This Man is Bikram, This Man is Not Your Yoga

Hey there, Boss. Photo via the Details feature everyone's buzzing about.

If you follow Bikram news, or Teacher Training news, chances are you've read the Details feature about Bikram's oversexed culture in the training tent by now.

Maybe you caught YogaDork's review.

Or some of the tweets that have been flying around about yoga will help you in more rooms than just the hot room (ie your bedroom).

Whatever you're reading, I hope you'll take it with a grain of salt. Bikram is a crazy, crazy man. He says very crazy things. Though Bikram may be crazy -- and you should stop and consider this for a moment -- he is not Bikram yoga.

Sure, he is Bikram, the crazy guy who started it all and who franchised the hell out of his 26 postures. That little man with his hair in a bun and his black Speedo may be up there teaching class, but he is not your yoga.

Just like in the Hot Room, people love to get distracted by all the bullshit.

We get distracted by all the photos we see of Bikram posing with his hot chicks, or getting massages, or riding around in luxury cars. We get caught up in the ridiculous things we hear him say, or his celebrity status. And granted, some of it is entertaining. I mean, who else can get away with saying:

“You, Miss Teeny-Weeny Bikini! Spread your legs! You, Mr. Masturbation! Until I say ‘Change,’ you do not move a muscle!” 

Honestly, I don't know anyone else who gets paid the way he does to act as such a ridiculous entertainer.

Yogis at Teacher Training. Photo via the Details feature everyone's buzzing about.

And then the article says he claims to eat one meal a day of meat and Coke. Nothing else.

Lovely example for his students, right? How does that help him encourage others to lead healthy lives?

Regardless of what you hear and what crazy rumors go flying around about Bikram, it is still a healthy practice if you want it to be. If you show up to the room every day to practice 90 minutes of yoga and meditation, you will grow stronger. Your body will grow healthier.

You just have to learn to ignore some of the celebrity garbage and myth-making that's out there surrounding the yoga. You have to make it an introspective practice for good, and keep it on the mat.

Your meditation, your yoga.

Your Bikram.

Crow pose at Teacher Training. Are those bum bum shorts?! Photo via the Details feature everyone's buzzing about.

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!

Heading Home

The rice fields near my mom's house are a little soggy.

It's been a lovely week out here in California. The Hubs and I are heading home to snowy Chicago!

We're excited to start our new year together -- our first full year as a married couple! We can't wait to clean up our apartment, cuddle with the bunbun, get a regular workout routine going, and of course spend time together and with our friends.

We enjoyed a lovely French breakfast with my mom. Delicious and oh-so-fancy!

I have a feeling 2011 is going to be an incredible year. I am still hoping to do Bikram Yoga Teacher Training in the fall (permitting I can land a scholarship and work out the schedule with work)... but even if it doesn't happen this year, I've got big plans for my yoga practice. 


I've got a lot to work on with my backbends, my endurance during the standing balancing series, and my flexibility during the spine strengthening series. I also want to perfect the art of the headstand and handstand within the year.


I'm also excited to continue practicing the dialogue (and getting serious about memorizing it!) and possibly teaching more small yoga classes to friends in the area so I can gain experience.


What are your yoga goals for this year? Hope you'll join me on the road ahead, and keep in touch about the great places you're planning to go!

Farewell, California! We'll miss you.

Bikram Yoga Teacher Training Spring 2011 Dates Announced!

Yep, that's the Boss and Elvis.

This just in: Bikram Yoga Teacher Training Spring 2011 session dates and location announced!

April 17th to June 18th, 2011

@ the Radisson Hotel in Los Angeles

More info on Bikram's site. Details on what it takes to become a teacher here. 


Are you going?

Get ready for some serious Bikram love.

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.

Oak Park's 105-Yoga Opening Monday!

Chicago yogis: a new Bikram studio is opening on Monday, November 1st in Oak Park!

105 Yoga

105 N Oak Park Ave

Oak Park, IL 60301
Phone: 708-613-6055
info@105-yoga.com

with Nancy Kalinowski, studio director & yogi extraordinaire

Check it out: 105 Yoga in Oak Park is offering an amazing intro special where you can get your first month for only $29 (regularly $150). Sign up now! Offer ends November 30th. 


Tell your friends!


One of my favorite Bikram teachers ever is achieving her dream this week. Nancy, I couldn't be more thrilled for you! It's going to be incredible. Hoping I can stop by for some classes soon and, like Bikram says, continue on my way to "a new body, and a new life!"


May the first few weeks at 105 Yoga, even if they are chaotic, be yet another yogic lesson in your journey about the way no one can steal your peace. If you let someone steal your peace, you lose!


Students, new and veteran: check out the class schedule, add 105 Yoga on Facebook and Twitter (@hotyogaoakpark), and get out your mat! Namaste.

See you soon in Oak Park, Chicago, for some awesome Bikram at 105 Yoga!

Breaking Into Healthy Breakfasts

Howdy, readers! This is yesterday's breakfast at The Other Brother cafe in Evanston, the newest endeavor by The Brothers K. The cafe is a stellar spot: beautiful, sleek, modern design. Simple. Lovely. And of course they are continuing the tradition of delicious coffee & pastries (the baked goods are brought in by another store, I believe). Located at Sherman & Grove. You should stop by and try a latte sometime soon! Those frilly frothy drinks will make you smile.

