bikram yoga: good or bad?

bikram yoga: good or bad?
Anastasia has found my latest favorite topic. I've been thinking about Bikram a lot lately because there is a new studio in my neighborhood. Also, my girlfriend tried the 30-day challenge during her 40th birthday month. She called me three or four times during the month to complain about the cultic attidude teachers had regarding the "Master."

"Why wouldn't she let me modify the pose?" she asked. "Why did she have to embarrass me in front of the whole class?"

My friend was so upset that she almost stayed after class to talk with the teacher.

My response was, "Why bother? She won't get it."

This is my biggest beef with Bikram: it is done the same way all the time for every person with no props, excuses, or permission to leave the room. Therefore, the practice is not present. When they yell contradictory things like, "Look at yourself in the mirror and meditate," I think, "I'm PMSing, and I'm half naked. I don't want to look at myself in the mirror." Hardly a meditational way to honor the present.

Unfortunately, Bikram is a trademarked set of poses that are cued the same way all the time as in, "Let your hip open like a flower opening." No teacher sounds natural saying stupid stuff like that, particularly at their rapid fire cueing pase.

I love the heat, but I disagree with the order of moves and the severity of the angles. From the beginning, practitioners do this horrible breathing exercise that throws the head back in a whiplash position. It hurts, but instructors encourage you to keep going. Some even block the doors to keep you from leaving. In the standing side and back bends, you are encouraged to "look back, way back. Go beyond your flexibility." In baby cobra, the chin lifts to such an an angle that people's eyes bulge from their heads.

The last class I took was truly the last Bikram class I'll take. The teacher asked that I keep pulling my leg over my head in shiva. "See your foot in the mirror above your head." I did the first time, but during the repeat, I felt overstreched. I held back. The teacher wouldn't leave me alone because my listening to my body represented laziness instead of mindfulness. I tried to send her a message by staying in the lesser version; she kept yelling at me in the microphone. How dare she push someone she doesn't know and make it seem like she knows better. Yoga is meant to cultivate autonomy not slavish following to the Master.

Finally, if you want to kick my butt, add more warriors. In the Bikram series, there are only a few sets. In my mind, this is a missed opportunity for safely challening balance. Instead, teachers use toe stands and uttitha hasta padangusthasana for balance. These poses are among the opening moves.

Halfway into my last class, I thought, "This is stupid." I rolled up my drenched mat and left. I told the receptionist I had the runs because no one ever messes with that.

Climbing Bear and Bull (Mountains)

In my Fantasy lululemon post, I mentioned one of my year's health goals: climb four local moutains. Since last weekend, I've climbed three.

Last week, I climbed Mount Taurus. Yesterday, I climbed West Mountain and Timpe-Torne, both with the Appalacian Mountain Club. This incredibly annoying woman was on both trips. Unkindly, I called her the Public Urinator because, instead of going behind a tree or rock to indicate privacy, this woman peed right by the trail. Of course, I couldn't not watch. Squatting by the path, she applied Carmax to her chapped mouth. Then she chugged water as a complete illustration to taking in what you give out.

Being a solo kind of girl, I considered the group dynamic model and tried to apply it to the menagerie of mental uniqueness. (On last week's trip, one of the hikers just decided to run down the mountain, poles and all. We never saw him again.)

Here is the model, best illustrated by the movie Breakfast Club:

• Phase 1: Do I really want to go in there?
• Phase 2: Don't slip. Get out of my way
• Phase 3: It's not so bad in here. You're okay too.
• Phase 4: I can still be me and still belong
• Phase 5: Am I ready to leave? Do I really care?

I'm not quite sure how he model applies to my experience. I'll blog about it when I get the idea.

I do want to mention my favorite part of both hikes. Yesterday, we finished the hike by going through Doodletown, an abandoned village now marked by crumbling garages and overgrown gardens. I thought it was a powerful testament to how humans live and build societies that may ultimately crumble.

Here is a photo of a Doodledown farm house. All that reman are the steps front steps:

Yoga Sutra 1.3: The Seer Abides in His own nature

Patanjali's third sutra says that we are not the mind and body. Instead, we are Seers, watching our mind/body functions while remaining unattached.

