Monday Motivations: Did someone say Bikram yoga addict?!

So you have been practising 26 + 2 for a little while now and you absolutely. love. it. You only wish you had discovered this practice earlier. It has truly changed your life, there will be no going back to your pre-permanently sweaty existence, and you simply cannot resist the urge to tell everyone; family, friends, and even complete strangers(!)-much to the embarrassment of your afore-mentioned family and friends! ;-) - why they need to be coming with you to Bikram yoga. All the time, all the time, all the time...

Dear Yogi,
I am sorry to break it to you, but it sounds like you have indeed become that person... the Bikram evangelist!

dun dun duhn

Now before you start to panic let me tell you this is a pretty positive thing. You have been totally converted and simply want to spread the great news about how amazing this yoga is, and how everyone's life can be improved with a regular practice. My friend, you may need to consider the possibility that you are addicted to the hot room:
  1. You like to practise every day if possible.
  2. When you're not in the hot room you're spending your time preparing for it, making sure you are appropriately watered and fed and refreshed.
  3. You almost have a mini-balancing-stick-heart-attack if you're running late and worried that you won't make it before the door closes.
  4. Being half-naked in a room with strangers doesn't faze you one little bit.
  5. You have done at least one 30-day challenge.
  6. Coconut water is the best legal substance you can get into your body after class.
  7. An entire (rather large!) section of your wardrobe is sectioned off for your yoga gear.
  8. You choose your holiday destinations based on how accessible the nearest Bikram yoga studio is.
  9. You feel the cold so much quicker, basically if it's below 40º you're a little on the chilly side!
  10. Even if you are talking with friends about something entirely unrelated you will end up bringing it back to yoga.

we are addicted to sweat

 Sound familiar? Is this you?

If so then may we be the first to welcome you into the club. We sincerely hope you will be with us for a very long time! :-)

See you on your mats!
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Monday Motivations: On eagle's wings

Posture focus time!

DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 31: Yoga Poses. (Jensen Walker)

Eagle pose (Garurasana) is the last posture of the warm-up before party time. We have separately warmed up the spine, the arms, and the legs in the previous postures and now we are bringing it all together before our first water break. This posture is all about compression and joint flexibility/mobility, and the two are in a very committed and perfectly harmonious relationship.

Garurasana works deeply into the 12 largest joints of the body: Starting from the bottom and working up we are targeting the ankles, the knees, the hips, the elbows, the wrists, and the shoulders (encompassing the deltoids and the scapula). Through the intense twisting into the arms and legs in this posture we are deliberately compressing into the joints, creating a pressure which when released will allow for fresh blood to flow back into them. As such eagle pose maintains healthy joint lubrication.

This healthy compression targets not only the major joints of the body but also some of its internal organs: Eagle pose particularly stimulates the reproductive system and the kidneys improving sexual vitality and fertility. It is an excellent posture for urinary tract infections in women and prostate health for men. It improves the immune system through stimulation of the lymphatic system and helps to treat and heal cellulite and varicose veins.

Muscle-wise we are targeting and strengthening the large muscles of the back: the latissimus dorsi and the trapezius and pulling down the elbows towards the floor allows us to work into the deltoids. We are also strengthening the leg muscles toning the calves, thighs and hip muscles.

deltoids trapezius and latissimus dorsi

 And last but by no means least, Garurasana also really improves our focus as it is essentially a balancing posture. Because we need to use many different parts of our brain at once we tend to quieten the 'monkey mind' or 'mind chatter' that can sometimes be an all-too-present feature of our yoga practice. Eagle pose also requires crossing the body’s mid-line, which activates both hemispheres of the brain simultaneously and thereby improves our focus and concentration. This in turn prepares us for standing head to knee which is the ultimate concentration posture. It is all so perfectly sequenced!

In conclusion it is probably more than fair to say that there are a LOT of great things happening in this posture so enjoy it! Try to keep the weight in your heels as much as possible, the chest lifted, focus on that one spot in the mirror, pull down on the elbows, breathe, smile (!) and sit down low, low, low... your body loves you for it! :-)
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Monday Motivations: The Magic of Mandala

Dear Britomart yogis,

Sometimes we get the opportunity to practise yoga without focusing (for the most part) solely on our own eyes in the front mirror. Last night was one of these opportunities with Connie and Jammin' Yoga leading us through a Mandala yoga practice after the 4pm Bikram session.

