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in reply to: Positioning of back foot/heel?? #4298
You can see a couple of good photos of that in our gallery here:
😉
Robert
in reply to: Heat reaction #4226Thanks David – I totally agree with you about the standards and your suggestions are good ones. We’ve never been fans of the “make it hard, make it hurt” style and in our last studio we had a very specialized heating system that took care of the heat gradients and was professionally calibrated. It worked well and never required a single adjustment over several years. So we know it is possible.
The likelihood of a standard being recommended or even adopted is slim, in my view (given the differences in climates; available equipment etc). I think all that students can do is vote with their feet and complain loudly – especially if there are obvious patterns such as a ton of people being affected on a regular basis.
(Incidentally, for any studios/teachers reading this thread with interest, we’ve had a ton of heating specifications help from Chad at http://www.hotyogastudiodesign.com/)
Re: Lucas – I’ll ask him to come by and comment about the studies – again for others reading this and wondering what we are talking about, see the YogaBodyNaturals site here:
in reply to: Heat reaction #4219Hi David – thanks for reporting back! Seems as if the heat control in that particular studio is the issue. Generally in a well-maintained hot yoga studio, no-one should be leaving and certainly not fainting!
Just a point to clear up:
Bikram himself has been able to do something one might think impossible—patenting a series of yoga postures that are hundreds of years old and in the public domain
This is not the case.
Like any publisher (including Lucas, Gabrielle) they are entitled to copyright ownership for their materials and to trademark unique terms. Therefore Bikram’s books are copyrighted to him, as would be pictures of poses used in the books, but there is no patent in force.
The more generic hot yoga movement is expanding as you correctly point out – a Google Trends search supports this.
I’m not sure what points you are making in respect to Lucas’ materials – his “at-home stretches” are actually a very useful complement to a regular hot yoga practice (hence why we have it available here) – the Bikram class tends not to be as effective at deep hip opening as it could be for example, to supplementing this is a good idea, if hip opening is your goal!
Equally, Lucas’ YogaBodyNaturals we (and many others) have anecdotally found helpful … whether you choose to take something that is not FDA approved is up to you of course. Most of the vegetables I eat are not FDA approved as far as I know 😉
Anyway – as we are waaaay off topic to “Heat reaction” I’ll see if we get other comments and split the thread.
Thanks!
Robert
[The Bikram Yoga® referred to by many students and teachers in this forum is a registered trademark of Bikram Choudhury.]
in reply to: Best food after yoga #4207Totally agree with the protein desire – me too.
After 15 years of “doing sweet nothing” as well as a rather hard-livin’ past, my body took some battering when I first started hot yoga.
I found I really needed some corrective elements (stepped up B-vitamins – in fact general stress-supplements) and also the protein craving.
I personally suspect (I’m NOT an expert!) that the whole sugar craving is body-shock and with some re-balancing it goes away. I will testify to this as after having had pneumonia 7 weeks ago and now after my 4th class back, the rather large chocolate appetite I had developed while recovering (chocolate IS good for pneumonia no?) has vanished (after the first class actually).
So given that this style of yoga is a very hard workout, it is worth considering what any personal trainer may recommend for your body in terms of protein etc.
Fascinating stuff … now … where did I put that greasy cheeseburger?
😉
Robert
in reply to: Results by practicing at home? Please share #4206Hi Cristina,
I practice regularly at home (to various CDs collected over the years, as well as Gabrielle’s own recorded classes).
It is a specialized setup we use – with a dedicated space, permanent heaters, mirrors – the whole thing – but you know what? We actually LOOKED for a house that had room to do this in when we were buying our current home!
So we are a little fanatical …
But to the benefits:
Given that you can get a decent level of heat, I have not seen anything different to the standard benefits from attending a studio-based class – ie you’ll still get all of those for sure.
There are other benefits that I really like:
1. I don’t spend as much time traveling!
2. I can choose classes or even shorten / lengthen my practice
3. I only have myself to blame for any hygiene issues(!)
4. I like the much more “internal” focus (and as bcfol440 says, there is much more of an opportunity for personalization)
5. You can take a silent class (yes, memorize the series!) – which will be much faster.
6. You can take an advanced style class – ie no savasanas, just flow from one pose to the next
7. It builds a lot of discipline – compared to having an “appointment” with a scheduled calls, practicing at home requires a foundational willpower and the discipline of good time management, which I personally enjoy.Anyway, I don’t know if that is exactly what you were looking for, but I hope it helps!
PS. For bcfol440 and anyone else reading this, there is a neat – and free – pose-flow and timings guide here (also downloadable as a pdf) that could help you not have to refer to the book as often.
