Archive for March, 2008
How do you stop loving someone?
At some point, a lot of people ask this question. I have an answer, I have one I can share that has worked for me. It sounds simple, but it is not easy to do.
You may want to stop loving someone because they don’t love you back. Or maybe they stopped loving you, or there is someone else in the picture, or they don’t even know you exist (it may just be infatuation; being in love is deep and in my case I am talking about - love being reciprocal).
You may have been in a relationship for a long time and in the beginning it was perfect. Things have changed, people change. It does happen, and you could move on if you just stopped loving this person. Perhaps he/she abuses you, neglects you, has cheated on you, but you still love that person.
If you stopped loving this person, you could leave him. You can leave her. That’s what you want. That’s what you think.
Well, I was married before. My marriage lasted 7 years. Not that long. We were together for nearly 9. I remember good things, but most of it was lonely. I loved him, truly, and in the beginning I do believe he loved me too. But somewhere along the way, it changed. He changed, and I crawled into a corner, was depressed and insecure for most of my marriage. What kept us together were our kids.
I remember when I called him up one day and said, “If you want our marriage to work, you’re going to meet me at a counselor’s office on Thursday afternoon at 1pm. Don’t be late.” He showed up. He showed up for nearly a year and a half. Then it was clear nothing changed. I was sure this man was going through the motions, that he showed up to appease me, but not to show me that he loved me. That could just be my story that I still hold on to. But I don’t think so. Our counselor gave us “homework” to do, like go on a little day trip or weekend getaway and reacquaint ourselves. That never happened. She told us to spend time together, have dinner together. We would be together but there was no conversation.
But I loved him anyway. Every time I saw my baby girl and baby boy, I was convinced I had to patient. And I still loved him. Even when he stopped telling me he loved me. Even when he stopped telling me I was pretty. Even when he no longer wanted to make love to me. I still wanted him.
And so I stayed.
Then one day when we were sitting in Flor’s office (our counselor), he told me that he just always has work on him mind. He is trying to do the right thing by working hard and giving me the opportunity to stay home with the children. He said that one day I sat on his lap in his office, and all he could think about was ‘how long do I have to sit and hold her before she will leave me alone’. I was stunned, embarassed for myself, heartbroken, and focused. That day I stopped loving him.
I just chose to stop loving him. In replacement, I had nothing but anger and resentment towards him. Something inside me clicked, something just WENT OFF. It wasn’t a problem anymore. I just didn’t care. Four months later we were on our way to a divorce. I felt sad but free. I felt like I finally was myself again.
I never questioned after our divorce what my life would be like if we were together today. I know I would have been miserable. He is remarried now and is doing well. I believe he is with the perfect person for him. He is clearly in love with her, and they have a good life together. I am happy that he is not pretending to be happy with her, as he did with me. We are both in a better place.
But it’s still interesting to discuss the ‘how to’s’ of falling out of love. How does it happen? How have you made it happen? Sometimes for a lot of people it is just a process. When someone breaks your heart and you have broken up with that person, it just takes time to get over him or her.
Sometimes it is easy by finding someone new, someone else to occupy your time and help heal your heart. This is the infamous “transition” person. They aren’t always lucky, but they help in the process.
Sometimes if someone hurts you bad enough, your emotions can turn that fast as well. You can walk out the door and never think twice about seeing that person again. It’s not that easy for everyone, but many people have been there.
How has it worked for you? I am curious.
Hopefully I will never have to make the choice to stop loving again. But I do believe it is as easy as making a choice. Mine was triggered by something that person had said to me, but when it came down to it, I made the choice. And the choice worked for me.
11 comments March 31, 2008
Hot Yoga Mama wear comes alive!
Okay, I know that is a really bold statement because nothing has actually really started, but I received my first samples in the mail last week and they look great!
I have to figure out how to post pictures here so you can see them, but I am very pleased with how my tank tops and shorts turned out. I sampled a fitted tee as well (because I want to be able to wear it to work) but the matching yoga pants were overlooked and not sent in my package. I am hoping I will receive them by this weekend.
