Stafford Street Hot Yoga is hosting Open Houses once a month!

Kalee, Tannis and Amanda will be here to share information on the special healing arts of Ayurveda, Macrobiotics, and of course Bikram Yoga!

If you missed our first one, the next one is Sunday, March 25th  from 11am-3pm.

Why come to one?
Free workshops! Complimentary tea & snacks! Meet new people! What more could you want?!

Workshop Schedule:
11-11:30am – Ayurveda  (Kalee)
12:45-1:15pm – Macrobiotics  (Tannis)
2-2:30pm – Intro to Bikram Yoga  (Amanda)

If you know anyone who is afraid of or interested in Bikram Yoga, but hasn’t made it through the doors yet, this is the day to bring them!

They can ask questions, take a tour and meet our lovely staff. Or if you have any questions/concerns and are looking for more information, come on down!

We are thrilled to be once again hosting 5 time Western Canadian Hatha Yoga Champion, Ida Ripley. She will be joining us in April, the week before the Bishnu Gosh Hatha Yoga Championship.

Ida, who also placed 2nd in the International Championships in 2009, had a wonderful time her last visit at SSHY, really appreciating the yoga community we have built here in Winnipeg.

During her week stay, she will be teaching master classes, offering information and tips to the competitors and running a workshop dedicated to your most burning FAQ's about your own Bikram postures/asanas that all yogis, both competitors and non-competitors are welcome to attend!

Stay tuned to the News/Blog section of our website for more details!

Winnipeg will be hosting its 1st Bishnu Ghosh Hatha Yoga Championships!

Date: Sunday, April 29th

Time: 2-5pm

Location: The Park Theatre on Osborne Street

Ticket info: Purchase online www.canyoga.ca for $10, or at the door for $12.

Plan to come out and support your local Winnipeg yogis and yoginis, prepare to be inspired by their discipline and dedication, and of course their love and passion for yoga! 

An Overview

First off, anyone who is interested in participating, stay tuned to our blog and to the Events Board in the studio to be up to date on any extra tutorials, tips, special classes, and gatherings of participants! 

This is going to be a blast, and we are super excited to share with you what you need to know :) We will prepare you as much as is possible.

The first year is always a learning year, so ANYONE who wants to try this out, this is the BEST time!  Don’t be fooled, although this is called a yoga competition, it was created with the idea that by having a goal, by building your qualities of determination, concentration, self-discipline, faith and trust, you can do anything you put your mind and body to. All of the other regionals held around the world are supported by all.  All participants support each other, root for each other, learn from each other, and it’s about enjoying the journey of taking yourself to another level.  Of course, it’s not for everyone, and that’s ok too. 

If you would like to attend and support your local Winnipeg yogi community, everyone will be welcome to buy tickets to the Park Theatre Event, with the proceeds going towards sending the winning participants to the next level in Calgary this year, May 20th! 

To start preparing you can:

*check you tube for the latest competitors; there is a plethora of people to check out.
*Watch their performances for ideas and technique.  
*Start practicing the 5 Compulsory Postures, especially Standing Forehead to Knee and Standing Bow Pulling Pose as much as possible.  
*You will need to choose 2 advanced postures, have a look at our 84 Asana poster down the hall. There are definitely easier ones and harder ones...We can help you pick.

As the competition gets closer, our staff will be offering times we are available to help our students prepare even more.  Watch and read our newsletter, blog, and pay attention to the events board in the hallway for updates!

This will be Winnipeg's 1st Hatha Yoga Competition, so we encourage you to bring a friend or family and check it out!

Send your questions to info@staffordstreethotyoga.com

xo Amanda

Bikram Yoga Pose: Standing Separate Leg Stretching (Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Paschimotthanasana)

Our teacher Jodi rockin' this Bikram pose!Who has trouble with this pose? Just about everybody. So first, know the benefits so you can be excited about doing it!

