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| Hello all. I have been consistently practicing Bikram 4-6 days per week for the last nine months and am finding that one class in a day is not enough. Though I actually enjoy doing the double, I am concerned in the sense that, shouldn't once be enough? My diet is good (mostly veg, but I do like to get a little meat every couple of weeks) and I drink plenty of water (usually a gallon +). I even enjoy the fact that the extra class is really helping me get to a new level in the postures. Is it normal to not feel satisfied with just one class per day? I am not doing daily doubles, just on days off from work when I can do one in the morning, one in the afternoon. Any thoughts on back to back classes (taking a 6pm and 8pm), I have seen others do this, but not really sure if I would enjoy it. Thanks for any help. |
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| towelie - 2010-01-09 1:32 PM
Hello all. I have been consistently practicing Bikram 4-6 days per week for the last nine months and am finding that one class in a day is not enough.
Hi Matthew,
Welcome. One class a day is not enough of what?
jimg |
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| enough of the dialogue.
i know i need to hear it three or four times a day |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 574
 
| The class is nothing! Anyone can do a yoga class and think "cool Im doing a yoga posture that Ive never done before" or "Yoga is great, the world is a better place for this". But the Yoga class starts outside of the class. What you do with yourself and your life and learn from the classes os so much more important. What use is a yoga class if you can only relax during the class and outside of it you struggle? |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Consider yourself lucky that you have all that free time on your hands, cherish it dearly, 
Edited by Cyndi 2010-01-10 10:25 AM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 574
| Hey Cyndi, if you talking to me, I do consider myself lucky because im a very busy parent of 2 special young children. But have barely no free time aside for any time I make myself. Best wishes to you!!!!!!! |
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| "Enough of what?" is the perfect question.
But if you're enjoying the doubles, there's nothing WRONG with that! I don't mean this in a bad way, but it's kind of a phase. I went through that same REALLY gung-ho period during my first year of real practice, when I was so hungry for the yoga and so excited about the practice that I could barely get enough of it. I've done more doubles in my time than I can count - morning-evening and back-to-back - along with a handful of triples. (THAT is an experience.) Then I chilled out a little bit. But it didn't hurt me, it was tons of fun, and it probably helped me to move my practice along a little faster. (Although it is definitely not a RACE...)
Back-to-back is sometimes fun, never necessary, but always interesting. You've just gotta be smart and hydrated, and plan to be kinda wiped out after! Some people love 'em, some people hate 'em.
Andrew - tsk. That could be arranged... ;-) |
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| Maybe if you explained more of what you're expecting to get out of the class that you're not getting, people could make suggestions...? There's nothing wrong with a back-to-back double. I have begun doing them lately and enjoy it a lot. The one caveat I have is that if you do the math, it's really hard to get all of the hydration you need for the three hours of class. If you sweat 5 pounds of fluid each class, then you need well over a gallon of fluids (plus) electrolytes to replace what you lose. I find that in order to avoid getting dehydrated after the second class, I have to force fluids throughout the first class, then drink a ridiculous amount of fluids between classes. YMMV.
You are supposed to get up off your mat after final savasana and feel energized for the rest of your day. It is also normal to feel exhausted after. What is it you're looking for?
Ferret |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | vibes - 2010-01-10 4:49 PM
Hey Cyndi, if you talking to me, I do consider myself lucky because im a very busy parent of 2 special young children. But have barely no free time aside for any time I make myself. Best wishes to you!!!!!!!
No Vibes, I was not talking directly to you because you are an expert..I was talking to the original poster. Ciao Ciao |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 338
| Hi,
I think the fact that you are asking the question is the key to the answer. What would you be doing if you didn't practice so much. Is there something you are avoiding. Bikram is great at relieving stress, but is there a source of stress that should be dealt with another way? Just a question.
also, a separate issue, but possibly relevant. When I did more Bikram I became
hypomanic. I stopped sleeping much, had difficulty focusing, became much more sexual. I was just out of balance. Are you feeling any of that?
