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Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)
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  • mtcat
    Participant
    August 10, 2009 at 7:34 am
    Post count: 14
    in reply to: Lack of flexibility #5317

    it might make you feel better (or worse), but i’ve been practicing Bikram method for about a year and a half and i’m still not flexible bending forward. i’ve always had issues with flexibility (and i was a dancer?!), especially going forward; my hamstrings and back are very tight. it’s discouraging sometimes but i see tiny improvements each time i go. and the more frequently i go, the more consistent my improvements are. it’s a gradual process, for sure, but i know, in a few years, i’ll be as flexible as i aspire to be – likewise, for you.

    hang in there and be proud of yourself for embarking on your new practice! it’s amazing what improvements and strengths you will discover in your body.

    mtcat
    Participant
    July 21, 2009 at 6:58 pm
    Post count: 14
    in reply to: "Boiling Blood" and Acne #5233

    thanks so much Feenix! i really appreciate the response and it’s encouraged me tremendously. i agree about the hard cheese. it took me years to figure that out. i am working with a dietary therapist now and we’re working out an acid-alkaline diet for me and she’s got me on a myriad of Chinese herbs. and i completely agree and wondered about all the vada/pitta yogis in India. do they just deal with bad skin? i doubt it. they must have balanced out at some point.

    again, thanks so much for the response.

    cheers!
    mtcat

    mtcat
    Participant
    June 5, 2009 at 9:42 pm
    Post count: 14
    in reply to: Sodium & Potassium #4976

    hi fraseram,

    How does one go about getting all levels checked? And what is meant by “all levels”?

    mtcat
    Participant
    May 9, 2009 at 10:43 pm
    Post count: 14
    in reply to: Soundless or ujiay breathing? #4776

    if i may offer my two cents, and yes, it’s only two cents, you are right about the ujayyi breathing being necessary in ashtanga to create the inner heat since the outside heat isn’t as intense. i learned recently from a hot yoga teacher (not a Bikram teacher) that the ujayyi breathing will basically get your blood “boiling,” to put it in ayurvedic terms and make your practice even hotter. she encouraged us to use silent breath for that reason alone. i know i am a blend between Vata and Pitta (cold and hot – again, ayurvedic terms) and once i use ujayyi breathing in Bikram (which i did early on in my practice), i start to overheat. also, if i hear other people breathing loudly, i find it really disheartening since it’s already hard enough and eventually, i start to take on the loud breather’s energy and slowly wither. i find that energy in the Bikram room is extremely delicate and the gentler the breathing, the stronger the practice for everyone.

    my teacher also hosts a silent class every morning. it’s his own practice that, basically, all students are invited to attend. therefore, out of respect for his practice (he’s been a Bikram yogi for 30 years), i practice as silently as possible since he is an extremely quiet yogi. all i know is that Bikram encourages a quiet breath once the initial Pranayama is over. my theory, and i could be wrong, is that Pranayama gets everyone warmed up (in every sense of the word) and once that heat is induced, the quiet steady breathing helps us intensify and strengthen our poses. my teacher says, “your body should be hot while your mind and breath should be on ice.”

    mtcat
    Participant
    April 12, 2009 at 10:31 pm
    Post count: 14
    in reply to: Out of the mouths of babes… #4644

    hilarious! 🙂

    mtcat
    Participant
    March 5, 2009 at 10:24 pm
    Post count: 14
    in reply to: Getting sick #4371

    i hear ya. i’m sick with a head cold right now and will have missed about 5 days of yoga. however, i’m pretty sure it’s not the yoga that’s the problem. i was actually marveling for a good couple of months how i was NOT getting sick and was attributing it to the yoga. i’ve heard that this kind of yoga is great for repelling and squeezing out these toxins that cause colds/flus. i’m pretty certain my current cold is a result of being around people in my non-yoga life who have colds. so, not speaking from a scientific background, i’d say hot yoga is a cure not a cause but i could be totally wrong.

    mtcat
    Participant
    February 26, 2009 at 10:35 pm
    Post count: 14
    in reply to: Brittle Nails #4318

    For the most part, I have NOT changed my eating habits/routine. I was never the best eater anyways. I have, however, gotten really good at drinking tons of water. As of your last post, I’ve been upping the greens in my meals, will be better about taking a calcium/magnesium supplement daily and might have to get some B supplements to go with all this. I take a daily vitamin along with fish oil pills, some Vit. D drops and calcium/magnesium supplement (when I remember, as it is a new supplement for me). I think the main factor is the eating. I’m wondering if a nutritionist would be the best bet if these adjustments don’t work. Thanks for the input, Gabrielle.

    mtcat
    Participant
    February 13, 2009 at 6:14 pm
    Post count: 14
    in reply to: 30 Day Challenge Difficulties #4236

    Thanks calbred. Knowing other people’s stories is really helpful and yours is really inspiring considering you went a year straight. I could see myself doing that since I have definitely started seeing it as a daily reward. And the fact that you have practiced so long and have had a baby at 41 is amazing! I’m 31 now and just starting my practice. I can’t wait until I can say I’ve been practicing yoga for 10 years!

    mtcat
    Participant
    February 11, 2009 at 7:50 pm
    Post count: 14
    in reply to: 30 Day Challenge Difficulties #4222

    Thank you Gabrielle! Since this is all so new for me, I have yet to really hear and understand that little voice inside that says, “Take it EASY!”. I’m so eager to please my teachers and to see results that it’s sometimes hard to discern good pain from bad or sleepiness from genuine fatigue. I think deep down, too, I just don’t want to let myself down. This is a challenge that I’m doing on my own and I’m really proud of myself for making it 22 days so far but I’m certainly losing steam and would like to make this a joyful process that lasts me a lifetime.

    So thank you, again, for your words. And as for 8 times a week, wow! I’m happy I’m making to even ONE class in a day!

    Peace,
    Mary

    mtcat
    Participant
    February 10, 2009 at 10:32 pm
    Post count: 14
    in reply to: My Second 60 Day Challenge this year! #4212

    Thanks for your story! It really is inspiring as I prepare for Day 22 🙂

    mtcat
    Participant
    February 10, 2009 at 10:25 pm
    Post count: 14
    in reply to: 30 Day Challenge Difficulties #4211

    Thanks so much for the encouragement! Tor what’s it’s worth, I have eased off of some postures and I’m hoping they will come back to me soon. I’m patient. I’m really enjoying the process and may just plow through to 60 days as well. The chiro/massage sounds really good right about now on Day 21!

    Cheers and thanks!

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Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)