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Bikram Yoga as Therapy.
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Posted 2005-03-25 3:27 PM (#20045 - in reply to #20038)
Subject: RE: Bikram Yoga as Therapy.


Hello Jeri. Welcome to the forums. Sounds like you have some competent instructors and are enjoying your yoga journey. Glad you're aboard.
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jeriwho
Posted 2005-03-26 7:18 AM (#20087 - in reply to #20045)
Subject: RE: Bikram Yoga as Therapy.


Thank you Bruce! Happy to be here! I love my Bikram class and this week I managed to go five days in a row.

But I was under the impression that ALL Bikram yoga teachers were held to a certain level of expertise because they go to a special college to be trained. Am I hopelessly naive and laughably ill informed?

I think that anybody with back trouble can benefit from yoga (I sure have!) but at the same time, anybody with back trouble who tried to do everything according to the model in any style would injure himself or herself sooner or later. Surely instructors realize that a person with a 20 degree curve in the spine has to be cautious.

Jeri
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Cyndi
Posted 2005-03-26 12:13 PM (#20106 - in reply to #20087)
Subject: RE: Bikram Yoga as Therapy.



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Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC		Hi Jeri,

Glad to see another Bikramite from my area..well sorda. I'm up here in NC close to GA. We do Bikram up here too!! So, how is the Decatur Bikram Studio?? I've always wanted to try it out but I've been somewhat Chicken. I have a place in Atlanta that I stay at when I don't feel like driving back home. I haven't ventured to the Atlanta Bikram studios - yet. Take care

Cyndi
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jeriwho
Posted 2005-03-26 2:09 PM (#20118 - in reply to #20106)
Subject: RE: Bikram Yoga as Therapy.


Hi Cyndi,

I apologize for being confusing in what I wrote. I've never been to the Decatur Bikram school, but they have a groovy web page that show each posture and the different benefits associated with each one. I find it very motivational to read before class.

Here is the URL:

http://www.bikram-yoga-noosa-australia.com/Postures/Postureindex.htm

I go to a Bikram school in Raleigh NC. I like it a lot, though I must admit, working out in yoga is VERY different from martial arts.

Best wishes,
Jeri
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Posted 2005-03-26 3:45 PM (#20124 - in reply to #20118)
Subject: RE: Bikram Yoga as Therapy.


Jeri--don't you love the site in Noose Australia? The owner, Gabrielle is a wonderful person as well. She and her husband (who does the site) and thier baby are spending some time in France now so the baby can learn French--pretty cool I think.
Any way, you wrote above, "But I was under the impression that ALL Bikram yoga teachers were held to a certain level of expertise because they go to a special college to be trained. Am I hopelessly naive and laughably ill informed?"

I don't think you're hopelessly naive. The special college" is simply Bikram's teacher training course and monologue memorization. If you read through the Bikram thread here you'll see what folks have to say who actually went through it. The sane graduates recognize that the spiel can not be execute to any and everyone for any occasion. SImilalry, the educated student who's aware of his/her abilities won't blindly follow the monologue.
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tourist
Posted 2005-03-26 6:33 PM (#20131 - in reply to #20124)
Subject: RE: Bikram Yoga as Therapy.



Expert Yogi

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Watch out for that negativity there Bruce
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Posted 2005-03-26 7:16 PM (#20134 - in reply to #20131)
Subject: RE: Bikram Yoga as Therapy.


Glenda, I tried SO hard not to be negative--I think just cause you know me you gleaned some.
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jeriwho
Posted 2005-03-26 8:17 PM (#20137 - in reply to #20124)
Subject: RE: Bikram Yoga as Therapy.


Bruce - 2005-03-26 3:45 PM

I don't think you're hopelessly naive. The special college" is simply Bikram's teacher training course and monologue memorization. If you read through the Bikram thread here you'll see what folks have to say who actually went through it. The sane graduates recognize that the spiel can not be execute to any and everyone for any occasion. SImilalry, the educated student who's aware of his/her abilities won't blindly follow the monologue.


Well, now I am crestfallen and cynical. No, not really, but thanks for the reality check. My school, then, does have good teachers who understand physiology pretty well. They know about my back trouble and have given me good advice but never tried to order me into doing something I thought was risky for my back.

