By SSHY student Norah

"You can grow flowers from where dirt used to be."
- Kate Nash, 'Merry Happy'

"I attended a free yoga class that Amanda taught at Lululemon in early 2011 and was blown away by her talent, knowledge, and compassion. I wanted to learn from her. It took me a few months to summon the courage to try hot yoga because I didn’t think I would be able to do it well. I am physically impaired and I struggle with everything yoga demands of a person: flexibility, agility, stability, strength, and stamina. I attended my first Bikram yoga class in May of the same year and it was a boost of detoxifying and peaceful energy. I attended a few more classes sporadically throughout the summer but found that I compared myself to other people too often. It was difficult to leave my ego at the door. I did not make my practice consistent until I decided to take on Amanda’s Rejuvenation Challenge in February of 2012. I attended twenty-five of the thirty classes and was tested in every possible way. I expected (and
wanted) the challenge to show me a linear progression in my ability with the poses, but I found myself on a physical and emotional rollercoaster.

I would have a few tough and humbling classes, then have a comparatively ‘easier’ or ‘better’ class, and then the next few classes would be hard again. There were some days where I felt I nearly fell into the bow pose on the floor and other days where I couldn’t even stretch far enough to grab my feet. On my fifth day of the challenge, I experienced the first of three consecutive pain free days. I had been in chronic pain for nearly three years, and just four yoga classes in a row gave me an unbelievable reprieve. I’d forgotten what it felt like to live without pain. The ache has since returned and practicing yoga helps relieve it, but for those three days I felt like I was free of an abusive relationship.

Two thirds of the way through the challenge, I had a frustrating class and wanted to cry. I lay on my back thinking, ‘I want to cry but I can’t cry. The tears aren’t there.’ A few days later, something inside me broke. I finished class in tears. I went into the change room and, as I was getting changed into my street clothes, I started to cry harder. A couple of minutes later, everything hit me all at once and I sat down and sobbed. I’d been carrying around so much frustration, resentment, sadness, worry, depression and exhaustion. I had tried to keep everything to myself and deal with it alone. Yoga finally forced the feelings out of me. I didn’t want to draw attention to myself, but I surrendered to the moment and bawled. I went home and cried for another hour and a half, but I knew then that I’d needed it.

Just before the challenge ended, I had the best yoga class I’d ever had because I shifted my expectations and stopped berating myself when I couldn’t do the poses to their full or correct extent. I realized I had to stop fighting against the limitations of my impairment and work with and through them instead, so I stopped equating ‘I can’t do this pose correctly or as deeply as other people can’ with ‘I’m a bad person’ and the entire class was better and easier. I decided to apply this paradigm shift to every yoga class and every other form of exercise I do.

Five days after the challenge ended, I went to England for the first time in nearly two years to visit friends I’d made in graduate school. Four people whom I met up with told me that my walk was better, I carried myself with more assuredness and confidence and I seemed happier.  I will definitely take on another challenge in the coming months. I still don’t feel that I am very ‘good’ at yoga, but the challenge helped me realize that I can develop a consistent practice that I can maintain for life. Self-care isn’t a matter of endgame. It’s about well-being and holistic happiness every day."

- Norah, Winnipeg, MB

Our very own Heather from SSHY has been sweating her tukas off in the Real Torture Chamber with Bikram himself for the past 2 months, but she is still smiling! And she's shared her experience after Month #1 of Teacher Training with us - keep reading! And get ready to give her a warm welcome in the hot room!

Letter from Heather:

"Hey Amanda and everyone else at SSHY!

I hope everything is going well back in Winnipeg! I have so far survived the first month of training!!! I thought I should let you know I am still fighting strong out here!

I am missing all of your familiar faces very much! There is something about practicing yoga with over 400 new people that really makes you miss home! Now that I know more of the people here I am starting to feel like I have yet another home! I am enjoying this experience so much and am already so sad it is going by so quickly!

The first week was very interesting! I got used to taking 2 yoga classes a day much quicker than I thought I would. By the middle of the week, I was already looking forward to the evening yoga class! I am also pretty good at not sleeping much anymore. I don't have to take as many naps now as I did the first week! Bikram is a very interesting character. He gave me some very nice compliments when I did my Half Moon in front of everyone.. he also said he never wants to go back to Winnipeg because its so cold. I will work on changing his mind though! :)

Pranayama breathing sounds so beautiful with so many people! The energy in and out of the hot room is like nothing I could ever have imagined! I had my first breakdown on Wednesday of week 4 during the morning class. I am not too sure what caused it, but I burst into tears at the very end of class and the love and support I felt from the people around me was incredible! We are all different ages, come from different corners of the world, and we are all here together because of our passion for yoga. It is very beautiful to be connected to so many yogis through this powerful experience.

I feel stronger every day! I am seeing so many improvements daily in my yoga practice! But I am seeing new strength not just in the hot room. I feel like this experience already has made me mentally stronger, has made me appreciate all the wonderful opportunities I am given each day, and has given me a much more positive view of the world and of myself. I have found strength, courage, confidence, and beauty in myself where I didn't think there could be any before. I also have found a passion like nothing I have ever felt before in teaching.

It is incredible to feel these changes in myself after only one month. I am so excited to start each day of Teacher Training. I decided to come here to do something for myself, and I think now I am finally realizing what it was that I was really looking for. I have found a way to love and appreciate the world, the people in it, and the eyes looking back at me in the mirror. I am so thankful I have been given the opportunity to come here and experience this and I couldn't have done it without you!"

- Heather Zarazun

We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you a special day with Ida Ripley, Saturday, April 28th!

The 3 pm class is cancelled to make room for Ida’s best FAQ session Workshop...more details to come.

