monkeypicked

I don’t like the term “cheating”. When you use a crutch you don’t learn to walk without it. I know that triangle is hard, we all struggle with it but you have to work hard and get past the point o relying on a tool to help you. You have the power to fix this on your own. You are your own tool. Rajashree spoke about this the other day. She said that when you use the towel you aren’t using all of your muscles and developing them in the same way.
I know it’s frustrating to be called out in front of class, but instead of thinking about it as being reprimanded think about it as the teacher cares enough to help you. What if you asked your teacher to double check your alignment after class? Maybe you come out of it early for a while. But you will get stronger. Then you will do triangle perfectly. It just takes time. There are no short cuts.

Once you are up pretty high, lower a tiny bit, separate your heels a little bit and go up higher, then bring the heels back together.

Great idea about the time split between classes.

One last thing…
remember during class to be kind to yourself. To show up to each class without expectations, without judgement. Just got there with what you have and who you are that day. And practice accordingly.

Sometimes the hardest thing, way harder than doing the posture, is skipping a posture. We get all wrapped up in judgement and shame and ego, instead of listening to our bodies.

Having just done my first Advanced class recently, I got a nice reminder of what my first class was like.
You want me to do what…?
My first class;
I remember wearing my shirt into the room, and quickly deciding that shirtless would be fine. I did everything in class that first day, but spent a lot of time thinking, when is this over? How long is class? Can’t I just stay lying down, what is all this sit up stuff.

What is more amazing to me is that even though I have a lot of classes under my belt, I still have those occasionally classes that feel so alien that I wonder how I ever make it through a class, and why…?

Bikram says this practice makes you “Bullet proof, sex proof, sweat proof, life proof”.
Sometimes the practice we need to work on most is turning inward instead of looking outward.
Meet your own eyes in the mirror and other peoples movement might not bother you. Always listen to your breath, and you might never hear other peoples noises. The guy sweating buckets next to you, nothing he can do about that, be empathetic. The stinky person, know that we have all smelled bad.
Become bulletproof!
I know it’s easier said than done, and somedays it’s all I can do to keep it together.

Smile, then let it go, it’s 90 minutes the you get to leave.

Buy Bikrams CD and practice with Bikram.
I don’t think that I could practice to it all the time but it will help you with timing, then you’ll be able to figure it out on your own.
Using my normal timing it takes me a little more than an hour to do an entire class silently.

Blow like you are blowing out candles 4 feet in front of you.

Pull the abs with every breath. Hard to explain. talk to a teacher and have them watch you and help you.

Remember the practice grows ver time and you will learn more every day.

Once a day is perfect…
Once a week though you won’t get the benefits. It takes about 10 classes to get used to the heat an figure things out. I suggest trying to go at least 3 times a week, then you will really start to get the benefits and enjoy the process.
C

Breathing together is possible, it’s just an idea though. You try to stay with the teachers count.
If it doesn’t work for you, because of exhaustion or whatever, it seems like it’s just the next challenge for yourself to take on.