Jeri
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Bay Guy
Posted 2005-03-26 10:14 PM (#20149 - in reply to #20134)
Subject: RE: Bikram Yoga as Therapy.



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Bruce - 2005-03-26 7:16 PM

Glenda, I tried SO hard not to be negative--I think just cause you know me you gleaned some.


Brother Bruce, it's a difficult path to be a Pollyanna. I personally have to sit on my
evil little fingers sometimes, so that they perform no mischief on the keyboard.
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tourist
Posted 2005-03-27 11:09 AM (#20192 - in reply to #20134)
Subject: RE: Bikram Yoga as Therapy.



Expert Yogi

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That's me - I'm just a little negativity gleaner!

Love the new Avatar - what the heck is it?
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Posted 2005-03-27 12:02 PM (#20195 - in reply to #20192)
Subject: RE: Bikram Yoga as Therapy.


It's a yogified Celtic knot (me being of Irish lineage); and I left the hottub picture on my profile for all my fans
I was playing with a graphics program for my teacher training certification. Part of the program entails a project and I'm thinking of a particular asana series in the spirit of Brother Bay Guy's IronJohn. Partnering with a fried, the following logo would be used:




(Purple logo.gif)



Attachments
----------------
Attachments Purple logo.gif (35KB - 117 downloads)
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tourist
Posted 2005-03-27 2:01 PM (#20216 - in reply to #20195)
Subject: RE: Bikram Yoga as Therapy.



Expert Yogi

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Very nice!
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ebenjen
Posted 2005-03-27 8:37 PM (#20245 - in reply to #20118)
Subject: RE: Bikram Yoga as Therapy.


jeriwho - 2005-03-26 2:09 PM

I apologize for being confusing in what I wrote. I've never been to the Decatur Bikram school, but they have a groovy web page that show each posture and the different benefits associated with each one. I find it very motivational to read before class.

http://www.bikram-yoga-noosa-australia.com/Postures/Postureindex.htm


To clear up a little confusion... I'm the one from Decatur, Georgia (perhaps not the only one but at least the one who made a reference to Decatur earlier in this thread). While I do think my web site is kinda groovy (in a plain informational kinda way), it is not the one referenced above. I'm not sure how that came to be associated with Decatur.

In case you don't know... Decatur is a small city immediately adjacent to Atlanta. I live in midtown Atlanta and I know all about the Atlanta area studios if anyone has any questions about them. The five "official" Atlanta area Bikram studios are all listed on this page: http://bikramyoga.org

Cyndi - 2005-03-26 12:13 PM

So, how is the Decatur Bikram Studio?? I've always wanted to try it out but I've been somewhat Chicken.


Please come visit the Decatur studio when you're in town -- I'd love to meet you. One of our mottos is "take it easy." Our mission is,"to provide a safe and supportive environment where people can work on the relationship between mind and body and to facilitate personal growth and the development of self control with the goal of bringing about a sound, healthy body and a clear, peaceful mind." (It's in quotes because I copied and pasted it from our web site.) The emphasis is on creating a safe and supportive environment where people can be themselves.

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Cyndi
Posted 2005-03-27 10:41 PM (#20255 - in reply to #20245)
Subject: RE: Bikram Yoga as Therapy.



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Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC		Thanks for the personal invite Ebenjen, I will keep that in mind the next time I'm in the Decatur area. How far from Briarcliff and N.Druid Hills? Believe it or not, I have an apartment there but I hardly ever stay there very long when I come due to demands here in NC. Actually, I'm a native Atlantan. I was born there and lived all over the place. All my family are in Georgia - my parents are from Carrollton and are very native.

So, I like your motto's....but you didn't mention the temperature of the studio...can you be specific about how HOT your studio is kept? Do you practice at a fast or moderate pace? I guess this is going to be one of those find out for myself kinda things huh? Like I said before, I'm such a chicken Thanks again.
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jeriwho
Posted 2005-03-28 4:32 AM (#20272 - in reply to #20245)
Subject: RE: Bikram Yoga as Therapy.


ebenjen - 2005-03-27 8:37 PM

jeriwho - 2005-03-26 2:09 PM

I apologize for being confusing in what I wrote. I've never been to the Decatur Bikram school, but they have a groovy web page that show each posture and the different benefits associated with each one. I find it very motivational to read before class.

http://www.bikram-yoga-noosa-australia.com/Postures/Postureindex.htm


To clear up a little confusion... I'm the one from Decatur, Georgia (perhaps not the only one but at least the one who made a reference to Decatur earlier in this thread). While I do think my web site is kinda groovy (in a plain informational kinda way), it is not the one referenced above. I'm not sure how that came to be associated with Decatur.


