Skip a Beat

For all you thrill-seekers out there who don't get enough adrenaline from Bikram: this one's for you.

My heart skipped a beat just watching it!

Incredible. Via PrAna's blog, video hosted here on YouTube.

Dreamy Photos

All photos taken by the talented Corey Arnold.

Icy dreams. Fishermen. Arcticness.

Such are the topics in Corey Arnold's striking images. Check out his blog here.

Can you imagine what it feels like to be so far away?

Eventually, In the Future

 

Juliana and the Boss himself. Love those Bengal tigers!

One of my favorite parts about this blog is that it's put me in touch with some amazing Bikram yogis, teachers and bloggers out there, including the lovely Juliana, also known as Dancing J, over at Keep It Locking!

Lately I can't stop thinking about those crazy nine weeks and how excited I am for them :)

I recently chatted with J on the phone about her amazing Teacher Training experience and her transition into teaching after the nine weeks. It was lovely catching up and getting the inside story from a talented Bikram teacher on how to prepare, get the best out of training, and live a balanced life afterward. Here are some bits from our convo! 

Also, see below for some of my favorite posts on Juliana's blog.

Sweet photo from J's Teacher Training.

Juliana is a graduate of MIT (Engineering) and UCSB (grad school engineering) turned Bikram yogi. She says, "I respect myself for changing paths. It's the best decision I've made. I don't actually know any Bikram yoga teachers who set out to teach. We are all accidental yogis!"


On finding the right balance post-TT:
Teaching and freelancing is nearly ideal. It's always a game of keeping your balls in the air and juggling it all, but it's totally worth it.


On benefits of being a yoga teacher:
The best part is seeing people change. Where I'm teaching now, it's fairly small, just me and the main teacher/owner. I see people change, sometimes really quickly, and it's fun to have that. I would definitely choose a smaller studio over a place where it's more like "assembly line" yoga. This way, it's really authentic and very spiritual.


On practicing and teaching:
Keeping up with my practice has never been so hard now that I'm a teacher. It's a pain in the ass to go back to the studio after you've already taught a class or two. And during Teacher Training, your practice gets so bad! Standing head to knee? Yeah, right.


On class sizes and applying the dialogue:
During smaller classes, I really learned how to teach. You have to give real corrections. Big evening classes are so easy. They give you a lot of energy. It's tricky once it gets bigger, though. You almost don't even see everyone. If you use some peoples' names, it gives the illusion that you see everyone!


Class size makes a huge difference. You don't teach the same class to a large group as you do to a small group.


Your training doesn't end when you finish Teacher Training. It's like, 'I can say the dialogue. Now what do I do with that?!'

Juliana in Triangle in front of The Bean in Chicago's Millenium Park. Beautiful!

On her experience at TT: 
Some things get exaggerated. It's insanity at the time, sure. But I remember thinking, 'This isn't that bad.' It's no worse than being in college. For all the bitching that people do, it's good to get your asses kicked.


I got tons out of it, but it's what you make of it. It's your choice. There's nothing stopping you from sleeping through lectures.

Learning the dialogue, I looked at it like poetry. I would break it down, look for repetitions, and pay attention to the order. I'd ask myself questions like: why is this phrase being repeated? Why do the pieces have to go there? On paper, nothing makes much sense, but when you're talking to a moving body, everything becomes clear.

Killer Standing Bow + ridiculous mountains = bliss.

Favorites from Keep it Locking:
A post on amazing classes.


Thoughts on preparing for Teacher Training.


"Every moment is the peak experience of your life," says Diane from Bikram's talented staff. Here are a few of Juliana's peak experiences.


The yogi hiker and how climbing mountains will transform your practice.

Thanks again, J, for your honesty. Keep up your awesome yoga!

Hardcore Supplements for the Extreme Yogi

Photo by my talented husband from our trip to San Fran last spring.

Are you one of those crazy Bikram yogis who practices five or more times a week? Do you run before class? Do you regularly do doubles?

Are you currently participating in a 30- or 60-day challenge?

I've got some hardcore supplements you should try. They will make you feel strong, hydrated, and pumped, like this:

Yup, that's me, workin' out for my sister who needed photos as part of her personal training certification.