Edited by gogirl58 2010-01-11 12:50 PM
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | It's all about BALANCE. If you have an understanding about the word ASANA, it simply means posture. The human body must have a healthy balance of rest, exercise, diet, meditation, etc. etc. YOGA is more than just doing the ASANAS, it means union to unite the mind, body and spirit. It's really not that complicated. However, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, one can do too much meditation, too much exercise, eat too much food, not eat enough, not rest enough, rest too much...get the point?? |
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| OK Cyndi, notice you refrained addressing the sexual part--I'm SO dissappointed. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Well, I'm trying to be really good these days Bruce....besides, I had to leave something for you to talk about and we ALL KNOW this is your area of expertise, |
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| Still waitin' for someone to address the "increased sexuality as a problem" bit :-D |
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| This is why fundamentalist Christians are so against yoga. It is not yoga's Hindu roots but the good sex that is the problem. |
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| Randomfemale - 2010-01-11 7:28 PM
Still waitin' for someone to address the "increased sexuality as a problem" bit :-D
Bikram does claim to increase blood flow right? 
Excessive sexual activity though is usually a symptom of greater problem with a person.
Most eastern philosophies dont specifically address the "sexual activity issue". However I have studied the work of Swami Mutkananda, a realized being in the Siddha tradition. He sees the sexual fluid as very important to ration. Eventually, according to his teachings, the sexual fluid merges with your highest chakra (sahasara).
As much as our society glamourizes sex I dont think it's a coincidence most great spiritual teachers were celibate. |
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| towelie - 2010-01-09 4:32 PM
. Is it normal to not feel satisfied with just one class per day? .
Define normal? what is normal for one is not "normal" to someone else.
My suggestion is to listen to your body and do what's comfortable to you. What are your goals? Who cares what anyone else thinks you should do. |
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| Ram - 2010-01-18 8:45 AM
Most eastern philosophies don't specifically address the "sexual activity issue". However I have studied the work of Swami Mutkananda, a realized being in the Siddha tradition. He sees the sexual fluid as very important to ration. Eventually, according to his teachings, the sexual fluid merges with your highest chakra (sahasara).
As much as our society glamourizes sex I dont think it's a coincidence most great spiritual teachers were celibate.
This whole idea of sexual fluid (semen) traveling up your spine to your brain is totally superstition! It is not physically possible. (FYI Headstand and shoulderstand are traditionally called the King and Queen of asanas because medieval yogis thought they could get magic powers from semen on the brain. They were also promoted to make celibacy easier. These same people also thought that ingesting mercury would give you immortality, although it did give you hallucinations and visions right before you died.) This whole celibacy idea is bogus and not based on any facts what-so-ever other than crazy people should not have children.
You don't need to "glamorize" sex. People have been "doing it" since the beginning of time on a regular basis without advertising or the media!
Many of these Eastern ideas (as well as many in Christianity and Islam) praising celibacy are an extension of the aesthetic principle that all pleasure is of this world (matter) and is therefore evil as opposed to that which is spiritual and therefore good. The celibacy idea is based on giving up all pleasure in this life, so you can gain higher pleasure in another life, one that is purely imaginary.
Sex is the most creative act that people perform and is the building block of life on this planet. We have evolved to what we are today because of sex.
Since sex is one of our strongest and most fundamental instincts, it is always a target of people who are out to control the minds of others. (Controlling the sexual acts of their followers is always a prominent feature of a cult.)
Also, why ration something that you are making on a continual basis anyway? We produce sperm on a continual basis whether we ejaculate or not. Sperm matures and dies and then is reabsorbed by the body if not used. It really is use it or lose it! You cannot hold on to it.
An active, healthy sex life is the sign of a healthy person. (Regular sex also increases longevity.)
Edited by jimg 2010-01-18 1:51 PM
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Member
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| Back to the original thread.
Have you thought of augmenting your Bikram practice with another from of yoga? I practiced Bikram for a long time and often did doubles, but there was still something missing. I started going to Anusara and Ashtanga classes. The breath integration, creativity, and variety of the other Hatha yoga forms have breathed new life into my Bikram practice. |
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Veteran
Posts: 163
| In response to the sex line of this thread................I was having a conversation with my parents (in their 80s) about my daughter (in her 20s) being in her first serious relationship. As part of that conversation my mother mentioned that every generation thinks that they invented sex and that the generation before only did "it" in it's most simple form and then (mostly) only to procreate. My dad's response "All new couples invent sex...the good news is that it is very easy to invent." It cracked me up. |
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| Seeker101 - 2010-01-21 8:03 AM
"All new couples invent sex...the good news is that it is very easy to invent."
