Monday Motivations: Bikram Yoga's so so so good for you! Got it?!

Hi Britomart yogis,

This week I thought I might do a little recap of some (not all, as I would literally be writing all day!) of the health benefits of this fantastic yoga practice that we love so much. Many of these benefits you may be aware of, some you may have already witnessed firsthand, but for those readers out there who may be new to the practice let me reassure you that you made a truly excellent choice when you stepped into the Bikram studio. 

Benefit no. 1: BY increases flexibility and builds muscle strength. It prevents cartilage and joint breakdown and is very supportive of your connective tissue. That's actually 4 reasons... Darn it, bad start... There are just too many benefits to stick to a 1 per paragraph limit!

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Monday Motivations: It's almost challenge time!

Dear Britomart Bikram yogis,

On Sunday Feb 1st, many Britomart students along with lots of your teachers will together begin our first 30-day challenge of 2015. This is no mean feat, even for those experienced practitioners who may already have numerous challenges under their belts.

Committing to a 30-day challenge entails completing 30 classes in 30 days. It’s an excellent way to explore and go somewhere new with your practice. You can do a couple of doubles (two classes in one day) if necessary but we don’t really recommend many more than one double a week.

What we do recommend is that you think only of your challenge one day at a time. Every night simply decide what class you are going to practise the next day. Digest your challenge in bite-sized chunks so you won’t feel overwhelmed at the prospect of no ‘rest’ days because in reality, you will manage perfectly well without them. Your Bikram practice is a fuel-station: the only ‘exercise’ in the world where you are actually gaining energy! The very healing and therapeutic nature of the Bikram practice means that you can absolutely practise every single day!

Here are a couple of tips which you may find helpful:
  • Take your challenge one day at a time. Think only of tomorrow’s class each night before you go to sleep.
  • Drink plenty of water. Add some lemon for quicker absorption and some Himalayan pink salt to replace sodium lost through sweat.
  • Eat a banana after class for some potassium and prepare some snacks to have mid-afternoon if you are doing an evening class after work. This could be a handful of raw nuts and a piece of fruit for example?
  • Engage with your fellow yogis before and after class: Find out who is doing the challenge and share your experiences and insights.
  • Engage in a compassionate practice. If at any point you are struggling please kneel down, take a break, and join us again when you are ready. There will be classes which you will find harder than others. Have no expectations, and simply commit to working as hard as you can in that moment, every moment, every posture, every class.

If your compassion

And one final note… Please don’t overthink your class once you leave the room. Sure, a little reflection on your practice is helpful sometimes… but more often than not what starts out as some well-meaning advice to yourself: “You need to work on on getting your hips down lower in trikonasana”, can turn rapidly into “Your triangle pose looks so rubbish in the mirror, and it’s nowhere NEAR as good as Sandra’s!” :-)

Be kind to yourselves! Your bodies hear and absorb everything your mind says. Furthermore, these thoughts are compounded because you are often looking at yourself in the mirror when they surface. View your challenge first and foremost as an exploration. You are embarking on a beautiful adventure where the only goal is to emerge knowing, accepting, and loving yourself a little bit more.

See you on your mats!

PS: God help us all! ;-)
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Monday Motivations

30day

 Well done for making it to 2015 everybody. With the old behind us and the new ready to be painted on the blank canvas, it is time to pick up the tools we have acquired from life’s lessons and prepare our bodies, minds and schedules for the coming months.

February is only three weeks away, which means our 30 Day Challenge is right around the corner! This week’s motivations are designed to help you prepare for a 30 day Bikram yoga challenge, weather it is your first or 5th one. Preparation and determination are key values for a successful 30 day challenge.

