The TARA Project is an international nonprofit organization based in Atlanta working with impoverished communities. They work with communities at the nexus of health, education and economic opportunity in order to alleviate poverty. Proceeds from this fund raising event will benefit the development of a community based pharmacy in Kenya.

The TARA Project has supported a pharmacology student for several years who will manage the pharmacy and there is a building in the community ready to house the pharmacy. Throughout 2012, The TARA Project is raising funds to supply the pharmacy with equipment and medicine. With the support of their gracious friends The TARA Project is bringing life saving medication to rural Africa.

BYD T-Shirts and Caps will be on sale, along with select Shakti and Onzie yoga wear.

In addition to the sale, we will also have a yoga clothing swap! Ever bought a yoga outfit and realized after wearing it once or twice, the color or fit just wasn’t for you? Bring in your clean, gently used yoga clothes to swap or sell right after the 11 am class on Saturday and Sunday. The sale on shirts and hats will run all weekend.

Inspired by my friend’s fortitude, I celebrated my recent birthday with a double: the first of my 19-month practice. I had neither a specific goal in mind nor anything to prove. I had no idea if I’d endure through both classes or if I’d run out of steam and face-plant on my mat. I decided that it didn’t really matter either way; I just wanted to be there doing it. It seemed a deeply symbolic way to celebrate my life and health at 42: by steeping myself in the practice that has so lovingly and steadily taught me to develop greater presence in my life both inside and outside of the yoga room.

A few thoughts on my experience:

* Over-thinking a double beforehand will not make it any easier and, in fact, will most likely make it harder. Going into it with an empty mind will allow the focus to remain on taking in the experience as it unfolds moment by moment…just like a regular class. Thinking definitely wasn’t in my best interest; being there was.

* Pacing is important; a single class is a challenge, but a double class is triple the challenge! But equally important to pacing myself was not over-thinking my pace. I tried to maintain an awareness of conserving energy while still practicing to the best of my ability. Instructors sometimes suggest that we acknowledge our thoughts and then let them pass us by gently, like clouds floating across the sky. The thought of my pace was a cloud that kept cycling back across my sky: a brief and gentle cue to stay present. Mindfulness is paramount in a yoga practice, and a double class provides an excellent opportunity to exercise unceasing mindfulness.

* In my general practice, I grapple regularly with the difference between needing to replace lost water and my desire to indulge in a momentary distraction from discomfort. Halfway through the standing series of my second class, I grew intensely thirsty and had a genuine need to take very regular sips of water, which I allowed myself to do. Muscular fatigue also began to set in around this time, and the spinal series of my second class took every bit of will I had left. Thirst, however, was by far the biggest challenge for me throughout this experience, probably because I sweat intensely. Or, as I like to say, I cool very efficiently. Mindful hydration is a must.

My double in one adjective: hard. But every class I attend is hard, and that’s why I keep coming. Similar to a 30-day challenge, a Bikram double provided a chance to invigorate my practice as well as an opportunity to view it from a different perspective. There are many edges to push during 180 minutes of Bikram yoga…many chances to dig in your heels and discover just how deep runs your wellspring of strength, focus, and determination. My double brought me a new appreciation for mindfulness and for the beautiful necessity of it in yoga, and in life. Think you can’t do a double? I thought that about myself too. But how often is “I can’t” really just “I don’t want to”? Our minds will always attempt to keep us corralled with such thoughts. When we corral the mind – which is precisely what yoga teaches us to do – possibilities flourish.

I can attest that a Bikram double is a fabulous way to celebrate a birthday, but you don’t have to wait for a special occasion. You are the occasion every day. Try it sometime and amaze yourself.

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

Thank you for your patience with this project.