Plus, they taste great, can be added to a variety of smoothie or drink mix recipes, and allow you to fuel your body for optimum performance.

The first is a line made by Hammer Nutrition, which I've mentioned before on Alive in the Fire. I placed an order with Hammer to try their endurolyte pills (electrolyte replenishers) and they sent me a whole package of goodies, including gel, whey mix, chocolate Recoverite drink mix, and some awesome information on all their products and the athletes who use them.

Hydration is a beautiful thing.

Hammer's got quite a variety of flavors available -- everything from your standard chocolate to espresso and apple cinnamon and Montana huckleberry. I believe they mainly target marathon runners and bikers, but their products are great for any endurance athletes. I probably wouldn't use their stuff everyday unless I was at Teacher Training or doing a challenge, but the endurolyte pills and any of the endurance products would make a double class (or triple, or whatever) a lot easier to survive.

Check out their site for more ideas on how to improve your endurance and athletic performance, the deals and programs they have going on right now, or place a quick order. Their customer service is great and you'll be set to go crazy in the heat!

I also highly recommend CeraSport which carries a line of rice-based electrolyte hydration drinks. Their powder mixes are probably my favorite, ranking up there with Ultima Replenisher and emergenC. The pomegranate acai flavor is fantastic! 

These flavors beat all the other ones I've tried so far.

Their shipment also included some detailed info on the science behind hydration. I decided to try the CeraSport with some frozen coconut water icecubes and a chunk of dark chocolate. What a tasty mid-afternoon treat! It felt tropical, too :)

Fancy and tasty. You can't go wrong there!

If you need more advice on where to shop for kick-ass supplements, I'm your girl. Hope all you Fall 2010 teacher trainees are enjoying your last few weeks of madness!


Enjoy your week and namaste.

The Challenge of a Challenge

Nature knows perfect balance, like in the petals of a camellia flower. This pic was taken right outside the Capitol in Sactown. So lovely!

I believe in balance. I also believe, "If you can, you must." So what should a passionate yogi do when she's motivated to do her yoga for 30 days in a row, but some crazy awesome things erupt into the mix of her day-to-day life?

I've been struggling for the past several months to find a job I love, can make enough money doing, and feel excited about. Last week, I got hired on to do some work at the same place where Hubs has been for over a year now, Brella Productions. I love them! It is a dream come true!

But this means a couple things:

1. I'm doing the nine-to-five now, Monday through Thursday.

2. I've got to budget my time so I still have a chance to edit for editZING clients.

3. I must be careful not to get overextended so that I can maintain healthy relationships, get enough rest, have time to cook dinner, and fit in Bikram.

Anyway, long story short, I've put my 30-day challenge on hold... again. I feel a little sad saying that, because I know I'm up for it and could handle the heat for a whole month. But I also feel a strong need to keep things centered, so I don't get stressed, sleep-deprived, or overwhelmed. About a year ago this time I was not doing well and it's because I signed myself up for disaster: too many projects, commitments, and self-imposed expectations about the future.

Too much worry!

This year, I'm deciding to pick and choose what I let slide into the #1 spot on the list of priorities. Some days, it's yoga. Some days, it's work. Most days, it's family and loved ones.

How do you balance your time, energy, and relationships so that you have enough you to go around? Where do you draw the line when it comes to meeting the goals you set for yourself, or deciding when it's best to let them go?

I'll admit, it's tough seeing my name up on the wall at the studio, next to all the other yogis who are keeping up with their month. All those little stickers lined up, showing off the sweat and struggle they've endured, next to my blank spots where I thought I would have been taking class.

But I'm pretty excited that I have the willpower to say my sanity matters more! and that I have a heart that knows there will be many, many years of yoga to come.

I can rest easy knowing life is in balance, and the yoga is always there waiting.

A staircase goes down, a staircase comes up. We choose to see opportunity in change!

Best Things I’ve Heard in the Hot Box, or Why the Dialogue is Best Taught by Teachers With a Good Sense of Humor

Bikram teachers put up with the silliest moments!

Photo Via DaveAustria on Flickr.

Not that you'd expect it, but hot yoga can be a pretty funny experience sometimes. You get silly sounds coming from super-sweaty yogis, odd characters running in and out of the room, and general chaos and mayhem on those crowded days.