How to prepare for a 30 Day Bikram Challenge?
  1. Try to free-up the month as much as possible. Tell your non-yogi friends that you will be a little busier than usual so the pressures and distractions of social life don’t make things harder for you.
  2. Keep hydrated. Drink as much water as you can in the days leading up to the challenge. Add some lemon juice and/or orange juice for an electrolyte and vitamin boost! Lemon is also alkaline making it a great acidity regulator in your stomach.
  3. Fit in a couple of classes a week before the challenge just to get into the swing of things, especially if you have not practiced in a while. Get your head into the zone of the coming challenge and ease yourself into it.
  4. Make sure you have enough Bikram Yoga clothing to last in case you run out of time to wash your clothes each day. A good tip for beating the sweaty odor is a tablespoon or two of vinegar in your next yoga clothing wash.
  5. Getting to class every day can become stressful if you don’t prepare. A good way to keep organized and motivated is to book and treat your classes as you would an evening outing or a trip to the theater. Make it an event. Pick a time for the event, and then work out the logistics. After a week of strict planning – the rest of the month will be much easier to manage. It’s easy if you are prepared!
How to survive a 30 Day Bikram Yoga Challenge?
  1. The first week is important to get right. Don’t push yourself too hard – there are still three more weeks of Yoga ahead of you, so you will need some energy and strength towards the end to get you through.
  2. Keep hydrated! Now that you are in the swing of things, your body will be needing a lot of fluids replaced daily. As you are working out drink plain water only – a lot before class, some during class, and a lot after class. The drinks you make after class should be made with electrolytes and vitamins as well, to help your body replace some of its nutrients after its big daily cleanse. As mentioned before – lemons are great for alkalizing the stomach, and fruits are great for electrolytes. Adding some table salt to your fruit drinks increases the electrolytes even more.
  3. Fruit smoothies should become a daily treat, packed full of fatty nuts, nutritious berries and vegetables and of course some calcium through milk or yogurt. As the 30 Day Challenge gets under way, we will be posting some wonderful smoothie ideas for all our Yogis, to help you get through February in the healthiest, most beneficial and delicious way.
  4. Keep alcohol, stress and chemicals to a minimum. Anything you put into your body, has to come out. During a 30 Day Challenge, the body gets very good and efficient at processing its fuel, but because of the increased amount of performance required from the body, the fuel required is Premium. A well performing body cannot be fueled by empty calories without nutrition. So make a choice, how do you want your body to perform? If you want to make it easiest for yourself – go the natural, healthy and nutritious way!
If you are considering taking up the 30 Day Bikram Yoga Challenge, call us for a no obligations chat today. We will answer any questions you may have, and give you all the details you need. The rest is down to you making the decision and taking the first few steps towards making it happen.

We do these things for ourselves, for a new lease on life. And we guarantee you will look and feel absolutely great!

Visit: www.bikramyogabritomart.co.nz
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Monday Motivations

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

It is the last Monday of 2014! Well done to everyone for making it through another year of trying to be the best You that you can be. Despite the natural urge to look back at all the moments gone, now it is time to be in the present moment. This time of year is always challenging and full of distractions, and the pressures to meet all our physical, financial, social and personal goals can become very stressful.

The easiest way to combat holiday stress is to remain in the present moment; in the now. If you are finding this time of year particularly difficult, especially when it comes to focusing on the now, try to fit in a bikram yoga session before New Year’s. You will feel the weight of the past and the anxiety of the future lift off your shoulders leaving a pure you, ready to celebrate the New Year in harmony.

Bikram yoga helps us get into the present moment and to stay in it regardless of outer distractions. It helps strengthen the muscles in our brain that deal with focus and being completely present in the moment.

One of Bikram Yoga’s keys to bringing awareness into the present moment is breathing. Focusing on your breathing both in class and out in the big world is an immensely powerful tool to combat the worries and unnecessary weight of the past or future. After all, all we have control over is the present moment. No matter how hard we try or how much we want to travel back in time or into the future, all we have ever had and will ever have to play with is the present moment. The most successful, happy people are the most present, self-aware people.