Namaste
Robert
in reply to: Bulletproof Yoga #4205Wow GalaYogini, sorry to hear this.
Both Gabrielle & I have had personal experience of this many years ago and though there WAS no other studio to go to, we did modify our schedule where we could.
If there is a flaw with with the way hot yoga is sometimes presented, it seems to be the “right” that some teachers have assumed they have to be violent in their communication.
In my view, we don’t give them permission to treat us like this – it is NOT what we enrolled for – let alone the whole issue of being commercially savvy with customers.
So I would definitely present my views to the owner (we did this in our case and it did not work at all! But better to have spoken up than not at all).
I could tell a story where the whole class was stopped while Gabrielle was publicly berated for doing something …
Frankly it is your practice, so as long as you are practicing safely, no instructor has the “right” to behave in a negative derogatory manner just because this is what they learned was “OK” at training.
We believe that people will work just as hard if you provide encouragement and motivation towards goals, rather than humiliating them and “punishing” them.
And finally – it IS a great opportunity to practice “Pratyahara” or withdrawal of attachment to the senses and see if you can allow this instructional style to be the very thing that drives you deepen into your own meditation.
Luckily, most teachers are not like this – however, you might be interested to read Gabrielle’s “Shock Report” she wrote last year as it gives a lot more detail than I can here!
Do report back – we’d love to know if the issue is still alive for you!
Namaste
Robert
in reply to: Heat reaction #4204Very interesting – especially about the sugar!
David we’d love to know how you are going – have you managed to beat the rash?
On another note about the “shower break” – I must admit to have done this plenty of times in the past, mostly when I was practicing at a studio (not ours) that was very crowded and had the temperature too high (in my view).
I ended up developing a poor habit of needing to leave the room (usually between standing & floor) and have a splash of water over me in the bathroom.
I couldn’t seem to shake the habit, though I am generally very persistent and focused, until it just went away by itself.
I suspect three forces were at play:
1. The room WAS too hot for the conditions* (I mean you should have seen all the red faces after class – not necessary and not what “hot” yoga is about).
2. I was REALLY into “going hard” in my yoga – front row, plenty of ego in trying to get the best pose. (Now I don’t care, as long as I practice regularly!)
3. I was very stressed over a multiple month period during this time with unrelated business & financial issues and I’m pretty sure this was affecting my practice. (Ability to breathe; stay calm etc)
* By “too hot for the conditions” I mean the combination of temperature; humidity; air circulation and radiant heat from other students. It’s comparatively easy to practice at 43C/110F if you are practicing solo in a spacious room with 80% humidity in a small, badly ventilated and crowded room? A recipe for a disaster and not necessary IMHO!
So – should you dowse yourself with cold water? I personally think you should look to minimize this – it IS a shock to the body which is not great for any workout. But at the moment it IS getting you through class while you work out what the issue is … and since I’ve had to do the same … I can empathize!
As I said, I’d love to know how you are progressing!
Robert
in reply to: Post-yoga flu symptoms #4147It does seem as if all evidence is pointing to the hormonal changes – but then, I’m a man, and I *would* say that ;).
In all seriousness though, if this is mostly triggered by the heat, then perhaps a stop-gap as your body re-balances itself naturally (assuming all test results are OK of course) would be to practice at home or somewhere without the heat.
I know when Gabrielle was pregnant (and teaching while overdue!) she used to drop the heat to feel more comfortable – and the same for pregnant women (I’m thinking of other hormonal conditions I witnessed) and that was often “the difference that made the difference”.
You could test/experiment using Lucas’s home stretching book (free to registered members here: https://www.hotyogadoctor.com/index.php/site/poses/), if that works then you might even consider a home practice program (a mild plug for Gabrielle’s Hot Yoga MasterClass and not intended to be a “sell” – we don’t do that on these forums.).
In summary – if 40 mins home practice without heat at the same time of day doesn’t trigger the same reactions then one would assume that it is the elevation of your core temp coupled with increased cardio triggering “something” … so just avoid that while your body re-sets.
Anyway, just another idea to consider!
Robert
in reply to: triangle pose – head rush afterwards #4125Thank you Dharminder.
Self-promoting links are not allowed, so I have removed yours.
Links to helpful resources that relate DIRECTLY to the question/post may be allowed (case-by-case).
Affiliate links are not allowed at any time. Please read the forum rules here:
https://www.hotyogadoctor.com/index.php/site/forum/viewthread/247/
We want to keep this resource pure for all the members – I am sure you understand.
Namaste
Robert
in reply to: SacroIliac Injury #4124Thank you Dharminder.
Self-promoting links are not allowed, so I have removed yours.