I thought the first thing I can do is to wear my samples when I am in the studio and just see what kind of reaction I get. They are simple, but cute. I have a cami (with a built in shelf bra) that reads “hot yoga mama” across it. It is pink with red font. The other tank top is a racer back with the same lettering. The shorts are old school retro, ultra short black with pink trim. On the front it says “HYM wear” on the lower right hand corner and the back says “HOT YOGA MAMA” across the back side. Really cute. I tried to pick the best font for it and I was happy with the way it turned out. I just hope my fellow hot yoginis will like it as well. If they do, I will get an idea of how much to order. I’ll have to find a good source for production and creating a logo as well, but my ideas are swirling around in my head and I am excited to see how they come forth.
I plan to sell my product on line as well, so hopefully I’ll get enough demand to create an online store and start doing real business.
Once I figure out how to post some pictures, I’ll share with all of you and you can tell me what you think.
Namaste.
1 comment March 28, 2008
Baby, you have changed me…
You can not put into words how having a child or children will change your life. Friends of mine who were pregnant for the first time would ask for words of wisdom from me. I have had 3 children of my own. Each experience having profoundly changed me in a way I would not have ever dreamed of.
This is what having a child does to you. It changes you as a person, it shapes you into a deeper, greater person. It molds you into someone you can’t possibly expect to know. It just gradually happens.
And it is the best road to ride.
My first child is now 10 years old. Her name is Michal Joy. She is similar to me in many ways. She is nurturing, loving, giving, and sensitive. She is hard on herself, self sufficient, and tough as nails. On one hand she still asks me to tuck her in at night. On the other hand she is telling me how to increase my speed in running by interval training, and “Why don’t we run together in the park, Mama? I bet I am faster than you now!”. Things like that blow me away…
See - each of my kids are a gift. I know that sounds like such a cliche‘ but it’s so true. My 6 year old Solomon is a gentle guy. He’s always thinking of how things make other people feel. He pays attention to the words he uses. He is one of those kids that says “I love you” hundreds of times a day and means it every single time. Solomon was 2 years old when his father and I divorced. He doesn’t even remember what it was like for me and his dad to be together. He is curious about our past relationship, wonders how people stop loving each other. He’s a wise little guy. We definitely picked the right name for him.
Mason, my baby is a spitfire. He keeps me on my toes. He is a lot of work. He’s got this huge personality, making faces all the time and always trying to be the entertainer. He dances to Sir Mix Alot and Chris Brown. He makes everybody laugh. He was my preemie baby who reminded me that God delivers miracles every day, small and big. Whether people realize it or not, they happen.
My babies are growing up but they will always be my babies. I can remember holding each of them for the first time; checking out their fingers and toes, kissing their perfect little lips. Nursing them half asleep. Crying over them because I was so exhausted. Crying over them because they hurt each other’s feelings, punched each other, or unintentionally said something hurtful to me. Crying over them because I see so much more in them than I ever saw in myself. They seem to only have the best of me. The worse things I can forgive, and I can barely see. The worse things are only in me. They are better than that, better than me.
Writing this brings tears to my eyes because my mother died 2 years ago. She lived the simplest life. She never required much. But she always used to tell me that all she really cared about was that her kids were doing well, that they were happy, that they turned out okay. I see that clearly now. I see that that is my ultimate success to be had some day.
My babies have changed me. They have taught me true love, unconditional and completely forgiving. They have taught me joy like no other person can give you. Incomparable to what your spouse can give you, that your best friend can give you.
A few times my children have asked (even my stepdaughter has asked me this, Cloey who is 8), if I still love them even when they’re bad, even when they have hurt me, even when they have made big mistakes. I have told them that, “I will love you no matter what. I know that, there’s no doubt about it. You WILL hurt me some day, you will say terrible things to me, you won’t make me the most important person in your life. But you’ll know I love you, always. Nothing will change that. And some day when you’re older you’ll come back to me and we’ll be friends again. And you’ll see nothing about me has ever changed. Loving you is one thing I can promise you, will never change.”
