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

First off, thanks to everyone who joined us for friendship & tasty treats on Valentine’s Day!

Ume's Kitchen sure was spreading the love, in a healthy and yummy way :)

Anyone dreaming of that Dal? Here's the Ayurvedic recipe: Mung Dal & Vegetable Bhaji (The first addition to our new recipe section on the blog!)

This was the 1st of many healthy eating events we will be holding at our Winnipeg yoga studio. Every month we will be holding an event where we serve delicious food and drinks introducing you to Macrobiotic  & Ayurvedic foods and flavours.

Everyone welcome!

Our next event will be Friday, March 16th following the 4pm & 6pm classes.

More details to come...

Hi there! Tannis here, with more delving into the esoteric theme that I touched upon in my last blog.

It is no secret that the Secrets are out and the common person can now access once hidden knowledge to help bring about transformation in the Mind, Body and Spirit. We live in a thrilling era, as we compress ever more into smaller bits of time. Rome rises and falls 9 times in an hour as we move at roller coaster speed toward ?!! (Check out Terence Mckenna’s Time Wave Zero Theory for THAT scoop!)

The biggest Secret to gain publicity in recent years is the beautiful and simple LAW OF ATTRACTION, which goes as follows:

Thought + Emotion = Attraction

Simple, but how does it really work? It works on the idea that like attracts like, and that all is energy; or frequencies. We all vibrate at our own individual frequency and attract the like. Our thought is our image of the FUTURE ~ what we wish and desire to come to us. It is our VISION. Our Emotion is how we FEEL NOW ~ in the PRESENT moment. Our E-motions are our greatest gift and the only compass we ever need. CULTure has denied us this Truth by convincing most people to ignore or repress their emotional body when it comes to knowing. The cat is out of the bag, people. Get in touch with your feelings because they are the magnets for what you attract in your life.

Here is the trick. Inherent in the equation is the Paradox of Intention. You have your vision of the future; the GOAL. But you MUST be HAPPY independent of reaching your goal. Have your focus and don’t ever quit until you get it, but cultivate feelings of bliss and joy as much as you can. Remain aware of your emotional state and what it will attract more of.

It’s called Positive Stamina (Donald Trump coined this one). That in the face of negative situations, circumstances, pain and trouble, you remain optimistic and focused on the POSITIVE in EVERY situation and full of the JOY of life. The stamina part is keeping your personal vibration high, contrary to external stimuli that will try to break you down. It’s not easy but you will get better with practice.

Remember that 10% of life is what happens and 90% is how you react to what happens. There is always choice. Practice makes you strong. Simple things like yoga, sunshine, deep breathing, whole and living foods help keep us grounded in this crazy world.  So, DREAM BIG, don’t worry and BE HAPPY!

Blessings on your path,

Tannis



• Wash and prepare the veggies by chopping them into bite size pieces. Wash the mung dal. 

• In a saucepan, put the dal, veggies and water. Cook, partially covered, until the dal and veggies are tender, about 45 minutes. Stir frequently to keep from sticking. 

• Heat oil on medium in a good sized pot and add the mustard and cumin seeds. Stir until the seeds pop, then mix in the cilantro, garlic & hing. Cook until the garlic is slightly brown. 

• Add the mung dal mixture to the spices. Stir in the turmeric, salt and masala powder. 

• Bring to a boil, turn off the heat and serve. 

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.