Bikram Yoga Experiment Blog
Week 3
Day 15 - Sick again... day off.
Day 16 - Back in action
Today I took Roxana's Sunday nighter after a whole day off. I don't know if it's because I took a day off or because I was sick yesterday, but I had a really hard time in this class. It seemed hotter. I had a weak left leg and I was having difficulty locking my knee. Felt a little lazy.
Roxana is a doctor so she offers a lot more to her class than just the Bikram script. During Savasana she really got into depth talking about the differences between our parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems. I think I will make a seperate section about these biological tidbits on the site! Stay tuned for that!!!
I interviewed Roxana about it, but the video was lost. Sorry Roxana... maybe I can interview you again sometime soon???
Day 17 - The banana
So after last week's constant cramping of my feet while doing postures in the "Japanese" sitting style, I put a couple of tidbits of advice from Jacob and Danny. Danny told me to put a little Rock Salt on my food, while Jacob mentioned that a banana's potassium will help get rid of these cramps. Thanks for the advice guys, it seems to be working as I have gone two classes without any signs of cramping.
Today, I took another class with Jacob. I discovered the fans at the Cambie location. If you sit right under one of the fans, it pretty much takes away 10 degrees of heat. Not that I wanted that, but my class was much easier than usual. As soon as Jacob turned the fan off, the heat became a factor. Jacob kept the fans on for about 75% of the class so I must say I had an easy breezy class. Oh but my knees are hurting...
Day 18 - Don't text during a yoga class... k?
Today I took a class with Gabi. There was like 100 people in the class, and 15 newbies, so I wasn't expecting much... but I got a lot out of Gabi. She is so clear and easy to listen to. She definitely added stuff to the script like I have never heard anyone say ..."use the total surface area of your foot to balance your body..."
Day 19 - Pony # 9
It was interesting to do another class with Jordan because I haven't seen him since my very first class. I really liked this class. I think Jordan was the first teacher to get some andrenaline going in my body. I remember I was doing the one leg balance postures and as he saw me struggling, he came over to me and called it like he was calling a horse race. I was the underdog horse and struggling from behind, but his call kept pushing me to keep trying and it got a reaction out of me. I felt some strength grow in me to hold whatever I had and finish the posture. After that, all I remember was getting more and more strength throughout the class and even though I still struggle with some things, I felt really strong after class.
Day 20 - Find your Inner Thighs
Mari comes up right in front of me and on the 2nd posture she pushes me to come down further than I have ever come down in "Half Moon" pose. All I remember was this cascade of sweat begin... too early. By the end of the class, I was a mess.
But I ain't complaining. Mari's class kicked my ass, but I must say I picked up so much from it. I don't hear any script with her at all. It's like she is reading my mind, and if I have a problem, she is providing the correction.
During "Triangle Pose", she said the words "Find your inner thighs". Boom! As I focused my flexion to the inner thighs, my balance became easy and I could reach higher without fear of falling.
During "Standing seperate leg head to knee pose", Mari said "plant your back foot's heel" to the floor and again... I found my balance.
I've been going to these classes with different instructors almost every day for the past 3 weeks and it's a huge benefit to experience different words from different instructors... especially if you are just starting out and struggling with balance and proper form.
Day 21 - A Teacher's Trick
Victoria's class. Victoria walks around the room while she teaches. She walks past me and it's easier for her to get my attention if I'm doing something wrong. She must have walked past me three times and each time it was a quick comment and immediately I knew she was talking about me... Booyah! Thanks Victoria.