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| I've just finished my first 3 days of Bikram classes on the West Coast. My reason for taking the classes is stress management and body toning. After 3 classes, I can honestly say that I hate it. I don't feel relaxed afterwards (probably because I am stressing about whether or not to continue), the poses are extremely uncomfortable (because I'm a beginner, I'm sure), and the class times are inconveniant for a corporate manager with a family.
I hear everyone preaching the benefits of yoga, and I truly believe their experiences, but I'm having a heard time continuing.
My questions are: if I don't enjoy it now, should I stop? Will I really tone my body? The people in my class that have been practicing for months/years (including my instructor) are not very ripped - which makes me wonder how my physique will improve...
I'm thinking I can gain the same physical/emotional benefits by mixing up swimming, lifting, and jogging six days a week. At least I enjoy them.
Should I stick it out? I'm not a quitter, but I'm also realistic.
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| First off, yoga doesn't "rip."
Yoga makes beautiful long, lean, strong muscles. If you're looking for a gym result, go to a gym and free weight. It is extremely rare that you'll see someone "ripped" in yoga, unless it's a long term Ashtanga practitioner with a low body fat percentage. And no, with 3 Bikram classes under your belt, Ashtanga is NOT for you.
However, the other activities you do will help with you looking to "rip." I wonder, though, if you're doing those things 6 days a week already if you shouldn't cough up for a physical trainer since you're not seeing the results you should. Something about that doesn't sound right.
Also, yoga (not Bikram, IMHO) is an EXCELLENT cross-training for those activities, helping you move through them with better muscle integration, better breathing, better flexibility, and a better physical balance. Think about it... Every activity you mentioned "crunches" or contracts muscles. Only yoga and the swimming actually elongate them, creating lean muscle, long muscle work.
Second, I can tell you I committed and did Bikram from the Bikram Teacher Trainer Trophy Winner for 12 weeks, 3x a week.
I hated every, single, friggin' minute of it. His yelling at us to Stretch, REACH BACK REACH FORWARD, String of Pearls, SCREAM SCREAM SCREAM definitely was not condusive to a state of meditation or focus that would help anyone's stress relief. The heat made me sick at Standing Stick pose (Virabhradrasana III), and I just plain hate to sweat. My body was fine afterwards, because physical activity does have its own stress relief (muscle tension) but I was a wreck.
When one doesn't receive instruction on now to use the body, it's frequently counter productive. In Bikram, you're receiving instruction that isn't the best languaging, frequently causing not-so-healthy contraction.
Why don't you experiment with other yoga styles before throwing yoga as a whole over? I tend to recommend Anusara or Iyengar since they teach excellent biomechanics that can also work with your other activities. They also absolutely give you the opportunity for stillness that mental quiet needs. Stress relief usually does follow.
Also, family man, remember that yoga can be a family activity. One of the best gifts you could give those kids of yours is yoga. For all the reasons mentioned above, but moreso for the confidence and body awareness it offers them that can carry them through those awkward teenage years, and breathing for the anger and frustration of them. Some places offer family discounts, too. If you're doing all those things you mentioned 6 days a week, those are more hours not spent with your wife and kids. Perhaps just this hour and a half could be shared.
I'm not preaching; I don't have kids nor do I often see my own husband. Just putting it out there as an option to kill a few birds with one yoga stone.
So in a nutshell? Sure. Quit. IMHO Bikram is a nightmare where an aerobics instructor and yoga teacher had an accident, got mish-mashed up and out of the wreakage sprang a Bikram teacher. Kind of like that old Reese's commercial where someone got chocolate on my peanut butter? However, there are those who love it and will just as vehemently scream that you need to stick with it. You need to make your own choice, but if you're miserable? I say move on and explore.
Christine |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 338
 
| Two comments,
First Cashman, why are you asking? When I started Bikram, I hated it. I remember my teacher asking me how I felt after a class, and I replied, I feel happy I don't have to come back for 22 more hours. It is very uncomfortable, I didn't get why it was good.... and really it rarely was good, but I knew somewhere inside that I needed to do it. That feeling, if you have it, is worth paying attention to. It very different than other disciplines... and for some of us it a major life change.
Yoga Dancer,
Your story is very sad to me. I have never had anyone yell at me in
Bikram. It sort of makes me thing that a trophy winning teacher isn't necessarily a good teacher, or would not be a good teacher for me.
All of my Bikram teachers have been great, and I've had about 7 of them. Some keep the
room too hot for me, and I don't go to their classes. The others have been kind, non-confrontive, helpful if asked.
