family, they ran as far away from me as they possibly could, more concerned with their humiliation from the revealing of family secrets than they with their daughter's wellbeing.

I was so close to all of them but sadly, they turned their backs on the right thing to do and headed right to the comfort zone of denial. Somehow, they perceived that I had become the abuser because I was bringing truth and light. They wanted nothing to do with it.

I never spoke to any of them again and they avoided me at all costs. They knew I knew the truth and they wanted nothing to do with either of us.

It was at this time that I began to understand one of Bikram’s favorite sayings. As
he says, "Would you rather suffer for 90 minutes or 90 years?" There aren’t words for how much it hurt to cut off all communication with a family I had loved, but I knew it was better than prolonging the misery.

At the same time some difficult revelations surfaced about my own family. My father – one of the finest men I have ever, or will ever, know – had made an absolute mess of his finances. As a talented and successful songwriter in the 1950s, my dad had enjoyed the excitement of the music business but struggled to secure the financial rewards it seemed to promise. Instead, he decided that the Massachusetts State Lottery was a perfect outlet for his frustrations, but like many others, he was very wrong. This was another opportunity to be humbled, greatly disillusioned, and most assuredly disappointed.

The sadness and surrender that life bestowed upon me was the perfect breeding ground for my entry into the yoga world. I found it amusingly ironic: here I was, caught in a world where if I surrendered any more of myself, I would have stopped breathing. And here in the experience of yoga, my life had arrived at its lowest common denominator: the breath. 

Bikram Yoga was so challenging and so overwhelming that there was no room for ego or performance. I had none of that left in my life so I felt right at home. The core of this beautiful practice became my newly discovered foundation.

With my experience stripped down to just survival, there was no room for bullshit. In fact, integrity was the only thing that would propel me further in the practice. Ego would tell me to skip steps three and four of a posture and simply head right to five, but I didn't really "own" five. Without the foundation offered by three and four, five was nothing more than an impostor! A cheat. A lie. And a painful one at that, especially when my muscles weren’t ready to cut ahead. Something about this practice was able to teach me to take small steps toward great things, learning the patience and the precision involved in excellence. 

Integrity allowed me to feel human again.

Integrity is rewarded in the practice of Yoga.

In Bikram, bullshit will kick your ass. It will not help you. I had found a new home.

Real Men Do Yoga: John Low

Bikram men, are you practicing through the holidays? Here's another entry in the Real Men Do Yoga series to inspire you to hit the hot room this week.

And here's some inspiration to submit your story to the series. If you do, you win a prize! Simply email a few paragraphs about your practice and a photo or two to aliveinthefire at gmail dot com and you will get a tasty treat.

Now is the time to let yourself indulge -- just a little! -- especially after you've earned dessert by practicing for 90 minutes. And if you prefer something a little less sweet, just let me know. We've got a variety of prizes available.

You can choose from incredible Etsy bakers who make tasty and tiny cupcakes, divinity fudge, and gourmet cookies. Or you might want to spice it up with a jar of hot mustard. Homemade salsa and handmade soaps to come!

 

Win any of these tasty snacks simply by submitting your story! Note: not exact pictures.

Today's featured Etsy donations are from Cupcake Tin 2010, a bakery shop where you can buy adorable single cupcakes in a tin and send them to your friends and family as unique gifts. The shop's most popular flavors are chocolate, red velvet with cream cheese frosting, and funfetti (white cake with sprinkles baked in).

Photos via The Cupcake Tin's Facebook page.

Check out Cupcake Tin 2010 on Twitter and Facebook.


As a new customer, you will automatically save 1o to 15% on your order. Check out the awesome selection today and place an order with Nicole for a delicious holiday treat.


Now, introducing John Low, a regular Bikram yogi at Bikram Original Hot Yoga in Malasia. This is his story.

John Low works hard to balance his Bikram practice with home life and time with family.

Years ago, I damaged my left knee after doing squatting exercises at the gym. More recently I curled my leg to pull myself closer to the office desk on my wheeled-chair, and my knee popped.

Now, it hurts like hell now at the point of the common angle of climbing up stairs. This also means I can't play tennis. 

