Bikram yoga has made my life so much better. It's pretty simple...before Bikram and after Bikram are two very different lives and hands down, this one's so much better. When I found the yoga, my life wasn't awful, it just wasn't...full of life. It wasn't joyful, it wasn't everything I hoped for, everything I dreamed about. I'm not saying that my life is perfect now by any means, it's not that...it's just that I'm doing something I truly love and sharing it with others...which in turn makes me feel so good. Every day. And it's considered my job! I'm surrounded by beautiful people who love this yoga and am lucky to share this passion with my partner, Craig.
But, being an all or nothing sort of gal, I've had to work hard at finding the balance. Yup, the balance of this yoga life. Being a full time teacher, I am in the room at least two to three times a day...teaching and practicing. I love to practice as much as I can, but sometimes I have to back off when I'm teaching alot of classes or if I want to spend time doing something else. This has not always been easy for me. I think alot of yogis go through this, especially those that have made Bikram Yoga a staple of their every day lives. The thing that we forget is that this yoga is here to help us live healthier, fuller, richer lives! It's not meant to stifle us or stop us from doing what we love. The other day I heard a student who had just finished a 30 day challenge say something to the effect that now he was going to take a break and go surfing the next day. And the way he said it sounded like..."now I'm going to go out and live my life and do stuff that I like." Since then, I've been thinking about it alot, this idea of balance and life and yoga. Bikram himself talks about doing what you love, eating what you like...he doesn't sit around quietly locked inside a yoga room. He's quite the opposite! So why can't we live that way?
I know that some people think that you should practice every single day, no matter what...and some weeks that's what I do. But then there are the days that I want to get up late and have a big breakfast with Craig...or go out for a coffee at one of our favorite cafes. Maybe there's a good movie on or I want to Skype with my Mom and Dad. Or sometimes, I just need a break, because I already taught a couple of classes and my body is tired. Or maybe there's no reason at all. The yoga is here to make what you love doing even better..surfing, running or biking. Maybe you're a dancer or swimmer...whatever it is, it's not meant to keep you from what you love. It's meant to give more life to your life, to give you more energy and focus and overall vitality. I think sometimes, we forget. We work so hard to get to class that we don't stop and think about anything else.
Now, that being said, there are days that I'm just making excuses for myself and simply need to get my butt into the room. We all have those days, but this is more about the overall practice and how it fits into your life. Finding the balance. Yoga is life, it's everything. It's not just the 90 minutes in the hot room, it's what happens after you walk out the door as well. You practice hard so you can live more. So do it. Start living. The yoga, this life...it's all there waiting for you.
Love from Oz.
But, being an all or nothing sort of gal, I've had to work hard at finding the balance. Yup, the balance of this yoga life. Being a full time teacher, I am in the room at least two to three times a day...teaching and practicing. I love to practice as much as I can, but sometimes I have to back off when I'm teaching alot of classes or if I want to spend time doing something else. This has not always been easy for me. I think alot of yogis go through this, especially those that have made Bikram Yoga a staple of their every day lives. The thing that we forget is that this yoga is here to help us live healthier, fuller, richer lives! It's not meant to stifle us or stop us from doing what we love. The other day I heard a student who had just finished a 30 day challenge say something to the effect that now he was going to take a break and go surfing the next day. And the way he said it sounded like..."now I'm going to go out and live my life and do stuff that I like." Since then, I've been thinking about it alot, this idea of balance and life and yoga. Bikram himself talks about doing what you love, eating what you like...he doesn't sit around quietly locked inside a yoga room. He's quite the opposite! So why can't we live that way?
I know that some people think that you should practice every single day, no matter what...and some weeks that's what I do. But then there are the days that I want to get up late and have a big breakfast with Craig...or go out for a coffee at one of our favorite cafes. Maybe there's a good movie on or I want to Skype with my Mom and Dad. Or sometimes, I just need a break, because I already taught a couple of classes and my body is tired. Or maybe there's no reason at all. The yoga is here to make what you love doing even better..surfing, running or biking. Maybe you're a dancer or swimmer...whatever it is, it's not meant to keep you from what you love. It's meant to give more life to your life, to give you more energy and focus and overall vitality. I think sometimes, we forget. We work so hard to get to class that we don't stop and think about anything else.
Now, that being said, there are days that I'm just making excuses for myself and simply need to get my butt into the room. We all have those days, but this is more about the overall practice and how it fits into your life. Finding the balance. Yoga is life, it's everything. It's not just the 90 minutes in the hot room, it's what happens after you walk out the door as well. You practice hard so you can live more. So do it. Start living. The yoga, this life...it's all there waiting for you.
Love from Oz.