Links to helpful resources that relate DIRECTLY to the question/post may be allowed (case-by-case).
Affiliate links are not allowed at any time. Please read the forum rules here:
https://www.hotyogadoctor.com/index.php/site/forum/viewthread/247/
We want to keep this resource pure for all the members – I am sure you understand.
Namaste
Robert
in reply to: Pain between shoulder Blades #4107Another thing my massage therapist recommended (I had a very sore shoulder & arm from waaaay too much computer work on Gabrielle’s sites LOL!) is to place a reasonably stiff tube (like a rolled-up towel for example) under the spine, along the spine and lie down on it in savasana.
Also great for aiding the whole “shoulders in the back pockets” principle which also might help (watch Gabrielle’s video on that here)
And here is the link to the “core strength” video mentioned above.
Robert
in reply to: Fractured Rib or Bruised Rib #4106(Webmaster, is mentioning a product ok in the forum?)
No problem at all when it is directly answering someone else’s post – Gabrielle & I decided to keep any blatant ads out of the forum altogether, but for sure, feel free to leave helpful links/mention products whenever you have them.(Note to all: Affiliate links are specifically not allowed. Unfortunate if we allow those then we become targets for the drug spammers – and we all know what that means! Ugh!)
Thanks for asking!
Robert
in reply to: Standing Head to Knee video #4076Good for you Bonnie – tnx for reporting back.
Love to know how you go …
(I think we could have gone for about 3 hours on that one pose actually)
Robert
in reply to: Yoga Mat Maintenance??? #4064And I sometimes wash mine in the machine (as per above – be gentle!) as I am a big sweater, then hang it out to dry in the sun or on the line. Repeated washes have lost some color in the mat, but not much wear and tear. I tend to buy a new one every year anyway, somehow it’s nice to have a fresh mat!
I like the idea of throwing it in the pool! I do that with myself after a class sometimes – fabulous feeling! Hadn’t thought about doing it with the mat. (Must admit I DO shower first).
Robert
in reply to: I am quite overweight and doing hot yoga #4061Here’s a quick request – if you’d like to help us develop more resources for helping you with Weight Loss and Hot Yoga – we’d love your input!
It’s a verrrry quick one-page survey … go do it now and we’ll bring you back to the forum on completion!
Thank you!
Robert
in reply to: Love/hate relationship with camel #4053Some lovely help here – after 9 years of practicing I personally think that things come and go all the time (especially when I have breaks from my practice) … and the old saying “this too shall pass” does help as inevitably, it always passes …
I had a couple of thoughts to add:
1. Anticipation.
Anticipation can be the ruin of any yoga practice! When someone starts to anticipate a pose for any reason eg. Looking forward to savasana, or dreading reactions to camel, then one’s yoga practice is already moving away from the “non-judgemental” aspects of a solid practice. “It is what it is” … so using the breath to focus back into the moment is excellent advice. (Especially in camel where due to the intense frontal stretch, it is harder to breath into the belly – but try doing this and it could transform your pose. “Paradoxical breathing” or upper-chest breathing with stomach sucked-in and “protected” occurs with panic or anxiety and is the opposite of a deep, abdomino-diaphragmatic breath. This type of breath can easily be triggered with camel – hence, try the belly-breathing.)
2. Dizziness. Exiting with head last.
While not the only cause of dizziness (lack of breathing being the main one!), as Andrew says, coming out slowly is key – AND – a classic mistake is to lead with the head on exiting camel. Never lead with the head! It’s dangerous for the neck (can cause strain) and can also stimulate dizziness – so make sure as you exit that the head is the very last part of your body to come out slowly – and the last thing you do before taking savasana is exactly as Hannah says – make that connection with yourself eye-to-eye in the mirror.
That’s my 2c – hope that helps!
Robert
in reply to: I hate to admit this, but… #4052Hi Kelly – yes quite some conversation you stirred up there – privately I think it’s because we’ve possibly all been in that same place at some time in our practice, so the empathy is tangible!
Anyway, I wanted to leave a quick note of appreciation for what you did – that IS inspiring to hear … awesome stuff!
Robert
in reply to: Teleseminar on Eagle #4014Hi Bonnie – it went very well thanks, lots of very interesting questions were answered (and apart from a couple of technical hitches with the sound as always!) – I am currently working on the audio recording and will have it up for download later today! (We’ll email when it is ready)
Cheers,
Robert
Hi Rob – I can vouch for the sick feeling – if one gulps too much in one go.
I also have learned there are places during class where it’s better (for many reasons) to have an empty stomach – the intense forward compressions and backbends (Camel for example).
So although I will drink during class, I know where I can only take a sip and where I can drink more!!