 Today? I'm juicing it up! Pictured is a recent creation featuring Hammer Nutrition WHEY powder. In this morning's mix, I threw in some of Hammer's awesome Montana Huckleberry gel as well as a myriad (read: PILE) of fresh stuff, including...

• carrot juice
• berry juice
• orange juice
• frozen banana
• frozen strawberry
• frozen blueberry
• parsley
• spinach
• flax seed (ground)

Whirl, grind, instant energy! Tasty, too. I'm thinking of doing a 7-day detox cleanse with all green juices. Just got some books to read from the library about it.

I'm pretty much turning into a health food junkie, huh? :) Hey, at least I'll be clean, balanced and ready for the heat at Teacher Training. I imagine it'd be nice to start with a clean slate while I'm heating it up in Bikram's Torture Chamber... What do you think, fall 2010 #BKTT trainees?

Happy Tuesday from the newlyweds. Hope you're juicin' it up for breakfast out there! More recipes coming soon. And for those of you who are still passionate about eating cupcakes and other treats, try Ming Makes Cupcakes. A beautiful site!

The Yoga Is Supposed To Hurt: An Inspiring Teacher-in-Training

Video interview via Bikram Yoga Manhattan on YouTube.

"The only way out is through."

So says Bikram Yoga Manhattan's Jeanne Heaton, a yogi with an inspiring story that's about to get even more inspiring. And yes, she was talking about the experience of pushing through the pain that Bikram yoga can bring our bodies and minds, and the fact that the only way we can relieve that pain is to undergo it. As my teachers often say during Locust Pose: "Experience pain in the elbows now, so you don't have to outside this room."

It may be surprising at first to discover that sometimes Bikram yoga is supposed to hurt, but it's true. It's not all candles and bubble bath, like some other yoga practices.

Sometimes it hurts, and that hurt makes us stronger, tougher, better.

Anyway, back to a lady I've never met but who I admire already... Jeanne was interviewed during a series done by BYM's studio where they chat with local teachers about their practice, what it's like to the life of a yogi, and the experience of training with Boss himself.

"If it hurts, do it more," she says, smiling and gesturing. "Until it goes away. I didn't believe that was true until I experienced that myself."

What honest, beautiful words. No doubt, this can surely be a challenge, as Jeanne is ready to admit in the video. She talks about the way Western medicine generally prefers that patients who are suffering stop doing whatever it is that's bringing the pain. But in the East, and in our yoga, we learn that in order to get over the hurt, we must endure it first.

During her interview, Jeanne also spoke about her motivation to become a teacher once she received a scholarship for the Fall San Diego Teacher Training session.

"In order to keep what you have, you have to give it away. So that's what I see happening around the studio. In order to stay here and be healthy, I believe that I have to teach it so that I can help others...I totally identify with others' struggles. This yoga is about service."

I couldn't have said it better myself! The yoga inspires us to give, compassionately, and share it with those around us. This is a huge part of why I want to complete the training, too: it's not just about my own practice, but about encouraging passion in others to stick with the yoga.

"Health and love and service. That kind of complete change is what people do in here," as Jeanne said.

Since the beginning of my Bikram experience, I've been amazed at the solid community of practioners that come together. Whether we're chatting or laughing in the studio lobby before and after class, or sweating it out like crazy on our mats, moving as one, we learn and benefit from the presence of each other.

And that "Namaste" that we utter at the end of class truly starts to mean something, to take on true value.

The good in me sees the good in you.

As they say in Avatar, "I see you." I get who you are, where you're coming from, and I wholly accept who you are and what your purpose is in this world. I'm glad for you. That's the real kind of namaste.

Jeanne put it this way: "This is the right place to have community and love." Have you considered the weight of a statement like that lately?

What if you actively pursued community and love at your yoga studio? What if you gave up a little bit of yourself -- your personality, gifts, time -- to benefit those who practice beside you in the Hot Room? What would change?

My guess: your whole life, your whole practice.

I can picture Jeanne here in the Teacher Training tent where she's rockin' out on her mat and learning to deliver the dialogue like a true master. Hope it's going well, Jeanne, and best of luck in your beautiful life! Photo via The Missus on her BKTT blog.

Follow the Rules, Do It Right & Get Better: On the Road to Teacher Training

Photo illustration by yours truly. Photos via Ron Sombilon on Flickr. Artistic versions my own. This guy's got yoga-photog talent!

I'm in love with the yoga. I'm at a natural moment in my life to pursue something that I'm passionate about. It's been a summer where I have the flexibility, creativity and time to really stop and consider what I want to be my next move, what dream I want to pursue.

And yogis, readers, lovely peeps out there who have stumbled upon Alive in the Fire...

I think I'm going to push for Bikram Teacher Training in the spring of 2011!

