I have received a few inquiries in the past few months regarding Bikram or "Hot" yoga.  Do we offer Bikram yoga at Lothlorien?  At the present time we do not. 

For one thing, "Bikram yoga" is, as far as I know, the only form of yoga that is patented.  This means that in order to use the name "Bikram" or offer classes as such, one must pay a fee and become licensed as "Bikram yoga" instructor.  Otherwise it is a violation of copyright to use the term "Bikram yoga" and is therefore illegal.  This does strike me as a little bit odd, since yoga is after all at least 4000 years old and copyrights and such things did not exist back then.  So clearly this is one of many modern variations on the practice of "yoga."  And that's okay, but we at Lothlorien are not licensed to teach it or use the terminology.

Now, we could simply use the term "Hot Yoga" and teach it anyway.  Per Bikram (ahem, cannot use that name) or Hot Yoga specifications, this would require heating the yoga studio to 105 degrees Fahrenheit.  This raises a couple of concerns.  First, the thermostat for the heater in our studio only goes up to 90 degrees.  I suppose I could use a marker and write in "105" ala Spinal Tap ("Dude, this amp goes to 11!"), but the heater is still only built to put out 90 degrees of heat.  However, this limitation could probably be overcome, at least during the summer, when the outside temperature is close to 100, and by putting the heater on maximum we might be able to achieve the requisite 105 degree temperature inside the studio.  This raises other questions (see below).  Of course, since the thermostat only goes to 90 we would not be able to know when we had achieved the 105 degree point.

Assuming we were in fact able to get the studio to 105 degrees, and put people in that room doing yoga, we would then have several extremely sweaty people sweating all over their mats, the floors, and maybe each other.  Unfortunately, this would ruin our nice wood laminate floors which were installed for us last year by Fabulous Floors, LLC, who advised us that the temperature of the room must be maintained within "reasonable parameters" to prevent warping of the wood.  "Reasonable parameters" would not include 105 degrees; under 85 was recommended.

More importantly, heating the room to that level would present health and safety hazards.  Our building has an old-fashioned heater which dries out the air and generates positive ions in the process.  Positive ions are the ones you don't want, as opposed to negative ions, which are the healthy ones created by the crashing of waves at the seashore and the ones which charge the air during thunderstorms.  Positive ions are irritating.  The hot, dry air from our heater will be filled with positive ions clinging to the dust kicked out of the ventilation ducts.  This may be a secondary concern, since many people claim they cannot notice ions one way or the other.  Of more immediate concern is what will happen when all that sweat pours onto those mats:  they become extremely slippery!!  So now we have the potential for people to slip and fall onto the (soon to be ruined) wood floors, which is a serious liability concern..

So am I opposed to Hot Yoga?  Absolutely not!  I agree with some of the claims made by Bikram.  Sweating is, in fact, very healthy and removes toxins from your body (provided that you stay well hydrated - VERY important!  And if you are using chlorinated water, and/or plastic water bottles in the hot environment, they likely contain carcinogens, which defeats the purpose of your healthy intent.)  People have been using saunas to detoxify throughout history.  Also, practicing yoga in a very warm environment helps loosen up the muscles.  In addition, some health practitioners including Dr. Max Gerson, [this statement is not approved by the AMA], have stated that cancer cells cannot survive at high temperatures, and therefore recommend hot baths to raise the body temperature in order to stimulate the immune system to flush out toxins and kill cancer cells.  Which is great.

Here's the thing:  People are calling me to inquire if Lothlorien offers Bikram [cannot use the term!] Hot Yoga.  I look at the weather indicator on my computer and the current temperature is 95 degrees, with a heat index of "feels like 110"!  Let me get this straight:  You want to pay money to go to a studio where they will turn the heat up to 105 degrees (hopefully having the special modern heaters that do not dry out the air and do not produce positive ions) and you will be packed into a room with a bunch of people you barely know, much less, are intimate enough to sweat on each other??

OK - you live in FLORIDA!  From about May to September, the outside temperatures are often in the 90s, with a heat index well over 100 - perfect for Bikram [excuse me, Hot] yoga, along with the lovely humidity which makes our climate so much like a sauna that people are constantly complaining "it's like a frickin sauna out here!" and rushing indoors to enjoy the air conditioning.  And you want me to use precious energy to heat my yoga studio to 105 degrees so you can stretch and sweat indoors, which will, of course, contribute to global warming?

For goodness sake, GO OUTSIDE!  Get some fresh air and sunshine!  [see my blog re: sunshine] This is, after all, how the Sun Salutation was meant to be done - in the sun!   Put a sheet or blanket on the grass and do yoga on your lawn!  It's perfect!

But, you object, I'm embarrassed to do yoga on my lawn where people might see me! 