For those of you unfamiliar with Mandala yoga (as most of us were!) it may help to look at the following video link ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ga5s_qYgJS8 ) which beautifully portrays the process of creating a sand mandala. The mandala is probably the most discussed and admired symbol in Buddhist art. The word itself means circle and its shape is supposed to remind us of our 'relation to infinity, extending beyond and within our bodies and minds'. (http://spiritualawakening.weebly.com/mandalas-what-are-they.html)

mandala

During our 90-minute Mandala yoga practice we played, worked together, trusted each other, helped one another, laughed, held hands, impersonated bunny rabbits (!), and tried earnestly to create something similar to the above shape.

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All in all it was light-hearted and a lot of fun. The mood was mellow, the music (some of it live, and provided by Fernando) was meditative but upbeat, and whatever apprehension some of us might have experienced at the beginning quickly dissipated. Getting up close and personal with the bodies that you always remain at least one sweaty arm's distance from in your Bikram class is, believe it or not, a great way of relieving any initial awkwardness. And awkward pose sitting on your neighbour's lap anyone? While someone else is sitting on yours? Well, we did it! ;-) And it was definitely easier than awkward pose, which we all know should look like this:

AwkwardPoseWordpress

but more often than not... looks and feels more like this:

Awkward joke

I'm with the cat on this one!

Anyway, awkward jokes aside... After our Mandala practice we enjoyed yummy raw treats and lovely filtered water to refresh, rehydrate, and replenish while we seized the opportunity to get to know our fellow yogis a bit better. It got me thinking about how rarely we get the occasion to connect to the people we sweat beside in class, and how nice it is to share our experiences of the practice. There are as many yoga experiences as there are yoga practitioners and everyone has their own personal perspective to share. And that's the beauty of a community-focused yoga practice such as Mandala yoga. Be sure and come try the next one!

See you on your mats! :-)
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Monday Motivations

30day

 Well done for making it to 2015 everybody. With the old behind us and the new ready to be painted on the blank canvas, it is time to pick up the tools we have acquired from life’s lessons and prepare our bodies, minds and schedules for the coming months.

February is only three weeks away, which means our 30 Day Challenge is right around the corner! This week’s motivations are designed to help you prepare for a 30 day Bikram yoga challenge, weather it is your first or 5th one. Preparation and determination are key values for a successful 30 day challenge.

How to prepare for a 30 Day Bikram Challenge?
  1. Try to free-up the month as much as possible. Tell your non-yogi friends that you will be a little busier than usual so the pressures and distractions of social life don’t make things harder for you.
  2. Keep hydrated. Drink as much water as you can in the days leading up to the challenge. Add some lemon juice and/or orange juice for an electrolyte and vitamin boost! Lemon is also alkaline making it a great acidity regulator in your stomach.
  3. Fit in a couple of classes a week before the challenge just to get into the swing of things, especially if you have not practiced in a while. Get your head into the zone of the coming challenge and ease yourself into it.
  4. Make sure you have enough Bikram Yoga clothing to last in case you run out of time to wash your clothes each day. A good tip for beating the sweaty odor is a tablespoon or two of vinegar in your next yoga clothing wash.
  5. Getting to class every day can become stressful if you don’t prepare. A good way to keep organized and motivated is to book and treat your classes as you would an evening outing or a trip to the theater. Make it an event. Pick a time for the event, and then work out the logistics. After a week of strict planning – the rest of the month will be much easier to manage. It’s easy if you are prepared!
How to survive a 30 Day Bikram Yoga Challenge?
  1. The first week is important to get right. Don’t push yourself too hard – there are still three more weeks of Yoga ahead of you, so you will need some energy and strength towards the end to get you through.
  2. Keep hydrated! Now that you are in the swing of things, your body will be needing a lot of fluids replaced daily. As you are working out drink plain water only – a lot before class, some during class, and a lot after class. The drinks you make after class should be made with electrolytes and vitamins as well, to help your body replace some of its nutrients after its big daily cleanse. As mentioned before – lemons are great for alkalizing the stomach, and fruits are great for electrolytes. Adding some table salt to your fruit drinks increases the electrolytes even more.
  3. Fruit smoothies should become a daily treat, packed full of fatty nuts, nutritious berries and vegetables and of course some calcium through milk or yogurt. As the 30 Day Challenge gets under way, we will be posting some wonderful smoothie ideas for all our Yogis, to help you get through February in the healthiest, most beneficial and delicious way.
  4. Keep alcohol, stress and chemicals to a minimum. Anything you put into your body, has to come out. During a 30 Day Challenge, the body gets very good and efficient at processing its fuel, but because of the increased amount of performance required from the body, the fuel required is Premium. A well performing body cannot be fueled by empty calories without nutrition. So make a choice, how do you want your body to perform? If you want to make it easiest for yourself – go the natural, healthy and nutritious way!
If you are considering taking up the 30 Day Bikram Yoga Challenge, call us for a no obligations chat today. We will answer any questions you may have, and give you all the details you need. The rest is down to you making the decision and taking the first few steps towards making it happen.

