Posts filed under 'Hot Yoga of Mill Creek'
Not present at hot yoga class last night
I don’t know what was wrong with me last night, but I was forgetting second sets, and poses…several times. I just was not ‘on’.
My students - who are the best - pointed out to me what was missing, with smiles on their faces - and forgave me for being so spacey.
In the end it was still a good workout but I was obviously not present in the moment.
Tonight is another class and it will be better.
Just a lesson that there is always a new day and new opportunities.
Namaste.
1 comment May 14, 2008
Hot Yoga - on the pursuit to lose weight!
I had about 7 new students in my hot yoga class last night. We are now offering an 8:15 p.m. class on Mondays and Wednesdays. It was a good turnout and all new students were curious about dropping pounds fast - just in time for summer!
It was hot, hot, hot last night - a good 110 degrees. I encouraged the students to be right next to each other, with just enough room to spread the arms out to the side. This kept the heat in even more.
One of the new students just so happened to be my husband. I believe he showed up because one of his closest friends showed up - in hopes to lose some weight in time for summer.
A few other hopefuls showed up asking similar questions:
“Will this really help me lose weight?”
“How many calories will I burn?”
“Will the weight come off pretty fast?”
“Is this hard to do?”
Needless to say, the husband was struggling during the entire class. His t-shirt was soaked and it was clinging to his body. He refused to take it off because he too, wants to ‘drop a few founds’ before the shirt comes off.
I always encourage all my students to push themselves to their very limit. They will improve if they do so. They will burn more calories as well. Sure, you’ll lose weight just from sitting in the class, but why not strengthen and lean out your muscle while doing so?
So you might as well work as hard as you can and get the results you desire faster than just hanging out in a hot room.
I have noticed that I am a bit ‘harder’ on my classes because I want them to get the best workout they can. I can see the strain in their faces, the “please - tell me to change already - I want to get out of this pose” look they get when they need to hold for just 3 more seconds.
It’s not easy, no matter how many times you come in a week, or how long you have been practicing. You learn something about your body every single time.
I want people to get that. Just because you’re getting older doesn’t mean your body can’t reach maximum pose. When you get past the idea of what your maximum pose is - you learn your body wants even more. This is such a wonderful feeling.
Our bodies want us to push ourselves hard. We’re working muscles, and the muscles want to be strong.
And the weight loss?
Students were so excited to work hard last night that they were eager to return tonight and Wednesday night…and so on.
This is a great journey. I challenge you to find out what your peak is - and go even further than that.
Please share with me what you have learned about yourself and your body. I love to hear what students feel after practicing several months.
Namaste.
Add comment May 13, 2008
Hot Yoga - how often to practice to see results
One of the students at the studio asked me last night how much she should practice to see results. I had to post about this because it’s a common question I get with new students.
If you are a newer student, you really should practice every day. If you want to see results fast, improve your bodily functions, lose weight, get tone, gain strength…you need to practice every day and give yourself one day to relax. So there you go - six days a week, one rest day.
The reality is, most people cannot do this. It’s expensive for one - but if you’re committed to the holisitic healing of body, mind, and spirit - purchase a monthly or yearly unlimited pass and you’ll definitely get your money’s worth.
Secondly - you have to make the time for it. Our studio just opened 4 weeks ago so we’re not even opening every day yet (watch out though - June will be the month where we offer classes that will work for everyone - day and night). 5 times a week is pretty damn good but if you can make it 6, you’re gold.
Lastly - once you get into the practice of working your body hard on a daily basis, and drinking a lot of water, there is something magical that happens. You respond in a way that deepens your commitment. All of a sudden you want to stop eating junk, you don’t feel like drinking (alcohol) much anymore, you crave water, your sleep is sound, your mind is clearer, and you respect your body by caring for it at a level you haven’t before.
This happens for most students without even thinking about it. It’s a natural way we react when we treat our bodies as temples. You crave better things, you make healthier choices, and your body responds in a way you did not know it could.
I have only been doing Bikram for a couple years. In fact, I am a power yoga student through and through. I love movement, I love ‘vinyasa’. It has made my body so strong, so defined and toned that I can’t give it up. In fact, when I am at home, that’s what I practice. I do power yoga at least 3-4 times a week and bikram 2-3. I find that the balance between the two has done wonderful things for my body and mind.
If your sole practice is hot yoga, stick with it. MAKE the time for it. When you are on your mat and your instructor is telling you how to pull, push, and stretch to your maximum, give it all you got, every single time. And yes, you will see some great results.
