health | Bikram Yoga North Brisbane

14 Aug 2019

Sticky Post By Rachel Posted in Benefits, happiness, health, meditation Permalink

Create the time for meditation

Sticky Post By Rachel On August 14, 2019

While we may have heard a daily meditation practice brings with it many benefits to our overall happiness and wellbeing, there’s often resistance to committing to it. Common resistances include thinking ‘I don’t have time’, ‘It’s boring to just sit still’, or ‘I am not good at it, my mind just runs the whole time’. These last two examples are similar to expecting an untrained puppy to sit still the first time it is asked. Whereas the first, simply requires you to have an honest conversation with yourself about what your priorities are, and perhaps shift the expectation of exactly how much time you need to dedicate towards mediating.

Just like your asana, meditation is a practice, not a performance. So a good place to begin is removing any outcome you perceive you need to achieve, which may be ‘successfully meditating’. I know this is one I’ve had in the past. Benefits and blessings will come to you over time, but for now, all you need to do is sit down, try to be still, and practice the meditation technique shown to you. If you don’t have one already, don’t worry, there is one included at the end of this blog.

Initially, sitting still for a period of time can be challenging, especially because we’re so use to ‘moving’ and ‘doing’ constantly. In our modern world, it seems even sleeping is becoming something we ‘do’, rather than being really enjoyed. So to begin, simply designate a specific time window, duration, and place to practice on a regular basis. Begin with five minutes, and set a timer so looking at the clock won’t distract you. Commit to practicing meditation before you have your breakfast in the morning, in a quiet corner or room in your home. Another option is to close the door at your office, and practice your meditation at your desk. Otherwise, you may choose to commit five minutes at the end of your yoga class, when you’re in savasana. Regardless of where and when, we can all create 5 minutes of space in our day. Over time, you can gradually lengthen your practice.

For most people the normal state of the mind is a constant chatter. Don’t be put off by this; Rather, use the stillness, use the quiet, to bring awareness and observation to how much your mind chatters. With repetition of practice, you can use this awareness to soften the chatter, and delve deeper into your consciousness. The associated benefits to this such as a calm mind, eased stress, anxiousness, and depression, healthier sleeping patterns, increased creativity, improved relationships, and self-appreciation and respect, make the practice even more enticing, and even easier to commit to.

Again, just like your asana practice, meditation will bring with it a new experience each day; some will seem ‘easier’ than others. If you a miss a day, feel distracted throughout, or finish early, just start again. Have faith your mind will come to settle down and feel at ease with regular practice and eventually longer periods of sitting. Be as gentle with yourself as you would a puppy you love, and allow your mind to learn to release in the same way it has learned to hold on.

Meditation Technique:

Sit or lie comfortably, with your spine straight. Set a timer on your phone or meditation application (we recommend 1 Giant Mind, or, Insight Timer) so as not to be distracted by looking at the clock. Close your eyes and take a few slow breaths in and out of your nose to calm your body down and prepare for meditation.

Next, place extra attention on your breath. Stilling breathing by your nose, bring your inhale and exhale to the same steady length, and then continue to observe your breath. Feel your chest rise on the inhale, and then the chest fall on the exhale. Feel the coolness of the air on the inhale, and warmth of the air on the exhale. Maintain your focus and observation on your breath. If at any point, you notice your mind wandering, gently come back to the awareness of the breath. For some extra support, you may choose to silently say in your mind ‘inhale’ as you breathe in, and ‘exhale’ as you breathe out.

At the end of your practice, give a statement of gratitude. For example, ‘I am thankful for making the time to do this meditation’, ‘I am thankful for my breath’, ‘I am thankful for how relaxed I feel’, or, anything that naturally arises in to give thanks for.

Some general recommendations to support your meditation practice include, not eating or consuming caffeine/ any other stimulants just prior to meditating, finding a private and quiet space where you won’t be interrupted, and keeping a journal to track your insights and progress.

Let us know how you’re going with your meditation practice. Leave us a comment on this post, share in our facebook group, or talk to any one of us at the studio! We look forward to hearing of how meditation is supporting and enriching you in your life.

Namaste

15 Oct 2017

Sticky Post By Rachel Posted in happiness, health, meditation, Yoga Permalink

Not a creative person? Meditation will change that

Sticky Post By Rachel On October 15, 2017

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” – Pablo Picasso.

Creative people. They’re the rock stars, authors, and artists of the world. They’re the ones we look up to for their imagination and their talent.

They’re special, aren’t they? Those creative artists who create the music, books, and art we turn to when we want to dream.

People flock to La Louvre in Paris, one of the most impressive art galleries in the world, oggling the works of artists like Gericault and Da Vinci. They were people born to create works of creative genius. Many dream that one day they may create works that would be one hundredth the creative brilliance of those paintings adorning the walls of France’s most important gallery.

Yet many think that only those alike to Da Vinci and Gericault were born for creative brilliance, the rest of us are not. Right? If we were born with creative talent we would surely know about it, wouldn’t we? Talent like that couldn’t be hiding somewhere, unbeknownst to us. Could it?