So that’s how I feel in my heart about having children, about being a mom, about infinite and unconditional love, about fulfillment.
I may never go down in history having done something extraordinary but I have a strong feeling my kids will turn out happy and extraordinary adults. And that to me makes my life complete.
Add comment March 27, 2008
Top Ten Reasons why I can’t stand my husband (sometimes)…
For those who have been married for a while, I think you will be able to relate to my list.
Some may be interested in reading this just because they already have a response for me (without even having read this yet). It doesn’t really matter to me. This is just for me to get it off my chest.
Here’s my top ten list why I can’t stand my husband (only sometimes):
10) I know that men have to be reminded about things, a lot of things, practically everything. I understand that. But when does garbage day EVER change? Really! Why am I the only wife on the block taking out the garbage on aThursday night? So I leave the garbage cans by the garage so dear husband will roll them out to the street by Friday morning. That doesn’t happen. So I am the one rolling them out on a Friday morning since he didn’t catch my drift when he pulls into the driveway on a Thursday night, and everyone else’s garbage cans are out there but ours.
9) Hmmmmm. Everyone else in our 6 person family leaves their shoes at the door upon entry (I am Filipino, this is typical in any Asian home), why does dear husband leave his work boots on the carpet EVERY night, AND only moves them because I have to remind him (nightly…)?
8) What’s with peeing in the dark? Doesn’t dear husband KNOW that his aim is terrible even when the lights are ON? And guess who cleans all the toilets in the house? You guessed it!
7) Is it that difficult to put your dishes in the dishwasher when you’re finished eating? I mean, even our kids do it. How did dear husband survive before me? (Side note: he was married before, and so was I, how did the ex deal with this?)
6) We have 4 kids ages 10, 8, 6, and 2. I understand children tend to migrate towards Mom just because Mom seems to handle everything. This is not by choice. It’s because dear husband is sitting on the couch playing XBox 360 or sitting upstairs on the computer, leaving me to tend to the kids all on my own. And since he doesn’t pick up after himself, guess what? He’s my fifth kid.
5) Can you tell the difference between white and non white laundry? Gee. White is like the color of this screen. So when we wash whites, it would be wise to keep them with whites. Hence the dial on the washing machine that says “Whites”. So the one red sock dear husband put in there that he insists won’t do any damage? Well, let’s just say we have no more whites. Now we have “Pinks”.
4) In continuation from the above statement, what’s up with telling me “I’ve helped with the laundry” - only to discover dear husband only did HIS laundry.
3) There is plenty of spark between myself and dear husband. We are a lucky pair, I realize that. But why is it that when he’s hot and bothered and has to “be with me” - he can’t leave me alone until he gets a piece? And as soon as it’s all over, and sadly so, often times, it doesn’t last very long, he wants nothing to do with me until the urge returns. Ever hear of “everything needs balance”?
2) The clueless factor. I truly believe that all men have this. You know, when you ask dear husband a simple question like, “Didn’t you check your voice mail? I called you and told you about that yesterday. Don’t you ever pay attention to what I tell you?” The common response you get is NO RESPONSE. They just look at you, with their lips slightly parted starung at the space between your eyebrows. You seriously wonder if they had autism as a child.
And my number 1 reason why I can’t stand my husband (only sometimes):
1) My birthday is June 10. We were married on January 8th. I don’t really need flowers, chocolate is great, but not too much because I’ll end up eating the whole box. I love cards, especially if you SIGN it. If dear husband forgets one more special occasion, I am going to abandon saving the date for him and spend time with my best friends instead.
I don’t consider myself high maintenance but I have a feeling a lot of people will. Oh well, it sure felt good to write out the list!
