Bikram Yoga Day 1

[angelak]

I always thought yoga was sort of a squishy pansy sort of ordeal. I don't know, I hadn't given it too much thought. But tonight was a challenge. More or less scary, emotional, and a lot of work. I knew it was hard work. People always said that, and trusting to energie or (S) if you will - I figured she wouldn't be interested in anything that wasn't pretty damned good.

This... was.
I'm terrified and yet. I must go back tomorrow.
I must also remember this is my first day. And I fear a lot of stuff with my knees. I had NOT had a chance to talk to the instructor JUST prior to the classssss. So, I was like "errr should I be doing this?" regarding my knee the whole time. The only thing I feel that was BAD for my knee - was the kneeling (sitting on one's heels). That actually DID hurt, the rest seemed ok. I have to trust in locking my knees. I think I spent the greater portion of the last 8 mo no longer locking my knees what so ever. And now I am required of it...

I am confused.
And a little grumpy because I came home to dogs diahriaaharaaa - in the crate, also my flashlight misplaced and Jim still asleep. I feel wholly alone.

But the experience was good. I think?

-Angela

Comments

[jenk]

I do a relaxed form of Iyengar, so it's a rather different form of yoga. But as one bad-knee person to another, learning to engage your quadriceps and use it to support your knee is a good thing.

I would suggest you talk with the instructor - I've found different instructors have difference ideas about adaptions and so on. dianthus had an instructor who insisted on going barefoot, even though her podiatrist wants her to use shoe inserts at all times. My instructor would remind the person with shoe inserts to put his shoes on before standing poses. Etc.

I hope you like it :)

[eneogei.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm SO glad you went. The first day can be hell. Zach laid out for the last 45 minutes when we first went, I don't even remember my first class aside from hearing everything in a tunnel and nearly blacking out.

But. You go back the next day, and the next, and it gets better and better. It gets addictive, and it's fabulous.

RE fixed firm pose- I've been going for 2 months, and am still slowly working my hips down (minus a knee injury). It takes time.

What studio are you going to?

We've pretty much agreed to try the 30 day challenge another time (maybe when our studio has an official one) due to our now all over the place holiday plans... we're going 5-6 days a week. Just keep pushing through. The struggle is what gives you the benefit, and I feel like this could really be a good way to go for you. I'm so glad you're trying it out.

[eneogei.livejournal.com]

and PS- 'locking the knee' was extremely confusing for me as well- I am unnaturally stretchy in the joints and hyperextend, and people have always told me to NEVER lock my knee. Bikram knee-locking is all about building strength AROUND the knee, though. Bikram is also all about becoming fearless :) You'll start to understand with the back bends!

Renton

[ithisia.livejournal.com]

I am doing a $25, week unlimited intro package.
I DID enjoy it - although I am now finding myself... errr, feeling an emotional dam sort of wash through me.

I think that is what the "fear" moments I was having during class today were about. Processing stuff that I have been dealing with for months and trying to keep down on the back burner.
There were a couple of poses that as given - were easier for me and more natural. It gave me hope that I could come to learn the others with work too.

Yeah - I began to see that dropping some fears might just be a huge part of this ordeal.
And I can't see how that could hurt me in the overall.

I'll keep you posted!

-Angela

Re: Renton

[eneogei.livejournal.com]

Indeed. I think if you're feeling the 'stuff' start to come up this early on, that's fantastic for you. I first noticed myself actually being able to relax after a time, and only recently has the emotional stuff started to surface in class- I think I may be stoic to a fault.

How's the Renton studio?

Re: Renton

[ithisia.livejournal.com]

Yeah - really it only came torrenting to me after class. I did not however - spend that long relaxing afterwards which I think, was a bad move. Otherwise not too bad.

Today I feel calmer and less weird.

-Angela

Re: Renton

[ithisia.livejournal.com]

Renton Studio = pretty nice.
I'd like to try the $10 for 10 days special in Redmond after next weekend. Which will be cool to get an idea of what they are like.

-Angela

[herongrrrl.livejournal.com]

Yeah, yoga isn't a "squiahy pansy" kinda thing. In fact, I find it is the BEST way to do an integrated mind/body/spirit workout that really does get to the emotional roots of the tensions you hold in different parts of your body. Learning to surrender to poses in yoga was a very powerful thing for me.

Please do speak with the instructor. Yoga is not rigid in the sense that you have to do the most extreme form of a pose right out of the gate. It is ALWAYS ok to only go as far into a pose as you are comfortable, and you should never go to the point of pain. I think the "squishy" rep comes from the fact that you really do proceed gently at your own pace instead of having the instructor be your drill seargant. It's turning off the drill seargant in your own head that can be a huge challenge!

[herongrrrl.livejournal.com]

uh, sorry, that should have been "squishy pansy" in the first sentence, obviously...that's what I get for posting too early!

lol

[ithisia.livejournal.com]

Yeah - fortunately I spoke with both instructors and one was - I feel, a little more inclined to discuss the situation with me than the other.

Perhaps she had more experience dealing with cripples?

lol. She showed me just the way to handle the kneeling ones with working at the pace that will suffice without hurting me.

She was very on top of the discussion and I feel like it is something that could really benefit me for rehabing.

-Angela

Re: lol

[ithisia.livejournal.com]

Or in general lol. (not JUST rehabing).

-Angela

[eneogei.livejournal.com]

RE drill sergeant- I've found it interesting that our favorite Bikram teacher IS like a drill sergeant, but at the same time he knows exactly what to say and how to say it in order to make the best things happen. I always feel like giving him a bear hug after class! I'm finding that even with the 'dialogue' and the same series of poses every time, every teacher's style is DRASTICALLY different- some that follow the dialogue exactly and spit it out like a CD were playing (like one of our teachers who is just out of training), make it even more... rigid, I suppose, and others who are less gentle-sounding, less so. Anyway, tangents aside :)

The best teachers will cause you to focus so intently on the body that the brain radio knob turns down to nothing. It's a pretty surreal experience!

[empressmiaka.livejournal.com]

Wow...