I met with my studio director last night for a lovely chat at the charming local Bat 17 pub and deli. I sipped a refreshingly cold Blue Moon while he told me ridiculously awesome stories from Teacher Training about The Boss himself; the madness that is learning the dialog (hello, studying while in "savasana?" Crazy town!); and getting to know some of the coolest, kookiest people out there, who are now some of his best friends.

I oohed and aahed and laughed and was oh-so-happy. So refreshed. So empowered!

Stu, who is also a musician and has had creative genes in his blood since birth, talked a lot about really being aware of your choices in life especially as they relate to careers. How do you see the yoga fitting into your life? was one of the questions he asked, eyes wide and, as I could easily tell, his words coming from a heartfelt place.

I paused, thinking for a moment. "You know," I said, "the more I think about it, the less possible it seems that I could keep moving forward and not have this yoga be a big part of my life."

Saying that sentiment aloud really resonated with me. Struck something deeper than the typical "Here's my two-year plan" schpeel that I rattle off to friends and family who are wondering what my goals for the future are.

And of course I couldn't have been happier thinking about what a rockin' time it would -- er, WILL! -- be to teach at my home studio. My little refuge. The one and only Bikram Yoga Evanston. It basically rules the North Shore and really maintains a strong reputation in the Chicagoland area for a welcoming atmosphere, kick-ass teachers (who are not afraid to kick your ass in the heat, thank God!), and very high-quality standards for the yoga.

It is, in short, the perfect place to train. And Stu, I can tell (and could from the first few times I even talked to him, way back when) will be an incredible mentor! He already is, in many ways. All of our instructors are!

I'm so grateful to have been introduced to Bikram at a spot where the quality comes first and there is a real emphasis on following the rules in order to achieve the benefits. In order to hit every posture. In order to get the overall experience the right way. And, most of all, in order to transform yourself, prove that your own ego needs to get left at the door in order for you to reach your true potential.

We have a big bold sign outside the studio that says,

"We don't sell cheesecake. Leave your ego at the door!"

and it's so, so true. Not just on the literal level of not providing sweets after class (although another teacher and I laughed about this the other day -- I mean, who wouldn't enjoy a little slice of cheesecake post-Bikram? You've earned it, eh?)

But back to the yoga: Bikram wasn't made to be like pie. Never easy. Sure, your body adjusts and you begin to train your mind so that it knows how to more easily survive the 90 minutes... but it's still a challenge. Every class you face a different struggle -- one posture today, an injury tomorrow, and sometimes a crazy person or two surrounding your mat and towel.

Sometimes all of those, all at once. And always: the mirror right in front of your face. The mirror that Boss intended to put up, close and threatening, a constant reminder of who you are right here, right now. Who you are choosing to be. What you are choosing to practice.

As Stu and I discussed last night, what a thing to practice!

What a thing to practice: not just the postures, but the attitude. The life of the yogi. To practice compassion, empowerment, love. To appreciate beauty. To embrace and participate in community.

To take what you learn in the heat outside of that room and let it rule your life for the better, quieting your mind and enriching your spirit as you move through every day, not just every asana.

You begin to thrive in ways you never realized possible. Instead of just passing the time, wasting the days, hating your career, you are alive -- not only in the fire, but also on the streets, in your home, at your work, and during all the in-between moments that would otherwise slip away, unnoticeable.

The more I consider the commitment that Training requires, the more I want to dedicate myself not only to the practice of the 90-minute Bikram class which has in many ways saved my life and helped me detox my body and mind from pessimism...but I also want to focus my energy, time and efforts toward a transformational life experience through the yoga.

Plus, it's National Yoga Month -- what better time to get serious about your practice?

I certainly want to get the most out of the nine weeks as I can. I want to open myself to the opportunities that will follow, the path the practice takes me on. I want to learn, to grow, to strengthen myself inside and out.

I want to practice until it's like breathing to speak the dialog. I want my classes to be a dynamic, inspiring experience for other yogis -- nothing boring or mediocre, because we've all been there and we know it doesn't improve our practice at all. It doesn't change us. It should.

If you haven't been changed by the yoga and you've been practicing awhile, something's up. It should change you!

Perhaps most of all, I want to continue to improve my practice while at the same time practicing letting go of the ego. I want to focus on doing the yoga the right way and not getting caught up on the mistakes along the way. And then I want to give that gift -- of strength, of stillness, of purity -- to others who are as passionate about the yoga as I am. And to those who are new, scared, tired, lonely, too! Those who don't realize they could have it in them to become yogis, not just on the outside but on the inside too.

Cheesy, overdramatic and lofty goals aside, I'm ready for the yoga. For the next steps. Let's do this, Spring TT '11! Let's do this.

Stick around for upcoming updates on The Plan of Attack, featuring my personal goals and timeline for the next eight months. Don't worry: you'll be hearing about it around here!

Would also love to get as much advice, support, ideas, and general excitement from any of you out there who are teachers, have dreams about being teachers, or are simply in awe of the madness that is Bikram and the work that goes into training. Let the comment-posting begin!

How could I resist posting this iconic image of The Boss? It's the first thing that comes to mind when I think of those nine weeks. I can't wait for the antics, the Bollywood movies, the hilarity of Bikram-isms, the sweat, the tears, the yoga.