The Best Yoga For You

1780 yogis together doing Bikram Yoga? Yes!

2012-02-29T13:09:00.000-08:00

Pavanamuktasana - Wind-Removing Pose

2012-02-27T13:17:00.000-08:00

Wind-removing pose is like Bikram’s “Pepto Bismol.” This pose stimulates the ascending, descending and transverse colon as well as the stomach and small intestines. The order in which the pose is preformed helps to stimulate the bowels, cures constipation and improves nutrient absorption. The posture is called “wind-removing” for a reason, as it helps to relieve flatulence. Finally it helps to balance out hydrochloric acid levels in the stomach helping with indigestion and heartburn

Strengthens

Abdominal wall

Thighs

Hips

Stretches

Hip joints

Stimulates

Massages ascending, descending and transverse colon.

Benefits

Regulates and normalizes hydrochloric acid levels in stomach

Improves and may cure conditions of constipation, flatulence and hyperacidity

Relieves lower back pain

Increases peristalsis in the gut

Student profile - Olivia P

2012-02-25T12:54:00.000-08:00

Tell us about your very first Bikram Yoga class… When was it and why did you go?
My very first class was in June 2011. I went because my good friend Alyssa (also now a Bikram yogi) found an online coupon and wanted to try it. I was hesitant at first but thought it would be something fun to do together. Partway through the first class Tom asked how it was so far and all I could say was, “It’s hot.” Needless to say I think he rolled his eyes at me. But by the end I felt like I had worked harder than I ever had before and was excited to see how I would do the next time.

How soon did you come back for your second class?
I can’t exactly remember the next day I went back… it was probably 2 or 3 days later. Alyssa and I were determined to go together as much as we could and working around our schedules was somewhat challenging.

What are some of the benefits you receive from Bikram Yoga?
I feel a lot better about myself in general with regular practice. My head is clearer, I worry less and have better focus. I feel stronger in other activities like running because I know what my body is capable of. I also like to think that I avoided getting sick this winter when many people around me were because of Bikram.

What keeps you coming back for more?
I think at this point it’s pretty much an addiction. If I have a great class I can’t wait to go back for more. If I have a not so great class I can’t wait to go back and have a better one. I love the mental and physical challenge it gives me as well as being able to escape real life for an hour and a half.

What do you find most challenging about practicing Bikram Yoga? The most challenging part for me is not having any expectations in class. I’ve learned that every day is different with Bikram and you can’t go into class expecting to perform the same as, or better than, yesterday. You can only do your best for that day and your best is constantly changing. Although it’s hard to accept this sometimes!

What’s your favourite posture? Your most dreaded posture?
I try very hard not to prefer one posture to another because if I find myself dreading certain ones it makes them that much more unpleasant to do, which makes them harder for me to improve in. But with that being said I’ll admit that I do like some postures better than others. I look forward to doing triangle because I like the concept of connecting your heart and lungs and that it works every part of your body at the same time. Your body also makes a pretty neat shape in it. I have always somewhat dreaded hugging both my knees to my chest in wind removing pose because my spine does not want to stay on the ground and my arms are often slippery, which makes holding this one fairly challenging.

Any New Year's resolutions for 2012?
Hmm... do more yoga? I think I'm doing well with that so far.

Trying to explain Bikram to friends, family and co-workers

2012-02-22T09:03:00.000-08:00

Does this sound familiar to you?

"I guess yoga people aren't tree huggers like I thought."
"If you don't want me to go you can just say so and stop trying to scare me with all this nonsense"

Savasana - Dead body pose

2012-02-20T19:35:00.000-08:00

After the body has been stimulated by preforming the standing series, a two minute savasana is preformed to heal the body. Savasana is one of the most important parts of a hatha-yoga practice and it is often said that this is where the “magic” happens in the Bikram Yoga series. That magic is the healing that is created by the stillness of the pose. When the body is still the circulatory system is unobstructed and delivers oxygen, nutrients and white blood-cells to where it is needed. These materials are the building blocks of healing, which creates the therapeutic benefit of this pose.

BENEFITS:

Returns cardiovascular circulation to normal

Slows heart rate, reduces blood pressure

Teaches complete relaxation

Stills and calms the mind

Allows the body to absorb the benefits of the standing series

Build the ability to access relaxation when necessary – in stressful situations, before bed, etc.

Student Profile - Laura P.

2012-02-17T08:45:00.000-08:00

Tell us about your very first Bikram Yoga class … when was it and why did you go?

I went to my first Bikram class in July 2011. I had never been a big fan of “typical” yoga but my sister had been going to Bikram for a while and really enjoyed it so I figured it’d be worth a try. During my first class, I remember the heat hitting me before even walking into the room. Lying down in savasana before class, I couldn’t imagine how I was going to survive 90 minutes in that room…let alone practice yoga moves I didn’t even know I was capable of. But I managed to survive and walked out of that sauna feeling exhausted but better than I’ve ever felt about myself.

How soon did you come back for your second class?