Ooops! Sorry for the confusion. That's what I get for doing Google searches while in a headstand. (HAH! Believe that and I'll tell you more...) I promise, if I am ever in Decatur, I will try to stop by.

Jeri
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ebenjen
Posted 2005-03-29 2:41 PM (#20446 - in reply to #20255)
Subject: RE: Bikram Yoga as Therapy.


Cyndi - 2005-03-27 10:41 PM

Thanks for the personal invite Ebenjen, I will keep that in mind the next time I'm in the Decatur area. How far from Briarcliff and N.Druid Hills?

...snip...

So, I like your motto's....but you didn't mention the temperature of the studio...can you be specific about how HOT your studio is kept? Do you practice at a fast or moderate pace? I guess this is going to be one of those find out for myself kinda things huh? Like I said before, I'm such a chicken


My studio is approximately 2 miles from Briarcliff/N Druid Hills heading towards Decatur -- just past the VA hospital on the left, directly across from Emory University Clairmont Campus.

We strive to keep the temperature as close to 105 as we can and to not let the humidity get much higher than 35-40%. Keeping control of the humidiy is hard but it's even more important than the temperature. The room should be humid enough to promote a good sweat but not so humid that it becomes swamp-like. We use radiant heat panels rather than central heat and it allows us to create zones in the room. For those who like it extra hot the front left corner of the room is a little higher than 105 and for those who are challenged by the heat we've got some cooler areas. We also keep some fans on throughout the class.

I take Bikram at his word that this yoga series is designed for *everybody*. I have many students who are not in great physical shape but who are able to attend regularly. We encourage new students to work slowly, gently and to rest as often as they like. Hell, I even tell the hard core regulars that knowing when to rest is as important as knowing when they can push themselves. I encourage all students to take charge of their own practice and to never let a teacher push them into something they're not comfortable with.

Back to the temperature... in truth, my studio has floor to ceiling windows along one wall and it is hard to control the heat accurately during the summer and winter. In winter it can feel a little cooler than I would prefer and in summer the temperature can sometimes creep up a bit. Another instruction I give is that students try to assess the room condition at the beginning of the class and adjust their practice accordingly. If it's hotter or more humid than usual then I encourage a slower, more gentle practice and if it's not so hot then I may pick up the pace to make it a little more aerobic.

Many people criticise Bikram Yoga for it's "one size fits all" approach but I don't think that aspect has to apply to *how* one practices. I've heard Bikram acknowledge that every body is unique and therefore everybody's practice will be unique, even while performing the same postures. I think it's valuable for all parties to be able to have inexperienced, out-of-shape people practicing in the same room with very fit, athletic people. We all have much to learn from each other.
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Bay Guy
Posted 2005-03-29 7:50 PM (#20470 - in reply to #20446)
Subject: RE: Bikram Yoga as Therapy.



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Hi Ebenjen,

It sounds like you are making a serious effort to manage the heat,
and I like the idea of different zones. If the studio that I used to go
to had had this, it would've save a lot of friction among those who
wanted more or less.

I certainly agree with you that control of humidity is more important
than temperature once you are in this range, since the body loses its
ability to cool by sweating if the humidity gets too high (the moisture
cannot evaporate fast enough, and evaporation cools you far more
efficiently that dripping).

For me, 105 F would still be too much. But I'm glad that you are thinking
about these issues.
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JackieCat
Posted 2005-03-30 8:02 AM (#20525 - in reply to #17430)
Subject: Room Temperature



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Location: New York		On his website, Bikram recommends that the temp in the room be 105 with about 60% humidity. (I guess he used to recommend lower levels?) 105 w/60% humidity is &*#$% HOT! Too hot for me, which is why I am bidding Bikram adieu in about 2 months (I just gave notice at the studio where I teach). I literally can't stand the heat anymore so I'm getting out of the kitchen.