We do these things for ourselves, for a new lease on life. And we guarantee you will look and feel absolutely great!

Visit: www.bikramyogabritomart.co.nz
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Monday Motivations

gdes

 Bikram yoga and weight loss are a common phenomenon in the Yogi realm. There are numerous articles circulating the internet that explain why Bikram Yoga is such a powerful weight loss tool, health organizations have calculated calories burned during each 90 minute class and experienced yogis around the world have written testimonials and inspirational stories about their journey to a healthier, leaner self.

As the festive season swings around for another summer of fun in the sun, eating and drinking with family and friends will soon become a frequent activity and the weather will tempt us to get out, strip off and make the most of the long daytime in New Zealand’s picturesque nature.

Don’t feel trapped this summer – with food or with your body. Invest in a weekly routine of Bikram Yoga and you will be able to spend the summer months enjoying friends, food and fun in the sun whilst looking your best!

Does it sound too good to be true? With Bikram Yoga, it really is possible. That is why this week’s motivations are all about real life weight loss stories from fellow Bikram yogis around the world. If they can do it, so can you!

Joel & Julia: Less than a year later, we collectively lost over 100 pounds and have encountered many other benefits, as follows. I no longer snore due to the light asthma that I once had. I can bend over and tie my shoes without turning blue and gasping for breath. I have a new driver's license with a younger-looking picture and a weight of 185 (about the same as I was in 1985 when I was 18). My girlfriend weighs 20 pounds less now than she did when she was in high school! We receive so many compliments from family, co-workers, friends, and others that it is sometimes embarrassing – my mother stared at me in disbelief of the slimmed down son she saw for, like, 10 minutes and I had to say "Stop Staring! It’s as if you haven’t seen me in 10 years!" I certainly smile more now than I have ever smiled in my life!

Emily H: Bikram yoga was hands down the fastest results i have ever seen from yoga.  I lost 15ish pounds in about 2 months by just doing bikram 4-6 days a week and eating healthier.  Plus my skin looked AWESOME and i felt so rad and energized all the time.

Jenn B: I did yoga for just 1 month, but everyday for 2 hours.  At the end of the month, I had lost several inches in my waist and was able to go down a full dress size.  I was not watching what I ate at the time, just yoga-ing.

Ellen McCandless: I gained 35 pounds and gave birth to an 8lb 14 oz baby girl at the end of August 2006. Seven weeks after giving birth, I started doing Bikram Yoga again just twice a week, gradually working up to 3-4 times per week. When my daughter, Morgan, was 5 months old I reached my pre-pregnancy weight! Now my daughter is 11 months and I have lost 8 more pounds! In addition, after my first pregnancy with my son my blood pressure never normalized. I was always borderline high and was put on medication for my second pregnancy. At my last doctor’s appointment a few months ago, my blood pressure was 118/70! None of the running, weight lifting or other traditional gym activities that I have done in the past gave me the results that Bikram Yoga has given me!