But what if creative talent isn’t reserved for just the lucky few? What if creative talent is actually inside us all?

Pablo Picasso famously said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”

Sure enough, every child is indeed an artist. Give a two-year-old a crayon and they’ll draw you a picture. True, it might be a mangled mess completely uninterpretable until said child tells you it’s a cat, but they will grab that crayon and they will draw to their heart’s content; they will have a go.

Trouble is, most adults will not have a go. Give an adult a crayon and they’ll probably just put it right back in the box and tell you to grow up. It’s like the mere idea of being creative seems absurd to them.

We lose our creativity as we grow old. And no wonder. “Stress is a well-known creativity killer,” says psychologist Robert Epstein, PhD. “Time constraints are another.” As we age we are gradually exposed to both increasing levels of stress and tightening time constraints, and our creativity is stifled.

Stress and time-constraints kill creativity in many ways:

Stress prevents the mind from being playful, which is essential to creativity.
Stress makes us obsess over worries rather than thinking about possibilities.
Stress prevents us from living in the moment, cutting off our main source of inspiration.
Stress is tiring, sapping our creative energy.
Time constraints mean we’re forced to do things the way we know rather than looking for alternatives.
Both time constraints and stress make us hyper-focused on action and results, preventing us from looking outside the box, from considering alternative options, and, ultimately, from being creative.

Put all these factors together and it’s easy to see why the modern world is custom designed to kill the average adult’s creativity.

But that doesn’t mean adults cannot be creative. It just means we have to make a concerted effort to actually use our creative powers.

The key to reclaiming our creativity, perhaps surprisingly, is this: We need to chill out.

Sounds jovial. It’s actually both vital and incredibly accurate.

If we want to be creative we have to let our minds play. We have to stop being so darned focused on the time and on productivity and results. “Chilling out” truly is the answer.

To say we need to “chill out” really means we have to let go of stress so we can be more mentally flexible.

We can liken this to yoga.

Physical stress kills a yoga practice like mental stress kills creativity, and for precisely the same reason.

When we are tense (in other words, physically stressed) our muscles are cramped in one position, making it impossible for them to take up an asana.

Similarly, when we are mentally tense (stressed) the mind is too forced in one position, too focused on one way of looking at things, making it impossible to be creative.

We can solve both these problems in the same way.

When we are tense in yoga we don’t immediately stretch out into full expression of standing bow. We begin by helping the body to relax. Only once the body is relaxed we can then move with more ease and grace into the posture.

It’s the same with creativity.

When we’re mentally stressed we don’t pen A Tale Of Two Cities. Rather, we have to take steps to relax the mind so that we can start to be more creative.

To relax the mind, we meditate. But in a specific way.

The majority of meditation techniques are focused. These are techniques in which we focus the mind on one thing, such as the breath. This, however, is not conducive to creativity because creativity is not about focusing on one view. It’s about being open to myriad different views.

The opposite of focused meditations is Open Monitoring.

These are meditations in which we do not focus on one thing, but rather we extend awareness to the entirety of our environment. It’s as though consciousness were butter in a warm pan. The butter expands evenly to cover the whole pan. Same with open monitoring meditation. Consciousness spreads evenly so we are aware of our whole environment.

If you have ever found yourself fully absorbed in beautiful scenery you will have experienced open monitoring meditation. It’s the state in which we feel one with our environment, when we seem to breathe with the world, when we are calm and yet aware of the fullness of our environment.

Scientific research proves that open monitoring is an incredibly powerful technique for creativity.

Cognitive psychologist Loenza Colzato studied the affect that open monitoring meditation has on divergent and convergent thinking. These are mental processes that enable us to come up with new ideas and bring those ideas together into one cohesive unit (such as when we conceptualise a story, first brainstorming ideas and then bringing them together into one story).

Colazato’s study showed that open monitoring meditation significantly improved these mental processes. This, Colzato said, showed that open monitoring meditation is an incredibly powerful tool for creativity.

The reason open monitoring meditation boosts creativity is, essentially, because it is freeing. It undoes the damage that too much stress and time constraints do to us.

As adults, it is far too easy to become hyper-focused on productivity and results, always choosing the trusted way rather than being free to experiment. It’s a self-imposed cage in which we cannot see the infinite possibilities that are always within us.

Open monitoring meditation opens the mind, limbering us up like those warm-up moves in yoga. It creates mental flexibility and freedom with which we can realise our creative potential.

Why not try open monitoring meditation today. It’s easy.

To do open monitoring meditation:

Go somewhere quiet and relaxing, a place you would want to be one with (such as a beautiful countryside).
Sit or lie down.
Count your breaths up to 50 just to relax.
Be aware of your senses. Listen, feel, smell, taste, and see the environment around you.
Let your consciousness rhttp://dailycupofyoga.com/wp-admin/index.phpeach out so that you are aware of everything.
If thoughts and feelings arise, let them come and go while still paying attention to the environment.
Continue for 20 minutes.
Notice how you feel more open, more relaxed, and freer.