A mutual friend on Twitter read my whining about the pain. She happens to be a qualified trainer, and was just returning from Texas then. "Why not come give Bikram yoga a try?" she asked. Little did I know, the simple question would lead to personal transformation.

My mum used to teach yoga to her friends at home. She had started practicing at home when my older brother bought her a book titled Yoga for Health. Since I was the youngest and had already started high school, my mom had more time and thought to teach it. I think she was proud of how many people had complimented her on how young she looked for her age; she's always attributed it to yoga. Whenever she was teaching upstairs, I'd be downstairs watching either The A-Team, Airwolf or MacGyver, to give you an idea when this was.

Sometimes Mom was practicing, I'd join her. Not for all the poses, only what I thought was challenging for someone my age then. The Bat was one posture I would always try, where one sits on the floor with legs straight and wide open, and chin to the floor, finger grabbing the toes. If I recall, the advanced version would involve proceeding to a complete side-split, with the stomach on the floor and rolling forward and end-up on the stomach with legs behind and flat on the floor.

Years after that while I was growing up, I'd still do that for fun, on the floor while watching TV, or reading the newspapers. I always felt better after a stretch. It also helped balance out the karate and kung-fu classes I used to take. Boarding school bullies who try to challenge me would think twice when I "show off" warming up for the "duel".  To be honest, telling a story about how I had given the karate instructor a bloody nose during sparring also helped.

Since those years, I took up the usual sports like tennis and gym, never at all giving "real" complete yoga classes any thought. I was in all ways, a typical bloke.

So I accepted the invitation to give Bikram class a try this past April. I was not happy with my weight and, truthfully, my image, my puffy face. I could only wear my two largest-sized pants in my wardrobe. I had also just done a medical exam and my cholesterol levels were frightening. 

At the first class, I could do most of the stretch-related poses, but no way till today could I keep my endurance up for all the pose-holding. 


In May, I took a three-week-long work-related trip away from home. Since this was my first time to the United States, I tried a lot of new foods including American-portion-sized fast food. When I returned, I felt even more motivated to practice the yoga.  

I have been trying to go three times a week since then. Most weeks when I couldn't keep this routine, it was due to my daughter's whining. Since I have a full-time job, I could only go to yoga after work, which meant no time for her and family, or our trips to the playground, dinners together, or simply just hanging out. During periods of lull in the office, I have gone for the early morning classes to improvise. I have been lucky with this arrangement this year.

Around July or August during a family dinner, my older sister, whom I don't see regularly, commented that I have lost weight "and look better this way." Her teenage daughters and other nieces, being something of activity-junkies themselves, were asking which studio I attend. I had even brought one of them along once for her to try. And as expected, it is too slow for her. Though she enjoyed it, she is back to her usual bouldering and cheer-leading activities, "for now," she says.

So, I'm still attending Bikram as regularly as I can. I do feel more energetic, and am more noticeably able to keep up with the kids. I am getting back some definition, an image which I wasn't so conscious about at our recent family trip to a water park. I am sure the wife has also had some secret thoughts though she hasn't shared much (!), and I do know she is happy for me too.


These days I can chomp down the nieces-made cheesecakes and rebut the wife when she says I would put on weight. "Don't worry, I now know the formula!" I tell her.

Thanks to Bikram instructor Mei Ng, for encouraging me in the Hot Room and inviting me to submit to Alive in the Fire :)

Namaste,

John 

 

John spends his early mornings and late nights in Bikram's Torture Chamber, getting energized for time with family.

John first posted this story about his Bikram practice here. His blog, Daddee Yah!, is named after his daughter's first words. Contact him on Twitter here. 


Thanks, John, for submitting your story! If you want to submit yours, yogis, you know who to email. A few paragraphs and a few pictures to aliveinthefire at gmail dot com, and you'll win a prize!

Real Men Do Yoga: Hans Park

Time for our next yogi in the Real Men Do Yoga Series!

I'd like to introduce you to Hans Park, who attends class at Bikram Yoga Metrotown in Vancouver, British Columbia. You can find him on Flickr and Twitter. This is his story.