None have been anywhere near a "yeller" I think it helps that I have gone to very small studios where a microphone is not needed and their is more personal attention. I one time I went to a large studio, I liked it less.
I have heard stories locally of these strident
Bikram teachers, though. I never met any. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
Location: A Blue State | Someone needs to explain "ripped" to me. Isn't that what you are after
having seven beers and few bong hits? Or do you mean getting a Michelin-tyre-man
body, like the Governor of California?
Oh all right, yes, I'm kidding.
If you follow a yogic diet, and do 2 or 3 hours of yoga a day, you'll be in pretty
good shape. If you want upper body and ab strength (ripped, right?...
 ) then do lots of arm balances, their variations, and their vinyasas.
Maybe try Eka Pada Bakasana I, from Sirasana II, say 25 times
in a row, every day (yes, both sides 25 times)...connect these with the vinyasa of
your choice...snicker snicker snicker...I'm laughing because I'd become a puddle on the
floor if I did that... Yoga is as strenuous as you make it. It's up to you.
If you hate Bikram yoga, then go try another type. Christine will not agree with the
recommendation to go try Ashtanga yoga, so I'll recommend that you try an "intro to"
Ashtanga class or some other beginner level power yoga. You may find Iyengar yoga
too analytical, if ripped is your interest, so the power or Ashtanga or vinyasa styles
may be better choices for you.
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| perhaps this F.I.T.T.E principle applies here.
f: frequency
i: intensity
t: time
t: type:
e: ENJOYMENT!
If you hate it, why keep doing it. Look for another yoga class or perhaps another Bikram teacher. I would try however to stick it out a little longer. The results you are looking for take time. Three classes is not really enough to see dramatic results for most. Give it a month of solid practice. then make your decide.
Brian |
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| I think 3 classes is well enough to decide if one likes it or hates it. Of course it's not enough to show any results but enough time to make your mind up if that's what you are wanting to spend a big portion of your spare time on. I can honestly say I was hooked right from the first class. Yah, I was a wet rug afterwards! Yah, my mind was totally mixed up, kinda restless but relaxed as well. Yah, I couldn't find any sleep but was also not able to keep my eyes open. Yah, Bikram turned me into a mess! Nevertheless, I just loved it and hardly could wait for the next class.
So, if Cashman hates it already it's probably not the right thing for him. My recommendation, especially for the stress management, is not to give up on yoga altogether but give it another shot with a different style. |
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| Thank you for all the great responses. I appreciate the insight. They helped me see the light...
I'm realizing that Bikram isn't for me right now. I'm going to try a Power Yoga DVD at home - a Brian Kest DVD looks to have pretty good reviews on Amazon.
I'm going to combine the Yoga with running, swimming, and weight training - we'll see how long my body can handle that combination. Previously, I was sporadically working out 2-3 times a week.
I have questions on tips for home yoga workouts, whether it's OK to do yoga at night instead of morning (will I be able to sleep OK), and if 3 days a week is sufficient to see benefits. I'm assuming that these questions are pretty generic and answered elsewhere on the message boards. That being said, I'd still appreciate any advise you could offer... |
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| Oh, God. Another video. Why they aren't required to come with warning labels is beyond me.
If you would, please permit me to offer suggestions on using a video? It's very easy to damage your neck using a yoga video, but do they tell anyone that? NooooOOoo. To illustrate my point, imagine you're in one of the Bikram poses like Separate Leg Stretching and the video moves on. You're in the pose with your face towards the back. You jerk your neck around to try to see what the video is doing and...
Anyway.
Watch the video through completely.
Move it back to the beginning and through the first pose. In this case, watch it through both sides of the pose.
Stop the tape.
Move yourself carefully into the pose. Breath evenly through your nose for 3-5, long breaths.
Carefully move yourself out of the pose.
Move the tape through the next pose and stop it.
Repeat.
In yoga, one is usually injured moving in or out of an asana. On the most minor side of that, we cramp when muscles are released so as you come out of an asana, if you do it too fast, with a weird twisting motion, or without spinal extension, muscles spasms are very common.
As you get to know your tape, you can move through more and more poses until you have it memorized.
Frankly, this is a bad idea, IMHO. You don't know the poses, Kest doesn't necessarily teach yoga, but rather call things out, demonstrating some. You don't have the form, flexibility, or alignment knowledge to get the most out of a tape nor to do it safely.
