Bikram Hot Yoga Houston Blog

one of our wonderful students, robert the super yogi, shared that day 3 of our bikram yoga challenge is day 290 for him! how inspiring is that? i asked him what top three things in his life have changed with this many consecutive classes, and he shared the following:

1: I have had psoriatic arthritis (it's similar to rheumatoid arthritis) for over 25 years. I have recovered a *tremendous* amount of **pain free** range of motion (especially in my ankles, knees, hips, and back), have healed several persistent pains, and significantly reduced my arthritis symptoms. This is why I am in the hot room every day. For me, even missing just 1 day makes it very uncomfortable once I get back to the yoga.

2: I have not had to take any of my prescription medication (which has some rare but potentially nasty side effects) for my arthritis in over 4 months.

3: While I haven't lost any weight, I have lost inches. People have commented that it looks like I have lost 10-15 lbs. I have added quite a bit of muscle to my shoulders, back, and legs. My body looks very different (better!) than it did 10 months ago....

And I'll take a moment to channel Billy Mays to say "There's more! You get a bonus 4th change ABSOLUTELY FREE!"

4: I feel a heck of a lot better (physically, mentally, emotionally) than I did a year ago!

60 days: New mind, new body, new life, no joke!

The yoga keeps working, so I keep coming back.

i'd love to hear from those of you who would like to share the changes you're noticing as you journey through your bikram challenge. you can email me or leave your comments here or on our facebook page. we've entered the land of miracles and it's fun to share the maps....

day 2 of our bikram challenge is well underway!

during class these next couple of days really focus on the first breathing exercise, pranayama breathing. bring all of your attention to each inhale and make every effort to take in just a little bit more air each time. exhale with the same determination and concentration.... notice anything different? make an entry in your journal about the breath....

this breathing exercise is often overlooked or done in a rote manner. some folks even try to avoid it (which is one of the reasons we do not allow students to enter the classroom if they're late). however the foundation of the entire class rests firmly in this first breathing exercise. pranayama warms the body from the inside out. it increases the oxygen in our blood and fills us with "prana" / life force energy.

you can do this breathing exercise before any physical activity as it increases circulation throughout your entire body. instead of using only 10% of your lung capacity, pranayama breathing, done correctly and mindfully, uses 100% of your lung capacity. this breathing exercise benefits everyone, but especially those who struggle with asthma, emphysema, and other lung ailments. pranayama breathing is nature's medicine for our lungs, so give this exercise your very best effort!

good luck to everyone embarking on the challenge today - day 1 on the journey towards your new body, new mind, and new life! bon voyage.... what a great journey it's going to be!

i'd like to suggest you keep a journal as the journey unfolds. so much happens along the way that it's easy to overlook or forget if you're not paying attention. keeping a daily journal of your challenge makes the process that much more profound. have someone take a picture of you today and put it on the first page of your journal.... "before" and "after" photos are incredibly powerful!