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| I agree 100%, Christine. Coming from an injury, it is my priority to keep my students from injuring themselves. I understand that there are different versions of these asanas. For example, Ardha Chandrasana in Bikram is a completely different pose in Anusara. While the changes are not always this obvious, different methods have, well, different methods. I actually like the idea that yoga is dynamic and evolving.
Again, I'm less concerned about being "right" as opposed to preventing injuries. This is why the "butt clenching" thing is an issue with me. My associate feels the butt clenching helped heal his back, so I think that is why he is so adamant about it. We also discussed knee locking. He made a point that a friend of his was in physical therapy for his knee and part of that therapy was contracting the quadricep repetitively to lock the knee. My MT friend commented, "That may be, but you have to understand that not every knee injury is alike and treatments will vary!"
As far as Anusara being relaxing: Are you kidding me? I was in a Level II class Monday and I'm still a little sore! It may be calming, but definitely not physically breezy. I was sweating 20 minutes into the class, and that's without the room being 105 degrees!
"got a 3 hour interview with him and Bikram on the phone". Really?! How did that go and what did you learn?
Gwyn |
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| Gwen,
To be fair, that Anusara yoga was one class on an early Sunday morning so perhaps it was geared to slowly get a person going. I'm glad to know Anusara is more challenging than my experience. Perhaps I'll ask what the best Anusara class is for me. I think I'm about to switch from Bikram to another form of yoga. I hate to say that because I've had a lot of positive changes since starting Bikram. My blood pressure, cholesterol and hot flashes have all lowered since starting Bikram and I'm afraid I may not maintain these results with other types of yoga. My main concern with Bikram are my knees. I've never had knee problems before but since I've started Bikram, I've had pain and other annoyances with my knees. Yoga Dancer's modifications have decreased the pain but I still experience a little pain.
I don't want to start down that path at my age (43) because I don't want a major knee problem when I get older. I'm thinking about using Tony sanchez's Yoga tapes on a daily basis because they mimic Bikram's without the knee-aggravating postures. Although I'll miss my yoga teacher's monitoring of my asana form, he is very good about setting us up correctly.
This is a very diffcult decision....... |
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| Tibard ---
I'm at the same cross-roads as you. I'm considering Ashtanga
and Iyengar practices as alternatives to Bikram. I do Tony's
practice solo, but I need the class environment for energy
and human contact. I'm looking for an intense, thoughtful
yoga that I can do without blowing up my knees and shoulders.
I also need to practice my advanced postures with a teacher,
rather than on my own...Bikram yoga has done incredible things
for my health, as well.
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| Tibard,
I believe Tony Sanchez only eliminated 2 of the Bikram postures - Fixed Firm and Toe Stand. If those are the only 2 that you think are bothering your knees, you could try just sitting out Fixed Firm and just staying in Tree during Toe Stand. I have been doing Bikram for about 7 months and still don't do Toe Stand and there are always others that don't do it either. And you are always free to sit out a pose - it's your practice. Good luck with whatever you decide.  |
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| Bay Guy,
Please please please go Iyengar first.
Ashtanga moves far too quickly for someone new to this family of yoga as you would be. Please set yourself up for success. Take a "theory" class that will teach you the asanas first, before you try to throw yourself into them at the pace Ashtanga goes?
If you use the concentration you've demonstrated here, the Iyengar classes will be a totally intense hour and a half for you, although you won't be sweating your brains out. Focusing on each and every muscle, working to align your body properly is difficult. However, this education can help it build into your muscle memory, so when you hit an Ashtanga class, you won't injure yourself trying to move in and out of asana you don't know as quickly as the Ashtanga class moves. Without knowing the poses first, many people just plain beat their bodies to death trying to follow along as though it were an unforgiving video.
You've demonstrated that you're looking for more in the way of using your body safely than Bikram provides. Iyengar is the ultimate in how-to or what I call "foundational" yoga. With an Iyengar background? You can do absolutely anything with safety and mindfulness. I feel, in my experience, that my best and most effective teachers in any type of studio have had some type of Iyengar background. It just shows.