10 comments March 26, 2008
Find a bikram studio in your city, and lose weight
You want to try Bikram? Bikram is the practice of yoga in heat. It is also commonly known as Hot Yoga. There are 2 main yoga practices if you walk into a hot yoga studio. Bikram is by far the most popular. It is 26 poses performed twice in a 90 minute time frame. But get this, you are in a room that is heated to between 95-105 degrees with about 40-60% humidity. Oh yeah, that’s a way to throw some challenge into a yoga practice.
Anyone who has taken other forms of yoga will fare well in a bikram class first time. You may get light headed or faint, which is pretty common. You may be overwhelmed by the funk that does happen when everyone starts sweating. But you’ll get hooked. Most people do.
The other hot yoga practice is Power Yoga or Power Vinyasa. This is a class with about 53 postures that flow. Many poses are the same, but you don’t hold your poses as long as you do in Bikram. It is a constant flow and a full body conditioning. Many bikram students take power yoga to complement a full rounded practice. Both are challenging, both build stamina, strength, and flexibility. Both will make you lose weight.
There’s no doubt about it. Hot yoga is gaining serious popularity all over, cities both big and small.
Although the heat is challenging at first, most people who are first timers to the practice of any form of yoga can do bikram. There is a misconception that you need to have flexibility to do yoga, but that is not true. Everyone has to start somewhere. I started out renting a VHS tape back in 1994. It was a Buns of Steel Power Yoga tape starring Michi Braman. At the time I was lifting weights, running, and stretching. I considered myself in really good shape. I was 24 years old. The tape literally kicked me in my a**, but in such a good way! I thought I could handle it. I did, but in a shameful way. I was sweating so hard, completely out of breath, and the next day, I could barely change my gear shift when I was driving because my arms hurt so much from all the vinyasa.
I was hooked. Bikram will hook you in an intense way. It did for me. And now, here I am 14 years later and I am teaching power yoga. I never knew this would be such a huge part of my life, but it is. This is my life.
I have to say I don’t need to lose weight. But I practice hot yoga because it strengthens my practice, makes me happy, and best of all, I can eat my favorite foods and not gain weight. It keeps me thin.
To see the 26 poses of bikram, check out: www.bikramyoga.com
To prepare yourself for your first class, drink plenty of water at least 2 hours before class starts. Your stomach should be empty. Bring your own yoga mat or pay about $2 to rent a mat from the studio. Dress in light clothing, either gym shorts or running shorts (wicking material is the best) and a tank top or sports bra (no shirt necessary for men). You’ll want to bring a bath towel to place over your yoga mat to catch your sweat and keep you from slipping around. You may want to bring a face towel as well. Last but not least, a bottle of water.
Come to class with an open mind and try your best! That’s it. Let me know how your experience goes. I would love to hear and share.
So first things first. Find your yoga studio. Go on to www.Google.com and search “Bikram Yoga or Hot Yoga in ______________” insert your city.
The weight loss happens fast when you are a beginning yoga student. You will notice results after the first one or two weeks!
Namaste.
2 comments March 25, 2008
Bikram - How much weight can you lose?
This past weekend I practiced bikram on both Saturday and Sunday morning. I had a cup of decaf coffee about 2 hours before my practice. You’re not really supposed to have anything in your belly when you practice. It interferes with the digestive system, and can make your practice uncomfortable. I knew I would be hungry as soon as I was done.
I practiced first thing in the morning. Both classes started out fairly warm, but nothing like bikram classes that follow other classes. It was the first class of the day so I noticed the room was not as warm as it normally is. I tried to rid my thoughts of ANYTHING and laid in savasana until the instructor walked in.
Saturday was a tough practice. For some reason my balance was off (I wonder if it’s because I am premenstrual and everything just seems off during that week). I was teetering during the one legged balancing series. But I got hot, just what I wanted. As we moved through the practice, I welcomed the discomfort of my sweaty clothes. The more I sweat, the more determined I was to get into the next pose perfectly.
