Projections

In a movie theater, you look at the screen, you never look at the back. The projector is in the back. The film is not really on the screen, it is just a projection of shadow and light. The film exists in the projector, in the back, but you never look at that. Your mind is at the back of everything. Your mind is the projector. But you always look at the screen - at the everything.

When you’re in love, the person is beautiful. When you hate, the person is ugly. You never become aware of how the same person can be beautiful and ugly.

The only way to reach the truth is to learn how to be immediate in your vision. The mind is the problem, because the mind projects its images on the screen you’re looking at. What you see is just your projection. And there are as many worlds as there are minds, because every mind lives in his own world.

We get caught up in projecting movies of our own making onto the situations and people surrounding us. Instead of taking responsibility for our own expectations, desires and judgments, we attribute them to others. A projection can be good or bad, beautiful or ugly, disturbing or comforting, but it is still a projection that prevents us from seeing reality as it is. The only way out is to recognize the game.

—Oshos

Just Sweat It All Out

Here's a great blog from CorePower about sweat and sweating...

CorePower: 5 Things to Know About Sweat & Sweating


Key take-aways from this article:

• Sweating boosts your immune system


• Sweating increases your heart health


• Sweating decreases and removes cellulite!


• Sweating removes toxins
  
  
  

Self Love

"Accept everything about yourself—I mean everything, you are you and that is the beginning and the end—no apologies, no regrets.” -Clark Moustakas



(& no that is not my finger =P...)

Yogamint.com - "Delete the Files"

Check out "Delete the Files" from www.yogamint.com as well as their other useful tips!

I'm always thinking about something, so occasionally it's hard to put my mind at rest for a good nights sleep. This tip from Yogamint is a helpful way of visualizing yourself deleting unnecesaary mental clutter so you can focus on getting some quality R&R.

Partner Yoga!

Although yoga is traditionally an individual practice, the new Partner Yoga practice looks amazing and really fun. It's a great way to build intimacy, trust, and enhance communication, especially between lovers. I know of studios that have partner yoga workshops and I think that would be a great alternative date night idea, or a good class to take as a bonding activity with your bf/gf on the regular. I love that two people utilize their strength to balance each other, to stretch further, and really expand themselves and their practice. It's also great touch therapy. Touch is the strongest and simplest way of giving and receiving love and support...Now that's hot!

Control Yourself!

I love how almost every Hot Yoga class I go to, the intructor always begins by saying "Let go of the day. Let go of whatever brought you here today. Let go of that person..." It seems that many of us are driven to Hot Yoga to find some stability, especially emotionally, and as much as you may want to deny it, your reason for coming may be to help forget about that one person or to just do better for yourself. I'll admit it, I've been guilty of this. I read this short quote today on emotions and how thoughts manifest themselves into actions and I feel that Hot Yoga can really help strengthen you not only physically, but mentally and emotionally.

"Remember that our physical actions are nothing more than a recording of what's going on in our mind. So in saying that; be sure to control what's going on in the mind so you can control your life at all times. Don't let you emotions direct your life. Emotions are nothing more than temporary illusions." -Maurice Clarett

I know that my emotional state is reflected in the strength of my poses in my practice. When I'm feeling out of control or that my life is out of balance, I have a hard time physically balancing in my poses.

A word to the wise, practice controlling what's going on in your mind so that even when you're caught off guard, you won't regret your actions later.

Hot Yoga & That Pretty Face of Yours

Your skin is the largest organ in your body, and the way it helps you detox is through sweat. We all know Hot Yoga helps you sweat buckets! After an intense session, I'm sure we all love that our skin looks like it's just glowing, but definitely be cautious with your skin-care and hygiene regime before and afterward. Here's some tips to help you keep that pretty face clear and getting the most out of your Hot Yoga skin detox:

• Hydrate! The amount of water you drink really shows up on your face, so make sure you're drinking lots of H2O, especially on days you're going to class.


• Cleanse your hands and feet before class since you'll need to grab your feet at some point, and they'll be walking all over your mat where your face is also going to by laying. People have a bad habit of touching their face, wiping off their sweat, and moving their hair out of the way, so washing your hands is a must!


• Remove makeup before class if possible, it's probably going to melt off in the heat anyways, and no matter how great your foundation is, it's probably going to clog your pores in that heat.


• Wash your face or shower immediately after class. Anytime you sweat, your skin pushes out toxins as well as salt, which is very irritating to the skin.


• Don't use an exfoliator or a scrub after class since your skin will be sensitive from the blood pumping, it'll be too intense.


• Do a mask if your studio has a shower since your pores will be open, it's a good time to take advantage.


• Finally, moisturize!

Burn, Baby, Burn!

