Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)

Hi Jeanette

Your posture can completely and totally transform with this yoga. I am sure some pointers will get you moving in the right direction. And as in your other post it may be some techniques that could be fixed to help you.

Your strength can take some time to develop and as you say your posture probably plays a big part. Your muscles work in balance together. So at the moment you are working on redeveloping proper relationships between a number of muscles groups. Some are weak and others are strong but should be in better harmony than that which helped you create your ‘poor posture’.

First port of call would be to make sure you have visited the Free Videos section and watched the video right down the bottom of the page called “A Transformational Technique for Your Practice, For Your Life”. This is THE video I continue to receive hundreds of personal emails about since I released it 20 months ago, because of its power to transform your body and yes, your life!

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Jeanette!

You know, after six months I would expect overall flexibility to have improved quite markedly. It does depend however on how many classes per week and what other activities you are participating in. Obviously tennis 😉 but how often for these other sports etc? I can then ascertain whether we should go down the specific techniques route and where else to direct you on your journey.

Fill me in before I give my 2 cents worth!

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Cyberry

The real mechanism is that the kick drives the pose. These advanced folk who are in that beautiful slender tear drop shape are not always demonstrating a pose that’s driven by the legs. Of course there is strength there but it’s driven by flexibility.

That’s what you have already discovered: they are lifting their chest many in a way that goes beyond being simply pulled up by the kick of the legs. And as you note, this is affecting your ability to let your shoulders stay in that relaxed position.

Perhaps because you have some tightness there or perhaps because now you may be in a position where you are slightly powering from the arms. What do you think? I sense it could be a little of the latter. Another way of putting it is that you should be hanging from your feet! So if you are trying to pull your legs back into alignment with your arms you could be feeling strain. The thing that I like to do is to adjust my shoulders (their orientation) and this adjusts my legs into alignment. Try it and see how you go.

The anatomy of your hips may not allow you to keep your legs right in parallel and in that very flexed position. I would suggest never pushing into that pain but go to where you can and then draw the legs in but keep kicking up and back. Adjust those shoulders and keep hanging. This will open up your shoulders more. Now, do you think you need some exercises to open your shoulders more? Let me know along with your assessment of any other limitations in shoulder movement.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Brandy

That’s unusual. And you’re right it shouldn’t hurt. I can appreciate some discomfort could be present but extreme pain could indicate a number of things. Let’s see… Are you able to confirm for me how you’re sitting? Are you kneeling as in the regular way this pose is done? When you do so do you feel your back arched or straight? What can you tell me about your arms? Are they straight? Locked out? Your shoulders?

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Isabella

Thanks for the quote! I had read the details of the condition and suggested treatments. It’s all fascinating stuff. Such tiny things causing such havoc.

I would prefer to know more about the personal experiences of your student rather than guess some ideas. So if you’d be willing I would love to hear more about the specifics of her problem, when, how and what happens to her, what exact movements bring on the dizziness or whatever sensations she is feeling, whether it’s only during yoga, only outside of yoga or in certain activities or not in others.

Then I hope to be able to suggest something of value.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Pamela

It really does pay to experiment. I personally don’t like eating before a morning class. But if I were hungry then I would drink a home-made organic veggie juice. You might be good with an apple! Of course drink a lot because when you get up you’re dehydrated from the night before. If you’re getting up for an early morning class some people have to drink more IN class than they would later on in the day because of the difficulties of getting enough fluid in before class.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Stephanie

That is great news. How long since you gave up the pill? I wonder if your body is just re-balancing itself (hormonally). I wouldn’t be surprised if that extra shape falls away very soon. I am fascinated with the whole linkage between personal happiness and shape (with respect to eating disorders and so on). It must be very satisfying to feel happier without the drugs!

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Thanks Pamela for your input!

Hi Jay

Don’t you have some odd fantasies!??? We all do I can assure you. It must be odd to be aware of those thoughts and feelings during a yoga class.

They are just fantasies. In fact any thoughts you have are really usually nothing to do with the present moment at all. Your distinctly human trait is your ability to observe and that’s what you’ve been doing. It seems you could be identifying with those thoughts rather than simply and non-judgmentally observing them. Your thoughts – in those classes – are distracting you from what really is. So really your job is to notice your thoughts and then let them go.