Being in the present moment is a tension-free experience. Once fully present, the fears, anxiety, hurtful memories and chaos of life melts away, everything we hold on to from the past or future becomes redundant, and we become fully empowered to make the most of the current situation - the given moment.

So if you are looking for some relief, and a holiday from your holiday the key is to be present in the moment - be in the now – and you will have no trouble making it through this hectic time of year :)

If you need to fit in some Bikram sessions before New Year’s, see our class schedule over the next few days below.

classes

All you have to do is get here, we will help you achieve the rest!

Happy New Year Yogis !  :)
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Monday Motivations

gdes

 Bikram yoga and weight loss are a common phenomenon in the Yogi realm. There are numerous articles circulating the internet that explain why Bikram Yoga is such a powerful weight loss tool, health organizations have calculated calories burned during each 90 minute class and experienced yogis around the world have written testimonials and inspirational stories about their journey to a healthier, leaner self.

As the festive season swings around for another summer of fun in the sun, eating and drinking with family and friends will soon become a frequent activity and the weather will tempt us to get out, strip off and make the most of the long daytime in New Zealand’s picturesque nature.

Don’t feel trapped this summer – with food or with your body. Invest in a weekly routine of Bikram Yoga and you will be able to spend the summer months enjoying friends, food and fun in the sun whilst looking your best!

Does it sound too good to be true? With Bikram Yoga, it really is possible. That is why this week’s motivations are all about real life weight loss stories from fellow Bikram yogis around the world. If they can do it, so can you!

Joel & Julia: Less than a year later, we collectively lost over 100 pounds and have encountered many other benefits, as follows. I no longer snore due to the light asthma that I once had. I can bend over and tie my shoes without turning blue and gasping for breath. I have a new driver's license with a younger-looking picture and a weight of 185 (about the same as I was in 1985 when I was 18). My girlfriend weighs 20 pounds less now than she did when she was in high school! We receive so many compliments from family, co-workers, friends, and others that it is sometimes embarrassing – my mother stared at me in disbelief of the slimmed down son she saw for, like, 10 minutes and I had to say "Stop Staring! It’s as if you haven’t seen me in 10 years!" I certainly smile more now than I have ever smiled in my life!

Emily H: Bikram yoga was hands down the fastest results i have ever seen from yoga.  I lost 15ish pounds in about 2 months by just doing bikram 4-6 days a week and eating healthier.  Plus my skin looked AWESOME and i felt so rad and energized all the time.

Jenn B: I did yoga for just 1 month, but everyday for 2 hours.  At the end of the month, I had lost several inches in my waist and was able to go down a full dress size.  I was not watching what I ate at the time, just yoga-ing.

Ellen McCandless: I gained 35 pounds and gave birth to an 8lb 14 oz baby girl at the end of August 2006. Seven weeks after giving birth, I started doing Bikram Yoga again just twice a week, gradually working up to 3-4 times per week. When my daughter, Morgan, was 5 months old I reached my pre-pregnancy weight! Now my daughter is 11 months and I have lost 8 more pounds! In addition, after my first pregnancy with my son my blood pressure never normalized. I was always borderline high and was put on medication for my second pregnancy. At my last doctor’s appointment a few months ago, my blood pressure was 118/70! None of the running, weight lifting or other traditional gym activities that I have done in the past gave me the results that Bikram Yoga has given me!

April Doerfler: 20 Pound Weight Loss – 3 Months. I have lost over 20 pounds in less than 3 months!I am amazed by myself and the 20+ lbs lost….I have never worked out in my life and this is something that I definitely know I can maintain and keep consistent.