To clarify further, Sri Swami Satchidananda says our mind jumps from thought to thought, as in, "I am dirty" or "I am beautiful." He describes these busy thoughts as ripples on a lake. They distort our internal views. Using the reflection analogy, Satchidananda says that when we see our physical bodies in the mirror, we are not truly seeing ourselves. Instead, we are seeing glass which produces copies of ourselves.

"The Seer can never misunderstand nor forget Itself," Satchidananda writes. "But we are talking on the level of the reflection. The reflection is distorted, so the Seer appears to be distorted. The true you is always the same, but you appear to be distorted or mixed up with the mind."

On another note, I learned a small detail about myself that has changed my practice. With all of my dance and Pilates training, I thought that shoulders always go down toward the hips to maintain stability. I thought stability to be superior to flexibility, so much so that I wouldn't let any different ideas into my practice. When a teacher assisted me this summer, pushing my ribs up toward my shoulders and my shoulders toward my ears, I did what she asked but dismissed her advice. My shoulders felt uncomfortable in uttita hastasana, only because I had never practiced that way.

Then we moved into handstands and back bends; it dawned on me that shoulders need to be stable and flexible. When I was upside down, the teacher came around again and said, "Move your shoulders to the floor and your feet toward the ceiling." I did, and I had my first comfortable handstand. The back bend that followed was so much more spacious.

The teacher's name is Jenny Arthur. Thank you, Jenny!

Yoga Sutra 1.2: Patanjali's Tweet

My morning reading and meditation included Yoga Sutra #2: Yogas citta vritti nirodhah, which translates into "the restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff is Yoga."

In other words, our minds are noting and evaluating change like a Facebook newsreel. On top of that, our minds chatter about the chatter. The word chatter is appropriate because it sounds like and has a similar meaning to the Sanscrit word citta, pronounced "chEE tah." Citta means "mind stuff," residue from too much busy thinking and doing.

We practice yoga when we control the speed, volume, and quality of our self talk. We eliminate the frantic text message quality of our thoughts. Instead, we focus on the primal messages of "inhale and exhale" or "eat and sleep." In uncovering these messages, we honor our minds and true natures. Consequently, our actions stem from an authentic place because we are following direct orders from the boss--the Self.

Sutra 1.2 is a particular favorite because it was my personal assignment for yoga school in 2003. My first readings meant nothing, but when I read Sri Swami Satchidananda's commentary, I was thrilled to know I had the most important sutra. "In this Sutra Patanjali gives the goal of Yoga," Satchidandanda writes. "For a keen student this one Sutra would be enough because the rest of them only explain this one."

In essence, Patanjali sent his ancient Tweet into the 21st century. All of yoga is summarized with Sutra 1.2, less than 140 characters.

On a related note, I am reminded that the "mind" is more than just the head. Yesterday, a co-worker wiggled her little finger and said that that little motion affected the entire body's network of cells, nerves, muscles, and connective tissue. "The mind is the body," she said.

As Walt Whitman said in Song of Myself, "I am the poet of the body; I am the poet of the soul."

new york custom & an (attempted) pickup

This is a hilarious blog from my friend Anastasia.
new york custom & an (attempted) pickup

Rock Solid Pilates, Real Solid Advice

Many of today’s food labels have mullet mentality: business in front and party in the back, according to health counselor Robyn Youkilis. In other words, many items advertised as “organic” or “all natural” contain unpronounceable flavors and preservatives.

“Our bodies are screaming at us actually,” Robyn said. “We need to listen.”

Robyn’s Sunday lecture “Weigh Less, Live More” included Top Ten Tips to listening to nutritional needs. These are:

1.       Feed your soul with primary food like friends, family, spirituality, and a satisfying career.

2.       Drink water, starting your day with a full glass on your nightstand. Our brains are 90% water.

3.       Eat a plant-based diet. Plant foods are lower in calories and higher in fiber.

4.       Chew your food well. Not only does chewing help digestion, it allows time to register fullness, keeping you from overeating.

5.       Eat real food, avoiding ingredients like “corn syrup” or anything unpronounceable. She even mentioned real fats like nuts, olive oil, and real butter.

