We have some facility maintenance needs that I have been too busy to get to. If you are a skilled handy-person and would like to trade some labor for classes please contact me. You must be experienced with basic electrical wiring (lights and switches), sheet-rock repair, tile caulking and carpentry and able to work with minimal supervision.
We support the Dekalb Rape Crisis Center in two ways. One is by offering a 50% discount on all class cards to their active volunteer base and the other is by sending cash donations. From their web site:
DeKalb Rape Crisis Center exists to assist victims of sexual assault and the community in coping with these crimes; to help medical personnel in the delivery of health care needed as a result of these crimes; to provide counseling toward healing the emotional trauma experienced by a victim of sexual assault; to help victims through the investigation and court stages of the resolution of these crimes; and to educate the general public on sexual assault crimes and their prevention.
Please consider volunteering or otherwise supporting this important organization.
We were experiencing technical difficulties with our Contact Form but it is working again.
Water still flows from the water fountain in the yoga studio but the cooling element is not working which means you will be drinking warm water if you refill your bottle. Unfortunately, it’s not something I can easily do myself and so may take some time to get a plumber in. Please bear with us while we try to get it fixed.
One of our own, Susan Lippert, has begun the arduous process of enduring the nine week torture camp known as the Bikram Yoga Teacher Training in Hawaii. I just received the first word from her which was mostly about her initial impressions because at the time of her writing she was only two days into it and there had been some technical problems so their schedule had been pretty light. The reason for this post, however, is to share a brief testimonial she offered from her experience at the nearby local Bikram Yoga studio.
the instructor pointed me out for having the best sit up in class. he said “you, over there in the black outfit, do your sit up again for the class to see”. so i did it again and he said it was perfect. then he asked me where i was from and i said atlanta. he then said “you must have very good teachers in atlanta because they taught you very well”.
So… want to learn how to do a proper sit up? We’re ready when you are.
PS - I told Susan that from now on when asked where she’s from she needs to say, “Bikram Yoga Decatur,” but I kid. I’m happy to share the glory with the Atlanta studio because Jason and Cristina were my mentors, after all, and I owe much of my success to them.
I’m afraid this post isn’t going to fully answer the question above but I wanted to at least acknowledge the recent web site changes and say a brief word about the reason behind them. The new site design is built on blog software (wordpress) and will incorporate some interactive features which I hope will make it more useful for all who visit. Unfortunately, almost immediately after inception I had a family emergency that required some attention and I haven’t had a chance to really start to use or even explain the new features. The emergency is nothing to be alarmed about — just the kind of thing that may occur when one has an aging parent — so don’t be concerned. As for the site, everything you need to know about Bikram Yoga and our studio, in particular, is readily available so have a look around, find what you need, but then be sure to check back in week or so.
I am a forty five year old male who was introduced to Bikram Yoga roughly 6 years ago at the Atlanta studio. Being a drummer, I immediately liked the rhythmic timing of tension and release in the series. As my early practice took shape, I developed affinity for certain postures, dread of other postures, and the improper tendency to compare my poses to others'. I went more or less regularly for a year or so, during which I injured my lower back several times, from careless lifting at work to pushing postures too far. I gradually fell back into some old bad habits and drifted away from practicing for the next year and a half…
Flash to the opening of Bikram Yoga Decatur. They've got this deal: 10 days unlimited for $25. The first class back about killed me. Anyway, I think I did 7 out of the 10 days: a pretty good start. For the next couple years I'd buy 20 classes at a time, hitting 2 or 3 afternoons a week. I began to lose weight, acquire some muscle tone, and notice the natural progress that occurs in the postures when extra body mass is no longer in the way. My previously injured lower back was beginning to feel strong, now that it was getting stretched and no longer carrying extra weight.
As my practice has progressed, many of the things which bothered me early on have moderated or fallen away. I now enjoy postures I once dreaded. If I catch myself comparing my depth of posture with others', I let it go and try to smile about our human condition. I generally know when to push deeper into poses and when to take it easy. There are plateaus one reaches with continued practice: positions I used to think I would never be able to do, I now assume regularly. I go to morning classes when I can fit it in. I even set up in the hot corner…occasionally. These details are neither here nor there: as long as I am breathing and doing the positions to the best of my ability, I am receiving the benefits. It is a moving meditation, peaking with the endorphin headrush after the second camel, which is sometimes the highlight of my day…
I recently attended Bikram's Atlanta workshop. The man is an interesting speaker, teacher, and showman. The posture clinics were quite helpful and I found my practice injected with a new energy. Since then, I have been buying unlimited monthly cards and trying to make a class every day. Thanks to Eric and the kick ass staff at BYD, this has been a great experience for me.
"You got it, boss."
Pam is disappointed that the new site isn’t as colorful and doesn’t have as many pictures as the old site. I’m definitely planning on working some more pictures into the site but it’s gonna take a little time. In the meantime, we also have a photo gallery.
Craig Villani is one of Bikram’s senior instructors and the Director of Education for the Bikram Yoga Teacher Training Program. He’s got an article posted on a site called, Find Bliss, that provides a concise overview of the philosophy behind Bikram Yoga. Like the Bikram Series itself, the article is well suited for beginners — i.e. those with little or no knowledge of or experience with yoga — but it also contains some insights for current practitioners who wish to deepen their understanding of the Bikram method.
One of the most misunderstood and sometimes controversial aspects of Bikram Yoga is the emphasis on discipline. If you’ve ever been to a Bikram studio, including ours, you will be familiar with the frequent admonitions to, “be on your mat and ready to practice on time,” “don’t leave the room,” “don’t drink water during the first four postures,” “be still in between the postures,” and so on. These are not arbitrary directives and they speak to the primacy of the mental aspects of a hatha yoga practice. In his article Craig illustrates this by citing “five steps [that] are woven into the fabric of the classroom experience:
He also describes the intentions behind a classical hatha yoga practice:
Classical yoga asanas were originally developed with the intention of holistic integration, affecting positive change in all bodily systems by addressing their energetic roots. Hatha yoga, when practiced properly, should not damage the body. The primary focus of true hatha yoga is to heal and maintain the physical body through balancing the latent potential for strength and flexibility, ultimately leading to the experience of a happier, healthier life. After all, the motivation underlying the practice of asana is for the aspirant to receive the unique physical, mental and emotional benefits associated with the expression of each posture. Those who insist upon seeing the posture as the object of their practice may needlessly continue to injure their bodies for the sake of performance. In Bikram Yoga, the emphasis is placed upon the healing benefits attained through maintaining depth of expression relative to proper application of form. Thus, the posture is never seen as the object – the body is the object.
It is from this background that Bikram Yoga was developed and it is with this in mind that we are always saying, “anybody can do it.” Those who continue to think of hatha yoga as only a measure of physical ability (flexibility, strength, balance) are missing the forest for the trees. Yes, we focus on postures, and specifically on our own ability to perform the postures, but the real benefits come from the insights we gain into the nature of our bodies as well as a deeper understanding of how our mind relates to the body.
Read the full article at findbliss.com.
PS - I was taken aback when Craig wrote that Bikram has been, “professionally teaching hatha yoga from the age of six” but I’m pretty certain that’s a typo. I assume it should read “sixteen”.
A tip of the water bottle to Shasta for pointing me to the article.
To make your towel less slippery don’t use fabric softener when washing it. You may also want to take it out of the dryer before it’s completely dry. A very slightly damp towel will be less slippery than a very dry one.
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