Begin Again

Hey, beginners!

Did you just start your Bikram journey? Looking for more info on where to start with hot yoga?

I've got a page that's just for you.

Check it out, beginners. The "all things begin again" page. 

As always, namaste and lots of love from Alive in the Fire.

Beginners: Got Questions?

Hey yogis! Hope you had a happy and restful weekend. 

I've been wondering -- do you have any burning questions about Bikram that you'd like to ask? I would like to offer insight for yogis of all levels on those postures that give you trouble, or any obstacles you encounter in the Hot Room, whether physical or mental.

Need tips on getting a deeper backbend?

Want to review the proper way to enter Rabbit pose?

Whatever your question, I'm here for you. Please leave a comment below or send an email to aliveinthefire at gmail dot com. You'll hear from me soon!

Namaste and have a lovely week.

Wanted: Crazy Awesome Yogis (Get Sponsored by Alive in the Fire!)

Photo by Ron Sombilon. View his amazing photography here, or check him out on Flickr.

Readers, I have some exciting news!


This year, I am going to sponsor two or three yogis of any type of yoga and help them get started on a life-changing year of detox, relaxation, meditation, and incredible confidence-boosting yoga.


Are you a new yogi with an interest in yoga but you need help getting started?


Perhaps you need help finding a studio, a mat, some yoga wear, and the motivation to try the heat. Maybe you are feeling low, in need of self-esteem, or out of shape but don't know how to make a change.

Photo by Mika Yoga Wear.

Do you fear yoga because you are inflexible? Or because you feel judged in a room full of other more practiced yogis?


Or maybe you are an active biker or runner who wants to expand your fitness to include yoga. You might be a full-time parent that struggles to fit in a workout, and you want an incentive to treat your body better. 


Like a lot of us, you could be looking to lose weight in the new year or simply turn your body around from blah to rockin' so you feel great when you look in the mirror each day.


Finally, experienced yogis who have been practicing for awhile: I haven't forgotten about you! Maybe you are ready to step up your practice to the next level, or you are preparing for any type of Teacher Training this year. Are you ready to track your progress in each posture more clearly, or add other changes to your life to improve your yoga? I'm talking better nutrition, hydration, wellness, mental health, and overall practices for your ultimate health.

Photo by Ron Sombilon.

If you're interested, please apply to be a sponsored yogi of Alive in the Fire and email me at aliveinthefire at gmail dot com for the application. 


The process will be simple: I'll require you to write a short bio and a couple paragraphs on why you would be a great fit for the blog. You are free to send along photos, too. Whatever helps you express and communicate your strong interest in yoga and your willingness to dedicate your year to it, I want to hear it!


I will also ask that you commit to writing for the blog at various points in your journey as well as promoting the blog to others in your yoga community and your life. Our relationship will be one that is collaborative, creative and ongoing.


The rewards will be great: I will sponsor some of your yoga practice for the year; I will provide you consistent support, advice, and quick feedback on your questions and concerns; I will offer you perks and promotional yoga-related products to try; I will check in with you and hold you accountable; I will put you in touch with some of the most talented and experienced yogis and studios in the nation; and I will push you to do your best, both on and off the mat.


Together, our mantra will be what Bikram says: "If you can, you must!" (But again, this is open to any type of yoga, just for clarification!)


We will also adopt the philosophy of starting small and keeping it simple. We'll keep your personal goals, my goals, and our collective goals in mind as we move forward.


Sound like an amazing deal? (It is!) Go for it. Apply to be a sponsored yogi of the blog. Email me at aliveinthefire at gmail dot com and we'll get started.


Namaste,
Rachel and the Alive in the Fire community
Note: accepting applications through the end of the month. Apply today!

Photo by Ron Sombilon.

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!

Hey Beginners, Welcome to The Rest of Your Life

Do you feel super new? I've got thoughts for you, dear beginner. Photo via Coffee and Yoga.

There are so many new faces around the studio.


So many nervous twiddlings of thumbs in the lobby, questions, curiosities. So many new beginners to Bikram yoga at this time of year.

Newbies, welcome! 

First off, I encourage you to be proud of yourselves for stepping up your workout routine and getting your yoga on. You deserve it. Your body and your calm mind will be thanking you soon.


Secondly, I also encourage you not to hide behind your "beginner" status. In Bikram, we are all beginners. Every day we begin again. Every day we attend "Bikram's beginning yoga class" because we are all starting new.


Be proud to stand at the back of the room. Be proud to sit out the first few reps of Pranayama while you figure out what's going on. Don't be scared to be the only one not doing anything during class -- you need the time to absorb and to watch what's going on around you.


I also have three pieces of advice for you. I know a while back I shared a longer Beginner's Guide to the yoga, but in case you missed it or wanted a shorter version, here you are.


May these three things be top of mind in class -- whether it's your first session in the Torture Chamber, or you've been coming for a long time. Here's to beginning again!


Advice #1: Choose not to suffer.