6.       Eat breakfast to maintain blood sugar levels and mood.

7.       Eat mindfully. Sit and savor the food away from the television and computer.

8.       Get moving. Think of all the ways you can fit in exercise from taking the stairs to walking the dog.

9.       Sleep, rest and relax. Your body craves quick, sugary energy when you are sleep-deprived.

10.   Schedule fun time. Find things that bring joy to your life.

The hour-lecture was friendly and fun, especially after an hour-long Pilates class taught by Jewel Elizabeth, creator of Rock Solid Pilates. As a team, Robyn and Elizabeth presented a well- rounded two-hour workshop at Pearl Studios. Robyn covered food, and Jewel covered exercise.

After Jewel’s class, I felt warm and happy, able to sit through a lecture that didn’t feel like a lecture; we had time to interact and sample quinoa, a grain-like ingredient that Jewel and Robyn swore “you can’t mess up.”

The overall theme was mindful movement and eating.

For a sample workout, try:
ROCK SOLID: PILATES™//Podcast 1: The CORE 10 (14:04) 

Fantasy lululemon

This is me pretending I work for lululemon. I have created, printed, and framed my one year-, five year-, and 10 year goals just like the lulu employees. The goals have a prominent position above my kitchen table and below my autographed photo of Robert Culp in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice.

Short-term goals -- in the categories of health, career, and personal -- include climbing four area mountains, saving $1,000, and finishing final drafts of my novel by December 2010.

Middle-term goals include driving across the country in a really cool vintage car, having decent insurance, and taking a fast-paced French course.

Longer-term goals include my own trademarked brand of fitness, owning a New York apartment with a garden, and saving one-million dollars

As stated in lululemon's Sept. 8 goal-setting class, goals must define your core values. They must be written in present tense, be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Authentic, Realistic, and Timely), require growth, and be 50% achievable.

Mine are.

Yoga Sutra #1

As part of my personal practice for fall, I am re-reading Patanjali's yoga sutras.

1. Atha yoganusasanam. Now the exposition of Yoga is being made. 

I like the word "now" in this sutra. The word indicates immediacy and also freedom. Change can happen this second, and this second, and this second because I say so.


I included a picture of my two cats Malcolm and Leah. As you can see, they are the perfect yogis.

lulu-Oompahs Construct My Life

lululemon Athletica irks me as well as fascinates me. That little omega --- appearing on the hips, ankles, and racer backs of athletes and non-athletes alike -- suggests the buyer paid big money to show love of exercise and the environment.

I say this as a person who loves the clothing; my irritation stems from the fact that I can’t get a job there.

As a perky yoga and Pilates teacher, I'm like, "What gives?"

Perhaps I didn't get the job because I couldn't make it to the free Sunday yoga class prior to the interview. When I did go to the interview, I was ten minutes early. To my horror, I noticed that we were going to sit cross-legged on yoga mats, a horrible concept because I wore a slim fitting business skirt when everyone else wore athletic wear. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the interview, which included each of us telling our personal goals for the year.

Goal-setting is one of the things I love about lululemon's business model. Having worked in the corporate world, I like being recognized as a human. I also like that lulu hires yoga teachers, spin instructors, and marathon runners as clerks, also known as "store educators." As a result, I rarely have a bad time in lululemon. Every time I go in, people are nice to me. They say something cute. They ask what I do. They show me the store’s latest happy trends like organic cotton onesies, which happen to be by the Lincoln Center store’s goal wall.

Yes, goal wall. After my failed interview, I visit lulu's goal walls, a feature in all stores. These walls include individual employee's framed year-long, five-year-long, and 10-year-long goals.

Last week, an employee found me gawking at the Lincoln Center wall. She invited me to a goal-setting workshop the next day. I signed up and went.

In true lulu fashion, we ate fruit on yoga mats while a manager and the store running ambassador led us through detailed worksheets. The questions asked for our core values and how we’d like to live. The goals span the categories of health, career, and personal. They have to be 50% achievable, meaning they have to be big goals beyond what we normally do.

At the end of the workshop, we completed a goal table, just like the ones behind the black frames. I really enjoyed doing this. It took some thought: one of my year-long health goals is to join an out door hiking club and climb four area mountains by September 1, 2010. I decided on this because I already get enough exercise through work. However, I often feel imbalanced because I do my work inside on tiled or carpeted surfaces. I feel I would be so much healthier if I got out of the city several times a year.