Last night I did bikram, and I am far from my best. I have years ahead of me to maximize each posture. It is a life long process. If you can remember that, your practice will never get old.
Tonight I will do power for at least an hour. Each practice is different but there is always a new opportunity to reach a peak you haven’t been before. So breathe, visualize, and reach.
And you’ll get there.
Namaste.
Add comment May 7, 2008
Lose weight with Hot Yoga
If you are wondering about doing hot yoga to lose weight, I want to share with you a couple experiences people have shared with me first hand, and my own personal experience.
If you have never done hot yoga before, no worries. We have beginners come into the studio all the time. In fact, there is always at least ONE beginner in each class I have been in so far, and I’ve been to too many classes to count.
I find that many beginners are intrigued by hot yoga because they mostly hear about the amount of sweat that pools onto their mat and towel by the end of the 90 minutes class. You hear of people having to change their clothes before they leave because they’re that sweaty.
I am not a huge sweater myself but I sweat when the classes are full. To start out with, our classes (at Hot Yoga of Mill Creek) are about 110 degrees. Add 30+ students and 60 percent humidity, and you’re straight up cookin’.
You sweat just sitting there. And Bikram isn’t an aerobic class. Power yoga is because it’s purpose is to keep you moving, so your heart rate goes up and you’re sweating without the heat. Add the heat, that’s a lot of calories to burn.
I like to remind students when they’re straining in class that they’re burning calories, that they’ll feel lighter once they complete their practice. It seems to motivate them more. It pushes them, makes them give their best in each posture. That’s what we want when we go to yoga class.
But the benefits of hot yoga for weight loss purposes, are only long lasting if you make changes in your life outside of class as well.
Most people drink more water, cut down on the amount of coffee they drink, and sodas. Once people see weight loss hapenning, they’re more careful about what they eat as well.
If you’re working out 3+ times a week, you’re golden. You’ll not only lose weight, but you’ll get damn good at the poses! Students can do Bikram 5 times a week for 5 years and deepen their practice each week. You never stop learning.
So if you want to try it, search for the nearest Bikram studio or Hot Yoga Studio near you and see what it does for you.
I work at Hot Yoga of Mill Creek, which is North of Seattle, WA state. We just opened last April 15th and we’ll be adding more classes soon since the demand is pretty high.
Check us out at: www.hotyogamillcreek.com
Namaste.
Add comment April 30, 2008
Taming the Negative You
I really didn’t know how to title this post, but something weird happened to me today that this was one of the first things I had to do today, WRITE ABOUT WHAT WE THINK ABOUT OURSELVES.
I know that everything I say in this post is something everyone has already heard, but for some reason I see more than ever just from my experiences yesterday.
I have a friend named Sarah who is 39 years old. So, she’s only a year older than me. We work together, not at the yoga studio, but at our “pay the bills” job. I have taught her and a group of her friends power yoga for a number of months. When she first approached me to be their power yoga instructor, she explained to me that most of the women were “heavy”. In the back of my mind, I thought “okay, but heavy can mean different things to a lot of people”.
The first time I taught power yoga to this class of “heavy” women, I didn’t see “heavy” sitting in Sukhasana (cross legged pose) in front of me. I saw women coming together to practice yoga. And I am serious here, I am not saying this just to sound like a nice person. I don’t see size when I meet people, befriend people, and teach students… I just don’t. I feel I always see PAST that. And these women? They completed the 90 minute class I taught - each time.
Anyway, Sarah had complained about being “fat” and “old”. As her friend, I reminded her she was only a year older than me and I don’t think we’re old. She reminded me I am fit and have never seen a fat day in my life. I wanted to argue about that since I have been through 3 pregnancies and it doesn’t matter how thin you are, when you’re pregnant, you feel fat.
She went on to say the reason she would not get into the gym was because she knew people would look at her and think “she’s fat and ugly”. That statement really struck me. One, because it was coming from a friend of mine, someone who I think is pretty cool, someone I enjoy talking to. Two, because I could not believe that she felt that way about other people. I honestly feel people are inherently good, and not everyone looks at the size of a person and make generalizations about them. And three, it appeared that my friend Sarah had some serious insecurities. That just made me feel sad.
So I told her. I told her that that’s terrible she felt people who didn’t know her automatically summed her up in that manner. That she couldn’t motivate herself to get into the gym more because she didn’t want to be next to a ‘waif’ like me (by the way, I am far from a waif).