Practice this technique whenever you want to get in touch with your creativity. It will open your mind and give you the mental freedom and flexibility with which to be creative.

24 Nov 2016

Sticky Post By Rachel Posted in health, Yoga Permalink

Is Bikram Yoga The Cure For What Ails You?

Sticky Post By Rachel On November 24, 2016

Does your yoga practice help you deal with a physical disability or other health issue? Sharis’ does. She has a moderate hearing loss and tinnitus (ringing in the ears). It can be very frustrating and physically exhausting. When the tinnitus really flares up, it can be quite debilitating, making it hard to think, and her balance can suffer. It can sometimes lead to feelings of vertigo or extreme dizziness.

Through out her struggle, she turned to the Bikram yoga practice for routine, for solace and for strength. Now, she recommends yoga and meditation to all her friends with an injury or ailment as a way to deal with the frustration, but also to give the body and mind the strength it needs to survive and thrive despite the challenges we face every day. I think this is the case for many people battling physical ailments and infirmities.

One of the things about Bikram yoga is that it is accessible to people of all physical abilities. I have been in classes with people who suffer from Lyme disease and Parkinson’s, people who are recovering from cancer, people who are recuperating from serious knee or back injuries, and students who are dealing with more invisible ailments such as depression or mental illness. In all cases, the yoga practice seems to provide a physical release along with a jolt of mental strength to tackle whatever challenges they have to face that particular day. For me, I know it helps me to blow off the steam of frustration or confusion, teaches me to persevere in the face of discomfort, and to find stillness and calm when things get tough.

Shari’s hearing loss was not something she talked about for many years – trying rather to hide it and ignore it. However, in the past year, she has “come out of her hearing loss closet” and become a hearing health advocate. Check out her blog – Living With Hearing Loss, where she discusses the challenges and issues related to hearing loss and tinnitus. Her goal for the blog was to share her story in hopes of helping others to live more peacefully with their own hearing loss and tinnitus. She believes the Bikram yoga practice is in part responsible for giving her the personal strength and resilience to acknowledge her disability and to become comfortable in the face of this discomfort.

Readers, does your yoga practice help you cope with a physical or mental challenge?

20 Feb 2016

Sticky Post By Rachel Posted in Yoga Permalink

10 Benefits of Prenatal Yoga

Sticky Post By Rachel On February 20, 2016

Set aside time in your day and honour where your body is at and the beautiful changes occurring with your pregnancy. Practice loving compassion for yourself and baby. Prenatal yoga is one of the best things that you can do for yourself, as well as your growing baby.

We are looking forward to introducing regular prenatal classes at our studios in Nundah and North Lakes. Classes will go for 60 minutes, in a non-heated room, and will help you to maintain your peace, vitality, flexibility and breath during your pregnancy. However, as always, listen to your body while you practice and do as much as what feels right to you.

Some of the benefits of practicing yoga during pregnancy include:

1. Develops stamina and strength

As baby grows within our body, more energy and strength is needed to be able to carry the weight. Yoga poses strengthen our hips, back, arms and shoulders.

2. Balance

Our balance is challenged physically as the fetus grows within our body. Emotionally we are drained due to the increases in progesterone and estrogen. As we try to focus on holding and breathing through each yoga pose, we are able to fine tune our balance, physically and emotionally.

3. Relieves tension of lower back, hips, chest, upper back, neck and shoulders

As baby grows, more stress is put upon these specific muscle groups in our bodies. We tend to have more of a lordotic/lower back curve due to the increased size of our bellies. Our hips get tighter due to the added pressure of baby’s weight in our bellies. As our breasts increase in size, our upper back and chest have more tension, along with our neck and shoulders.

4. Calms the nervous system

Through deep breathing, the nervous system goes into parasympathetic mode, which is responsible for relaxation. When our bodies are in that mode, our digestions operate properly, we tend to sleep better, and our immune system is at its optimal.

5. Preparation for Labor

You are working with conscious breathing during each yoga pose, which may sometimes be challenging. This transfers into the time of labor, allowing one to practice being “comfortable with the uncomfortable” through our breathwork. As you inhale, you acknowledge the tension that is felt. As you deeply exhale, you let go of it more and more with each breath.

6. Connection with baby

A prenatal yoga practice allows us to slow down and focus attention on what is going on within our bodies. Through working with our breath and doing each pose, you become more aware of what is going on within.

7. Increases circulation

Circulation is enhanced within our joints and our muscles are elongated during practice. Upon circulation of the blood within our bodies, swelling is decreased and our immunity is enhanced, creating a healthy environment for a thriving baby.

8. Breathwork practice

This is a good tool for labor during contractions. If we are consciously breathing, our blood pressure and heart rate is regulated keeping us in parasympathetic/relaxation mode. Calm mama equals calm baby.

9. Sense of community/sisterhood

It can be very comforting to be with a group of women who understand what we are going through.