I love it!!!! |
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| jimg - 2010-01-18 1:47 PM
Ram - 2010-01-18 8:45 AM
Most eastern philosophies don't specifically address the "sexual activity issue". However I have studied the work of Swami Mutkananda, a realized being in the Siddha tradition. He sees the sexual fluid as very important to ration. Eventually, according to his teachings, the sexual fluid merges with your highest chakra (sahasara).
As much as our society glamourizes sex I dont think it's a coincidence most great spiritual teachers were celibate.
This whole idea of sexual fluid (semen ) traveling up your spine to your brain is totally superstition! It is not physically possible. (FYI Headstand and shoulderstand are traditionally called the King and Queen of asanas because medieval yogis thought they could get magic powers from semen on the brain. They were also promoted to make celibacy easier. These same people also thought that ingesting mercury would give you immortality, although it did give you hallucinations and visions right before you died. ) This whole celibacy idea is bogus and not based on any facts what-so-ever other than crazy people should not have children.
You don't need to "glamorize" sex. People have been "doing it" since the beginning of time on a regular basis without advertising or the media!
Many of these Eastern ideas (as well as many in Christianity and Islam ) praising celibacy are an extension of the aesthetic principle that all pleasure is of this world (matter ) and is therefore evil as opposed to that which is spiritual and therefore good. The celibacy idea is based on giving up all pleasure in this life, so you can gain higher pleasure in another life, one that is purely imaginary.
Sex is the most creative act that people perform and is the building block of life on this planet. We have evolved to what we are today because of sex.
Since sex is one of our strongest and most fundamental instincts, it is always a target of people who are out to control the minds of others. (Controlling the sexual acts of their followers is always a prominent feature of a cult. )
Also, why ration something that you are making on a continual basis anyway? We produce sperm on a continual basis whether we ejaculate or not. Sperm matures and dies and then is reabsorbed by the body if not used. It really is use it or lose it! You cannot hold on to it.
An active, healthy sex life is the sign of a healthy person. (Regular sex also increases longevity. )
food is important too and look what happens when we have too much of it. We also have that same "drive " to eat.
You shoud experiment with celibacy to actually see the powers inherent in it. Then it just wouldnt be another theory for you to expound on here. |
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| Hey gang, thanks for the good responses and questions. Sorry it has been awhile since I first posted. I believe I was able to figure a few things out. First, my issue with only one class per day is this: if I only take one class, I feel like it could be the last class of my entire life and I have an overwhelming desire to try and get to the final expression of every posture (which I cannot). By taking two classes, I am able to relax in my first class, calm myself down, and by the second, I just go for it, and get as far as I can, as safely as I can. I think also too, I was drinking a little to much alcohol over the last few months and smoking a little ganja a little too often, so making myself take a morning and evening class forces me to stay straight and narrow. Bikram Yoga is a funny practice sometimes, but I am so grateful that I have it. Someone asked if I have tried other forms of yoga, and I have. I have no beef with other yogas, other than the fact that they hate us Bikramites, but for me, nothing has brought me as much peace, happiness, and strength. I am looking forward to yoga this year, I feel like I will be able to get my head on my knee is standing head to knee, my butt to the floor in fixed firm, and my butt to my hips in half tortoise.
PS- this is a horny group of folks in this thread, too much eagle pose, perhaps... take care guys and thanks for the kind words, I look forward to future discussions. |
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| Ram - 2010-01-21 4:40 PM
food is important too and look what happens when we have too much of it. We also have that same "drive " to eat.
You should experiment with celibacy to actually see the powers inherent in it. Then it just wouldn't be another theory for you to expound on here.
Yes, sex can be an addiction. You can have too much sex just like you can have too much food.
Fasting (whether food or sex) is a very unhealthy practice.
I think that most people's problem with sex is not having too much sex, but rather thinking about it too much.
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
Location: A Blue State | Seeker101 - 2010-01-21 11:03 AM
In response to the sex line of this thread................I was having a conversation with my parents (in their 80s) about my daughter (in her 20s) being in her first serious relationship. As part of that conversation my mother mentioned that every generation thinks that they invented sex and that the generation before only did "it" in it's most simple form and then (mostly) only to procreate. My dad's response "All new couples invent sex...the good news is that it is very easy to invent." It cracked me up.
Soooo much like young people to conclude that they are the first ones to actually be seriously thoughtful about something - it is at it's worst around age 30 or so...
.. bg
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Not getting enough out of one class