One thing that is true for most – an experienced practitioner can “put up with more” than someone just starting out – so for example we recommend new students to refrain from eating 2-3 hours beforehand (in fact this applies to everyone!), yet for people very acclimatised to a hot yoga series, they probably *could* take a class after waiting only 45 mins after a light lunch and not be anything other than a little uncomfortable. It’s not recommended obviously, but I mention this so you can see you could gradually introduce hydration during your class as your practice progresses, if needed.
And just for comparison, in the current Queensland tropical weather, I can easily drink 1 litre during class (and not notice it), whereas Gabrielle standing next to me may only have a sip or two.
Let us know how you go Rob!
🙂
in reply to: Washing Yoga clothing everyday? #3847Gabrielle would confirm this – I sometimes have 5 showers a day (usually if doing yoga) at this time of year.
And almost always 2 a day.
Never ever noticed any skin issues (though I don’t tend to be afflicted by them anyway). We do use quality vegetarian soap, and very little of it.
As Silver says, in 30-35C heat & humidity … it’s a must.
Stefan I can’t imagine washing 7 sets of that a day! I can see why you asked the question about washing clothes now – reminds me of my days in England, where not everyone has a washing machine and one used communal facilities or the launderette.
So I would definitely think it is worth (from getting rid of a microbe/dead skin-cell point of view) hand-rinsing your yoga clothes (speedos bike shorts) and using a couple of sets as you say.
What a fascinating discussion about how our yoga practices can vary just due to climate & culture!
😉
in reply to: Stronger after a day off? #3846I have a 2c-worth on this one too!
I love the work of a guy called Tony Schwartz (he wrote a book called The Power of Full Engagement) who has done an amazing study of peak performance and productivity as well as studying elite athletes. He is fanatical about training for recovery – in fact he recommends we literally make daily rituals for recovery (for elite athletes and the rest of us mere mortals).
So it struck me that your day off may have triggered the body’s recovery system (which in this case would also have helped integrate the previous 60 days) – and hence stepped you up to another level.
This is one reason that I’m not a fan of a deliberate 60-days straight, because for some people, there is literally not enough time for recovery and assimilation … even Bikram, who is known as a tough task-master, says take one day a week off!
And WELL DONE NATASHA! 🙂
in reply to: Washing Yoga clothing everyday? #3837Hi Stefan & Silver,
Stefan that made me laugh (not at you, but the idea of not washing). Where we are in sub-tropical Queensland Australia, even in winter the yoga clothes need washing every day … they wear out faster because of this that’s for sure.
We also have a ton of towels – have now lost count – and our dryer is certainly adding to the general electricity use – not too green I’m afraid. (I comfort myself by the fact that by doing yoga I bring way less stress into the world and also eat very little junk. There are many ways to reduce a “carbon footprint”, not that I believe the heavily politicized messages about such things.)
Silver – I laughed even more at your learning the hard way – me too! I once forgot to bring the towels and clothes in from the car and left them there overnight … oh goodness. That only happened once. Choking and gagging is right.
So Stefan, we wash every day and have multiple sets of towels and clothing – for smell and hygiene it’s well worth it. But where you are being in a less humid climate, it could be a very different story … *intrigued to find out*.
😉
Robert
in reply to: arms behind the calf muscles #3807Hi BonMar – if you send me the original photo, I’ll fix it up for you. Can’t have you looking all squished can we!
Send it to [email protected]
Thanks!
Robert
in reply to: What are the benefits of a 30-day challenge #3756Hey there BonMar,
Robert here (webmaster & Hot Yoga Doctor hubby).
That’s easy – just go to your control panel and select photo:
https://www.hotyogadoctor.com/index.php/site/forum/member/edit_photo/
Then follow the easy instructions there and you can upload whatever you like in addition to your avatar! (There are some size limits).
Hope that helps … I need to make some faqs I think …
For anyone else reading – there is a general forum explanation here:
https://www.hotyogadoctor.com/index.php/site/forum/viewthread/247/
I’ll add something extra in there about uploading your photo … (it’s there but very sketchy).
😀
Robert
@ Natasha – congratulations! I know how that feels … nice.
in reply to: Recommended DVD's #3658Hi Barb – I agree with hearing the the different voice!
We once practiced for about 5 months to the same CD (as a favor, a teacher let us tape the class – this was back in 2000). Both Gabrielle and I can regularly recite portions of it word for word – to this day!
We also use some of Baron Baptiste’s CDs for variety in practice. (Another ex-teacher of Bikram who branched off …)
(FWIW, Gabrielle’s DVDs have been designed to allow a variety in class routines – same voice, but you can get familiar poses in various less-familiar sequences to help with variety.)
Robert
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