10. Nurturing time

This time allows us to stop and slow down from our busy days. Through the practice of yoga, you are setting intention in taking care of not only yourself, but of baby.

22 Jan 2016

Sticky Post By Rachel Posted in Uncategorized, Yoga Permalink

New Year, New Yoga Resolutions

Sticky Post By Rachel On January 22, 2016

At this time of year, I always find myself contemplating resolutions. Fast forward a month, another year and I find myself contemplating the fact I didn’t stick to any of my resolutions, and thus resolving not to have any resolutions in the future… and yet the cycle continues.

But 2016 is going to be different for me. I can feel it. Because now… (drum roll please) I am a yogi. Well… kind of. I want to be a yogi. I fancy becoming a yogi. I want 2016 to be the year of the accidental yogi. Let me share with you my new year, new yogi resolutions – and then check back in with me in a month or a year to see if – wait, I mean HOW – I follow through on them all.

1. To touch my toes

OK, OK, I know that’s not a really legit resolution, but I wanted to ease into my resolutions…

2. To do more yoga

So far this year, I have managed to practice sporadically. I wouldn’t exactly say it was a regular practice. I have been known to make excuses to get out of class from time to time. When I get stressed, I prioritise my work, or when I’m tired I still choose to sleep over practicing yoga. I KNOW this is not good for me. And I want to get to the point where I prioritise my yoga, because I know how good it feels. It’s not about losing weight or getting flexy (aside from resolution number one) or getting toned and looking good (though I will admit that would be nice… see resolution three!) – it’s about being strong, healthy, happy and calm in my day to day life.

3. To invest in some lovely new yoga gear

Oops – the old non-yogi me demanded to take control of at least one resolution so let’s indulge her for a minute. The way I see it, if I have a dedicated yoga wardrobe – you know, those quick dry patterned yoga pants that feel like a second skin, non-slip Bikram mats, soft fluffy towels for wrapping up after class, sweet smelling organic shower products and a luxe oversized slouch bag to stash them all in – I am more likely to go to class and achieve the above point! And hey – I did switch to organic rather than commercial products that pollute our water! And with all the laundry I’m going to need to do to accommodate all these clothes after all these classes, I need to be conscious of the environment however I can be!

4. To learn more about yoga

With all things in my life, I tend to do them best when I appreciate the reasoning behind it – whether it’s a language, a skill, a dish I can cook, a movie I know all the behind the scenes trivia about (hello Star Wars!) or a piece of electronic equipment I use. And so it stands to reason that yoga would be the same. I’ve discovered our teachers are a font of knowledge on the subject of yoga, and I have learnt a lot from them already, and don’t get me started on good old Google. From technique and philosophy to anatomy and spirituality (and let’s not forget Sanskrit!), there is just so much to absorb, to learn, to embrace, and I can’t wait to know more.

5. If I can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all

We learn this as children, but I have found as I grow older, it is easy to become cynical. It’s easy to use sarcasm as a form of wit. It’s all too easy to complain about things that don’t make you happy. It’s easy to moan and groan when things don’t go your way. But the more ‘yoga people’ I am surrounded by, the more yoga websites and blogs I read and the more yogic my life becomes, I realise life doesn’t have to be surrounded by negativity. In reality, it should be just as easy to gush when we love something, to smile when we’re happy and to compliment someone when they’ve done a good job. So for me, I’m going to think before I speak from now on. If it isn’t positive, why put it out there in the world?

6. Be patient

This is a simple one. No more honking the horn when the person in front of me drives at 20 kilometres an hour. Rather, just slow down and enjoy the view. No getting frustrated when a client is late for a meeting. Just use the time to catch up on emails, or Facebook gossip, or whatever your online preference may be. No huffing and puffing when I still can’t get my legs into my armpit and feet off the ground in Crow position. Be patient. It will come…

7. To be more conscious about what I put in my body

Now. This is a classic resolution for many people, however it usually starts as a negative. For example. Having a resolution not to drink. Not to eat chocolate. Not to have a cheeky Mc Drive Thru after yoga, but by starting with this negative ‘not’, I believe you’re setting yourself up to fail. So I’m going to flip it. I have a resolution to eat more fresh vegetables. To drink lots of vibrant, colourful juices. To guzzle water by the gallon (not in class though – it’s just a sip, right Sherry?). To have healthy snacks on hand to avoid splurging. To respect my body by treating it to things that make it feel good, and ultimately contributing to making my practice run smoothly.

8. Be grateful

I am indeed grateful for everything in my life, but sometimes it’s easy to slip into some unconsciously selfish behaviours (hello resolution number three!). So this year I would like to make much more of a conscious effort to be grateful for the many things around me. For starters – I live in Australia! What a beautiful, stunning, breathtaking, magical place. And the nature here – just wow. I get to write about places, people and things that I love, from the comfort of my own home with my beautiful kitty cats on my lap. What a beautiful way to spend my days – and be lucky enough to get paid for it. I feel privileged to practice yoga in a welcoming, non judgemental studio with wonderful teachers. My life is pretty great. But I think it’s important to take stock of that, and just be consciously grateful of that.