Here are a few of my favorite moments from the Hot Box that I'd like to share. What memories do you cherish from Bikram's Torture Chamber?

• “Wow, whose red panties are these?” (*Teacher holds up pair of red hot, lacy underwear in front of class with wide-eyed look on his face.) “Alright, well I guess I’ll keep them up here on the podium. I feel like they’re a little Christmas present that someone’s left for me. I guess it’s Christmas in July!”

• “You’re not babies; you’re warriors. So don’t act like a baby in here. Next set!”

• “Hey, Steve! I have an idea…how about you wait ‘til after class to take a shower? Yeah, I saw that, the water bottle action. You thought you could sneak it by me, but you forget: I see all in here…”

• “Have you noticed you’re twitching your fingers during triangle pose? I mean, it’s kind of cute, but it has to stop. We can’t have that in here.”

• “Is that a purse? Is that your purse, miss? Is there a cell phone in that purse?” *Yogi nods her head, blushing a bit. “OK, well no worries, but just remember next time to leave it outside the room. Alright, let’s start pranayama…” *Pause. “You know what? As it turns out, I can’t have a phone in here. It’s just wrong. Here, I’m just going to set it outside at the front desk…” *Teacher starts dialogue as he walks out the door...

• "Face to the legs, upper body to the thighs, like a grilled cheese sandwich..." (Why would you want to eat a Japanese ham sandwich anyway?! Grilled cheese all the way. :)
  

• "Close your mouth. Close your mouth. Close your mouth." *Yogi still exhales loudly through an open mouth. "Man, people need to work on their manners in this class!"

Yogis is crazy, man.
Photo Via NerdVin on Flickr.

Bringing Out Your "Best" In the Heat: How to Battle Anger and Disappointment While Trying to Hold a Solid Standing Balancing Series

Photo Via Jana Cruder Photography.

Sometimes I walk into the hot room and experience immediate bliss: a warm blend of relief by the slackening of tight muscles, joy in the softness of the sultry air as it surrounds me, and comfort within the stillness, silence and tranquil dimness of the space.

And then sometimes I walk into the hot room and just think, “FML… it’s hot in here!” and start to wonder how I’m going to survive the next 90 minutes.

Sometimes I hear people walk in that door and directly announce their surprise at the boiling temperature, too: “Whoa, it’s hot!” They then proceed to glance around with a look of surprise, both at the heat and the fact that they’ve audibly disrupted the peaceful hush of the room. My favorite part of this routine is the “No sh**, dummy!” looks all of the regular Bikram yogis give the loud person as they scowl and send disapproving vibes in their general direction. 

This is Bikram. Simon says IN HELL, the room seems to be saying in one silent, furious whisper. Did you not get that you were signing up for yoga in a 105-degree room? Hellooooo?

Hey, at least I don’t verbally proclaim my dismay at the heat I willingly enter a few minutes before class begins.

On the other hand, it never ceases to astound me how often the heat can bring out the worst in me – those emotions I generally tend to hide from or simply pretend just aren’t even real.

Anger. Resentment. Frustration. Self-loathing. Insecurity. Regret. Discontent.

Anywhere from mild annoyance to downright rage and full-fledged letdown, sometimes the heat puts me face-to-face with the frenzied side of me I wish wasn’t seething beneath the surface.

I’m not generally an angry or confrontational person in everyday life, so having these sensations and excesses all up in my face all of a sudden can be a bit devastating. Especially when I generally intend to use yoga as a time to detox, let go, and get out of my own head.

Sometimes, too, it’s a matter of seeing reflected back at me all of the drama and madness of real-life that needs to get left outside the glass doors but somehow managed to sneak in with me and my mat… like the feeling of my heart dropping out of my chest as I read an email from a long-time friend who says she won’t be joining me at my upcoming wedding in August. Talk about a sucker punch to the stomach: now that makes me feel loved and special.

Or how about my livid reaction to every poke and prod from parents or friends about what tiny retarded details need to get done today today today for said wedding. What color napkins? Did you call the florist? Are you sure your friends will show up to help set up chairs?! Garrrr, people. I know all the party planning is supposed to be gosh-darn hootin-hollerin’ fun, but sometimes a girl just wants to work, do the yoga, and get home for some dinner and snuggles and a couple episodes of Prison Break, not another 8-foot-long To Do List.