I'll be blogging about my goals. I like them, and I still like lululemon even though I can't afford their clothes and they won't hire me.

lululemon's Blog
lululemon Article

Clearing Space, Clearing Minds: Professional Profile

Debra Riva was always organized, a skill she learned from her mother. The skill also served her as an executive assistant to a prominent New York figure.

Debra is a feng shui consultant and professional organizer and started her consulting business "The Art of Order" over ten years ago. She supports her clients to create an easy flow of energy by organizing their lives and removing clutter.

“Clutter is an energy block,” she said. “It translates into any and all areas of our lives from relationships to finances.”

Clearing space and being organized is part of one's spiritual practice. When people remove unnecessary items, they open themselves to clearer thinking and greater possibilities, she said.

Success stories include a client who could not see the floor of her apartment. Now she is able to have dinner and sleepover guests.

“She’s just amazed at the possibilities and she created it” Debra said. “We made her dream come true. Now she needs a bigger dream.”

Debra travels to homes and offices for consultations. She helps clients change habits, often starting with her “Take the Moment” approach. “Take the Moment” means just that. "Rather than letting things pile up, take the moment and do the task" she said.... Write that check. Make that phone call.

Because Fall is the last quarter of the year,it is especially good time to get organized and clear the clutter.

“Wouldn’t it be extraordinary gift for each and every one of us to clean out any clutter at this time so that we can sail into the New Year with a clean slate and without the burden of clutter?” she said.

To learn more:
•attend Debra’s From Clutter to Clarity Workshop from 4 to 6:30 p.m., Oct. 4, at Sacred Center.
•visit Debra’s website.

Acupunture for Allergies

Tired of over-the-counter drugs and passive advice from doctors, I tried acupuncture Tuesday afternoon.

When I arrived in the beautiful office, complete with moody lighting and music, I knew I was in the right place. The hour-long appointment (I was late) started with a health interview about my skin, sleep habits, and diet.

I told her that my skin was dry, my sleep was good, and my diet included morning donuts and sweetened tea. Right away, she told me that sweets, including raw carrots, create mucus buildup. Better choices would include spicy items that would clear out my sinuses.

Later, she took my organ pulse and taught me to apply Roman chamomile to my face.

"Have you been feeling angry lately?" she asked. "Or unable to express some kind of grief."

Her reasons were that my lung and liver pulses were lagging. Because the lungs govern grief and the liver responds to anger, she suggested that my allergies have other triggers besides ragweed and mold. In addition, fall and spring -- prime times for seasonal allergies -- are transitional times when people have "one foot in and one foot out" of their lives.

Finally, she inserted several tiny needles in into my feet, hands, belly, and face. When she got to the area around my eyes, I started to cry. She left me alone for a few minutes, and I remembered all the angry I've felt over my summer guests, the neighbor's roaches.

At the end of the appointment, she put peppermint oil drops in my hand, asked me to rub my hands together, and breath into the cup of my hands. I cleared up immediately.

I left with a sticky-note prescription that included her recommended oils.

Today, I woke up feeling amazing. Instead of taking a pill, she gave me things to do, something my doctor left alone.

Food: Don't Stop Till You Get Enough

I am still haunted by a July 1, 2009, story by the Today Show's Dr. Nancy Snyderman.

Overshadowed by the death of Michael Jackson, Snyderman discussed a new report by Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. According to the report, one in four adults in 31 states are obese.

She went on to say that America has "peaked," that our abundance of food is the wrong kind of food and that our poor choices weaken our position on the world stage.

" ... I don't think we can be a world power if we continue to be this unhealthy," Snyderman said.

Snyderman mentioned a recent trip to Florida, where she found drive-up pharmacies on each corner of an intersection. The sight disturbed her.

"In America, when you are unhealthy, don't worry about getting out of your car and walking in and getting your medicine," she said. "Drive up. Get your medicine."

Her words should have been heard throughout the country: from New York to California, from Michigan to Texas, and from the fattest state of Mississippi to the thinnest state of Colorado. Instead, her decree transitioned into yet another report on Jackson, a man who owned most of the Sony Music Catalog and died at the hands of his own propofol-prescribing physician.

Our forefathers would be proud.