April Doerfler: 20 Pound Weight Loss – 3 Months. I have lost over 20 pounds in less than 3 months!I am amazed by myself and the 20+ lbs lost….I have never worked out in my life and this is something that I definitely know I can maintain and keep consistent.

1) http://www.bikramyoga.com/BikramYoga/WeightLoss.php,
2) http://www.yelp.com/topic/austin-has-yoga-helped-you-lose-weight,
3) http://www.yelp.com/topic/austin-has-yoga-helped-you-lose-weight,
4) http://bikramyogatempe.com/testimonials/bikram-yoga-and-baby-weight,
5) http://bikramyogatempe.com/testimonials/20-pound-weight-loss-3-months

To Book in your Summer of looking and feeling fantastic, call us Today on 0800 hotyoga or visit our website: www.bikramyogabritomart.co.nz 
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Monday Motivations

The New Year is just around the corner and as we look ahead at the potential of what it might bring, we also look back on the things which we hope it won’t bring. Before the noise and festivities of Christmas and the days leading up to the new year start to blend in to one big rush towards the finish line, now is the perfect time to reflect and to set new goals; a time to get out a pen and paper and take the first step towards the achievement of your wildest dreams.

Setting goals or ‘new year’s resolutions’ can be quite a daunting task. Firstly, there are usually so many to pick from it is hard to know which are the best ones, secondly not all of them are achievable in the current time and place, and thirdly, writing down fresh new goals you have set yourself means you then have to work towards reaching them. But having the list is the first step and the biggest one, so do not be afraid to go wild and dream big.

Think back on the year 2014 and honestly ask yourself, ‘how did I do?’ Did you do enough good stuff for yourself? Did you feel like you could have been doing more? Or maybe you felt times when you were doing too much of something; eating unhealthy food, doing unhealthy things to your body, feeling stressed and tired too much, not sleeping enough. Once the questions are asked, the answers start to make themselves a little clearer, and with more asking there will be more answers.

Ultimately we all want similar things from life (love, friendship, money) but health - both physical and mental – is the most important and therefore popular on our ‘to do’ lists, and understandably so. We all know that a strong and flexible body and mind are the required ingredients to any other of our goals being achieved – so starting with our bodies is a very good idea.
The documented health benefits of Bikram Yoga are not far from our fingertips online and through the experience of friends and colleagues, but the best way to find out about Bikram Yoga’s positive health effects is to do it yourself!

This week’s article is not designed to highlight the domino effect of positive changes and decisions our lives start to experience on our Bikram yoga Journeys as most Yogis do, but it is intended at motivating you to push the envelope of good health and vitality even further in the new year. Go deeper.

As Bikram Choudry said himself – ‘It is never too late, it is never too bad, and you’re never too old or too sick to start from scratch once again.’ Keep these words close to your heart when writing out your new year’s resolutions and you will end up aiming higher and therefore achieving more than you ever thought possible.

In February everyone will have the opportunity to embark on another 30 Day Bikram Challenge which is a class of Bikram yoga every day for each day of the month. Our regular yogis have been enjoying and reaping the rewards of the personal challenge for years. Is it your turn to start a new personal challenge? There is over a month to prepare and get organized and set the intentions. Are you ready? Get out a paper and pen and see for yourself.

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Monday Motivations

6reasons

 1) Improved Brain Function and Mental Clarity – Exercise increases serotonin levels in the brain which helps in regulating your mood, appetite and sleep cycle. According to livestrong.com, “the optimal amount of exercise needed to enhance serotonin synthesis in the brain is 3 hours weekly”. That’s only two Bikram classes per week!

2) Keep Stress Levels Balanced – Endorphins are those wonderful hormones that we all know and love as the ‘happy’ ones. During a 90 minute Bikram class your body releases these hormones which leads to a feeling of euphoria, balance of appetite, the release of different sex hormones and an enhancement of immune response – all of which helps combat the negative effects of stress. Visit stress.org.uk to learn more about Stress.

