- Classes
are open to all levels…Beginner or Advanced Practitioners.
- Please
arrive 15 minutes early. LATECOMERS WILL NOT BE ADMITTED. NO EXCEPTIONS.
- Classes
are 90 minutes
- No
Big Meal 3- hours before class, practice on empty stomach.
- Bring
water — you will sweat! (water available for purchase)
- The
room is kept warm to help your muscles stretch.
- Leave
behind your expectations.
- Bring your spirit!
- Wear as little
as possible in the classroom; Dress as light as possible. Men
wear shorts or bathing suit. Women wear exercise top and
shorts or a swimsuit. T-shirts are bulky; tank tops are
better.
- Drink lots of
water for several days before your first class if you're not in
the habit of drinking water. Doctors estimate you need at
least 2 liters per day for normal body maintenance. Double that
for doing Bikram yoga. If you drink large quantities of caffeinated
drinks or eat mostly processed foods it can effect your body's
ability to tolerate the heat, so please cut down on these items
in preparation for class.
- You
might feel very tired after class. This is absolutely normal and
a good sign that your body is cleansing. Your energy levels should
be restored to normal within several classes.
- You might find
yourself feeling extremely energetic and experience difficulty
sleeping. Don't worry--this is a good sign that the yoga is truly
filling you up with energy. You don't have insomnia. You just
have more time to do the things you enjoy.
- You might
feel sore or stiff the day after your first class. Come
back to class as soon as possible! Your body is waking up and
coming alive and you want to keep the process going!
- You might feel
nauseous, dizzy or have a headache after class. This could be
a sign that you are dehydrated. Please drink lots of water before
returning to class. Or it could be a sign that you were
trying so hard that you weren't breathing normally. Please breathe
normally during every posture.
- You
might experience some skin irritation. This too is normal, it
means that the skin is releasing toxins. Showering directly after
class will wash the toxins away. It will also help normalize the
body temperature.
- You
might feel very hungry after class for a while, or you might lose
your appetite completely. Both reactions are normal. If you are
concerned about your weight, don't worry too much either way.
Once you get into a regular practice pattern, your appetite and
your weight will normalize. You'll find yourself feeling and looking
leaner and younger!
One reason why people
get nauseous and dizzy during class is not eating, not eating enough
or consuming the wrong foods before class. Wrong foods including
high-protein and fat foods such as eggs, high-sugar food like pastries
and most cereals, and anything containing dairy.
Eating well will
help you to perform better in class, but will also help improve
your overall health as well. It is best to eat a plant-based (but
not necessarily vegetarian diet), with lots of complex carbohydrates
for energy.
Eating small meals
throughout the day will keep your blood sugar levels even, and help
to keep you from overeating.
Do not come to yoga
class hungry, as this will contribute to dizziness, nausea and overall
weakness. If you are coming to a morning yoga class, a healthy breakfast
comprised of 400 calories of principally complex carbohydrate foods
is advisable 1-2 hours before class.
If you are
attending an evening class and coming straight from work, a granola
bar, an apple with some almonds, half of a peanut butter sandwich,
a cup of instant soup with rice, a veggie wrap, or a similar choice
30-45 minutes before class is helpful.
Adult humans need at least 64 ounces of clean water daily. Exercise
and the consumption of beverages containing caffeine increase daily
water needs. To avoid becoming dehydrated in class, consume adequate
water daily. Weaning yourself off of caffeine will also be helpful,
since beverages containing caffeine dehydrate the body.
On days that you come to class, you should plan
to consume at least 32 ounces of additional water to avoid becoming
dehydrated.
Unfortunately, in
order to improve your health, you may need to experience some discomfort
in the short term. This can include headaches, nausea, fatigue,
muscle soreness and overall discomfort. These are not signs that
you should stop coming to class, but rather signs that you need
to be in class! As you overall level fitness, nutritional status,
flexibility, balance and ability to tolerate the heat improve, these
symptoms will dissipate.
Student should always strive to reach the line between discomfort
and pain. In other words, pushing hard enough to make progress,
without hurting yourself. Discomfort is a sign of progress being
made.
It is important to
breathe with you mouth closed. Doing so will assist you in developing
your lung capacity and will keep you from dehydrating and wearing
out quickly. Mastery of proper breathing takes time. Not only will
doing so help your yoga performance, but it will eventually help
you to respond to and to reduce stress, lower your heart rate, and
assist you in sleeping better.
Consistency is the
most important thing. If you can only come once per week, then attend
one class per week regularly. If you are trying to over come and
injury or to improve athletic performance, however, more often is
always better.
It is common for
people to have variable experiences in yoga – good and bad days.
The amount of sleep an individual gets, stress, nutritional status,
hydration, physical exertion, (yard work, athletic activities, etc.),
all affect yoga performance.
The poses most likely
to cause problems, such as dizziness, for those who practice unhealthy
habits are Eagle, Separate Leg Stretching Pose, and Camel Pose.
These will become significantly easier once you are properly hydrated
and well nourished.
Additionally, it
is common for people to be able to do a pose well for a while and
then have trouble with it or experience a feeling of “going backwards”
in progress. The biggest reason for this is realignment, which normally
takes place over time, and can cause changes in balance, flexibility
and even height. Be patient with yourself and realize that even
advanced students experience this phenomenon.
To become good at
yoga, you must practice. Do not compare yourself to others, but
rather monitor your progress based on your own starting point. Plan
to commit to at least 90 days of regularly for this time period.
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