At the end of each practice, I felt light as a feather. I was hungry by the time I drove away from the studio but what really struck me was how thin I felt.
Are you curious to know the average amount of calories one burns when you practice either bikram of power vinyasa? It all depends on what weight you are currently at but bikram yoga can help with weight loss! Your body burns fat more effectively when it is warm. Body fat may be redistributed and burned as energy during the class. Also, your metabolism speeds up the breakdown of glucose and fatty acids. With my height and size, my average calorie burn is about 700-800 calories. But I am only 5′0 tall. For taller people, you’re looking at 1,000 calories. If you practice bikram or power vinyasa 3-5 times a week, you WILL lose weight.
That is just one benefit of hot yoga practice. You will also gain strength and flexibility. You will be motivated to eat better and drink more water. You will have more energy, and will want to practice on a regular basis.
Have you tried hot yoga yet? Well, I suggest you give it try. Even inflexible people can do it. It doesn’ matter what level you start at, you will be able to do it, and you will reap some serious benefits. If you try it, and you do, will you let me know? Would love to hear from yogis and yoginis.
I have slimmed down a bit even though I haven’t weighed myself. I don’t consider myself someone who needs to lose weight so I decided that my hot yoga practice deepens my already home practice, but it allows me to eat what I really enjoy. And on some days, that’s a nice glass of Merlot.
Namaste.
7 comments March 25, 2008
Fighting over passion
Many of us have a passion for something. If you’re lucky, you get paid for your passion: passion for writing, passion for acting, for playing pro sports, and so on…
Many of us have a passion that is more subdued. For instance, my husband loves to paint. This is his passion. He loves it so much that once he told me if we ever got divorced, I can take everything but his paintings. He said that he would be happy so long as he had those. ‘Hmmmmm’, I thought at the time, ‘That kind of hurt’. But honestly, I understand. It’s like when people say ‘________ is my first love’. You fill in the blank. It’s the thing that always makes you feel young, taps into your inner soul, gives you purpose, makes you feel complete. For some who don’t have a ‘passion’, it is sad, I must say. But those who don’t, probably don’t feel much of a difference, because it’s only when you no longer have access to that passion or dream, that your world starts to come to an end (i.e. a tragic accident that debilitates an aspiring athlete). Anyway, you catch my drift.
Last night I was drifting off to sleep on the couch after I fed my kids dinner. I looked at my watch and I had a good 30 minutes to catch some shut eye before taking a bikram class at 8:15. I wake up in time to go upstairs and put on my yoga clothes. My phone rings and it’s my husband. I am already dreading the conversation because I know he won’t make it in time for me to make it to my class.
I am teaching hot power yoga in less than a month. I am conditioning my body to endure the heat and workouts. We have talked about what time I need him home in order to make these classes. He was late several times last week. I never made it to one class until the weekend. Needless to say, I was so disappointed and in a bit of a panic because I want to be in the best shape I can possibly be once the studio opens.
He basically got very upset with me telling me that he has no control over the traffic and that I need to just stop worrying so much and that everything will work itself out. I tried to tell him that if he’s late when I’m teaching, it won’t work at all. I will be let go. Someone else WILL replace me. He told me that I am not teaching right now, that I am just taking classes, and that I needed to trust him.
I reminded him of our conversations last week and that he came home so late last week, I never made it in. I reminded him how much it meant to me, that I love yoga as much as he loves to paint, and why can’t he see that? He told me he was sick of fighting about me working at the studio. I am not even working at the studio yet, I am fine if I don’t go to these classes and my yoga wasn’t “worth it”.
I would like to think he didn’t mean that, but I asked him if he did and he said, “Yes, I am pissed off now and I am tired of it. And you’re not even working yet. If you can’t handle it, then don’t do it.”
Now that did hit me in a big way. Yoga has been my journey of self healing. It took me through major illness, and the death of my mother. I practiced during all of my pregnancies and thereafter to keep in shape. I became a yoga instructor because I knew it would be a part of me for the rest of my life.