Now that's some core strength. I can only imagine Hans' handstands!

I've been practicing Bikram yoga for about 25 hours (it makes me laugh to describe it way).  In all seriousness, though, I've been practicing for six weeks and have completed about 17 classes.  I had known about the yoga for quite some time but decided to take advantage of a sale at a Bikram studio close to where I live.  


$20 for 15 classes within 30 days? Too good of a deal to pass up.  


I figured there would be one of three outcomes: 1) I figure out I don't really like the yoga, 2) I really like it and want to continue, or 3) I fall over after attempting to maintain a posture and hilarity would ensue.  


I found the result was a combination of #2 and #3.  I really enjoy Bikram and I do fall over attempting to maintain some of the postures... but there is no hilarity, just a lot of concentration and sweating, of course.  I ended up using up all of the classes within the 30 day limit.  Before the end of my trial the studio had a one day sale so I took advantage of this and bought a 25 class package at 50% off the regular price everything kind of fell into place! 

The heat itself doesn't bother me as I've spent quite a bit of time working in hot countries in Asia and Africa.  At first I found it challenging to get through each class but now I’m finding the challenge is getting through each posture.  


That being said, I see improvements with each class.  I can't say I feel any less manly doing this and often get told by people that they are surprised to hear that I go to classes regularly.  


I noticed a marked improvement in certain exercises at the gym and I sleep better, and likely have found other benefits I haven’t noticed yet.  My mom also mentioned that my complexion was better too (Thanks Mom, haha!).  Last but not least, I enjoy hearing about the different experiences the other people in class have and also learning about the different backgrounds the teachers come from.

Hans


Sounds like Hans will be hitting the heat for a while! As a thank you for his submission, Alive in the Fire will be offering Hans the chance to choose a prize from several awesome Etsy sellers. If you submit, you can win a tasty treat, lovely soap, or other surprise too!


Want to read more about men who aren't afraid of the Torture Chamber? Check out Joe's story or how you can submit your own.

Photo via Dudes Doing Yoga.

Focus Forward Friday: Share Your Story

Photo by farm1.static on Flickr Photo via Dudes Doing Yoga.

Focus Forward Friday: 
A weekly ritual for deepening your practice.

Today's focus: the Real Men Do Yoga series! I couldn't be more excited about launching this new feature on Alive in the Fire and I highly encourage you to write in and participate. Comment on the stories. Think about how gender affects our yoga, how we can change stereotypes, how we can make yoga an inviting and non-judgmental practice.

Then share your thoughts!

Have you considered your yoga story and what makes your practice unique? How has yoga transformed you?

Photo via Dudes Doing Yoga. Seriously, if you can do this, you need to write in!

I'm especially looking for guys who yoga to tell their story about life on the mat and what it's like being in the minority (or not) in class. I'd also love to hear from women who have compelling opinions about gender and yoga, who have guy friends and family who practice, or who have respect for their fellow male instructors and yogis.

I want the Real Men Do Yoga series to be electric and dynamic. I want it to get people talking, whether they practice or not (and maybe it'll bring someone to the mat who otherwise never would have planned to try yoga). I want it to be an ongoing conversation between yogis in a respectful, open and creative environment.

Most of all, I want to hear from you! Get talkin'.

Photo via Dudes Doing Yoga.

Thursday Giveaway: Yoga Leggings & A Zany Print

These Steven Brahms prints in his "Evasion" series are crazy awesome and quite manly.

To continue our week of all things masculine, for today's giveaway Alive in the Fire brings you some awesome White Iguana sport leggings and a clever "Clive Does Yoga" photo print from BAClori on Etsy. 

These White Iguana Apparel leggings are great for yoga, running, biking and more.

To win both, see below for more info! Both guys and girls are encouraged to enter (ladies, these would be a wonderful holiday gift for your man!).

Three "Clive Does Yoga" 5x7 prints from BAClori on Etsy.