We all know you definitely feel the heat in Hot Yoga, but how many calories do you actually burn??? I've seen numbers range anywhere from 300 to 1500! That's a big gap, and it really depends on your weight, the intensity of the class, your effort, and on how long your class is. Here's a calorie burn calculator with a "Bikram/Hot Yoga" category, try it yourself and find out! I think I was a little too optimistic with the actual amount of calories I burn in class...

http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc

Yogitoes

Somebody buy me one of these! If your Hot Yoga studio doesn't offer towel service, or makes you pay to rent a towel, getting one of these Yogitoes could be really useful! They fit the size of your mat perfectly, and it's skidless! I hate when my regular towel starts to move around and it just disrupts my pose or flow of movement. The Yogitoe below is not only pink and cute, but also supports breast cancer awareness, which I'm all about!

http://www.yogitoes.com/

Say No to Camel Toe

Clever ad from Lululemon. Love their stuff, just wish it wasn't as pricey so that the young, broke, and fabulous can get their hands on some too.



While were on the subject of the Camel pose, is it just me, or does everyone else get this uncomfortable feeling in their chest like you're about to cry? I hear this position can feel that way since most of our day we spend with our shoulders hunched inwards at our desks, and in Camel pose it really opens you up releasing all sorts of tensions. It always feels so emotional for me, in a good way...

AntiGravity Yoga

Okay, this isn't Hot Yoga, but it is a hot new trend in the yoga world. Doesn't this pic of AntiGravity yoga look awesome?



"Classes use the AntiGravity hammock, a soft fabric hung from the ceiling, to perform yoga poses and suspension techniques. Participants practice traditional yoga postures as well as exercises derived from dance, Pilates, and strength conditioning. Results are said to include increased flexibility and strength, better alignment and agility and a creative and fun workout."

http://www.antigravityyoga.com/

The 26 Poses in Picture

Sometimes it's hard to follow along in class or see exactly what the pose should look like, so here it is in picture format!



Pics courtesy of True Fitness in Thailand: http://www.truefitness.co.th/

Hot Yoga vs. Bikram Yoga

So what's the difference between Hot Yoga and Bikram Yoga? When I first started practicing I was pretty confused why some yoga studios would call their classes one thing and not the other. Really, it's a matter of the yoga master named Bikram Choudhury wanting to copyright his series of 26 yoga poses. He is renowned for really making the practice of Hot Yoga popular in the U.S. Hot Yoga practiced according to his style exactly is considered "Bikram Yoga," while yoga practiced with some of the same poses, or a mixture of different styles in a heated room is considered "Hot Yoga." Read below for more specifics on the difference between the two, it might help you figure out which classes to take when trying different yoga studios. Personally, I like Hot Yoga better than the militant Bikram style. There's more flexibility to the practice, and I just think it keeps it from getting boring when you don't have to stick to the same 26 poses. :]

According to about.com:

What is Hot Yoga?

Hot Yoga is a series of yoga poses done in a heated room. The room is usually maintained at a temperature of 95-100 degrees. As you can imagine, a vigorous yoga session at this temperature promotes profuse sweating and makes the body very warm, and therefore more flexible.

What is Bikram Yoga?

Living yoga master Bikram Choudhury is a Hot Yoga innovator. His method of Hot Yoga is a set series of 26 yoga poses, including two pranayama exercises, each of which is performed twice in a single 90 minute class. Choudhury, who was born in Calcutta, India in 1946, founded the Yoga College of India in Beverly Hills in 1974. He and his wife Rajashree were both yoga champions in India. Recently, Choudhury was involved in a lawsuit over his attempt to copyright his series of 26 poses done in a hot room. At the heart of the controversy is Choudhury's desire to prevent anyone teaching yoga in a heated room from calling their class 'Bikram Yoga.' He would like to reserve this title only for those teachers who are certified by his Yoga College of India and who stick to his prescribed method exactly (including not only the temperature of the room and order of poses, but also the carpet and mirrors in the room, and his approved text). The lawsuit was resolved with an out-of-court settlement in which Choudhury agreed not to sue the members of a San Francisco-based collective of Hot Yoga teachers and they agreed not to use the Bikram name. Bikram remains a very controversial figure in the yoga world.

Welcome to Peace. Love. Hot Yoga.

In this space I hope to share not only information and knowledge on the practice of Hot Yoga, but also inspirational words, art, fitness/health tips and all things relevant to the pursuit of a sense of peace experienced through the practice of Hot Yoga. Why Hot Yoga specifically? Maybe it’s the 105 degree temperature that envelops you that forces you to focus, but there’s something extremely therapeutic about the practice of Hot Yoga that I am unable to find in the traditional style. I’m a modern, city kind of girl that is always in search of deep, moving experiences that can help me cure myself from everyday woes, heartache, the consequences of night life and I’m always fascinated by alternative forms of fitness that can help me balance out my love for food. I’ll keep this blog fun and fresh so I hope you guys will find it helpful and check back here often!

For now, I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the Hot Yoga Guru himself:

“Never Let Anyone Steal Your Peace.” - Bikram