today, i was fortunate to drag along a friend to bikram.  (i try never to go alone as i find the moral support rather necessary).  deep down, i think i hoped she woud partake in my misery and suffer beside me.

nope.  she enjoyed herself.  then tried to make me feel better by saying that it probably wasn't as hot as it usually is . . . only it was. (thanks patty!)  the truth is, i'm a big baby.  and i just need to suck it up and remember that every style - included, and especially bikram - offers a unique and special truth and lesson. 

so forgive me for digging this one out again, but there is wisdom in revisiting what i already know, yet frequently forget . . .

bikram is about physical fitness, including endurance, flexibility, cardiovascular strength, and weight loss.  No pain – no gain.  Have a mini-heart attack now, save yourself the big one later.  Yes, it’s hot.  It’s really, really hot. but the heat combined with the 26 selected postures effectively flush out the endocrine system, balance the nervous system, and bring freshly oxygenated blood flowing through the body.

competition is the foundation for all democratic societies.  for without 'competition,' there is no democracy . . . *bikram choudhury

yoga is 99% practice and 1% knowledge . . . *sri krishna pattabhi jois

just do the f'in pose. . . *patty ivey

vinyasa flow taps into creativity and poses run together like a dance.  abundant freedom, lots of flexibility, and an emphasis on individual expression are offered to all.  music is offered as a way to enhance and tap into the rhythm and create a mood.  classes vary as much as the teachers who lead them, offering a sense of novelty and inpiration.

you cannot do yoga.  yoga is your natural state.  what you can do are yoga exercises, which may reveal to you where you are resisting your natural state . . . *sharon gannon

iyengar emphasizes alignment, but also harmony.  you see, this practice offers many paths and opportunities for students to experience their yoga.  making yoga accessible for all abilities. 

yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured . . . b.k.s. iyengar

each style offers its own unique spin.  each a separate path – leading the same direction.  and when we judge, either in word or action – we leave ourselves closed off to the unique quality each given style has to offer.  there is no such thing as “bad” yoga.

and if you aren’t learning - then you aren’t listening.