Hot Yoga Forum

Triangle and Hips

2010-03-05T07:36:07-08:00

Hi Gabrielle,

I have a question regarding hip placement in Triangle. I had a student (I am a teacher) ask me the other day if the goal was to have her hips parallel to the wall she is facing. I have heard it explained that the “straight leg” hip should be rolling down toward the floor. However, I was reviewing your book the other night and read that this is only for inflexible practitioners and that the ideal position is for the hips to be flush with the wall you are facing. Can you please clarify?

Many thanks!

~Sarah

Night Sweats

2010-03-07T15:49:39-08:00

I am approaching pre-menopause but my doc says I’m not quite there yet. However, I experience night sweats almost every night. It is profoundly worse on the days I eat hot food (I like REALLY hot stuff) and on the days that I do Bikram.

Does anyone else experience this? It’s getting to the point where I am losing sleep and it’s driving me bonkers.

How does Bikram practice offer such good skin results

2010-03-11T04:32:11-08:00

My skins glows after practice and so many folks have given me compliments.
I am wondering HOW the practice offers such good skins results?
Does the sweat produce exfoliating benefits.

teacher risks touching students sweat?

2010-03-09T15:33:24-08:00

hi all,

i’m curious to know what are the main concerns for teachers when making adjustments to students in terms of being in contact with their sweat (and vice versa i guess)

using a small cloth as a barrier might by an option to protect the teacher but if you are making numerous adjustments it isn’t fair on the students to use the same cloth for everyone..

and we’ve all stepped on that famous ‘wet patch’..

i often catch myself in the middle of an adjustment thinking i might be risking my own health..

any thoughts would be appreciated
thanks, andi

Time

2010-03-10T06:51:23-08:00

I sometimes come back to home very late.I have several question regarding this situation:
1. Can I do 1 set instead of 2 set for each pose?
2. Can I just do certain pose(please suggest the pose?

If I back home early, is not a problem for me do complete the whole 26 pose with 2 set.
Hope you can help me. Thank you.

Heat Exhaustion (Follow-up to extreme thirst)

2010-03-11T13:53:15-08:00

Ok so it turns out that my extreme thirst is due to heat exhaustion. My doctor requested that I go to an Urgent Care to make sure that I didn’t need IV Fluids. My electrolytes were fine, and I am not diabetic, which was beginning to be a concern. The doctor said it is heat exhaustion due to the high heat and that it may take weeks to feel better. She also suggested that unfortunately my body may just have a tough time adjusting to those temperatures. She recommended that I stay away from anything tha makes me sweat for a couple of weeks. And that if I take another Hot Yoga class in the future, to be very mindful of how I am feeling and leave the class if I feel any symptoms.

Painful backbend

2010-03-03T13:36:22-08:00

Hi Gabrielle,

I have been working quite hard (all the time taking care not to push myself too much!) at deepening my backbend in this posture and now that it’s finally yielded results, I’m experiencing severe backpain which is worrying me somewhat.

I have experienced some pain in this posture in the past, but it disappeared after a while. This time round it’s different: been feeling it for two weeks now and no sign of improvement.

I am not terribly knowlegable about the spinal column, I’m afraid, but the area affected is the vertebrae in the thoracic region of my spine and the muscles directly alongside it. The pain is most concentrated in the lower region and muscles most affected are on the lower right side.

Is this normal? And what can I do to ease the pain without ‘undoing’ the progress I’ve made…?

Your advice would be much appreciated.

Many thanks,
C

tendonitis

2010-01-10T21:15:16-08:00

Hi Gabrielle, I’ve been practicing Bikram yoga with certified teachers for about 10 weeks and just came across your site. I have developed what appears to be lateral tendonitis - my elbow has been getting increasingly sore until I can’t lift a cup of tea without pain. The pain muscular pain is mostly in the elbow, the outer muscle of the upper right arm, some in the shoulder and is starting to move downwards into my outer forearm. I’m almost 60, weight about 140 and height 5’3” - In my teens and early 20’s I was a professional ballet dancer, and in my 30’s-40’s did figure skating. My arms, however, have never been very strong. I asked my instructors several times about the increasing pain, but they are not giving me any clear help. The worst pain was during the leg lifts on the mat with arms turned outward under the stomach, so I’m resting through that one now, but I wonder what I’m doing wrong that caused it in the various poses and how to heal and correct this problem?
Thanks very much, Megan

Bow-legged questions

2010-03-11T03:45:29-08:00

Hi again, Gabrielle - When I stand with feet together, my knees don’t meet. There’s about an inch or more between them. When I squeeze them together and open my hips in the set-ups, they still don’t quite meet. The main problems I’m having are - lack of balance when I position my foot straight forward as directed in the one-leg standing poses; another problem is in part 1 of the head to knee pose while standing on one leg - i.e., lifting one knee and curving the back over, I feel intense pain in the standing knee. I’ve tried several adjustments and the one that seems to help relieve it is to hold my raised knee up by itself without keeping it up with my hands. I read that in the Master Class book. I also have trouble locking my knee - the alignment just doesn’t feel right. Are there any adjustments I should make for my bowlegs? Other physical characteristics: I’m 60, 5 foot 3 inches tall, weight 140. I’ve been doing Bikram yoga for almost five months - 2 to 3 times a week. I’m learning a lot from the Master Class book!!
Thanks very much, Megan

Lost my mojo even though I didn’t take a break

2009-12-02T07:22:25-08:00

Hi everyone,

I could relate to Freimaya’s post but I’ve lost my mojo even though I’ve been practicing regularly for 4 1/2 years at a frequency of 3-4 times a week. I’ve done 30 & 60-day challenges and I was fine. Recently, although I have been continuing to practice, I find no enthusiasm and no enjoyment in my practice, even after the class. It’s as if I lost my love for this yoga. I’m not sure if this feeling is a direct result of my discouragement at not improving significantly (or not enough to satisfy my lofty standards), even after all this time. You know, yoga practice mirrors real-life and I’ve been dealing with issues in my life where I feel that I sell myself short or don’t believe that I can do certain things. Also, I was taught from a young age to NOT excel at things, to NOT shine, for fear of arousing envy and losing my friends. I’m not looking for a free therapy session =) but I would like some feedback and suggestions, please. I need to recapture my love of this yoga.

Thank you in advance, everyone.
May you be well and happy.
Kat