Namaste…One Love…get my drift?

Good afternoon my lovelies!! It’s an ah-maz-ing day here in Truckee…the summer is holding on for as long as it can…someone said today it’s supposed to snow next week so we’d better enjoy it…but everyone is always talking about snowing around here so I’ll believe it when I see it.

aaaaaannnnnyyyyyhow….this morning I was in class and my mind went to “namaste”. Some teachers say it, some don’t, some understand it, some don’t. Some mean it…some don’t…so, this led me to think about what it means to me and what I think about it (I, by the way, say it at the end of my class…but I will be honest, there have been times I’ve taught class and not said it because I did not feel connected to the students…my issue, not theirs). So, here’s my deal with it….Namaste, as far as I am concerned is an acknowledgement that we are all one. One love. That no matter what the outside package looks like or sounds like or does or how it behaves, we are all one….sparked from one energy, one common light and at that inner most place, we are all one…

I have only had a few experiences, through meditation, where I actually really understood this and got it. This knowledge of everything coming from one and everything being connected…everyone and everything. So, even on days when my ego gets the better of me and I get angry at someone or frustrated or stressed out or whatever, when I allow myself to remember, I always remember that we are all one, one love…namaste.

I also just wanted to say a big thanks to all of you who commented on my last post about the yoga tops!! I managed to make it through a week of doubles at TT in LA without wearing a bandeau and no one died ;). I got a couple new tops from my friends at Yogabela and I also got a few new pieces from my friends at Onzie….I am still on the hunt for the “perfect” yoga top for me, but I also know myself and know that my style comes and goes, so having options is really the most important thing…always on the look out for the things that make me feel the best in class…we all know how it makes a difference how you feel in class when you aren’t constantly tugging or adjusting your yoga costume!!

Have a wonderful afternoon, yogis…I am about to get headed out to teach a double tonight.

I will be making an appearance in Victoria over the next few weeks, at BYSaanich…and maybe a class or two over in Van City if I can wrangle any up…so, hope to see you Victoria yogis soon!!

Love and unicorn kisses.
And, Namaste.
~Ida x

Bikram Yoga is a Beginning Yoga Class…

Good evening, Yogis.

I just finished reading a great article from the NY Times titled “How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body”, and an article about that article from the Globe and Mail titled “Is Yoga Ruining Your Body?”. Both of these articles (I highly recommend reading them) talk about strong arming yourself into doing things when you aren’t ready or able…

I just finished a post about my own experience with practicing Bikram Yoga over the years and I really appreciate these articles because I know what it is like to do something when I’m not ready to do it.

The reason I do want to write to you now though is to say that BIKRAM YOGA IS A BEGINNER’S PRACTICE…we don’t do headstands and handstands or even Chaturanga in this series because it is designed for BEGINNERS and for EVERYONE…now now, hold your horses…I know that not everyone LIKES Bikram Yoga but what I want to get across is that this series is very safe for everyone. There is no jerky movement and you are not putting force or weight on things that don’t usually have force or weight on them. (Please don’t think that I am putting down ANY other form of yoga, I’m simply saying what Bikram Yoga is about). Of course you can over do it in a Bikram class. Of course you can push yourself beyond where you need to go…of course you might get tricked into thinking you have more flexibility than you have because the heat has limbered you up, and of course you might feel sore when you practice Bikram Yoga. However, you might also feel energized and enlivened and re-newed! You might feel symptoms of chronic pain melt away and experience a heightened sense of self awareness and find yourself joyful!

The biggest thing to remember is that it is YOUR body and YOU have to find what works for YOU. There is going to be breakdown (Rajashree says that that is by design in a yoga practice), and subsequently with breakDOWN there is enevitably breakTHROUGH!

Breathe, keep your eyes open, your ears tuned, your mind clear and your heart open. Namaste, puppies.