Bikram Yoga Decatur

Mother Jones on Pakistan Flood Aid:

As tens of millions displaced and homeless Pakistanis continue to weather the effects of flooding, donations for flood relief remain sluggish. Pakistan is getting far less in donations (and media attention) than the Haiti earthquake. The flood relief effort has about 2/3 of the funding it needs, the US State Department estimates. According to one Oxfam representative, after 3 weeks the Pakistan effort garnered roughly $230 million committed; Haiti had three times that within 10 days.

You can help (we did).

Say hello to our little friend, Leif Alan Johnson, born to Anita Chen, August 7 at 10:59 am.

I’ve discovered there are many ways of experiencing “the moment,” and while I wouldn’t recommend this for every class, I think that allowing our imagination to partner with us from time to time (can be in just one posture) can help evoke a state of joy, inspiration... even humor, and help us experience new and exciting dimensions within the moment. I consider it part of my yoga toolbox, consisting of only positive, good things—tools that help, not hurt—used to support my practice and not to hide or derail from it. Hey, sometimes a little imagination goes a long way! A poem to exemplify: Read more »

I believe that without the instructors and other students to practice alongside it would be more difficult to initiate a yoga practice and to build a consistent practice. Read more »

Are you underpaid? Have you been laid off recently? Have you got more time than money? Do you find it difficult to afford to practice Bikram Yoga as much as you would like? It is with you in mind that we have registered as a Product Partner with Go Green Get Rewards, a volunteer rewards program designed to support social activism. Volunteer members receive reward points for volunteering at environmental (and other) non-profit organizations. Volunteer members accumulate points and then redeem them for products from rewards sponsors and product partners.

You can learn about the organization and how it works at either of these web sites:

Go Green Get Rewards

Do Good Get Rewards

I was pretty disappointed a while back to learn that my bank of choice (Washington Mutual) was engaged in shady and possibly illegal practices.

My bank was then acquired by Chase, an even bigger and badder institution of questionable practices.

Then I saw this video which was produced by the Move Your Money Project.

So I am in the process of moving our money. I have recently joined the locally based MembersFirst Credit Union and have been moving all of my checking and savings accounts away from big corporate banks.

I also have had a Working Assets credit card from the beginning. It was the first "socially responsible" credit card but it was bought by Bank of America so I found an even better option. The Salmon Nation Visa card is issued by a small, progressive bank in the Pacific Northwest and a percentage of all profits goes towards the preservation of wild Salmon fisheries.

"Yoga is as yoga does there's no in-between
Your either with it on the ball or you've blown the scene."
sung by Elvis Presley in the film, Easy Come, Easy Go
Words & Music by Nelson - Burch

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Body’s Melody

Every part of our body,
An indispensable detail in our posture
Our posture, the playing of our instrument
Its melody, the song of our inner self
Our inner self, the source of our art
In our source, a masterpiece
Thank you, body, every part

by Elizabeth V.

This entry is an opinion piece by a BYD student and its views do not represent those of Bikram Yoga Decatur or its instructors.

Effective immediately and until further notice:

We are adding a 6:00 am on Mondays.

The Noon Class on Fridays has been canceled.

See the Schedule Page for the complete schedule.

Through my yoga practice, I’ve developed a deep connection with my body. I can best describe it as a quiet trust that is felt and I let guide me into postures. A few weeks ago, however, I realized that I’ve been relying on the instructors to remember their anatomy and I’ve put minimal effort outside the studio (unless something hurts) to become more versed in the subject. I wondered if I have overlooked the possibility of enhancing my practice through combining personal knowledge of my body with more scientific knowledge. Then, I had this great idea of studying anatomy/physiology. Read more »

For the next five weeks I will be studying yoga anatomy. The books I have on hand are: Anatomy of Hatha Yoga, by H. David Coulter, and Yoga Anatomy, by Leslie Kaminoff. If anyone has any other book(s)/sources recommendations, I am very interested.

During this time, I will focus my practice primarily on the body and alignment. As I practice, I hope to apply and experiment with what I will be learning through texts and research. I look forward to sharing my journey through this blog.

If anyone wants to take this challenge with me, I would love that! The first two chapters on Anatomy of Hatha Yoga are: 1. “Movement and Posture,” and 2. “Breathing.”

…and Eyes, and Ears, and Mouth, and Nose

This entry is an opinion piece by a BYD student and it’s views do not represent those of Bikram Yoga Decatur or its instructors.

I went to visit my family in New York and I am still taking in the experience. Read more »

Effective immediately, the 2:00 pm class on Sundays has been canceled for the Summer.

Usually, but not by a lot. We have done a couple of informal tests to monitor body temperature during class and we had some inconsistent results but there was a slight rise in most people. Here's what we found: Read more »

Over the last couple of months we have donated 20 Class Cards to the following local organizations who will use them to raise funds. Most of these will end up being available though silent auctions. For details on auction dates and times please contact the organizations directly.