9. Breathe.

Because that’s what yoga is all about.

10. To be more yogic

I guess this resolution is a little like the sum of all the parts of the above resolutions (perhaps minus numbers one and three), but I do feel it deserves recognition in it’s own right. I would like to wake up in the morning and be conscious, be aware, be a good person, be grateful, be humble, be strong, be dedicated, be healthy, be helpful, be wise, be caring, be giving, be non-attached and above all, be happy. I am yogi… hear me om!

19 May 2015

Sticky Post By Rachel Posted in Nutrition, Uncategorized, Yoga Permalink

How Bikram yoga helps overcome eating disorder

Sticky Post By Rachel On May 19, 2015

My name is Molly and about 2 years ago I dared myself to take my first Bikram yoga class. See, I had been struggling with an eating disorder for over 10 years, and at 92 lbs my body gave out. I lost complete control of myself and I no longer could function in my daily life. I was sad, I was scared and I was so fragile. After being recommended for an out patient treatment program I fell even deeper into my sickness. I was starving my self daily and any calorie I did intake I purged. I was practically daring death to come find me. I knew that recovery scared me and that I would fight it tooth and nail if it wasn’t on my own terms. at my own pace, and done in the most natural way, so I made a deal. I made a deal with my mother that I would recover on my own, I would find and support my own team of doctors who would teach me nutrition, help me explore my real issues and take my weekly vitals to make sure I wasn’t slipping. I was dedicated to being better and although it was unbelievably hard I finally reached a point when my primary care physician told me I could start to be a bit more physically active. No running or spinning, and no beating my self against a machine, I just had to find something to make my body strong and feel better again. And so, by chance, I found Bikram Yoga. After 90 minutes I was high. I was hooked. Bikram Yoga helped me to find peace with in my self, appreciation of my body, and the ability to smell, taste, feel and love again (all things I had lost). With this new found peace I found so much. In a year in a half I was in love with a fellow yogi, so much in so we bought a house and a puppy and play with her each day. My life was finally full because I had found my spiritual self through this practice. But that’s not it.

After a few months of yoga, I went for my first bone density scan. My doctor gave me the bad news. At 25 I had osteoporosis in my spine and hips. I was devastated, but driven to keep pushing my self to become a better version of myself, even if it was just a heir’s breath. A year after hearing the news of my diagnosis, and staring at little old ladies who were hunched in pain, I went for my second dexi-scan. My doctor warned me, “Molly, bone density takes a long time to build, we are looking for no movement, it will take years for your bones to re-grow.” With anxiety, I waited for my results.

“Ok, Molly, so I have some news for you.” Beth was about to run down all of my test results, including my dexi-scan.”Your cholesterol, is the lowest I have ever seen, 95, I credit that to your hard work and yoga, your estrogen is over 50, when I met you it was under 20, that of a 90 year old and the grand finally, your bone density. You have had an 11 percent increase in your spine and a 5 percent increase in your hips. Be very proud, your hard work is paying off.” This yoga is saving my life. I will never be hunched over and I will have opportunities to have babies with the man that I love. Bikram’s yoga has taught me that health is a life style and it is one that is to be embraced in what you eat, what you do, and how you behave through out the day. I thank both of you for all of your inspiration!

My dream is to help other people like me. To use nutrition and Bikram yoga to help struggling women and men to adopt a life style that is fulfilling inside and out. I am strong because of all of the hard work I have done inside of 90 minutes and I want to share my strength with others. Thank you for bringing this yoga to me, for saving my life, and helping me realize my dream

04 May 2015

Sticky Post By Rachel Posted in Yoga Permalink

Why Backward Bending is Good for the Spine

Sticky Post By Rachel On May 4, 2015

Understanding why and how back-bending is beneficial for the spine is a challenge for many yoga students. For many, back-bending is an emotionally charged, challenging and often uncomfortable part of practice. However despite its discomforts back-bending can be one of the most therapeutic parts of a yoga practice.

Think of all the time you spend bending forward in a day, from enjoying a coffee with a newspaper, to driving, to typing at a computer, cleaning or lounging with a friend. The reality is, we spend most of our day in an unsupported forward bend.

Internally, forward bending causes the front of vertebrae move closer together, forcing the inter-vertebral disks and spinal nerves back. Prolonged poor posture can:

cause or aggravate back and neck pain
constrict blood-flow and put pressure on vital organs and glands preventing them from functioning properly
has been shown to have negative effects on self-esteem and mood in studies

Ironically, when most people experience back pain or discomfort their first reaction is to bend forward, not knowing it is the cause of their discomfort. In reality back-bending is what is needed to counter-act the impact of continuous forward bending. This impulse is not easy to unlearn.

First it is important to recognize that back-bending is a natural range of motion for the spine. “Think of monkeys or children climbing in a tree who reach backward for a branch, the spine bends backward,” says Jeff Weisman a Toronto based Bikram Yoga teacher.