I explained to her that I honestly did not see what she was talking about. Yes, she may be a bit overweight and could lose some pounds, but I didn’t think she was fat and old. I also explained that that’s what she saw in the mirror about herself, and if she feels that, that’s the way it is.
The mind is a powerful tool. It makes us physically feel the way we emotionally feel, and the way we say so. I told her she needed to shift her mindset, and stop putting herself down. I told her to stop thinking she’s always going to be this way because if she honestly believes that, nothing is going to change.
I know people love to argue with me because I am petite and in good shape, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get where they are coming from. After I had Mason, I wore my maternity jeans up to 2 months after he was born. I was sick so I was on a lot of medication. Medication that made me tired and retain water, I would sleep for 9 hours and still need more. I had no energy and I was depressed. The only clothes that fit me were my sweats, elastic waist skirts, and my maternity jeans. Anyone who’s been there can understand it’s no fun. But if you sit there and think negative thoughts about yourself, then that’s all that you’ll see.
It’s the self-fulfilling prophecy. We attract what we put out into the universe. Not to sound so *woo-woo* but it’s true.
I didn’t let Sarah get away with it. I told her it’s sad she didn’t see what I saw in her or other people. I guess if someone were to ask me if I had ‘fat’ friends, in general I would say ‘yes’ but I would ask them, ‘Do you mean overweight?’. But I also hate the word ‘fat’ because it just sounds cruel. I don’t let my kids talk about people that way, it’s too hurtful. I know the damage it can cause if someone were to be in earshot.
Anyway, so Sarah agreed that she knew she needed to have a different frame of my mind and just get herself into the gym. Once the results start showing, she’ll be seeing a difference she’ll be very happy with.
Later that afternoon, a girl named Rebecca was being trained by Sarah. At the tail end of their conversation, she told Sarah she wanted to get her life together and lose some weight. Sarah pointed me out and said, “You should talk to Joy” and smiled at me.
So I took over.
I just let Rebecca talk. Again, I guess you could say I saw her as carrying some extra weight. I am always careful what words to say not only to other people, but to myself and in my head. That self dialogue permeates to our core and our spirit. So if it’s negative, we become that.
Rebecca explained to me she had medical issues and weight problems most of her life. She also said there was a time just last year where she lost a lot of weight through Weight Watchers, lifting weights, cardio, and yoga. She said she was happiest then but didn’t know how to get back there. She said she was tired of being fat and people looking at her like she was lazy.
I pretty much gave her the same spiel I gave Sarah. By the end of out 15 minute conversation, she said she felt inspired. I gave her some resources for gyms and yoga studios and told her to get back into the game. All in all, I hope to see her again, with a different perspective.
Lastly, I went to the studio last night to deliver some posters to spruce up our new space. Since the Bikram instructor had yet to arrive, I checked in students and chatted with a few of them. One of them being a new studen who tried Bikram just last Tuesday night. Her and her friend returned a second time, and I was happy to see them. They were both dedicated to come to class regularly and lose some weight. Both of them were carrying extra weight on them.
They were happy to talk to me and I acknowledged them for showing up after a first tough class. They both said they were committed to healthier lifestyles and were going to give hot yoga a real shot. They thanked me for encouraging them, and that made me feel real good.
I am sure that regardless of anyone’s size, regardless of being male or female, that we all get consumed by our negative self talk. It’s this that stops us from achieving so many things we want in our lives.
I just decided (along with the support of Ian, my husband) that I am going to give starting my own business a shot. So many people dream about this, talk about this, but never do it because they are so afraid of the risk, of the loss.
It can be anything in life: marriage, having kids, going after your dream job, losing 50 pounds.
Anything.
You name it. You call it and that’s what exists for you.
Whether you think you can or you can’t - YOU’RE RIGHT.
Remember that.
Namaste.
Add comment April 25, 2008
Losing weight the hard way
I know there are still a lot of women hoping to lose weight without working out. I can say I tried doing this in the past. It is called “starving” - and no - you don’t really get any real results. You may fit into the jeans you want but all you can think about is eating food because you have been depriving yourself for weeks on end. You end up pissed off most of the time, not being able to hang out with your friends who go out to dinner, and worst of all - YOU’RE HUNGRY!
So - since this blog is dedicated to yoga practice (primarily), I have to talk about how HOT our bikram class was last night for people to really appreciate a different form of weight loss.
