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| Hi,
Sometimes I sneak and close my eyes while doing Bikram. I feel like I have more control over my postures (especially Bow Pulling); I also feel like I can calm down and truly focus on my breath. Music also gets me in the mood for an intense body/mind connection. Bikram is such an event. I mean one class can be life-altering. Wouldn't it be great to enhance the moment with music, candlelight...too frou frou? Fifi
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| That would be nice! A studio I used to go to in LA would dim the lights, so it was kind of like candlelight. Of course it only worked when I went to the night classes. If only I could have blocked out the ANNOYING teacher's screaching voice, it would have been perfect. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 418
Location: New York | I teach a "silent" class twice a week. It's not completely silent . . . I announce which posture we're doing, say when to change, and I play music. I dim the lights for the floor portion of the class. A member has to have taken at least 10 classes to be able to attend this class. The people that attend (it's at 7AM) really like it.
That's interesting that you feel you have more control over poses when you close your eyes. Especially in balancing poses, I have WAY less control. That's why I keep the lights on for the standing portion of the silent class. Less light really affects my balance. |
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| JackieCat,
Do you still help people adjust their postures in the silent class? If so, do you talk to them, or try and help them through touch or example?
Edited by Gracie 2004-11-24 9:42 AM
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| jackiecat, if my studio did classes like that i would make a point of making it. what kind of music do you play? swedish death metal or something more contemporary? |
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| Ah JackieCat flaunts the Bikram god's directions and conducts a silent class--atta girl! Those are my favorite--feel much more inclined to practice than when I'm hearing--"come down and push!" "Head up, leg up," "The frontward bend is the exact opposite of the backbend" (well no ****!), and my least favorite, "Now give it all you got--really turn it on!" |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
 
Location: A Blue State |
Bikram will send you a nasty letter if he finds out you are teaching
silent classes. Watch out!
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| >> Especially in balancing poses, I have WAY less control. <<
It's quite the opposite with me, JulieCat. When balancing I kind of blend out the biggest angle of my view, just focusing on one point. You don't need much light for that. For my taste most yoga rooms are way to light. I also could do without the annoying noises they call music. Don't get me wrong, I love (non-yogic) music and have my stereo on all the time. But through a yoga class I wouldn't miss it.
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 418
Location: New York | Gracie- I don't really offer corrections during the silent class. It's a requirement that a student have taken at least 10 regular classes (in my opinion, more than 10 is better) so that s/he have a better idea of what's going on. Usually I will have new people stand near me in my line of vision so that I can correct really obvious things. But it is a trade off- less instruction for a more meditative practice.
I play kind of trance-y, groove-y music- Delerium, Enigma, that kind of stuff. Also Krishna Das, Lorena McKennitt. I play the CDs from the Pure Moods series. And YogaFit has a series of CDs with good music. I try to avoid the super slow "yoga for relaxation" type music. Most people really like the music- only once have I had complaints, from someone who didn't want music at all b/c she found it too distracting.
I am hoping that Bikram has bigger fish to fry than me and my little old silent class, but you never know. Right off the top of my head I can think of about 5 unaffiliated hot yoga studios in my metro area, one of which has been in business for at least 3-4 years with Bikram's knowlegde. "Word on the street", however, is that the individual that runs it is a pal of Bikram's. What's sauce for the goose is rarely sauce for the gander. I try not to even think of all the politics in the Bikram world, much less get involved in them, because it just gives me agita.
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| OK, here's a little known perverse joy thingy of mine...in silent classes, I really enjoy the young thin girls grunts and groans when they get to asanas that hurt them--payback for my screaming forward bend tortures they just seem to breeze through. |
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| JackieCat, I don't think that Bikram would mind. The studio I used attend in the LA area had silent classes sometimes. The studio was run by Julian Goldstein (the editor for Bikram's book), so I would think that he did it with Bikram's knowledge... |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
 
| >>little known perverse joy thingy of mine...in silent classes, I really enjoy the young thin girls grunts and groans <<
I was about to turn you into the decency police Bruce!    Glad I read the whole post...
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
Location: A Blue State | Gracie - 2004-11-24 8:24 PM
JackieCat, I don't think that Bikram would mind. The studio I used attend in the LA area had silent classes sometimes. The studio was run by Julian Goldstein (the editor for Bikram's book), so I would think that he did it with Bikram's knowledge...
I know a studio owner who got a cease-and-desist letter from Mr B when he found out
about the silent class!  |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
Location: A Blue State | tourist - 2004-11-24 9:31 PM
>>little known perverse joy thingy of mine...in silent classes, I really enjoy the young thin girls grunts and groans <<
I was about to turn you into the decency police Bruce! Glad I read the whole post...
I think that we should turn him in anyway... to those young thin girls.  |
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| A couple of those young thin girls I particularly pick on come triangle or toestand--I whisper to them prior to going into it--"I'm watching you" --just to make 'em nervous as revenge for doing a beautiful standing bow. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 418
Location: New York | Yes, Bay Guy- I'm sure that many studio owners who aren't in favor with Bikram have gotten such letters.
And I'd be willing to bet that an equal number offering silent classes (and other violations such as other types of yoga classes on schedule, wood floors, no showers) do not get such letters because they are in favor with Bikram. Not to mention hot yoga studios run by certified teachers.
There is no consistency. |
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| I would love something a little different in our classes - music, candles wow.. that would be great. I teach Hatha style in a gym,and play cat stevens, james taylor, we all love it. Wow -- would a class go by so much smoother with inspirational music on. One teacher in the falls church yoga studio reads some inspirational passages sometimes (her name is Frankie - and she has such an upbeat personality) and it is really nice. I like when the teachers can add some other insight in besides the benefits of the poses. After a year of taking Bikram... I know the spiel -- give us something a little new. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| I have issues with the music and incense thing. They are IMHO, distractions and a way for people to move out of the body rather than delving deeper into it. They are also part of the Westernization of asana practice and I think people have the idea that they make the practice more Eastern. For a class, I would not like either of them. For practice, that is another story - very nice.
We do timed practices in Iyengar where the only sound is the timer person giving the next pose and sometimes the beep of the timer. Very internal and nice to do. Eyes open, though. I for one would be creating distractions for others (thuds and groans of pain) if I had eyes closed - keeling over like a felled tree every few minutes, I'm sure |
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Eyes closed, music on...