Or take these timely favorites: my ultimate dissatisfaction with waking up in the morning feeling like I’ve been hit by a two-ton truck. And not because I’m hung over or under-slept, but because I’ve been having these freaky, depressing, and downright terrifying dreams from the moment my head hits the pillow to the second the alarm sounds. Exhaustion sucks, man.

And of course, there’s the lovely sense of entrapment and longing for the outside summer world just beyond my reach that surrounds me from 9am to 5pm every day, just taunting me out the crystal-clear windows in the office. I can SEE you, Lake Michigan, sparkling your sparkly blue just right along the horizon there! I can see you, scantily clad Evanston residents, out there sauntering around enjoying the sunshine in your tank tops and flip flops! Gaawwwsh. Go ahead, be more taunting, won’t you?

Alright this is the point in the blog post when I admit to myself and to my readers how I really shouldn’t be whining so. You’ve probably stopped reading anyway, what with all this self-indulgent wallowing mucking up the page, but just in case you’re still with me, I’ll try and bring back a relevant point that relates to the yoga.

I was recently reminded over at Bikram Yoga NYC’s blog how “Bikram yoga can teach you that anger is as pointless as fatigue – natural, maybe, but only an inconvenience somewhat like rain: an obstacle to surmount. Doing Bikram teaches you that agitation of any type fades, and after it does, seeing the next right move is not so hard. All that heat lets cool reason prevail.”

Now this is a pretty slick idea, when you stop and think about it. The concept that by doing Bikram you can actually overcome your anger and fear – and flush it out your system just like all the other junk the postures help get rid of – is such a relief! What freedom there is in that.

It’s like any challenge, really: the longer you wait to face it head on, the harder it becomes and the more of a mountain you’ll have to climb over in the end. But if you make straight up facing it your priority, and incorporate it into your daily routine and your weekly yoga practice, the fury fades faster.

Letting go of exasperation and other inhibiting emotions during your 90-minute meditations at Bikram can also help you deepen your practice. How else do you expect to find the intense focus and balance needed for the standing balancing series? I speak from personal experience when I say that it’s pretty darn hard to hit your personal edge for Standing Head to Knee and not wobble all over the place if all you can think about is something offensive you heard at work, or a past hurt you can’t get over.

Practice being in your practice only in the room – a blank slate with no emotions, no distractions, no irritations. And hey, after a while, even the heat will start to feel good.

Photo Via CortexForce's Flickr Photostream.

The Distraction Within

A Friday Afternoon (TGIF!) List of Places I'd Rather Be Right Now

1. Bikram, of course!
2. A steamy hot springs…with my fiancé in tow. Hey, we just graduated: we deserve a break!
3. Hanging out with my sister and my nephew who’s getting ready to walk. Perhaps dunking him in the local Evanston fountains, and then grabbing a bite of cool, fresh Red Mango.
4. A Grecian beach, any Grecian beach.
5. Some lovely massage center in Napa, CA.
6. The lush Hawaiian countryside (aka pretending I’m on the set of LOST).
7. The local Peet’s Coffee, blogging, sipping a refreshing drink.
8. Napping on a fancy hotel bed, with the afternoon light warming my toes.
9. At the movies with my brother. With a delicious dose of The Habit afterward, of course! (Mmmmm, charburgers. Note: available only in California, dangit!)
10. Hot air balloon ride over the sunset. Ahhhhhh.

What Graduation Really Teaches You: You Need the Bikram

Photo Via A. Yakovlev's Flickr Photostream,

What a weekend! Caps and gowns, dinner reservations, visiting family, traffic, crowds, diplomas, convocation speakers, thunderstorms, tours of the town, late nights, early mornings and more. Who knew hosting graduation could be so hectic!


Pretty quickly I realized: I’ve fallen into a valuable routine with my Bikram yoga and when I go more than a day without it, man,

I’m cranky,


I’m tight,


and sometimes it hurts, but I need this yoga!

Word to the wise: if you’re balancing a busy weekend of juggling time with family, celebrating, hosting and entertaining your guests, and making convocation on time, find a way to fit the Bikram in, too…or you will go crazy.

Photo Via Captain Skyhawk's Flickr Photostream.