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| hello all! i have just taken 2 bikram yoga classes, and i am trying to decide wether to continue or not. when i came home from the first one i talked to my mom about the class. she seemed to think that some of the practices there were not very much like yoga she did for years and years. why is it so hot? she asked. why do they make you hold the positions for so long? isnt yoga supposed to be more natural? it really made me think. it seems like this is a class for people who are out to lose weight or sculpt their body or something. i thought that yoga was supposed to be about calmness and meditation and feeling good. i think that maybe i would be better suited with a different type of yoga. the heat thing just seems a little strange to me. does anyone have any comments or suggestions?
Edited by aja44 2005-04-02 2:57 PM
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| aja44 - I would suggest you try other types of yoga too, not just Bikram. Although I practice Bikram, I don't think it's right for everyone. There are so many choices out there, don't get discouraged with yoga if you don't enjoy your Bikram practice. |
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| aja44 - yoga is not supposed to be 'natural', but most of the things we do eg slouching in fat armchairs which are so comfortable aren't natural either. Hatha yoga can be calm and meditative but is often not so. Hatha yoga is about breaking down your body's old bad habits, developing energy channells, and preparing the body for the vigour of meditation, so it does involve. to some degree, getting out of your comfort zone. And it can be hard work but ultimtely rewarding. However, there re many sorts of yoga apart from Bikram. Have a look through these boards for some ideas and do try different things and see if anything resonates with you. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| Good one bomberpig! The old "natural" yoga was pretty hippie-dippy - not that it was a bad thing. It got a lot of us interested in yoga. Bikram is fine for some people. Heck - I heated my room for practice today - all the way up to 73 degrees!  If you are enjoying the classes or even just find them tolerable, why not finish up what you've paid for then go take a look at other forms?
Edited by tourist 2005-04-02 7:45 PM
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| aja44 - 2005-04-02 2:56 PM
hello all! i have just taken 2 bikram yoga classes, and i am trying to decide wether to continue or not. when i came home from the first one i talked to my mom about the class. she seemed to think that some of the practices there were not very much like yoga she did for years and years. why is it so hot? she asked. why do they make you hold the positions for so long? isnt yoga supposed to be more natural? it really made me think. it seems like this is a class for people who are out to lose weight or sculpt their body or something. i thought that yoga was supposed to be about calmness and meditation and feeling good. i think that maybe i would be better suited with a different type of yoga. the heat thing just seems a little strange to me. does anyone have any comments or suggestions?
It probably wasn't like the yoga you're Mom did. You're mom probably did a Gentle Yoga which is a very calm approach. I have an instructor who does what she calls "Hatha yoga" and it does this approach. In my area most yoga is much more vigorous and physical than that -- power and ashtanga.
Holding poses allows you to get strong and limber. The heat allows you to go farther than you normally would.
You're in your two week introductory period. Keep going every other day until it's gone then make your decision.
Edited by MrD 2005-04-04 3:23 PM
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is this right for me