Although someone mentioned an Intro to Ashtanga class, like any Intro to a faster moving yoga style? There is a common misconception in that these Intro tapes and classes are not necessarily Intro to Yoga, but rather an intro to that style. They all, ALL assume some type of previous yoga knowlege/exposure or flexibility and strength level.
As for the person who hadn't experienced a Bikram screamer? Please note that I've been doing this a long time, so some of my experiences are (thank goodness) out dated. The initial Bikram teachers were very much encouraged to almost harass their students in the more Indian teaching style. The teacher I experienced is one of the very first teacher training classes produced by Bikram (and proud of it). Since there are more, albeit not many, yoga-backgrounded teachers learning and teaching Bikram, I'm sure there are those who get the concept of yoga stilling the body to ready the mind for meditation. However, traditionally? Screamers were the norm.
Anyway, I support your decision completly to try something else. Not that it matters, but life is too short to suffer. I cannot, however, support anyone's desicion to begin yoga without some kind of qualified instruction. What you or anyone else does is your choice, but when opinions are asked, note that the overwhelming response is to get a teacher. Not a video beyond your capability.
Be careful and .. have a good time?
Christine |
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| cashman - 2005-01-02 9:54 AM
Thank you for all the great responses. I appreciate the insight. They helped me see the light...
I'm realizing that Bikram isn't for me right now. I'm going to try a Power Yoga DVD at home - a Brian Kest DVD looks to have pretty good reviews on Amazon.
I'm going to combine the Yoga with running, swimming, and weight training - we'll see how long my body can handle that combination. Previously, I was sporadically working out 2-3 times a week.
I have questions on tips for home yoga workouts, whether it's OK to do yoga at night instead of morning (will I be able to sleep OK), and if 3 days a week is sufficient to see benefits. I'm assuming that these questions are pretty generic and answered elsewhere on the message boards. That being said, I'd still appreciate any advise you could offer...
It appears that you have a gym membership. At least in my area, most of the yoga classes are at night . I find morning yoga to be much more difficult. Start there. They usually do a power yoga, and are used to a constant stream of beginners.
How relaxing yoga will be depends on the instructor. I've actually had physically intense teachers that are able to relax you well. It depends on their abilities. But Bikram is not one of those types of yoga. It's a script where the yoga teachers are more like a coach than an instructor. An old military style coach at that. I go to Bikram for the effects it has on my tighter body, not for relaxation. Beginning Bikram also doesn't do arm work and serious core work. A serious hazard for those who want to be more ripped.
I like Bikram also because I find the poses easy. But I've been attending classes for 2 years where the teacher demonstrates the poses. That way you can see how the poses really look. Bikram doesn't do that and you have to look as the example of struggling students. Not as good a method of you learn best by seeing.
What I'd do is try another yoga, get some more experience, then come back to Bikram.
By the way, as a tighter person, I can tell you if you feel a sharp or intense pain you're pushing too hard. Back off and ask the instructor for modifications.
Here's my view of the types of other yogas I've done with their strengths and weaknesses.
1. Iyengar yoge. Very alignment oriented. Avoids injury, but with some instructors it can be slow, and to newcomers occassionally boring. Very relaxing, instructors are highly trained and know good modifications.
2. Anusara -- Easy explainations on alignment very good on relaxation. If someone has a choice it's this type that I recommend for about 10 classes before going to others.
3. Power Yoga. Usually found in gyms, Modified Ashtanga. Usually has fewer alignment instructions so risk of injury is slightly higher, but this varies widely. Many instructiors combine the power yoga movements with the good alignment instructions of Iyengar or Anusuara. Others are simply call out the change of pose. This should build core and especially arm strength. It's not uncommon to do 15-30 pushups and down dogs in the course of a power yoga workout.
I haven't tried Ashtange much because the lack of instruction at my current level is scary.
As to the ripped issue. It clearly depends on the sex and body type. My legs are continually building muscle doing just yoga without weight lifting. But they're muscular anyway. I have a friend who's a natural beanpole, and he has to lift weights to get more definition. My arms are on the more compact side, but they've also seen improved definition. Not like heavy weight lifting, but good none the less. Guys who get to the intermediate or advanced levels are definitely buff, but not huge.
Good foundational videos, Sara Ivanhoe's Yoga for Dummies Series (explains poses, not a real practice), but very relaxing if done in the evening. And Suzanne Deason's Complete Yoga for Weight Loss. Again Slow and relaxing, but detailed instructions. I had a friend who was afraid to do any yoga, but after using these tapes as a foundation, is now an instructor.
I definitely recommend using a combination of tapes and classes if you're thinking of using tapes. |
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Should I continue?