I would have a hard time questioning or challenging those feelings because it would cause me to become even more distracted. This would create more difficulties. You could find that if that’s happening then it could be reflected in your ability (or inability) to balance or have a satisfying practice. So find something that grounds you, that brings your focus back onto you. Feel the air, moving in and out of your body, through your nose, in your lungs, feel the quality of that air.

If you really get stuck on ‘those’ thoughts then your aim is to take even more notice of other feelings that you can feel with your skin. Something verifiable like the feel of your hands against each other, a hand on a foot, the stretch of your skin. Get in the habit of noticing the obvious and not so obvious. Those judgmental thoughts will happen from time to time (allow them to occur in the background if at all), but notice over time how they seem less violent.

You could spend days analyzing the reasons why, you could try to work out the significance of those thoughts and how they relate to your life in general but it could lead you to concern yourself too much with something that’s really not that important. Remember, your thoughts are NOT you! That can often be a relief for people to know that you CAN let them go and they don’t have to have a hidden meaning.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Jan

Did your GP dismiss your concerns as stress WITHOUT testing? Because if they did then it may be worth considering changing GP.

Regardless of the cause, some kind of way to relax at night would still be useful. Relaxation is a learned skill and you may need to redevelop yours. So while you’re finding out what’s up, find yourself some recordings. You could start by finding some classical music in your collection, or some ambient music. You may have something at home. You could search the internet for meditation recordings. There are tons of those (really a massive amount). I know for a fact you can go and download some free samples of varying lengths. It is surprising how you can even think it’s not working and then wake up later with your headphones on!! 😆

So I would suggest asking your friends if you can borrow something, go the library and borrow something, download from the net. You can see how that works before going to spend money on seductive products by trialling something first. There are products out there that cost hundreds of dollars.

I just did a search for you and here is a link to a free meditation site with which I have no personal experience: Meditation Downloads.

See how you go. You can choose music or guided meditations both of which can be very powerful depending on the nature of the recording.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Fiona

I don’t know how I missed your post. Thanks Juliette for making me aware of it. 😉

If you’re still having trouble with feeling as if you are not getting enough air in then please let me know. Can you tell me where you feel that constriction, tightness or inability? Obviously you are getting enough air but there could be something to do with the rhythm of your breath or the way you’re breathing that has you feeling compromised. Most breathing problems can be explained or fixed by physics and biochemistry. Waiting with bated breath for your response … 😆

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Zahra

Please come back and tell us whether you are still getting this problem in another week in the same way.

I have to say that it is NOT common at all to get a fever after class. Your body is an expert at dealing with the incredible inputs you encounter on a day by day and moment by moment basis. If you are well hydrated and well nourished are not immunologically suppressed, if your studio is not too hot and the conditions are optimum then your reactions are very odd indeed.

What can you say about the temperatures in the studio itself? How long are you staying in Savasana afterwards? What do you do after class? Where do you go, what do you eat, what is the first sign that something is not right? Anything you can think of. Work through the moments after class. What would happen for example if next time you went to class and you just stayed in the room and didn’t participate? Lots of things coming to mind that we can explore. Get back to me after you’ve had a moment to reflect.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Pamela

I am not sure that “all Bikram instructors” have been referred to in this context. There are really very few reliable generalizations. One that is reliable is that we all need oxygen to breathe.

You are right: There are examples of every profession, every vocation on the continuum from downright terrible to excellent.

There are people who have had really soul-destroying experiences with some woeful teachers. And there are those who have had superlatively wonderful experiences. Are they always one or the other? Usually not!

We can all get through a class where the instruction is poor. We can even REALLY enjoy it immensely. However, mistreatment of fellow human beings is not OK. This thread has surfaced some very poor experiences. The comments are about a pervasive culture that often accompanies this style of yoga. For some it becomes too much, they either find another studio or even regrettably, give up.

You must feel great to be powering along, staying motivated and happy! You go girl!

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi everyone

Just thought I would add something that may be of interest (since Ariana mentions supplementation): Since the beginning of the year I have been eating more and more raw food. And 3 months ago I started taking high potency wholefood multivitamins to supplement my diet. I have definitely found myself on a much more even keel, no PM mood swings, no chocolate cravings(!!!), no pain. All good n’est-ce pas?

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