You are embarrassed to exercise on your own lawn, but you are okay with paying money to sweat like a pig packed into a room with a bunch of people you don't even know??  Frankly, if I am going to be sweating like a pig with a bunch of people, I would prefer to be outside where there is plenty of ventilation.

In my opinion, you can't do better than a sheet or blanket on top of a well-manicured suburban lawn in the sunshine.  If anything, your neighbors will be envious and wonder how you can do all those poses.  Or, go to the beach!!  But if you really can't bring yourself to do it on your own and you insist on paying for classes -

I suppose we could offer Hot Yoga here at Lothlorien outside during the summer.  I myself very much enjoy doing yoga and sweating like a pig in the sunshine on my front porch.  But, Lothlorien is out in the boondocks and we do not have a nicely manicured lawn; much of our so called "lawn" has stickers and fire ants.  There is a sandy area in the pasture where the horses sleep, which seems fairly free of ants and thorns, which perhaps we could use.  If you guys are really into it and are willing to bring sheets or blankets, we could probably do it.  Just let me know.

        

In the previous blog I discussed what "yoga" is, now let's go over some basic principles of hatha yoga, what to do and what to expect.

I greet you with hands folded before my heart in prayer position saying, "Namaste'."   Like "aloha" in Hawaiian, "namaste" is used both in greeting and farewell.  "Namaste" literally means, "I bow to you," but the implication is that I greet you with respect as one divine soul to another; I greet you from that place where we are one.  Or as Ram Dass, one of my teachers, put it:   "I  honor the place in you where the entire Universe resides.   I honor the place of love, of light, of truth, of peace.  I honor the place within you where if you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.”
 
Conscious breathing is a central component of yoga.  The word for breath is "prana" which also signifies "vital life energy."  This is similar to "chi" or "qi" in martial arts, and is a concept that is common throughout various spiritual traditions.  E.g., in Judaism the breath, "ruach" is also "spirit," which is why the Bible says that God  breathed the breath of life into Adam's nostrils and "he became a living soul."  There are different breathing exercises which are used in more advanced yogic practices, but in hatha yoga we will begin by simply taking very deep breaths, starting at the base of the diaphragm (as if filling your tummy with air), then expanding upward into the chest/rib cage area, and finally the top of the lungs to the clavicle.  We will let the breath rest for a moment at the top of inhalation and then exhale, squeezing out the air from the stomach up to the top of the lungs, ready to begin the next breath.

Each posture or "asana" has a breathing sequence that goes with it.  The basic pattern is:  Inhale (expand) with extension, exhale (contract) with flexion.  So for example when we are looking up, reaching up with our arms, arching our back and opening our chest, we inhale.  When we are bending forward, reaching down and contracting our chest and stomach, we exhale.  This is fairly intuitive and with a little practice it will become easy and natural.

Another important aspect of hatha yoga is balancing of opposites and symmetry. We will follow extension postures (e.g., cobra) with flexion postures (e.g., downward dog); backward bends are followed by forward bends.  Likewise, whatever we do on one side of the body, we also do on the other side.  If we stretch the right leg, we will then stretch the left leg.  Ultimately we strive for symmetry, but in reality this is rare; nearly everyone will find one side easier than the other.  This is why we are right- or left-handed; very few people are born ambidextrous.  If you find one side more difficult than the other, don't worry, this is normal.  Just keep consistently practicing on both sides.

A key element of yoga which is absolutely necessary is listening to our body and learning to distinguish between "actual pain" versus the minor discomfort we may feel when stretching to our limit.  In some athletic traditions we hear the motto, "No pain, no gain!" but this does not apply to yoga.  If you feel real pain then you are probably pushing yourself too far too fast and may even incur an injury.  Pain is the body's way of saying something is not right, slow down, be careful!  This is especially true in the beginning when you are unfamiliar with the postures.  As you become more experienced you will develop more attunement to your body and will learn exactly how far you can go without inflicting actual pain or injuring yourself. 

One of the neat things about yoga is that it is adaptable to every person's abilities.  We each approach yoga from where we are today.  Yoga is not a competition!  It doesn't matter if the person next to you in class can wrap their legs behind their head while you might be happy just to touch your head to your knees.  It is not even necessary to compete with yourself.  Challenge yourself, perhaps, but do not stress out.  Yoga is supposed to be pleasant and relaxing, not stressful.  If you find a pose too difficult, simply modify it.  Maybe you cannot bend forward and put your hands flat on the floor or grab your ankles; maybe you can only reach your knees.  That is fine.  Or maybe you can reach the floor if you bend your knees.  That is ok, too.  Reach as far as you comfortably can, and remember to keep breathing!  Whenever you have a particularly tight muscle, visualize that you are actually breathing prana into that area.  Feel the breath flowing through your body, especially that part.  With each breath you may be amazed to find that you can reach further as your body relaxes more.  Over time, you will be able to exceed your previous limitations and reach new levels of flexibility, balance and strength that you never thought possible at first!