Spark Reproductive Justice Now

GA Citizen’s Coalition on Hunger

Southern Center for Human Rights

Project South

Trees Atlanta

Fugees Family

Wonderroot

Refugee Family Services

New Roots

Alternate Roots

Shortness of breath and all that comes with it is what brought me to practice yoga. Learning to breathe and using the breath to energize the movement, to relax, to pace myself—to become aware—has provided the most benefits to my health. In fact, since I’ve been practicing Bikram Yoga, I went to CPR training, and the instructor said he had never seen someone so small with such great lung capacity (I smiled)! Read more »

Every day is truly different, for new and seasoned yoga practitioners alike. Even with a flexible back, I sometimes feel tension—physical, mental, or both—that prevents me from going further into the first back bend in the series—the last part of the half moon pose. I accept that as part of my practice.

However, there have been times when I have felt my body go into a very deep back bend. The feeling—not the depth—that comes with releasing into the posture is what I enjoy and have benefited from the most, and what has motivated me to share what I refer to as “the secret to my deepest back bend.” Read more »

This is nothing to be alarmed about. The ammonia smell could be a sign of kidney failure if it occurred in your sweat and breath all the time but if it's only associated with vigorous exercise it's almost certainly diet related. It's common among marathon runners and usually comes from having a low carb/high protein diet. You may want to include more complex carbohydrates in your diet.

If you have serious concerns about this or any other health issue you should always seek advice from a doctor or other health care professional. Our preparation as Yoga instructors does not include medical training.

This is one of my first attempts at poetry in over ten years. I am thankful for the opportunity to share it with you: Read more »

With this post I wish to encourage others to listen to their bodies. Thank you Rebecca for your constant reminder and for your naturally caring ways! Rebecca always reminds us to appreciate ourselves for everything we do to take care of ourselves. There is nothing too small: Read more »

Effective immediately, we are now facing forward for all the standing postures. We are now doing what virtually all other Bikram Yoga studios do, which is to stand with our feet directly on the carpet, straddling our mats. Read more »

Bikram Yoga is suitable for ages 16 and up. It is not recommended for children under the age of 16. Children 16-17 must have a parent or legal guardian come to the studio and sign a waiver for them in the presence of an instructor.

The old style PVC mats, commonly referred to as "sticky mats" -- and which we no longer sell -- can be washed in a washing machine on a gentle cycle with a small amount of Woolite-type laundry detergent. Air dry, of course.

However, newer yoga mats, especially those made with natural rubber or otherwise being marketed as "eco" mats, may not hold up as well to the abuse that a washing machine provides. These mats should be sprayed and wiped with a gentle liquid cleaning mixture. There are several brands of "Yoga Mat Spray" which you could buy but all of them are ridiculously overpriced and none of them contain anything more than readily available inexpensive ingredients. We make our own yoga mat spray using the following formula:

To make one gallon:

• 8 oz alcohol
• 8 oz hydrogen peroxide
• 1/4 teaspoon lavender OR eucalyptus oil
• 1/4 teaspoon tea tree oil
• fill the rest of the gallon with water

Adjust the quantities to your liking. Shake the mixture thoroughly before spraying, wipe with a clean, dry cloth and always air dry your mat. It's best not to store them rolled up when they are damp.

Obviously, you can use this method on the sticky mats, too.

We had almost gotten to the end of the 4 pm class today. "Rabbit" posture was done, and the first set of "Head to Knee with Stretching" posture was done. Then...Rebecca R. told us we were going to do the second set differently. Read more »

Every time we walk into the studio and place our mats on the floor we begin, not where we left off, but where we are. This is one of the many wonders of yoga. It invites us to the present moment–free from past and future, and devoid of expectations. It welcomes us as we are–strong, tired, happy, or sad, and gives us an opportunity to reacquaint with ourselves. There is no grading system to give us more or less value over another, even over ourselves. We are encouraged to just be present in our physical bodies and be willing to listen to instructions as we move into postures to the extent of our current ability. To determine what our current ability is, we feel our bodies and our breath and allow them to guide our efforts. Read more »

Our washer/Dryer is broken so please help us out by remembering to bring your large towel with you when you come to class.

Thanks

This Saturday we will be having our second monthly Posture Talk following the 11 am class. Posture Talk is an informal discussion of.... whatever is on your mind. Bring your questions, tips for practice, inspirational stories, gripes about our studio or anything else you want to talk about.

Saturday, May 1, 1:00 pm

The next Posture Talk will be on Saturday, June 5.

I've just posted a new page called Etiquette and Culture.

The "Fixed Firm" pose is one of my most challenging postures. I can barely get my knees and ankles on the floor much less lie down and stretch my arms over my head. Instead, I get to look at myself hunched over in the mirrors...and I think...what a long way I have to go..... Read more »