As some of you know, we just opened up the Hot Yoga of Mill Creek last Tuesday night, April 15th. Last night was our second class. Tuesday night’s class was hot, but the heat stayed in the upper half of the room, cooling as you came closer to the floor.
In order to reap the full benefits of a hot yoga practice, you want the room to be consistently hot.
Last night’s class measured in at 111 degrees. Now that’s crazy hot.
I forgot to pack my bikram wear in my gym bag so I wore my regular gym clothes. Ugh, what a mistake. I had a cotton t-shirt and cotton pants. My pants weren’t knit, but they still stuck to my legs from my sweat. By the end of class, I was soaked to the bone, and my clothes were heavy on me, as if I had been outside in a downpour for an hour.
It was so hot I was worked harder than I normally do, and I am one who can handle the heat! The good news was that I was so limber, getting to each and every pose as limber and flexible than ever. Better yet, I imagined weight sliding off of me as I went through class. Not that I am trying to lose weight, but I had a couple ‘treats’ in the afternoon, knowing I would work it off. I am pretty sure I did.
It is known that a typical bikram practice (90 minutes) can burn off a good 1,000 calories or more (if you’re a larger person).
I have no doubt in my mind bikram yoga is a wonderful way to speedily lose weight.
You can’t help but sweat so much in a room that is cranked to 100 degrees or higher. Add in your 26 poses, each performed twice. It is comprehensive, designed to work out every single part of your body.
At the end of the practice, you feel triumphant, elated, spent. And it’s totally addicting.
My power yoga class is this Sunday at 10:00 am. It is sure to burn off even more, since we will be in constant movement the entire class.
I hope to write about how well it went on Sunday evening.
Namaste.
1 comment April 18, 2008
Floor temperature was not hot enough
Last night was a great turnout for the Hot Yoga of Mill Creek studio. I believe about 20 plus people showed up. There was plenty of room for everyone, and the space looked great.
I think it will take time to get our groove down. Checking in students, gathering all their information (setting up files for them), selling packages, talking about our schedule, selling water, yoga mats, and towels.
We only have mirrors on two walls right now. Ideally we need another mirror on the east wall. I also think the mirrors should have come down closer to the floor, but I think this is something we can get used to.
The heat was great. The one thing I noticed during practice is when we transitioned to the floor. It felt 20% cooler once we laid down on our mats. This will be adjusted by tomorrow night’s class.
Jen was our Bikram instructor and she was funny, lighthearted, and made the new students (which was a good handful) feel welcome to their first experience of hot yoga. I was in the front row with the owner, Rachel. We were getting our workout on and it was such a good one!
Tomorrow night is our second class and I have a feeling it will get better as we go on. If you are reading this and considering attending our class, please do!
We are about making students feel welcome, supporting your yoga journey and whatever weight loss goals you have, we want you to have fun and let go of the rest of your life when you spend 90 minutes with us.
We hope to see you very soon.
Namaste.
Add comment April 17, 2008
Today is the day, Hot Yoga of Mill Creek is OPEN!
Today is the highly anticipated day of Hot Yoga of Mill Creek opening its doors. Class starts at 6:30. Don’t forget your water, extra towel, and a big smile on your face!
It is sure to be lots of fun.
I’ll be there as a student tonight, but Power Yoga will be taught on Sunday at 10:00 am and I am the instructor. It will be a challenging, but fun class. You can’t help but get addicted.
Namaste.
Add comment April 15, 2008
Mill Creek is opening up a Bikram studio!
Hot Yoga of Mill Creek opens next Tuesday!
For those living in the greater Seattle area and surrounding suburbs, you’ll be happy to know there is another hot yoga studio to choose from in the North East area.
You may have read my reviews of Hot Yoga of Woodinville and Hot Yoga of Kirkland. There is also The Sweat Box in Shoreline, which I have not posted about yet (but will soon do so).
The studio I will be working out of is right off of I5, just a few blocks off the exit heading East. If you know the area, it is behind WAL MART (which you can’t miss).
Rachel, the owner is very excited to offer both Bikram and Power Yoga classes. To start out, the studio will have a Tuesday and Thursday Bikram class and a Sunday Power Yoga class. We hope to build upon these classes and offer more as more students find out about us.
If you happen to make it to a Power Yoga class, I will be your instructor. I am an avid bikram student as well, so if I am not teaching, I am sure I will see you in a bikram class.
Namaste.
2 comments April 8, 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