Allie Yoko, the owner of White Iguana Apparel, started the sport clothing line based on her passion for living an eco-friendly lifestyle. As said in one of the company's press releases, "What started out as a class project turned into a real-life career calling for graphic design student-turned athletic apparel entrepreneur, Allie Yoko. The 24-year old Chicago resident has taken her eye for design and her passion for an eco-friendly lifestyle and turned it into one of the country’s first bamboo-made line of athletic clothing.

'I loved the idea of bamboo clothing,' says Allie, 'but hated the thought of having it manufactured overseas, so I was determined to find domestic manufacturer.'

Mission accomplished, White Iguana Apparel is not only eco-friendly but it is 100% made in the U.S.A.

Armed with a passion for fashion and a desire to help others find easy ways to make their lives more eco-friendly, Allie was determined to make her dream a reality."

In the company's stylish logo, you can see Allie's creative eye for design.

More from Allie on her products:

Our leggings are designed to keep you comfortable while living your life. They are lightweight and will keep you warm while resisting odor and wicking away moisture. The leggings are full-length and fit closely to your body to keep you feeling warm and dry without itching or chafing. You hardly notice that you have them on but will feel incredibly fresh all day and night since our organic microfiber bamboo leggings are also naturally antimicrobial. They provide excellent breathability and you wont get an ugly red rash that inexpensive competitors' leggings give you. They are the perfect base layer for biking, hiking, snow sports, running, dancing, working out, yoga and wearing under a dress for a night on the town. Our leggings are made from 94% viscose from organic bamboo and 6% spandex, which makes them amazingly soft. This moisture management fabric keeps you dry and comfortable.

On the company's environmentally-friendly approach and holiday plans:

Basically, we are a company that cares about the environment, about being healthy and being active and we wanted to create a product that would help others in doing the same!

For the holidays, we just want our product to be shared with as many people as possible. We have great products and we want everyone to get to experience them. We plan on having sales (going on right now) to make things even more affordable for people holiday shopping!

In the coming year, we hope to get our products in more stores and out to as many customers as possible. We are looking forward to continue growing our brand and sharing it with the world.

Enjoy connecting with Allie and the White Iguana brand by visiting their store for some shopping, connecting on Facebook or Twitter, or reading their stellar blog.

Also, be sure to check out the store's great sale items!

Next in the giveaway is a group of photographs by artsy Etsy seller BAClori featuring Clive the yoga model in a set of three 5x7 photos.

Her description of the fun and wacky pictures:

"Clive Does Yoga" is a group of photographs using a relatively posable art model doll that I have dubbed "Clive" as he works his way through a series of basic yoga poses.  I find the series to be quite calming and soothing, mostly because when you look at Clive, you don't assign an instant judgement to a figure who has no expression making it easier to enjoy the poses (even if they are a bit rigid!).  

Lori's description of the shop:

Basement Art Creations is original photography by Lori O'Connor shaped by imagination, inspiration, exhilaration, procrastination, distraction and a pretty good sized slice of insomnia!

A few other prints from the shop.

Lori on what inspires her photography:

I enjoy having to scoot right up to an object and take a closer look.  I admire detail.  I like finding something brilliant from the simple and uncluttered.  I feel I have found my niche taking photos of things that you might not normally look at twice, but when photographed, you may want them hanging on your wall just so you can smile at them!  

On her yoga practice:

Like Clive, I am also quite stiff at times as I stretch to learn new poses... but I enjoy the calm and meditative state you can find when you quiet your mind and body!

I love Lori's unique and witty style and her willingness to turn the mundane into something playful. Pair these photos up with the pair of athletic leggings and you'll be super inspired to practice yoga through the new year!

To enter the giveaway contest, please:

• Check out White Iguana Apparel and BAClori's shops.
• Consider buying a workout shirt for your friend and sending it with a holiday snowman card, or other great sale and holiday items.
• Double your chances of winning by connecting with White Iguana and visiting Lori's other main shop.

Also, please tell your guy friends to enter and be sure to check out our Real Men Do Yoga series and consider submitting your story. Many thanks to Whit Conway, my desk neighbor at work, for putting me in touch with Allie. Namaste!

Congrats to Catherine for winning the lovely duende74 party top and the Lindsay Satchell scorpion print. Will be emailing you shortly to put you in touch with the vendors!