ok. im about to brag, try not to be annoyed.
i am married to a brilliant man who is observant enough to tell me to go to yoga- now. it is more clear to him than it even is to myself that i am more energetic and happy when i am practicing Bikram faithfully.
grad school forced me into a sort of hiatus and i justified by claiming that getting hot and then cold because of the winter weather would just make me sick. (to those who may not know about Bikram yoga- the room is heated to about 105 with 60% humidity.) what i should have done instead is treat my own winter depression crap by going to yoga. especially on days when i did not want to. well, consider the hiatus over.
Bikram has too many benefits for me to just not go. the spine series is a big challenge for me. when i am skipping out on yoga my back hurts even when i am just going to sleep. there are not many other options for me to strengthen my back muscles in such a complete way.
yoga also makes me more aware. i am more conscious of what i put in my body which reflects in my weight and overall health. concentrating on myself also allows me to better deal with anything going on around me. i can better monitor my response to the environment and people around me when i practice awareness. if life is how you respond then Bikram is constant preparation. i have heard the owner of Bikram Memphis, Lori, say during savasana "Life is not always going to be comfortable." She went on to talk about how 105 degrees is hot. you know how hot the room is before you step into it. hot is going to be uncomfortable but it serves a purpose of keeping your muscles safe while you stretch. "Just be here. Be ok with being uncomfortable." that is really profound to me. this type of yoga is just you, your breath and your will. you learn determination despite difficulties. you learn how to find stillness where none seems to exist.
2 comments:
yoga really does make a difference, fo 'sho! my spouse notices that i'm much more fussyfaced and crabby when i don't go. although i only do bikram once a week, when i miss it - it's not a good thing! :) being okay with being uncomfortable is something i'm still working on. the heat isn't what bothers me so much, it's a few of the poses - they just hurt sometimes, or i guess, they're just really uncomfortable. that's awesome that you're going to get back into bikram - and that's awesome that your spouse told you to go! :) gotta love an observant guy like that, indeed! have fun with bikram & you'll be feeling wonderful in no time at all!
thanks lady! and i feel ya on the poses. every time we get to the Salabhasana ("locust pose") i kinda want to scream. i don't know why i have such hostility toward that pose....
thank you for the encouragement!
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