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| Something Christine said about people who are making lots money doing training's got me thinking. My teacher always used to say that just get into yoga to make money and never practice, that you will never get as far with yoga as if you had a dedicated practice.
After becoming an instructor I see what he is talking about. There are MANY instructors in my area and competition is fierce for classes. Yoga teachers her will be popular for a short time and few retain that glow for long. It seems, that those who have a dedicated practice and really want to teach yoga are the ones who make it in the long haul.
How many of you, have a dedicated personal practice. For the intent of the question only let me define "dedicated"
1. Practice on your own without a teacher watching over you.
2. Practice in this manner 2-3 times a week.
3. Search to master each of the Asanas without ego strokes.
4. Feel that your teacher gave you a solid base to experiment with how you want to develop your personal yoga practice.
5. Teach yoga so that you can practice.
I am not saying that this is THE WAY. Just giving some basic guidelines for us to discuss things.
When you practice how does your practice vary from day to day? What are your approaches that work for you? How do you get through your roadblocks?
Edited by yogabrian 2004-07-27 7:44 PM
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| As far as a regular, dedicated practice: I'll get back to you on that after this surgery 
I will say that the reason I took the Bikram training was primarily to be able to do more yoga. I like to practice more at home on my own than I do at the studio because I can mix my Anusara & Bikram styles together more freely. The "mixing" is not encouraged at our studio. As far as the ego thing: sometimes it is hard to say. I don't generally jump for joy and announce it when I can do something new or improved, but the ego is very subtle -- there is a certain satisfaction in achieving.
Peace,
Gwyn |
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| interesting. So do you stick to the basic Bikram squence and edit from there? How do you apply your other styles to your personal sequence? How has it changed your body? |
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| What I will do is start out sitting and setting my intention for my practice. I may do some chanting. Then, instead of Bikram's breathing, I will do a few sets of sun salutations to warm up and connect with my breath. Once I feel warmed up, I do the Bikram series, starting with Ardha Chandrasana. I stick with the series, ocassionally substituting a different Triangle or Tree Pose. I try to incorporate the principles of alignment that I have picked up from Anusara. I think my hamstring flexibility has increased with this & my concentration has definitely increased.
Now that I'm injured, I cannot straighten my left leg so I keep both knees bent in some of the poses. I figure it's not a good idea to do Half-Moon with one knee bent & the other straight. Makes for some potential lower back problems. Spine strengthening series (cobra, locust, bow)is hard because I cannot contract the left leg as much as the right and grabbing my left foot is a challenge for bow because I cannot put much torque pressure on that left knee. Forget fixed firm for now! I basically start Half-Tortoise in the finished position as sitting on my heels is not an option right now. Those are the types of modifications I make while I'm injured. I try to maintain as much integrity in the pose as possible without putting undue strain on the injured part.
Again, what has changed most for me is not my body, but my mind. I am very focused on my edge to keep from doing any more damage to my knee. |
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| I live in a place where it often gets to over 37 degrees Celsius in summer( I think that is 100 degrees Fahrenheit ). I don't have air conditioning in my little yoga/meditation room and have been struggling to pactise my astanga sequence in the heat. So during my first Bikram class I mentioned to th teacher I am interested in becoming familiar with the sequence so I can practise it at home in summer. She immediately told me most people can't do a home practice, they can't discipline themselves enough, you need the instructor's voice telling you what to do. I can see her point ( I think it takes a lot of discipline to hold those poses for 1 minute ), but this is the first time in yoga that I have been discouraged to do home practices. Has anyone else been told this in Bikram ?  |
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| I haven't been told not to attempt home Bikram practice in so many words; rather, as you mentioned, it is difficult to summon the self-discipline to do it properly. However, I do much better in a silent practice with my teacher as opposed to the incessant monolog of the normal class. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| She immediately told me most people can't do a home practice, they can't discipline themselves enough
That may be true but home practice should still be encouraged. When I hear stuff like this is seems the teacher is wanting you to keep coming to class so that she'll keep her job. There is a whole other world of learning that goes on when you practice - stuff you can't learn while you are listening to an external voice. So you don't hold for a full minute - who cares? You can work on that aspect when you are in class. |
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| I would encourage you to get Bikram's book, if you haven't already. He advises how to do a home Bikram practice and the book has pretty detailed instructions. The self-discipline is up to you. 