As you bend backwards you compress the posterior part of your spinal column, pushing your disks away from the spinal nerves and decompress the front of the vertebrae. This effectively counteracts the damage of hours spent forward bending.

Those concerned and intimidated by back-bending should rest assured that the controlled environment and proper progression of the Bikram Yoga series allows for back-bends to be preformed safely. For those with limitations and injuries, remember to speak to your instructor, move slowly and listen to your body.

Physical Benefits

Stimulates the sympathetic nervous system and prepares the body for action.
Helps counteract damage of bad posture.
Relieves back pain, bronchial distress, scoliotic deformities, tennis elbow, frozen shoulder.
Realigns the spine.
Promotes proper kidney function.
Helps with digestive function, eliminating constipation and flatulence.

Energetic Benefits

Stimulates all the chackras, primarily creating opening in the fourth (heart) chackra.

Emotional Benefits

Helps to break through insecurity and fear.
Relieves stress and tedium.
Opening the lower back helps to free you from insecurity and taking yourself too seriously.
Helps to build confidence and self-esteem in children.

Tips from the Pros

Drop the head back as far as it goes. The head and arms do not need to stay together. – Bikram Choudhury

Allow your exhale to lower you into your maximum depth, allow your inhale to lift you up and forward. – Anatomy of Hatha Yoga, Dr. H. David Coulter

“Lift your breastbone up as you go into backward bend, instead of jamming only the lower waistband spine.
You HAVE to have your elbows pressing IN, not bowing out before you go down.

Also, LIFT the throat, shoulders and armpits before you drop down.

Then you lift UP, OUT and OVER your waistband spine so you do not get that crimping feeling.” – Mary Jarvis for All Back-bending Heals the Spine

Do not contract the gluteal muscles until you reach your maximum expression then tighten – Rajishree Choudhury (for more read this article)

The standing back-bend is regulated by locked knees – Craig Villani

18 Apr 2015

Sticky Post By Rachel Posted in Uncategorized Permalink

Why Bikram Yoga?

Sticky Post By Rachel On April 18, 2015

Instead of asking “Why Bikram yoga?” or even “Why yoga?” – it’s important to first ask why do anything at all that makes you feel better?

Yes, a lot of people feel great with their exercise routine of running, jumping, swimming or lifting weight and following their raw, paleo or vegan diet lifestyles. They should keep doing that. However, as someone who has experienced all sorts of exercises and the injuries that come with them, Bikram yoga helped me the most.

I graduated with a degree in exercise prescription. During my work and studies, I was introduced to a variety of exercises and therapy programs. After years in the health industry, I learned about Bikram yoga and its benefits. Eventually, I made the decision to become a Bikram yoga instructor with the goal of combining my knowledge of the exercise world with yoga and providing my students with the best possible solutions throughout their healing journeys.

Here are five things that I really enjoy about the Bikram yoga practice:

The Bikram yoga routine:

As an instructor for over 10 years and a practitioner for over 12 years, I have learned that the Bikram practice increases the practitioner’s self-awareness, physical and mental strength and brings a new level of determination. Consistency is undeniably important to maintain your routine, and Bikram’s class is definitely a precise sequence. The beginner sequence always follows the same 26 postures and two breathing exercises, which allow us to deepen our practice and understand how each posture works, and how it impacts us. If we start to modify a posture instead of taking the time to do it more slowly, we can lose the therapeutic effect.

The heat in the Bikram yoga practice

If there’s one thing Bikram is known for, it is that it’s hot and sometimes really hot. The heat sometimes scares people, but it is the heat that allows people to move more easily into postures. The temperatures also helps detoxify the body.

The accessibility of the Bikram yoga practice

Bikram yoga is a practice accessible to everyone. Anyone who passes me on the street — the athlete, the elderly, the emotionally or physically broken soul, the young student or skateboarder — all of these people would be able to do Bikram’s beginning yoga series. For example, athletes may push themselves to their limits, but for someone with a bad back or bad knees this will be a very different process. The goal is to stay committed. It is a practice that everyone can work with. It stimulates the organs and the flow of oxygenated blood throughout your whole body.

Bikram yoga as a stress reliever

Bikram Choudhury scientifically designed the introductory sequence to provide a complete workout through the balancing and strengthening of every system in the body, which should prevent illnesses and injuries. The series of postures combines elements of concentration, patience, determination and self-control, which lead to increased mental clarity and reduces stress. A regular practice of Bikram yoga also improves body posture and spine alignment. It relieves back pains and headaches, strengthens muscles, reduces symptoms of chronic diseases, gives better self-confidence, improves body image, improves flexibility, balance and strength and gives a general feeling of wellness and peace. Taking the time to do yoga will rejuvenate you.