3) Increased Energy – Physical exercise increases blood flow which helps pump oxygen through your body. Slow blood flow carries less oxygen to your body making it harder to be active and support healthy organs and mental function. During exercise, endorphins are released into the bloodstream which also help boost energy levels. You may experience initial tiredness while your body adjusts to the new physical routine, but once the body adjusts you will have more energy than ever!

4) Strengthened Muscles and Joints – Regular bikram yoga increases joint and muscle strength as well as their longevity. With regular stretching (through the object of pulling) and working of specific muscle groups in a heated room allowing for that extra stretch, you will have less chance of aches, pains and joint injury, especially in later years of life.

5) Strong Heart – The more you exercise the stronger your heart gets because it actually gets bigger, allowing it to pump more efficiently. According to dnaindia.com, exercise helps lower high blood pressure by improving the ability of your blood vessels to dilate, making the pressure on those vessels less. Postures like the Standing Bow, the Balancing Stick and the Triangle are particularly good for opening and strengthening the heart.

6) Weight Loss – During each 90 minute Bikram class, you can expect to burn approximately 1000 calories. Regular exercise also improves blood-sugar levels which helps in staying lean. Within a couple of weeks of regular Bikram yoga, you will notice muscle tone, increased flexibility of your joints and a longer, leaner physique.

These are just some of the positive physical effects a regular Bikram Yoga routine can have on your body. The practice itself is a physical and a mental exercise leaving no parts out – every organ including the brain gets a workout and becomes stronger, healthier and more balanced. Try it out for yourself! 30 days of unlimited Bikram Yoga for only $49.00 – go as often as you want. You will notice the difference :)

Book Now @ www.bikramyogabritomart.co.nz
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Monday Motivations

jfc

 For us beginners the world of yoga seems appealing enough – we get to tone up, become more flexible, learn about better nutrition for our bodies, gain self-awareness, mental strength and peace of mind, as well as meeting like-minded people along the way. But for the more experienced yogis - the ones who have made it through years of personal and physical challenge and thus rewards, the world of yoga is much more colorful and lighthearted than we perhaps thought. It seems that things only get better and better.

Inside the studio the pace and noise of the outer world is only a view from the large windows. Nobody seems to care about anything beyond their control. There are sleeping bags and yoga mats scattered as though each sleeping bag is incomplete without its nearby yoga mat. The sounds of giggles and laughter are a consistent soundtrack to the bare-footed yogis who have come, some from as far as Argentina, to stay with us for the JFC Training and Weekend with Esak Garcia.

In the yoga world there are always events, or rather, there are always events to go to where yogis have the most fun. Years of Bikram Yoga take years off a person’s heart and mind and the bright, youthful air of experienced yogis is contagious. After all, what do they have to worry about? Years of consistent yoga practice has taught them to consider life less seriously. The weight of the world is not carried on the yogis shoulder because their yoga mats and towels get in the way :)

Life is a beautiful event but only if each person makes a decision with themselves to be the best that they can be – inside and out. Make this the focus, and soon the pace and sound of the world outside will not be able to penetrate your bubble. Some of us don’t even have a bubble!

It is inside this bubble that experienced yogis find all the amusement in the world - and it is a full time bubble for them. It only takes spending a few hours at a week-long event in the Studio, where everything and everyone are everywhere yet in the most organized, relaxed and humerus fashion, to understand how lighthearted, welcoming and truly enjoyable a yogi’s company and their overall life experience is.

Veteran yogis are pro’s at having a good laugh and fooling around – after years of self-discovery why wouldn't you laugh? How could you possibly keep a straight face? In order to discover one-self truly, it is imperative to be able to laugh because none of us are perfect. Once we start digging deep we find that we are utterly strange, bent out of balance and surprisingly awkward. And that is ok! Humans are complex beings living in a complex world. With a consistent yoga routine the inner child in us starts to let go, eventually not wanting to get caught up in all of life’s little or big complexities. The inner child wants to celebrate and share its new found energy with other youthful spirits.

