It doesn’t look like the workshop will sell out so you may still register now or at the door.

We are now accepting registrations at the front desk for the Anatomy of a Yogi Workshop to be held July 19 and 20 (Sat & Sun). Attendance will be limited and early registration is recommended. The cost is $150 per person but if you register before July 12 we’ll reduce that to $125.

The workshop will be approximately four hours each afternoon and will include an optional Bikram class afterwards. Workshop topics will cover emotional anatomy and the chakra system with an emphasis on how different emotions and chakras are activated in the Bikram series.

Paul and Jaylee Balch have dedicated their lives to helping people awaken and understand their innate ability to heal themselves. Paul, as a certified Bikram instructor and hypnotherapist and Jaylee, with a background in psychology and counseling, have followed the guidance of Tibetan and Tao masters and imparted a treasury of knowledge around the world. Combined, they have taught for over twenty years and run seminars in over 14 countries.

This workshop is designed to take your yoga practice to a new experiential level of energetic awareness. It will be helpful to have attended at least a few Bikram classes but all experience levels are welcome.

The four hour workshop will mostly be lecture with some breaks. Chairs will be provided. The studio will provide some light snacks during the break (very light). The room will not be heated for most of the workshop but it will still be somewhat warm due to there being a class beforehand.

Workshop Schedule

Saturday
11:30 am - 3:30 pm, Lecture
4:00 - 5:30 pm - Bikram Class taught by Paul Balch
Sunday
12:30 pm - 4:30 pm
5:00 - 6:30 pm - Bikram Class taught by Paul Balch

Download a Workshop Flyer

When I was in the Bikram Yoga teacher training program Bikram talked a lot about celebrities and athletes who practiced at his studio, one of whom, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, brought his whole family to the studio. I’ve heard that Jabbar’s son went so far as to become a certified instructor and later won second place in the International Yoga Asana Championship (no link because I can’t find any). Abdul-Jabbar is inarguably one of the most well-known and respected athletes of all time. He’s in his fifties and retired as a professional athlete but he still practices yoga daily. And he blogs for the LA Times. And in a recent blog entry he has some inspiring words about yoga, including Bikram Yoga. I’ve pulled an excerpt below in which he offers some encouraging advice for those just getting started. The article is titled, “Fit after 50: Staying flexible with yoga,” but his suggestions are appropriate for any age.

1. Be consistent. Any new endeavor requires a period of commitment. At first, you may feel awkward or self-conscious, but promise yourself that you’ll stick with it for two months. At the same time, to receive the most benefits, you’ll need to practice yoga at least three times a week.

2. It’s not a competition. As a beginner, your body needs a period of adjustment as it adapts to new demands. Don’t push yourself beyond your limits just because you see others able to do what you can’t. We don’t throw the teen that just got his driver’s license into the Indy 500. Take your time.

3. Practice with a friend. It’s easier to keep motivated if you have someone you work out with. So, if you intend to take a yoga class at your fitness club, or practice at home with a DVD, see if you can get a friend to practice with you.

I have revised the New Student “Read Me” page of our web site in the following manner:

I have replaced the sentence, “Bikram Yoga is best practiced on an empty stomach - do not eat for 3-4 hours before class” with this: “Do not practice immediately after a meal. A light healthy snack such as fruit, yogurt or nuts is advisable an hour or two beforehand but you won’t be comfortable if you practice with a full stomach.” I think the original sentence was lacking context and easily misunderstood.

Food is fuel and anyone who exercises after a long period of fasting is likely to see their blood sugar drop to an unhealthy level. Symptoms of low blood sugar can include: nausea, nervousness, cold/clammy skin. a rapid heart rate, numbness, irritability, blurred vision, headache, weakness, excessive fatigue. To avoid these symptoms, in addition to plenty of water, your body needs carbohydrates for energy and to avoid fatigue. If you practice very soon after waking it’s fine to do so on an empty stomach providing your diet the day before was sufficiently healthy in quality and quantity. Even then it may be wise to eat a small healthy snack immediately upon rising. Carbohydrates are best obtained in complex form from fruits, vegetables and grains. Foods to avoid before class are sugar, high fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, pasta or breads made from white flour, candy or soda. If you practice in the afternoon or evening, make sure you eat a healthy lunch 2-4 hours beforehand.

If you suspect your blood sugar level has dropped during class, please stop and rest. If the symptoms don’t go away after a few minutes you may need to leave the room. If necessary, you can ask the teacher for some orange juice (we don’t sell orange juice but we keep a couple bottles in the fridge just in case).

Since we’re entering the season of high heat and humidity I thought it might be beneficial to talk a little about sweat.

The body is approximately 60% water. The blood is mostly water and is used to distribute oxygen, nutrients, hormones and other substances to cells as well as remove metabolic byproducts (not toxins* as is commonly thought). Water is used to cushion the spine and brain and acts as a kind of shock absorber to prevent injury. Water is a critical component of our body’s cooling system (through evaporation of the sweat). The electrolyte components of water regulate nerve and muscle function, blood acid balance and the amount of fluid in our cells. The body regulates the levels of all substances such as minerals, trace elements and electrolytes and so some of these are naturally eliminated through the sweat and eliminatory systems.

The primary purpose of sweating is to regulate body temperature. Sweat transfers heat from inside the body to the skin where it is released into the air through evaporation. The effect of vigorous exercise in a hot room is an increase in the amount of sweat which may therefore result in the elimination of more minerals and electrolytes — simple dehydration. A healthy diet with plenty of water intake is probably sufficient for most people to maintain appropriate levels of electrolytes and minerals but if excessive sweating leaves you feeling any of the following symptoms during or after class you should certainly increase your daily water intake but you may also benefit from taking electrolyte supplements: excessive thirst, fatigue; headache; dry mouth (or sticky saliva); decreased urination; muscle weakness; dizziness. I favor the convenience of Emergen-C brand supplements but a good homemade solution is to mix a little sea salt and fresh lemon juice in a glass of water.

And now a word about sweating and body odor. Sweat itself has no odor. The odor from sweating results from the interaction of the sweat with bacteria that lives on the skin. Regular bathing with soap and water helps reduce the amount of bacteria in the skin and therefore may reduce or eliminate most body odors. A common odor in the sweat of some people who exercise vigorously is ammonia. Ammonia is a natural component of sweat but it’s usually too dilute to be noticed. A strong ammonia odor may indicate a high protein diet in which case it might be wise to increase your dietary intake of low-glycemic carbohydrates such as fruits (most), legumes, whole grains, certain starchy vegetables (try eating an apple or a small amount of unsweetened oatmeal an hour before class). A very strong ammonia odor that persists over time could also indicate liver dysfunction in which case a visit to the doctor is advised.

* When people speak of “toxins” being eliminated through the sweat they are — whether they know it or not — referring to natural byproducts of metabolism. These eliminated elements might be considered waste products but, by definition, they are not toxins.

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:

1. Faith
2. Self-control or moral discipline
3. Determination or will-power
4. Concentration
5. Patience”

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.