1) http://www.bikramyoga.com/BikramYoga/WeightLoss.php,
2) http://www.yelp.com/topic/austin-has-yoga-helped-you-lose-weight,
3) http://www.yelp.com/topic/austin-has-yoga-helped-you-lose-weight,
4) http://bikramyogatempe.com/testimonials/bikram-yoga-and-baby-weight,
5) http://bikramyogatempe.com/testimonials/20-pound-weight-loss-3-months

To Book in your Summer of looking and feeling fantastic, call us Today on 0800 hotyoga or visit our website: www.bikramyogabritomart.co.nz 
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Monday Motivations

mm

 Today marks the beginning of the last month of the year and as Christmas and New Year’s fast approaches, we brace ourselves for one of the most stressful and busy periods of the year. The wild month of December can have negative effects on our bodies and minds, and without a bit of conscious effort to look after ourselves during this period, most of the stress and worry will carry itself into the New Year making our resolutions about fixing last year’s problems.

If you want to truly start afresh this January, Today is the day to make the first move. The 1st of December can be just like any other day – or it can be the day you started the journey to a greater you and a more fulfilling life.

But why Bikram Yoga? Here are just some of the benefits you can expect to see within a few classes:

On the inside, a regular Bikram practice
  • reduces stress levels,
  • enhances our ability to cope in stressful situations,
  • brings us self-awareness and thus better decision-making and
  • strengthens the mind to focus and be positive.
On the outside, a regular Bikram practise
  • tones up muscles,
  • sheds unwanted weight,
  • improves skin’s elasticity and overall health,
  • strengthens muscles, joints, heart and lungs, and
  • makes us more flexible and supple.
Make a Bikram Wellbeing Plan or call it your Summer Yogi plan – have fun with it! This is about YOU living life to the fullest so don’t cut any corners.

The Bikram Yoga Britomart Website has regularly updated class schedules to help you organize the week and pick the times that suit you. Think about what your next few weeks will involve, and make enough room for at least 3 Bikram classes every week – consistency is Key. It is important to choose a good plan that can be realistically stuck to – and stubbornly stick to it! The self-satisfaction that comes after sticking to anything is good enough of a reward – but if you succeed in sticking to your Summer Bikram Plan, the rewards will be far greater and they will trickle over into the rest of the New Year.

Make 2015 unforgettable! Challenge yourself – your best opponent and competition is yourself so use it to drive your achievements further.

Write down your progress throughout the weeks. Motivate yourself to do more to really push the envelope and keep pushing it. You will most importantly feel but certainly also see the results within just a couple of weeks. Taking before and after photos is another great way to self-motivate. Send them in to us! We will supply you with ample amounts of motivation – all you need to do is make the right choice this Month :)

Namaste

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Monday Motivations

jfc

 For us beginners the world of yoga seems appealing enough – we get to tone up, become more flexible, learn about better nutrition for our bodies, gain self-awareness, mental strength and peace of mind, as well as meeting like-minded people along the way. But for the more experienced yogis - the ones who have made it through years of personal and physical challenge and thus rewards, the world of yoga is much more colorful and lighthearted than we perhaps thought. It seems that things only get better and better.

Inside the studio the pace and noise of the outer world is only a view from the large windows. Nobody seems to care about anything beyond their control. There are sleeping bags and yoga mats scattered as though each sleeping bag is incomplete without its nearby yoga mat. The sounds of giggles and laughter are a consistent soundtrack to the bare-footed yogis who have come, some from as far as Argentina, to stay with us for the JFC Training and Weekend with Esak Garcia.

In the yoga world there are always events, or rather, there are always events to go to where yogis have the most fun. Years of Bikram Yoga take years off a person’s heart and mind and the bright, youthful air of experienced yogis is contagious. After all, what do they have to worry about? Years of consistent yoga practice has taught them to consider life less seriously. The weight of the world is not carried on the yogis shoulder because their yoga mats and towels get in the way :)

Life is a beautiful event but only if each person makes a decision with themselves to be the best that they can be – inside and out. Make this the focus, and soon the pace and sound of the world outside will not be able to penetrate your bubble. Some of us don’t even have a bubble!