I recently did a Beryl Bender Birch workshop weekend. A woman sat down beside me and immediately adjusted her seat. I didn't know she was watching me the entire practice, but I could tell she'd only done Iyengar before. Sure 'nuff, after the practice she said she'd never seen some of these asana before, so she was glad she was beside me. I asked, "Long-time Iyengar, right?" She was surprised and asked how I knew. I told her, "Your alignment is perfect. And beautiful."
Funny how you can pick 'em out. Just as I can pick a Bikram student out of a crowd. 
Christine |
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| By the way.
Have I mentioned what a pleasure it is to be able to discuss different forms of yoga with you all, particularly as Bikram students, and have such open minds and willingness to try other things? It's unfortunately uncommon among Bikram students, or frankly, young, newly-come-to-yoga people. There's frequently an evangalism found in folks who seem to need to convince others they've chosen the "right" form of yoga. Perhaps in order to not feel "wrong" by finding out there are other ways. I don't know and I digress. I really enjoy these conversations.
Christine |
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| Glad you're enjoyimg setting us straight Christine. While I'm a big Bikram fan I really enjoy all that the other yoga dirivatives have to offer. What I've founf around San Antonio however is that studios other than Bikram don't offer shower facilities which I really need especially when I can make a break during the business weekday. Most of the hatha, ashtanga and power yoga places have just a few rooms and are attended mainly by housewives who, I assume, go home after practice to clean up. Maybe that's why there are few men practicing yoga. |
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| There's nothing wrong with moving away from the Bikram until you get more practiced with your yoga. I would try Iyengar if there were any classes close to me. Luckily, I've found the Anusara which is not any further from me than the Bikram studio.
I'm still teaching Bikram yoga. Now that my back is feeling better and I have a better idea how to prevent being injuried again, I will probably start taking Bikram classes. I am very glad I took the time away from Bikram to learn better alignment. I will say, too, that I'm noticing some different muscles developing in my legs and my upper body is stronger, too.
Now that I've found Anusara, I can't see giving it up. I'm looking forward to more advanced Level II and Level III classes someday. |
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| Christine ---
Thanks for the advice. I've done several Iyengar classes during the
past few weeks, with an utterly outstanding teacher, and they've been
great. I've changed my practice of several asanas already (Pincha Mayurasana,
Rajakapotasana, Ganda Bherundasa, in particular...yes, my personal practice
is a bit bigger than my Bikram practice), and I have new headstands and
and other things to work on as well. It's been great, but it's made it
even harder for me to go through the Bikram series with a sense of
peace. Too much missing. One giant hole in my practice emerged
as well: basic hip alignments for simple standing poses. These just
aren't in the Bikram series.
I did the Ashtanga Primary Series last night, for the first time in a year or
so, and it was fun to get the variety. I'm not sure that I like all those
jump-throughs, since you can easily catch a toe or finger on the way (Ouch!).
The biggest problem for me is to maintain my daily practice at it's current
2-3 hour level. Iyengar classes are classes, and not practice. Ashtanga is
a bit of both. And Bikram is a strenuous practice, if a simple one.
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| I agree with you about the evangelism of some of the newly-annointed
Bikram teachers.
Bikram is a mixed blessing for beginners. It's repetitous, simple, and
generally rewarding. As a beginner, it converted me totally. As I've grown
in yoga, the series has become more and more limiting. My local Bikram
teachers have been really great --- wonderful --- about letting me vary
postures and explore the yoga more deeply. I owe them so much, as
a result. But I have on occasion run into the true believers, who won't
let me vary poses (or, I should say, try to stop me from doing it). They
tell me "Bikram sayeth" and that's that. They would then drive out
the Demon Bay Guy with the Holy Writ of The Dialogue... |
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Injuries from Bikram?