The role of Bikram yoga in one’s life

One thing that attracted me the most to Bikram was that it is pure. There are no distractions; it’s just you and your mat. When Bikram becomes your practice, you have it for life. Life is not easy and often, we are faced with difficult challenges that take away our energy, focus and ambitions. We feel as though we are on the edge, but it is in these moments that Bikram yoga provides you with the stability, clarity and motivation to start over and stay strong.

Bikram yoga works. It’s the way the series was designed … its systematic and perfect for me — and might just be for you too.

Author, Whitney Rydingsvard McCormick

Directer / Owner of Bikram Yoga U-District, Seattle

01 Apr 2015

Sticky Post By Rachel Posted in Nutrition Permalink

How to detox from Sugar in 10 days

Sticky Post By Rachel On April 1, 2015

Here’s the not-so-sweet truth. We are damaging our health by consuming truckloads of hidden sugar.

Sugar Is the New Fat

Despite years of us being brainwashed into thinking that fat is bad, it turns out sugar—not healthy fats —is what makes you sick and contributes to weight gain.

Sugar in all its forms is the root cause of our obesity epidemic and is a key contributer to many chronic diseases sucking the life out of us – heart disease, cancer, dementia, type-2 diabetes, ADD anxiety, depression, and even acne, infertility, and impotence.

The average person consumes about 70 kilo’s of sugar a year. That’s roughly 22 teaspoons every day for every person in Australia. And our kids consume about 34 teaspoons every day.

Food Addiction: Is It Real?

Here’s another shocking fact: Sugar is eight times as addictive as cocaine.

Being addicted to sugar is not an emotional eating disorder. It’s a biological disorder, driven by hormones and neurotransmitters that fuel sugar and carb cravings—leading to uncontrolled overeating. This is not a limited phenomenon. It’s the reason nearly 70 percent of Australians and 40 percent of kids are overweight. In one study, Harvard scientists found that a high-sugar milkshake (compared to a low-sugar one) not only spiked blood sugar and insulin and led to sugar cravings, but it caused huge changes in the brain. The sugar lit up the addiction center in the brain like fireworks in the sky. Think cocaine cookies, morphine muffins, or smack soft drinks.

Why You Need a Sugar Detox

We need a clear path to detox from sugar, to break the addictive cycle of carb and sugar cravings that rob us of our health. And you can get on your way in 10 days!

Top 10 Big Ideas to Detox From Sugar

1. Make a decision to detox.

There are three simple quizzes to help you learn if you need to detox. If you answer, “yes” to any of these questions, a sugar detox is your ticket to feeling great quickly and losing weight painlessly.

The first is the diabesity quiz.

Do you have pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes? (90 percent of Americans have not been diagnosed.)
Do you have belly fat?
Are you overweight?
Do you crave sugar and carbs?
Do you have trouble losing weight on low-fat diets?
Do you have high triglycerides, low HDL (“good”) cholesterol, or been told your blood sugar is “a little high?”

The second is a food addiction quiz.

Do you eat when you’re not hungry?
Do you experience a food coma after eating?
Do you feel bad about your eating habits or avoid certain activities because of your eating?
Do you get withdrawal symptoms if you cut down or stop eating sugar?
Do you need more and more of same bad foods just to feel good?

The third is the FLC Quiz (or the Toxicity Quiz). FLC stands for Feel Like Crap. FLC Syndrome has a list of symptoms including bloating, gas, reflux, irritable bowel, joint or muscle pain, brain fog, memory or mood problems, sinus or allergy symptoms, and more. Millions of us have FLC Syndrome and don’t realize that we are only a few days away from health and happiness. Do you experience any of these things? If so, detoxing from sugar can greatly help you.

2. Be a turkey (a cold one).

There is no way to handle a true physiological addiction except to stop it completely. Addicts can’t have just one line of cocaine or just one drink. Go cold turkey. But you won’t have to white-knuckle it because if you follow these 10 ideas, you will automatically reset your body’s neurotransmitters and hormones.

Stop consuming all forms of sugar and artificial sweeteners, which cause increased cravings and slow metabolism, and lead to fat storage. Also get rid of anything with trans or hydrogenated fats and MSG (watch for hidden names). Ideally, for 10 days you avoid any foods that come in a box, package, or a can, or that have a label. Stick to real, whole, fresh food.

3. Don’t drink your calories.

Any form of liquid sugar calories is worse than solid food with sugar or flour. Think of it as mainlining sugar directly to your liver. It turns off a fat storage machine in your liver, leading to dreaded belly fat. You don’t feel full, so you eat more all day and you crave more sugar and carbs. It’s also the single biggest source of sugar calories in our diet. That includes soft drinks, juices other than green vegetable juice, sports drinks, and sweetened teas or coffees. One 500ml soft drink has 15 teaspoons of sugar; Gatorade contains 14 teaspoons of the stuff in one bottle. One can of soft drink a day increases a kid’s chance of being obese by 60 percent and a woman’s chance of type 2 diabetes by 80 percent. Stay away.

4. Power up the day with protein.

Protein, protein, protein at every meal—especially breakfast—is the key to balancing blood sugar and insulin and cutting cravings. Start the day with eggs or a protein shake.