In my class yesterday it was around 100 (hovered just below for most of the class then reached 100 at the end) with humidity in the 40s. I had several people say that it wasn't that hot and that they didn't even sweat. The not sweating in a room that temperature I just do not get. I was sweating and all I did was run my mouth for 90 minutes.

Here's a picture of me in the hot room

See how red my eyes get?!
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ebenjen
Posted 2005-03-30 5:30 PM (#20589 - in reply to #20525)
Subject: RE: Room Temperature


JackieCat - 2005-03-30 8:02 AM

On his website, Bikram recommends that the temp in the room be 105 with about 60% humidity. (I guess he used to recommend lower levels?) 105 w/60% humidity is &*#$% HOT!

...snip...

In my class yesterday it was around 100 (hovered just below for most of the class then reached 100 at the end) with humidity in the 40s. I had several people say that it wasn't that hot and that they didn't even sweat. The not sweating in a room that temperature I just do not get. I was sweating and all I did was run my mouth for 90 minutes.


I've always heard Bikram say 60% humidity but I've done a lot of measuring and comparing and I don't think his studio ever got higher than 40% during my training (that's just a guess). I think 60% is too high but it's somewhat difficult to achieve that kind of humidiy without industrial equipment (unless you're in Key West -- I took a couple classes there not long ago and felt like I was under water). Worse than that is the damage that will be done to paint and other building materials. Special construction techniques must be used for that kind of humidity, in particular the use of vapor and moisture barriers in the floors, walls and ceilings.

I don't get the not sweating thing, either. My wife and I can be standing next to each other and 5 minutes into the class I'm dripping rivers and she barely glistens. In our case it also correlates with our desire for heat... she wants more and I'm prone to wanting less. Having zones makes a *huge* difference for many of my students. Also, the radiant heat panels give off a more comfortable heat than forced air. They heat the walls and floor more than the air so we generally don't experience the kind of stuffy, hard to breath air that can sometimes occur in hot yoga classes.

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Cyndi
Posted 2005-03-30 5:42 PM (#20594 - in reply to #20525)
Subject: Why 105 degrees



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Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC		I am so confused. Why does it have to be 105?? In Bikram's published book he says 100 degrees but all the studios are doing 105. That is the main reason I can't go to the studio any time soon - I hate that number!! So, why did they change the rules from the published book?

Jackie, that's funny...me too!! see my red tongue and my red face, LOL!!
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tourist
Posted 2005-03-30 7:07 PM (#20600 - in reply to #20589)
Subject: RE: Room Temperature



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ebenjen - we are the opposite - my DH loves the heat and sweats like a fountain. I don't like it and don't often get past a ladylike glow Bodies are amazing...
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ebenjen
Posted 2005-03-31 7:47 AM (#20674 - in reply to #20600)
Subject: RE: Room Temperature


Bodies are amazing...


To which I would add... as are their inhabitants!




Edited by ebenjen 2005-03-31 7:48 AM
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tourist
Posted 2005-03-31 10:07 AM (#20689 - in reply to #20674)
Subject: RE: Room Temperature



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Indeed!
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MrD
Posted 2005-03-31 2:14 PM (#20736 - in reply to #20600)
Subject: RE: Room Temperature


tourist - 2005-03-30 7:07 PM

ebenjen - we are the opposite - my DH loves the heat and sweats like a fountain. I don't like it and don't often get past a ladylike glow Bodies are amazing...


Really, even doing slow yoga like Iyengar. I have an Anusuars teacher that keeps the room at standard room temperature. He puts into poses and makes us hold them. In about 2 minutes I'm wet. Give me a few warriors, chair poses, dolphins and forearm planks and I'm dripping literally. At least the was this instructor does it, his slow style definitely generates internal heat.
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Cyndi
Posted 2005-03-31 2:36 PM (#20740 - in reply to #20600)
Subject: RE: Room Temperature



Expert Yogi

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Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC		Toursit,

Forgive me for asking, but....does DH stand for *Dumb Husband* or *Dear Husband*??? Inquiring minds would like to know Or does it depend on what mood your in??
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