Yogis take each day as it comes because they have spent years treating their bodies with the same respect; taking each posture as it comes, day by day. With each gathering, big or small, Yogis from around the world rejoice and let a little loose, between the focused class-time, taking themselves ever closer to the ultimate reward of them all; full-bellied Laughter :)

Become a part of this colorful, reward-ridden world, where the noise and pace is what you make it – not what you can see outside the window.

Namaste
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Monday Motivations

bestholiday

 We all spend the majority of the year busily running errands and focusing on work and family (or friends, or both!) that when the holidays come we sometimes find ourselves feeling guilty for not doing enough.

It seems absurd, after spending a huge portion of the year working hard, staying on top of our professional and personal lives, that when the time comes to relax and reflect, we are so used to the stress that when there is none, a sense of guilt creeps in. Well this year we are stopping the ‘Holiday Guilt’ before it wriggles its way in to the festive season.

It is easy to do! Here is the equation: simply replace the majority of the time spent at work each week during the year on looking after yourself. So; time at work / 1.5 + time on self x 10 = 0 Holiday Guilt. Sound easy right? Once the routine is in place – it is!

During the busiest parts of the year, it is very hard to maintain a consistent exercise and well-being routine, but we do not get too bothered because we are simply too busy achieving a number of other great things. Nothing wrong with that :) But now with the holidays approaching, and the days getting longer and more playful – it is wise to remind ourselves – of ourselves.

Holidays are a time to relax and reward ourselves for our hard work during the year. But do not be tricked by false or shallow rewards. Food, drinking and hours of sun-exposure are all rewarding to a certain extent. But if the body had a voice it would tell us to start focusing on the things that we know are important, things we want to focus on but can’t during the year because we are too busy or tired.

Just because it is the Holiday Season, the journey towards optimal well-being and health does not need to stop – in fact it ought to go up a gear or two! Make sure every day to designate at least 3 hours towards yourself, and let there be no excuses. A solid Bikram Yoga routine is perhaps one of the most rewarding, guilt-free ways to spend the summer months.

Eat what you want, enjoy the company of family and friends to the fullest and be confident to get out the bikini straps because you are already living to your optimal well-being’s needs.

There has never been a better time to sign up to a summer of Bikram Yoga and to kick the ‘Holiday Guilt’ before it starts kicking you!

Happy Monday Yogis :)
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Monday Motivations

New Image

 Here comes another week full of days and hours and minutes and hopefully some more summer temperatures. As the days get longer and warmer it seems our calendars get fuller faster, regardless of the extra sunlight each day. From every which way we look there is an increase in activity in early spring and summer; from sports to dinner parties and barbecues; this time of year seems to be when outdoor gatherings are in bloom and it can become quite challenging meeting everyone’s needs, including our own. In fact by the end of summer, many of us will be feeling exhausted from all of the activities and will be gladly awaiting the darker, shorter days which allow for more time to reflect and plan.

But now that we are aware of the pattern, we can begin to develop solutions before they turn in to problems. Now is the time to be thinking about how to have a fulfilling and healthy summer that is rewarding for you, your body and your mind, so that when the colder days swing back around, you are ready to face them with zest!

Time management is one of those common, everyday phrases that only some of us are actually making the most use of. Time management is about asking yourself first thing in the morning, or at the beginning of the week – any time is a good time to ask; what is it you want to achieve? The rest is about figuring out how to achieve those things, with the given time and circumstances.

Living a fulfilling, healthy life is about listening to our own bodies’ clock and living with the word’s clock as harmoniously as possible. For morning Yogis, a 6.30 am Bikram class as opposed to an afternoon one, is a fantastic way to start the day and keep motivated to stay healthy and fit. The start of the day is an important time to set your intentions for later, so make the most of that time.

If you are a night or evening person, afternoon classes are a great way to get social and fit at the same time, and you will walk out the studio feeling full of natural energy, ready for the evening’s activities.

My challenge for you this summer is to keep doing what is good and right for you. Be the social or outdoor butterfly summer loves you to be, but do not forget to make your personal development goals a priority.

The extra sunlight we have is only as valuable as we make it; quality over quantity Yogis!

www.bikramyogabritomart.co.nz
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