I am sure he said it not to hurt me, but out of frustration. But would I be that insensitive to say that about his paintings that fill our home? No. In any heated argument I wouldn’t do that because I know it is his soul, his heart, his passion. And basically, in a few sentences, he squashed mine.
I slept on the couch last night, and amazingly I slept well. I was angry, and hurt and made sure I let him know. I told him that I would never say anything like that about his passion for painting. I made sure he understood how small our fight made me feel .
So here I end this entry today with a heavy heart. I cannot help but think my husband does not know truly what my yoga practice means to me. If only he could honor my passion the way I honor his.
2 comments March 20, 2008
Review: Hot Yoga of Woodinville
I was able to catch the 7:30-9:00 Power Vinyasa class at Hot Yoga of Woodinville last night. I was looking forward to this class knowing that I will be teaching it soon once our Mill Creek Studio will be opening next month.
This studio is located right in the heart of downtown Woodinville. It is in a small strip mall area with plenty of parking. It took me 20 minutes to drive there from my house.
As I walked through the door, I noticed the lady at the counter was the same one as Hot Yoga of Kirkland, I learned that her name is Jen. She seemed in a bit of a hurry, and she didn’t recognize me from last Saturday’s practice. I really didn’t expect her to.
It was cool in the front area, and tidy. They had a shoe rack where people can place their shoes before walking throught the studio. They also had signs up that asked students to make sure their feet were clean. I found that most people took their shoes off before they walked back to the changing area. Like most studios, they had a men and women’s changing area. I like this one because they had a rack and clothes hooks to hang up clothing. Many studios don’t really have an area to place belongings, so students are left to stack their things wherever they could find space.
The cost for a drop in is $15, which is the rate I paid. I found out that the introductory special for first time students was $35 for unlimited first month. That is a great deal! I decided to pay the drop in rate first, because I didn’t know if I would like it. I wanted to make the decision after I took the class.
I found my spot in the practice room before I took off my clothes. There weren’t many people in there yet but it was still pretty early. After I stripped my sweats off, I fell in line for the bathroom. Seems like most students try to do this before class. It was a long line and only one bathroom for both men and women. At least it was in the same building.
Once I got into the practice room, it had already filled. I knew this would be another super hot practice. Once we started moving, I knew the heat created would make a great workout.
Most of the students were women, but there were a couple men as well. The room was full but we weren’t packed in like sardines. I was comfortable with how full itwas. It’s fun practicing with a big community, so long as we’re not flicking our sweat onto each other!
I laid in savasana to come into my breath. I could hear faint talking in the room and there was some music playing in the background as well. I liked it, it was soothing yoga music.
I opened up my eyes when I thought it was time for our class to start. Jo, the instructor, walked in just a couple minutes later. She had a nice, soothing voice and welcomed everyone to the class. There were some teenagers who walked into the studio when she was speaking to us. She stepped out briefly, greeted them, then made room for them in our class. They were first timers, and they looked eager to try to the class.
Jo first asked us to watch her as she explained chatturanga, or push up. Then she wanted to show us what our vinyasa would look like. This is the flow where we are in standing pose, then come down to do our pushup, upward dog, then downward dog. Since this is the flow we do throughout our entire practice, I thought it was good to go over our form. I would do the same in my class if I was instructing.
We started out in savasana as she explained ujayii breathing. This is the type of breathing we do during our practice. It is a faint audible breath that stems from the back of the throat and sounds like a quiet snore. We practiced this while she prepared us for our practice. I liked this part of the class. It is meditative and intentional, and sets us up for how we are going to do in the next 90 minutes.
The next portion was our flow. She took us through this slowly at first, then she added on as we completed each vinyasa. Since her teaching style is pretty similar to mine, I thought she was great! She gave great instruction, and took the time to adjust students who needed additional help.