Plus, Ume's Kitchen will be open all day providing amazing fresh, energizing foods to supplement your day with the lovely and inspiring yoga champ.

Everyone is welcome!

Please also note that the 3pm and 5 pm classes will be cancelled on Sunday, April 29th for the Hatha yoga competition. Get out there and support your local Winnipeg yogis!

This Bikram yoga posture is exactly half way through the class; every posture up to this point has been preparation to do the Triangle Pose. It’s the only posture in the world which uses 100% of your body: every muscle, joint, organ, and major gland! It's a marriage between your heart and lungs. I like to refer to it as the peak of the mountain!

Health Benefits

• It improves every single bone, muscle, joint, tendon and internal organ, and it revitalizes nerves, veins and tissues.

• Flexing and strengthening the last five vertebrae in this posture can alleviate crooked spines, as well as rheumatism and lower back pain.

• Triangle Pose also benefits the heart and lungs by forcing them to work together.

Alexis' Tips for Rocking this Bikram pose:

• Make sure you take a very big step; you should be clearing your towel and mat.

• Your heels are in exactly the same line, so take advantage of those blue lines!!

• Arms are far back; OPEN YOUR CHEST like a flower petal is blooming.

• The lower you sit, the better. When you move both arms at exactly the same time, the elbow should be EXACTLY in front of the knee. That way you don’t have to move your upper body so much to get your fingertips in between the big toe and second toe. This creates a triangle in between your chest and right thigh.

• It's very important to engage your thigh opposite to the side you’re doing the posture on. Contract your inner thigh muscle and keep your toes on the ground, gripping the carpet, preventing slipping.

For Hot Yoga Beginners and Tight Hippers:

• Don’t worry, you’ll get there : ). This yoga pose takes tremendous patience and never ending determination.  If you imagine it, you’ll do it!

• If you can’t sit so low that your femur bone is not parallel to the floor, that’s ok! Just sit as low as you can go and still move your both arms at the same time. Don’t expect your elbow to be in front of the knee; it will get there eventually in the future when your hips open up! But try not to compensate by moving your body down lower. Keep a triangle, between your chest and the right thigh.

Hi everyone! Today we are going to talk about liquid intake. This is an important factor for hydrating oneself appropriately for practicing Bikram (hot!) yoga. It is also a very important factor in the Macrobiotic approach to healing and maintaining healthy kidneys. It would be so easy if both camps were telling us the same thing but this is not always the case, here is why and what to do about it:

When most of us begin to practice Bikram, or any yoga practiced in a heated room, the mind reacts very strongly. The only distraction we are allowed is to drink water. And drink we do. Guzzling here and there as the mind demands, we stop focusing on our selves and our practice. To bring the Mind under conscious control is the goal of yoga. Supple, limber bodies are a sweet bonus.

Some yoga teachers say drink “plenty” of water thirty minutes before class. And drink much more after. In fear of dehydrating or becoming too hot, we guzzle. However, guzzling and drinking too much water or any liquid all at once taxes the kidneys greatly and leads to problems down the line.

Here is the Macrobiotic perspective quoted directly from George Oshawa (the great Japanese teacher who brought Macrobiotics to the West after WW2):

“The drink-as-much-as-you-can system is a simpleminded invention because the originator of such a theory completely ignored the marvelous mechanism of kidney metabolism. He erred in conceiving the kidney to be similar in structure and function to a mechanical sewage system. Large quantities of liquid will flush out and clear a clay or cast iron pipe. The kidney, however, is not a cast iron pipe. It contains tissue that must be flexible and porous so that the process of filtration, diffusion and reabsorption can take place. If liquid is taken in large quantities, the minute openings in the semi-permeable kidney tissue decrease in size (these openings are surrounded by tissue that is sponge-like, that soaks up the liquid and swells) and little or no liquid can pass through! For all practical purposes, the kidneys are blocked. The net result is a complete reversal of what the drink-as-much-as-you-can system intended. Help your tired, overworked kidneys: DRINK LESS.”

The hot room is not the real cause for us wanting to take in so much water. The real problem lies in our diet and our absent thought on the matter. The modern theory which prescribes the drinking of much liquid was born out of necessity. It is important indeed for the meat eater to drink great quantities of liquid in order to wash down that which can pollute the system. If you eat processed food, meat and flour products, you will need to drink the water that would otherwise come in natural form. For example, cooked rice is 60% water. Fruits and vegetables are mostly water. Soups, and other whole grains boiled or pressure cooked are mostly water. The greatest cause for overheating and exaggerated thirst in the hot room is eating meat, drinking coffee and alcohol (all heating in the body) and not eating enough water-rich foods. Small amounts of liquid should be sufficient for those who do not make meat their main food and coffee their main drink. Don’t take my word for it, EXPERIMENT on yourself and discover the Truth for yourself!

Learning to drink less is much more difficult than learning to eat wisely and simply. And in the hot conditions of Bikram yoga it is a subtle, yet profound practice of choosing when and how much to drink. Observe yourself – your mind - honestly. Most of the time, a sip will do, if any water is required at all. The stronger your practice, the less and less water you will need. And if you think George is harsh, I will end with a quote from another great Macrobiotic author, Naboru Muramoto, who says, “The theory of flushing out the body with water is very widely observed, but it leaves man everything but free. His pathological desires run his life and he is forced to submit to their consequences. To summarize, drinking should not be a perfunctory action involving no decision of mind or body. Excess drinking harms the digestive process, prevents one from chewing properly and dulls the thinking. It is advisable to sip liquids rather than gulp them down. That improvement alone will prevent much trouble.”

Blessings on your path,

Tannis