Use nuts, seeds, eggs, fish, chicken or grass-fed meat for protein at every meal. A serving size is 100 – 200 grams or the size of your palm.

5. Eat unlimited carbs (the right ones).

Yes, that’s right, unlimited carbs. Did you know that vegetables are carbs? And you get to eat as much as you want. There is one catch. I only mean the non-starchy veggies such as greens, anything in the broccoli family (cauliflower, kale, collards), asparagus, green beans, mushrooms, onions, zucchini, tomatoes, fennel, eggplant, artichokes, and peppers, to name a few.

Avoid potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash and beets—just for 10 days. Also skip grains and beans for 10 days. It supercharges the results so you lose weight and feel great.

6. Fight sugar with fat.

Fat doesn’t make you fat, sugar does. Fat makes you full, balances your blood sugar, and is necessary for fueling your cells. Along with protein, have good fats at every meal and snack including nuts and seeds (which also contain protein), extra virgin olive oil, coconut butter, avocados, and omega-3 fats from fish.

7. Be ready for emergencies.

You never want to be in a food emergency when your blood sugar is dropping and you find yourself in a food desert such as an airport, the office, or in a maze of convenience stores, fast food joints, and vending machines. carry healthy snacks with you at all times, filled with protein and good fats, so you never have to make a bad choice. Here’s what’s in mine:

Nut butters (i.e. almond butter) and carrot sticks
Almonds, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds
A can of wild salmon or sardines
Unsweetened wild blueberries

8. Swap distress for de-stress.

If you are stressed, your hormones go crazy. Cortisol goes up which makes you hungry, causes belly fat storage, and leads to type-2 diabetes. Studies show that taking deep breaths activates a special nerve, called the vagus nerve, that shifts your metabolism from fat storage to fat burning and quickly moves you out of the stress state. And all you have to do is take a deep breath.

Try a “Take Five Breathing Break”. It’s something you can do anywhere, anytime. Simply take five slow deep breaths—in to the count of five, out to the count of five. Five times. That’s it. Do this before every meal. Watch what happens.

9. Put out the fire (of inflammation).

Studies show that inflammation triggers blood sugar imbalances, insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, and type-2 diabetes. The most common source of inflammatory foods other than sugar, flour, and trans fats are hidden food sensitivities. The most common culprits are gluten and dairy. We often crave the foods we’re allergic to. Without them we feel lousy and want more. Quit gluten and dairy for 10 days. Getting off them isn’t easy, but after just 2 or 3 days without them, you’ll have renewed energy, relief from cravings, and will see many of your common symptoms disappear.

10. Get your Zzz’s.

Getting less sleep drives sugar and carb cravings by affecting your appetite hormones. In human studies, depriving college students of just two hours of the recommended eight hours of sleep led to a rise in hunger hormones, a decrease in appetite-suppressing hormones, and big cravings for sugar and refined carbs. You want more energy if you don’t sleep, so you go toward quickly absorbed sugars. Sleep is the best way to fight against the drive to overeat. You literally can sleep your cravings and your weight away.

Enjoy and let us know how you go! We believe combing yoga, healthy eating, and adequate rest is the best way to achieve optimum health.

With love, The BYNB Team xx

17 Mar 2015

Sticky Post By Rachel Posted in Uncategorized Permalink

What happens to my body when I do Bikram Yoga?

Sticky Post By Rachel On March 17, 2015

In the Bikram yoga room, we can clearly see how our body is moving on the outside via the aid of the mirrors. But have you ever thought or asked yourself, ‘what is happening on the inside of my body as I move through the practice’? That’s what this blog post will address! Here’s an in-depth list of what’s happening on the inside during your 90minutes in the hot room!

Muscles are contracted, developing strength at a cellular and biochemical level. When the muscles increase in strength, they become balanced. This then returns the skeleton to its original balanced position. We all loose this through age, bad posture, injury or sports.
Lipids and proteins are re-organised optimally in stretching, promoting better circulation.
Joint mobility is increased, reducing the risk of arthritis, aches and pains.
Blood and calcium are brought to the bones; by working against gravity they become strengthened, without additional weight and stress.
Lymph nodes are massaged, pumping lymph into the body and helping the lymphatic system to work more efficiently.
Organs of the immune system are boosted.
Circulation to the nervous system is improved.
Endocrine glands are encouraged to secrete appropriate hormones.
Communication of hormones amongst various glands and systems of the body are enhanced.
The thymus gland, spleen, appendix and intestines are massaged through compression and extension.
Toxins are flushed out and waste excreted.
Lungs, heart and arteries are flushed out by increased blood circulation.
The brain is stimulated by increased circulation and varying blood pressure.
Nerves are stimulated by compression and extension, supplying fresh blood, oxygen and nutrients to the body.
Strength develops as the body’s own resistance is used against gravity.

Does this give you some inspiration to come in and stretch your body? See you in the hot room soon!