The standing series was challenging. With a packed room, the heat was intense. My sweat was getting into my eyes and I only pulled my hair back with a headband. I didn’t tie it back into a ponytail like I usually do, so my eyes stung a bit. ‘I really should have washed my mascara off’, is what I was thinking. Note to self, ‘no make up whatsoever’. Plus my hair was an afro. Another note to self, ‘Not pretty. Tie your whip back!’.
The balancing series was my favorite, like it usually is. With a carpeted floor, it is somewhat difficult because it’s as if it is almost too ‘cushy’, but I did the best I could, and I did very well.
Once we got on our mats and did our floor work, I was happy. I was sweating massively and I drank all my water before the class ended.
When it was time to take final savasana, I was elated. It was a great class. Jo was a great instructor and the class was so well balanced. At one point, she encouraged everyone to try “bird of paradise” pose, and everyone tried it at least once. She was very enthusiastic and praised us for getting out of our comfort zone.
I laid in savasana for about 5 minutes before I got up. Most students had already left the room at this point. I took my time to change into my dry sweats.
Once I got up front, Jo told me I did a great job tonight. I explained to her that I am an instructor as well and that I thought she taught an awesome class. I decided to sign up for the one month unlimited so she took an additional $20 from me and that was it!
I really enjoyed my practice at the Hot Yoga of Woodinville studio. It is a clean, well kempt studio offering classes everyday and evening.
Definitely a strong recommendation. Water was available to purchase for $2 and mat rentals were $2 as well. Non skid mats were selling for about $60-65 and regular mats were $20 on up.
If you live around the Woodinville area and are curious to try this studio, do so. You won’t be disappointed.
Namaste.
Add comment March 19, 2008
Hot Yoga of Mill Creek opens on April 15!
Hot Yoga of Mill Creek will be opening in just 12 days. I am so excited. I will be teaching Hot Power Yoga which is similar to Bikram in that it is practiced in a hot room. The big difference is that my classes will have more poses and constant movement.
Also known as Power Vinyasa, or Vinyasa flow class, hot power yoga is challenging in that it not only incorporates sun salutations (surya namaskar) and standing poses, but we do twists, binds, arm balances and the ever favorite stretches.
Each instructor has their own “flavor” they bring to the classes they teach. I like to have fun, and push my students to a point where they overcome their fear of getting into poses they think they can’t do. I encourage them to feel discomfort without feeling pinches of pain.
I will be the only Power Yoga instructor (to start) in the studio but I plan to make my classes complement the practice of bikram as well. This will be an exciting experience, and I look forward to seeing what it brings into my yoga journey.
The studio will be a good size, about 1300 square feet. Mirrors will cover the walls and hardwood floors will be under our feet. Although the traditional practice of bikram calls for carpet, hardwood floors are just easier to clean, as well as managing the odor that results from sweat seeping into carpet.
This is just the beginning of what will be a really great experience. I hope that many Mill Creek residents and other neighbors alike will be visiting the studio!
(still under construction)
3 comments March 18, 2008
Review: Hot Yoga of Kirland
I decided to take the 4:30pm bikram class at the Hot Yoga of Kirkland studio last Saturday. It was my first time to practice there.
As usual, I came fully prepared to have an invigorating hot yoga experience. I wore my little shorts and sports bra, hair pulled back with a headband. I brought 2 towels with me: 1 to cover my yoga mat and a small face towel to wipe my upper body and face during my practice.
The location of the Kirkland studio is easy to get to. It’s located 5 minutes right off of the I-405 exit. Parking is readily available since it is located within a shopping center.
I arrived 15 minutes early to check out the place, sign in and register. A nice looking woman and man were both at the check in counter. They greeted me and asked me if I have been there before. I said “no”. The lady asked me to fill out and sign a waiver form. I couldn’t help but notice the cool tribal like tattoo that was on her left arm. It started on her wrist and worked up to about mid forearm. It was beautiful. I myself was sporting a new tattoo that encompassed my left bicep. So new it was only 3 days old and I was wondering if practicing bikram might make it sting (from all the sweating).