As you practice the asanas, remembering to breathe deeply, you may at times feel a strange tingling sensation or even find yourself trembling as the prana flows through your body and blockages of physical and/or emotional energy are released.  This is normal and is actually a good sign of progress.  In more advanced forms of yoga practice you will learn to do this consciously.  For now, just keep breathing, relax and observe.

By the end of the class your body should feel warm and energized.  The final pose is savasana, or "corpse pose," where we lie on our back and basically feel ourselves melt into the floor.  In this pose you will feel total relaxation and will probably be able to feel the prana flowing through your entire body.  Now that the body is completely relaxed, you are in a very good situation to practice meditation, which will be addressed in my next blog entry.  Namaste.

        

When I began studying yoga back in 1976, it was considered a rather bizarre and esoteric interest which was not shared by many.  Nowadays, yoga has become very popular, and it seems "yoga" classes are offered at every gym.  But, what exactly is "yoga"?  Most often people in the west think of yoga as the postures or "asanas" which are done in a typical gym class, a series of stretching and balancing exercises.  This, however, is just one aspect of yoga known as "hatha" yoga and pertains specifically to the asanas, the physical exercises.  There are many different forms and variations of these exercises including Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Kripalu, Iyengar, and others which you will find advertised in yoga magazines.  But all of these together are still only one aspect of "yoga," that which is approached primarily in terms of postures and breathing exercises.

Recently there has been some dispute as to whether or not yoga instructors should be licensed by the government, specifically, whether it is appropriate for the government to intervene in "religious" matters.  Is yoga a religion?  No.  However, yoga is a spiritual practice!  But, how can exercise be "spiritual"?!

The fact that we may ask this question demonstrates the mind-body dualism that pervades our western culture.  We divide our experience into categories of "sacred" and "profane," so that the spirit is sacred and church is sacred, and pretty much everything else is profane: our body, our work, our studies, our everyday activities.  We don't think of exercise as "spiritual" because we do not treat our body as if it is sacred.  But yoga takes a completely different approach.

The traditional meaning of "yoga" is "union," as in union of body, mind and soul, and ultimately, union with the Divine.  Our body is the physical manifestation of our soul on this earth, or as we say in Christianity, "your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit."  The asanas we do in hatha yoga are a spiritual practice because taking care of our body and our health is therefore a spiritual duty.  Also, the asanas help prepare us physically for spending long periods of time in meditation and tuning in to the energy that we will experience in more advanced or esoteric yoga practices such as kundalini or kriya yoga, which involve working with the subtle energies that move through our nervous system and spine. 

Yoga, however, is not limited to these esoteric meditative practices, but rather encompasses all aspects of life!  The Bhagavad Gita, an ancient Indian text, describes several different yogic paths whereby enlightenment may be realized including bhakti yoga (devotion), jnana yoga (knowledge/realization), and karma yoga (action), among others.  In yoga everything we do is offered up to the Divine:  our heart, our mind, our body and our activities.  Therefore not only prayer or religious ceremonies are sacred, but also physical exercise, intellectual studies, and our work, everything that we do, is sacred when it is done with the right attitude and intention.  Digging a ditch, pulling up weeds in the garden, cooking, cleaning, all can be a form of yoga.

While the yogic approach to life is most definitely "spiritual," it is not a "religion" per se because it does not belong to any one particular denomination.  It is a spiritual practice that is used by Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, and people of all different faiths.  Now the question might arise, with regard to the Divine, does one have to believe in God to practice yoga?  Not necessarily.  If you are agnostic, or not a particularly religious person, you can think of the "Divine" in whatever meaning it has for you, for example, your "Higher Power" as they say in AA.  If you are an atheist and do not believe in any form of divinity whatsoever, then you can practice yoga in terms of living your life to be the best person that you can be.  If you seriously practice the asanas and meditations with an open mind and take this practice to an advanced level, however, it is likely that you may indeed experience something Divine.

So, if you take the "yoga" class at the gym, will you achieve enlightenment and oneness with the universe?  Perhaps, if you approach it with the right intent.  And what if you are totally uninterested in the spiritual aspects of yoga, will the physical exercise of the asanas still be beneficial?  Yes, in the sense that any exercise is beneficial.  However, you will not get nearly as much out of it.

As for the question of whether or not yoga should be licensed and controlled by the government, in my opinion absolutely nothing good can come of this, and it is both impossible and inappropriate.  But that is a subject for a different blog.

        

This article was sent to me by Brian Turner from Mesiothelioma.com, "a leading web resource for those affected by mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that occurs in the lining of the lungs and abdomen. Recently, more and more studies have been highlighting the great therapeutic benefits that yoga has to offer for those battling various forms of cancer such as mesothelioma."  Brian has invited Yoga at Lothlorien to be involved in providing yoga instruction to patients, which we ...

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