i've been going to yoga at least twice a week now. for awhile, i could only fit in one class a week, what with two jobs and school. they say i should be doing at least 3, probably 4 or even 7 classes a week. that would kill me. i go as often as i can though.


half-moon pose
anyways, i really enjoy it. at least afterwards. class begins with deep breathing exercises and stretching of the core muscles. i'm already sweating after two minutes. from that we go straight into 'half-moon' pose (ardha chandrasana), stretching and flexing the spine laterally, then front and back...

most of the standing poses that follow, stretch and flex the spine opposingly. it almost brings me to tears, i cry out as i push myself further and further, i sweat until it pours off me, soaks my shorts, forms pools on my chest and back, until my hands slip and slide as i stretch my legs.


tree pose
one of my favourite standing poses (and there aren't many) is 'tree-pose' (tadasana). standing straight up, one leg flexed, the other bent with my foot resting on my pelvis and my hands in prayer. twisting my legs and chest in opposite directions to align my joints. my eyes focused downward at a spot four feet in front of me. one minute like this, in meditation, and i feel like buddha. the second stage of the pose is to actually bend your locked out standing leg and sit down so that the standing leg thigh is now parallel to the ground. this is near impossible for me at this point. i haven't even been able to sit cross-legged in over 20 years, but i'm getting there.


standing head to knee pose
i can now lock out the leg i'm holding in the 'standing head-to-knee pose' (dandayamana). this took me about 8 classes and some serious pulling...tears in my eyes, but i can now do it and balance fairly comfortably. i can't bring my head to my knee yet.


dead body pose
there are several other standing poses, which act to warm up the body. we finish the standing poses with a two minute 'dead body pose' (savasana). savasana is my favourite, not just because it's a resting pose, but because it makes me feel the most energized. we lie there focusing on a point on the ceiling, completely relaxed, concentrating on our breathing, in meditation. i forget all my troubles.

then it's straight to "real" yoga, or the hatha series of sitting poses. we start with 'wind removing pose' which helps to regulate the digestive system. interesting...wind removing? in this pose we use our legs, while lying on our back, to put pressure on the ascending and descending colon.

cobra pose
my favourite of this series of poses has to be 'cobra pose' (bhujangasana). i feel the stretch in my back, the tension in my lower back, the strength required to not use my arms in raising my chest. it's a good pose for me, i can complete it properly.

if you're interested, you can see all 26 bikram's yoga postures here, with photos.

so, bikram's has been good. sometimes i have to force myself to go, it's hard to find two hours, two or three times a week to go and voluntarily kick my ass, but i really enjoy it afterwards. the heat stays with me long after class and i usually walk the ten blocks home, in winter weather, in a t-shirt. i'm awake, i'm more focused, i feel energized.

during the meditations, when thoughts are supposed to be ignored, mine are, i don't think about all the shitty things that happen. actually, sometimes i do, but i look at them objectively, like i'm watching my life go by in a parade and commenting on it. it's too bad i can only do it in the evenings. the energy would go a long way to helping me through my days at work.

Labels: bikram, yoga

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