The first thing I noticed when I walked through the doors was the odor. It was pretty “funky” as most people would describe. The sweat smell was prominent in this joint, big time. But I also noticed the amount of men coming in and out of the studio. As I gazed into the studio itself, it was obvious this was a popular place. It was already getting pretty full in there, and my guess is there were about 30-35% men. I was thinking the funk was coming from them. Girl funk simply is not that bad.
Anyway, great deal at this studio: $10 for 10 sessions. So the lady told me my total was $10 and she said I could come in for the next 9 practices and it it would only cost me $10 each time. That is a good deal since the average drop in rate at most studios is about $15.
I scurried to the bathroom and unfortunatley it was outside, across the way. It was pouring outside and freezing!
I got back just in time to start stripping off my clothes, with my workout clothes conveniently underneath. There isn’t a place to put invdividual belongings here, everyone just stacks their stuff wherever you can find a place. It’s small and cramped but despite the lack of space obviously a popular place to practice.
The guy at the counter told me it is warmer in this studio than most, so be prepared. Since I love the heat, I just got excited to hear how much hotter it would be.
I stepped into the already cramped room. People were quietly talking with their friends, most people lying down in savasana and waiting patiently for the instructor to come in. I found a spot in the front of the room, right in front of the mirror. On one side of me was a young Asian girl and her boyfriend. On the other side was an Indian man who had a cotton t-shirt on. I was thinking, ‘dude, you are totally going to be soaked in that shirt. oh no, you are going to be totally funky in 10 minutes…”
They weren’t kidding. It was definitely warm in the room. Not only were the heaters cranked higher than most studios, the room was packed like sardines. You WILL touch the student right next to you. There’s no doubt about it. I knew that as soon as we started moving, it would only get hotter. I was glad I brought a face towel as well. I know this will be a good workout.
The attractive lady who checked me in was our instructor. As she walked in, she asked who was asleep. She could hear the loud snoring of this one student. Someone woke him up. She then asked him to stand and asked if there were any new bikram students in the room. A couple people raised their hands. She then asked the snoring man to stand up and demonstrate the breathing exercise we do before we start moving. She referred to him as “Steve” so I figured he was a regular student.
It was so hot in there, you breathe in intense hot air. I found this really stimulating. Instead of feeling like you could pass out and sleep, it stimulates your whole body.
The instructor told us we needed to get in tighter because about 3 people still needed room to join the practice. I scooted my mat closer to the Asian couple and smiled at the lady walking towards me. She was smiling, happy I made room for her. I was smiling because I knew I could move away from the funky guy who she now had to practice next to.
The practice went faster than other studios, as I found out at the end it was 80 minutes, when normally it is 90. It was so hot in there with everyone being packed like a herd. We had to stagger ourselves so that we didn’t hit each other.
There was one pose where I had to come back into standing and I had to gain my balance. I felt light headed and was afraid I would pass out. I just stood a little longer than everyone else, and regained my sense of balance.
My practice was awesome. The extra heat pushed my level of flexibility. My headband was soaked but it was such a great feeling when I took final savasana.
As I stepped out of the practice room, I welcomed the cool air of the front room. I noticed the hamper of dirty/wet towels in the corner right next to the door of the practice room. Most people just put on their jackets and went straight outside. Some ladies went into the dressing rooms on the other side of the front room where curtains that said “Yogini” and “Yogi” were shown.
You can rent a mat for $2 and buy a bottled water for $1. There was some yoga wear for purchase behind the check in desk.
I thanked the instructor and she said “See you again”, and I thought “I’ll definitely come in next week”.
I loved how hot the practice room was. Despite the apparent funk of the place, I loved the dynamic of many students moving in unison. I loved the dim lighting in the room. I loved the introductory special of $10 for 10 classes.
A definite recommendation for seasoned bikram students. The pace was faster and the heat might be a little much for first time students. But I will be going back again, and most likely using up my introductory special!
Add comment March 17, 2008