Of course instructors at a studio are going to try to sell you on classes. That's to be expected. And, I believe classes are good because you have the benefit of the instruction, but if you want to do a home Bikram practice, go for it! |
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| Thank you everybody for your great advice.
Bruce, it is interesting that you made the point about silent practice. During my first Bikram class, the incessant droning of the teacher reminds me of going to the gym with my headphones blasting so I don't notice how much pain I am in, which in some way I thought wasn't really what yoga should do ( sorry ), I thiought I was meant to be in touch with my body, my feelings of pain and anxiety and 'what the hell am I doing here' internal dialogue instead of distracting it. I though I should be learning to 'Be Here Now' instead of Be Somewhere Else. On the other hand, as a Bikram beginner, I do find it somewhat useful to listen to the teacher so I can adjust my poses appropriately. Especially in a big class when the teacher cannot possibly see what everyone else is doing. Anyway just another one of those bewildering things I find with Bikram.
Tourist, that was exactly what I thought, that the teacher just want me to be dependent on the classtoom system for monetory reasons. I shall take your advice about the personal practice though.
Kathy Ann, I can't seem to find Bikram's book in my town ( Bikram isn't that big in this part of Australia I think ), but shall get it off Amazons.
In the meantime my astanga home practice is keeping me sane.
Namaste |
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| I would say, as a Bikram teacher, that it is important to develop your practice with the help of a good teacher to develop good principles of alignment, etc. This does not mean that you shouldn't practice at all on your own, but that you should go back to the source for correction & guidance from time to time, once you have developed a solid base. JMO.
Peace,
Gwyn |
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| I know Janet, tiz quite a quandry. I think most teachers with some experience can gauge the class's tempo and see when they can use some silence rather than chattering on like a cheerleader--I really don't need somebody counting to 6 for me while I'm breathing.
What part of OZ are you in? Obviously not the Sydney area--beaucoup Bikram studios there--I especially like the one in Noose run by Gabrielle Scanlon at:
http://www.bikram-yoga-noosa-australia.com/
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Expert Yogi
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| Gwyn - I couldn't agree more with returning to the source to keep your practice going well. It is a balance of learning in class, practicing it at home then going back to consolidate and learn some more. I had a student come to my class who said he had intended to come for one term then just keep practicing at home. By the end of the term he realized how much there is to know and has continued coming to class for about 2 years now  |
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| So after reading some of the group responses, is it correct in saying that home practice is not something most of you engage in? As a teacher, I can certainly understand wanting people in class. But I would rather have them doing something on their own when the can't come to class rather then not nothing at all. "Something is better then nothing!"
Is it not a mark of a good teacher to have students that have the desire to practice on their own and eventually have a solo practice? Yoga is a personal thing not a group thing after all.
Brian |
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| Bruce, I am in Adelaide ( home of Lleyton Hewitt and David Hicks ) where it is winter at the moment, hence the mad impulse to try Bikram for a bit of warmth ! I can't really begrudge my Bikram teacher, she is actually pretty good, especially after reading some of the horror stories from other people in this forum. I think I am going to continue with Bikram once or twice a week to supplement my astanga practice, mainly because the class times are more amenable with work. On the other hand I would not give up my weekly astanga class for anything, it is my lifeline. I do engage in home practice, 10 sun salutations is a briiliant way to get warm ! I guess I just don't do it as often as I should ) because I have tended to get a bit sore the next day, although I like to think ( as Yogabrian says ) something is better than nothing.
Namaste, Janet |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| Brian - in most schools of yoga personal practice is not only encouraged but absolutely expected at a certain point. Swami Rama said "you don't have to know much but you do need to practice what you know." |
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| I learned bikram in a studio when I was temporarily living in DC. But now I rely exclusively on my home practice and I almost prefer it to a studio. I can practice when I want, and I concentrate better (or at least as well). I always listen to Bikram's audio tape because I do like to know I'm holding the poses long enough. Some people really get bored by listening to the same tape repeatedly, but it doesn't bother me at all. I love routine. In short, I don't have a motivation problem. The nice thing about classes is that you have a community and sometimes having a set time forces me to go. Otherwise, I prefer practicing at home.
One more thing--at home, I can stop the tape, re-do poses or even take longer breaks when the room is especially hot. there were times in class where I sat out on poses if my heart rate was up to high. At home, I never sit out, I just work on getting my heart rate under control and then restart the tape. |
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personal practice