•    Prevents sciatica by stretching and strengthening the sciatic nerves and leg tendons
•    Improves abdominal organ function, especially in the small and large intestine
•    Improves muscle tone
•    Improves flexibility in thighs, calves, pelvis, ankles, hips, and last five vertebrae of the spine

I don’t think there is another posture in the whole Bikram series that is so totally dependent on relaxation as the separate leg stretching pose. First you are going to feel your legs stretching, then your hips, then your spine.

Beginners Start Here:

When you are new, and stiff, simply hanging upside down, letting your spine lengthen is excellent.
If you have trouble grabbing your feet, try grabbing the backs of your calves or your ankles, trying to pull your forehead closer to the floor. You can also try moving your feet in or out, more or less, and then trying to grab your feet, even if it is just the tip of your finger under your foot. You can always at first open your legs more and more, get your hands on the floor in front of you to get your legs stretching.

You’ve got your heels and you want more?

If you can step on all five fingers under your heels, you really must pull to help bring your spine straight down towards the floor.  As you exhale, make sure your knees are locked throughout the posture and roll forward like a wheel, body weight on the toes and try to touch your forehead to the floor between your feet.

Enjoy where you are at with every Bikram pose as the struggles you are experiencing are making you stronger, smarter, and healthier in the process. Enjoy the journey, see you on the mat!

xo Amanda

My name is Caitlin Trakalo and I’d like to share my story of how Bikram yoga became a permanent part of my life in September, 2009. It came as a result of an accident that happened on May 25, 2008. It’s important to say I am able to share my words with strength, courage, and determination because of my Mom and Dad. They never gave up on me and my healing, even when I had. It is because of their encouragement that I am proving the odds wrong, and is what led me to start Bikram yoga.

My accident was life changing and occurred while I was overseas on vacation. I was in an extremely bad ATV crash and I’m lucky to be alive today. Essentially, I shattered both of my ankles and was wheelchair bound for almost three months. I lost all muscle memory in my legs and I learned how to walk and use my legs again during my rehabilitation.

June 1, 2009 I was told by my surgeon that any further progress in my healing was unlikely. At this point my range of motion let me barely bend my knees and pain was constant. When I wasn’t wearing supportive footwear I got around by walking on my tippy toes because my ankles could not accommodate my feet to walk flat on the ground.

One day my Dad suggested I check out a hot yoga studio. We had heard of these ‘miracle stories’ of people overcoming serious physical odds because of hot yoga. I didn’t have anything to lose and after some research I bit the bullet and took my first bikram yoga class ever at Stafford Street Hot Yoga. I completed my first class and left with a raging headache and a very sore body, but I came back the next day for more.

I noticed a positive difference in my ankles after 4 consecutive classes. I practiced consistently for a year and it was the only form of physical activity I incorporated in my day-to-day routine. During this time I met with my doctor to discuss talks of cutting my right Achilles tendon in three places in an attempt to improve my range of motion. And the diagnosis? They determined my range of motion was still improving and the surgery was not recommended! All my hard work in the hot room was paying off!!

The conversations I have had with staff at the studio have taught me to just have faith in myself, and the yoga as well. It led me to stop setting unrealistic timelines and expectations, and was a release of the unhealthy amount of stress and pressure I was putting on myself to fix my feet. I was shown that it would never be easy, and that it will hurt like hell before it gets better. The determination I gain from doing it the hard way is immeasurable and I have learned that emotional healing is just as important as physical. It just takes those tough loving people in our lives to give us a shake and open our eyes to it!

I do not think I would be where I am without the yoga I found at Stafford Street Hot Yoga. Today I still walk with a slight limp, but I prefer to call it a swagger, and I do not walk on my tippy toes anymore. I can also bend my knees enough to go into a low squat. The sharp pains have lessened into more of an annoying ache and my body’s improvements have allowed me to push my limits and enjoy other physical activities I thought I would never be able to do again. I know I have a little further to go with my recovery and I truly believe that with dedication this yoga will take me to even higher healing. Thank you for taking the time to read my story.