It is inside this bubble that experienced yogis find all the amusement in the world - and it is a full time bubble for them. It only takes spending a few hours at a week-long event in the Studio, where everything and everyone are everywhere yet in the most organized, relaxed and humerus fashion, to understand how lighthearted, welcoming and truly enjoyable a yogi’s company and their overall life experience is.

Veteran yogis are pro’s at having a good laugh and fooling around – after years of self-discovery why wouldn't you laugh? How could you possibly keep a straight face? In order to discover one-self truly, it is imperative to be able to laugh because none of us are perfect. Once we start digging deep we find that we are utterly strange, bent out of balance and surprisingly awkward. And that is ok! Humans are complex beings living in a complex world. With a consistent yoga routine the inner child in us starts to let go, eventually not wanting to get caught up in all of life’s little or big complexities. The inner child wants to celebrate and share its new found energy with other youthful spirits.

Yogis take each day as it comes because they have spent years treating their bodies with the same respect; taking each posture as it comes, day by day. With each gathering, big or small, Yogis from around the world rejoice and let a little loose, between the focused class-time, taking themselves ever closer to the ultimate reward of them all; full-bellied Laughter :)

Become a part of this colorful, reward-ridden world, where the noise and pace is what you make it – not what you can see outside the window.

Namaste
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Monday Motivations

bikram-yoga

 The importance of looking after yourself with injuries is perhaps one of the most useful tools we can have in this lifetime because let’s face it – we all get injured sometimes and yet we all have to keep going to work or being parents or friends, and it is not always easy to do the right thing for our bodies, no matter how much the desire or willpower is.

Having an injury doesn't always have to be as obvious as a cast on the leg or visible inflammation of the tendons. Our bodies store things; they have a memory just like our mind does, and they can easily get out of alignment from years of wrong posture and abuse to the body – just like the mind can get out of balance from years of unbalanced thinking.

One does not have to be an athlete or body-builder to be in danger of working the body out of its alignment and physical balance. Things like sitting forward for long periods at your desk, carrying kids and handbags; these can all have negative effects on the body and without consistent Yoga, the body starts to remember and believe everything ‘bad’ it is being told. It is only natural!

When you go to Yoga your body starts to re-align and re-format itself; it starts to learn again how to be at its strongest, most supple, most balanced and most effortlessly functioning. This is why it can often freak out a little bit. It takes time and persistence to change the memory of your body. You’re almost literally starting from scratch again – and it’s not always easy! But what is ever truly worth-while that is easy?

People can experience a transition in their body, a transition that many Yogi’s understand and feel as the awakening of their true potential. However sometimes this transition can put people off; they feel disheartened and confused. When people’s bodies start rewriting themselves it sometimes causes them to stop their practice because their body is changing and they don’t know how or why.

If you have ever doubted yourself and your Yoga practice know that when you feel your body changing or feeling something different -  it is changing to a new, better functioning body, with a memory that is healthy and strong. It’s not always easy, but easy is not the way to achieving anything worthwhile. So do not be put off before your body gets its chance to improve.

The body is the most valuable thing we have and it is never too late or too difficult to transform it into its rightful place of well-being, regardless of its tumultuous history. We have to look at the whole picture to really understand the intimacies that make it up to be a whole. This is why it is so important to keep coming to Yoga - focus on one part of your body and you won't be looking after the rest of yourself, nor will the rest of yourself be looking after you!

The importance of the rest of your body being strong and functioning properly is that it will better support your healing process. Having an injury in one place shouldn’t mean neglecting the rest of your body.

Rather than giving up because of a single thing and allowing the rest of your whole body and mind to cave in and resign – give yourself another shot. Keep trying, keep pushing through the transformation stage of your body and its memory. As soon as you make it through, you will have a better relationship with your body and mind than ever before. You will have learned how to keep the whole picture in constant view, and what a wonderful picture it is <3

Book your next class here: www.bikramyogabritomart.co.nz

Namaste
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