Advice #2: Fidget, wipe sweat, and drink water before class. Then try to let those things go during your 90-minute meditation because, quite frankly, they are not going to save you.

Advice #3: Breathe.

So here's a little story about piece of advice #1: choose not to suffer. I experienced this the other day, but the same situation seems to be surfacing on a weekly basis, so I feel the need to share. And please, if you see scared people in the studio, reassure them that they are going to be just fine in class!


A girl was walking into the studio with her friend before Saturday's class. 


"Aren't you excited?!" her friend asked, pushing the button for the elevator. She stepped on. 


"No, I'm scared..." she said, sort of half smiling. I imagine as they rode down to the basement, her friend gave this new girl some reasons not to fear the heat, what to do if she got overwhelmed, how to pace herself in class. Although she had smiled, the girl's voice suggested some legitimate fear lurking behind her words.


Meanwhile, I was bouncing down the stairs, ecstatic for class, thinking, "What is this?! This is yoga. You are going to be OK."


Have people not heard of yoga? It's supposed to relax you. It's supposed to be enjoyable. When did Bikram yoga get this bad rep for being torture?!


(Oh wait, there is that small fact that Bikram does call it the Torture Chamber. Hmm. But I digress.)

You'll be putting that forehead on the floor in no time; trust me. Photo via Coffee and Yoga.

Still, let's be honest people. You're going to be fine. It's just freaking yoga. You're going to be fine -- as long as you breathe.


Which brings us back to piece of advice #3: breathe.


And the in-between stuff -- all that fidgeting, fixing your hair, wiping off the sweat that's actually cooling you down, and checking out your own ass in the mirror? That's just filler. Stuff you make up and bring to class because you don't know how not to yet. That's your Monkey Mind.


And if you keep coming to class, you'll lose that junk. You'll lose the negativity, the wandering thoughts, the twitches during savasana, the giving in to itching an itch or coming out of a posture early just because you feel like it.


Lately I meet a lot of beginners (or people who've never tried Bikram, but who want to get into it) who get wide-eyed at the thought of class in a hot, humid room. They get scared.


I'm not flexible, they tell me. I've never done yoga. I'll pass out, won't I? I'm not skinny enough, or strong enough, or tall enough, or crazy enough, to do yoga. Or to do this type of crazy yoga.


Let me tell you something: you are. You can do that posture. You can get through class. You can even have fun doing it, if you decide to!


Here we are, back again. Advice #1: Choose not to suffer.


Let's change this mindset of bringing fear to class and these mantras about all of the things we "can't" do. Let's encourage beginner's with open-mindedness and patience, and encourage them to be patience with themselves, too.

During crowded classes, be grateful for beginners. Photo via Lululemon's Flickr.

The yoga takes time. The yoga never ends. 


Don't be in a rush to meet certain expectations of yourself. Instead, be glad that you found the yoga.


I highly suggest, beginners, that you be more like my friend who is completing a 60-day challenge right off the bat, never having done the yoga before. Be more like her than the wide-eyed girl who wasn't sure about her first class. Just go for it! 


Enjoy yourself. Laugh at how ridiculous Bikram can be sometimes. Laugh at the inanity of the dialogue, at your silly neighbors, at yourself as you fall out of a posture and get right back in.


Sit down when you get overwhelmed.


And come back tomorrow.


You might be scared, you might be crazy, but whoever you are you could really use some of this yoga. And let me tell you, only you can save yourself in the heat. Not the teacher. Not your friend who told you to come try Bikram. Not your neighbor. Not your mom, or your mom's cat, or whoever.


Just you.


So go ahead. Take my advice. Choose not to suffer, and get ready for the rest of your happy yogi life.

Some yogis who know how to enjoy the process! Photo via  Lululemon's Flickr.

Winter Yoga, Wing Night & The Greatest Feeling

A crowded class reminds you to find your private practice. Photo via Coffee and Yoga.

Class was super crowded last night at the studio. Lots of beginners around. Looks like a lot of New Year's resolutions have been set!


The mats were lined up in neat rows, lots of yogis packed into the room. All the commotion and bustle really pumped me up. I warmed up with big smiles, and energy coursing through me. I love a good crowded class.

Breathe together, move together. That's the yoga. Photo via Lululemon's Flickr photostream.

What's funny is I arrived there with my good friend Lindsay, who's a Bikram teacher and massage therapist at the studio, and we both entered the Hot Room separately to set up our mats. Little did I know, I had plopped my stuff down right next to hers!

The close quarters made for an inspiring class. Linds is a super yogi and having her next to me during the postures gave me the motivation to push a little harder, focus a little stronger, and let go of the crazy energy from the beginners in the room.

That's Lindsay at her Teacher Training in Acapulco. She is an incredible yogi!

Being close to other yogis in the room also brought my thoughts to Teacher Training. I seriously can't wait to be there!


On some days it feels like I've got a lot of preparing to do before I go. I want to have at least the first four  postures down before Training, plus I could really use a challenge or two before I kill myself for 90 minutes... twice a day, for three months! Ha.


On other days, though, I feel ready to pack up a little suitcase and get my ass to the Big Tent right away. I've got my wardrobe of tiny shorts and sports bras, my set of yoga mats, my Bengal tiger strength and English Bulldog determination. I've got my open mind and willingness to let go. I'm ready, right?


And especially after crowded classes like last night's, I just can't help but imagine the energy in the room with Bikram up front and a bunch of advanced, eager trainees lining the floor from wall to wall. It has to be electric!

Standing Bow next to Standing Bow. Gotta love a crowded class! Photo via Lululemon's Flickr photostream.

Regardless of when I get to Training, I am very grateful to know that it is a goal I will turn to reality. It's not a "new year's resolution." It's a life goal. It will happen... "eventually or in the future." (And for those who are curious, it's looking like Fall 2011 is going to be my time, but nothing is set yet. I will keep you posted for sure!)


After class was super fun, too. The Hubs, the Professional Best Man, and I have a tradition of enjoying all-you-can-eat wings at Merle's Barbecue in Evanston on Wednesday nights. I mean, how can you pass up high-quality wings at only $4.50?! Plus, they have just about the tastiest lemonade around town.

Delicious wings and great company made for a lovely Wednesday wing night!

It was super busy at Merle's last night, so we sort of made an evening of it. I was so happy and content as we sat munching chips and guac and discussing our favorite types of dogs and where we want to live when we grow up.


In both the hot room and at the restaurant, I felt surrounded by love and friends. A sense of community inspires me. There seemed to be a living pulse in the air. It really energized me!


I can't wait to get back to class -- both at Bikram Yoga Evanston and other studios in the area. One of my goals this year is to expand my practice into new forms. I am hoping to buy a few DVDs for at-home practice (to meet my budget), as well as review some local studios on the blog (and hopefully score a few free classes here and there). There are plenty of cheap or free community classes as well!


The greatest feeling of all is to be surrounded by your fellow yogis as you work through class.


The surrender, the energy, the love in the room: it's overwhelming and wonderful. All at once. All together. All you need: your yoga!

Monday Morning Ballet

All photos by the talented Rachel Papo.

On Monday mornings, it's best to stretch out before you start work. Aren't these little dancers stunning?

Mini Yoga Class @ NU

• Yogis in Evanston, I'm going to teach a mini-class in a couple of weeks! Please attend, invite your friends, and come enjoy some awesome meditation and relaxation postures. I'd love to hear from you if you're planning on being there, just to get a general sense of how many people will be coming!
  Here's the info...
  
  
  

  Love yoga? Interested in the ways that yoga postures connect with spirituality and offer the body and mind relaxation?
  Come to YOGA SHABBAT!
  Friday November 12 from 6:15pm to 7:30pm in the basement of Hillel
  @ 629 Foster St. Evanston, IL 60201
  An event sponsored by Northwestern Hillel andEnvironmental Campus Outreach (ECO).
• I'll be teaching a 35-minute yoga class focused on postures which promote relaxation and rest. There will be a good series to get your heart rate up, and then ample time for cool down and meditation toward the end.
•  
• We won't be in the heat, but I guarantee it'll be a perfect marriage of the heart and lungs, good for every muscle, tissue and system in your body. A good chance to practice a great mantra: "If you can, you must!"
• Please bring a mat, towel & water and wear comfortable stretchy clothes. 

• Open to all individuals of all backgrounds, fitness levels, faiths, and ages. Invite your friends!

  I will be around before and after class to answer any questions you may have and will offer some resources on yoga & local studios. If you're new around here, FYI I practice regularly at Bikram Yoga Evanston and I'm planning to do Bikram Teacher Training next spring.  (*Note: As you also know, I am not certified and will not be held liable for injuries resulting from class. Please listen to your body and move slowly so that you don't get hurt! Thanks.)

  Namaste and see you soon.

  

The Big Book of Yoga: Read it for Free!

Free yoga resource: The Big Book of Yoga!

I just discovered an awesome online resource for you Hatha yogi fiends out there. Check out The Big Book of Yoga! Andrew G. Reece has treated us to a great guide to the practice. He's been doing yoga for 10 years+ and lives out on the east coast. I love that he included a gratitude page as well, as a way of honoring and thanking his mentors.

And the dedication may be the most beautiful part of all:

"May all who read this book benefit from it; may this book contribute to the increase of happiness, and the decline of suffering everywhere; may all beings be happy, healthy, and safe; may we all recognize yoga in this and every moment!"

Want to get a hold of Andrew? Leave him some feedback? Go here. Consider thanking him for sharing this lovely gift with the yoga community. Namaste, Andrew and the team!

Also, speaking of online resources, if you still haven't seen my friend Shuling's video about the Seth Godin conference, you should check it out. Featuring photos from yours truly. What an inspiring event it was! Miss you, fellow linchpins! Thanks, Seth and Ishita, for all your hard work that day. And to Shuling for bringing together some beautiful storytelling here. A talented bunch, I must say!

Check out the awesome video here. Or read Seth's blog!