I can’t remember exactly how soon I came back for my second class. It was probably within the next day or so because I wanted to make the most of my 2 week pass and try the postures all over again, now that I had a taste of what they were all about.

What are some of the benefits you receive from Bikram Yoga?

After about 7 months of being a dedicated Bikram Yogi, I feel like this practice has strengthened me physically and mentally. I’ve always been an active gym rat and casual runner and I’ve noticed that yoga has helped make running and other cardio activities easier, as I’m able to control my breath a lot more. I feel like I’ve gained a new awareness of how my body is feeling and try not to let my mind convince me I’m not capable of something – whether it’s workout related or life related. I’m also drinking a lot more water than I used to, even on days when I don’t make it to class.

What keeps you coming back for more?

The sense of accomplishment and physical challenge that I gain from every class is what keeps me coming back for more. I’ve never worked my body so hard in my life, but I’ve discovered that the harder you work in class, the better the results will be.

What do you find most challenging about practicing Bikram Yoga?

What I find most challenging about Bikram Yoga is the amount of focus and bodily awareness you have to maintain throughout the class. With other types of physical activity, you can often just workout and let your mind wander, thinking about the problems or stresses in your life. With Bikram, you have to devote your entire body and mind to the practice for 90 minutes and I often find myself losing this focus during specific postures or over-thinking some of them. I always remember Jeff saying that thoughts are just distractions, which I think is definitely my biggest challenge in yoga and life.

What’s your favorite posture? Your most dreaded posture?

Ever since day one, camel has been my favorite posture. Maybe it’s because it is so close to the end of class…but I also feel very strong in this posture and love the meaning behind it, how it exposes your heart and releases emotions. When I’m not in class, I often find myself craving a deep back-bend. My most dreaded posture seems to change on a daily basis. I used to despise standing separate leg head to knee, as I found I it impossible to breathe properly while sucking in my stomach, touching my forehead to my knee, and balancing with my hands in prayer. Thankfully, I’ve discovered that the postures get easier with practice and I look forward to almost every one because I want to see myself improve in the poses I previously dreaded.

Namaste :)

Fun webisode of Bikram Yoga

2012-02-16T08:05:00.001-08:00

One Fell Swoop (Episode One:"this is yoga") - watch more funny videos

Tadasana - Tree pose and Toe stand

2012-02-14T09:49:00.000-08:00

Tree pose and toe stand are often called the postures for your posture. Both are huge hip and knee opening postures but mainly focus on creating the strength and alignment to maintain good posture and balance.

Strengthens

Abdomen
Gluteal muscles

Stretches

Knee and hip joints
Lower back and spine
Groins and inner thighs

Benefits

Helps with rheumatism
Builds balance
Corrects bad posture
Relieves lower back pain
Good for circulatory problems, arthritis and rheumatism
Relieves flat feet
Helps with sciatica

Student Profile - Brian M.

2012-02-10T08:07:00.000-08:00

Here is Brian before he discovered Bikram Yoga. After photo is at the end :)

Tell us about your very first Bikram Yoga class … when was it and why did you go?

My first class was in February 2010 after an illness whereby it was suggested that hot yoga might help with the symptoms. The first time I went to the studio in January I was still to sick to go, however I returned in February and after that class I knew that I had found something that I would be doing for a long time. I returned two days later and since then have been to over 400 classes in slightly less than 2 years.

What are some of the benefits you receive from Bikram Yoga?

The practice instils in me a sense of calmness and balance that I begin to crave if I go too long without it. I find that when life is out of balance outside of the studio I am off balance in the studio and I use the practice to bring things back to an even keel. A consistent practice for me pushes me to live a healthier lifestyle and forgo previous poor choices in terms of nutrition and sleep.

What do you find most challenging about practicing Bikram Yoga?

I enjoy the difficulty of this exercise and the fact that it is not easily mastered. My challenges change with every session. One day it’s my mind which wants to flee the heat, other days I have the flexibility of my first day. Poses I use to love I now dread but every once in a while I have a class which defies all expectation and I feel fantastic. The progress is millimetre by millimetre and it is a long and hard road. No matter how well you think you have mastered a pose there is always another step to push you beyond what you thought was the limit. Listen to the dialogue because it’s all there and your breath is everything.

What’s your favorite posture? Your most dreaded posture?

I love triangle pose but my favourite poses are the ones that I initially and still struggle with but can see progress. It took me 300 hundred classes to be able to properly kick out in standing head to knee and I can still only do this on one side however lately there is some hope for the right side and I will continue with my struggle because away from the studio I feel healthy, strong and happy.

Any New Year's resolutions for 2012?

In 2012 I will make a decision about teacher training.

What a change! What amazing role model!

Yoga Cat

2012-02-08T10:47:00.000-08:00

If you can stay focused while your cat joins you in your yoga practice, well you can do anything!

Dandayamana-Bibhaktapada-Janushirasana - Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee Pose

2012-02-06T11:36:00.000-08:00

Breathe; keep the forehead on the knee, and the internal benefits from this posture will be significant. The physical benefits are not to be underestimated, but this pose in particular flushes out and stimulates the internal body by compressing both the throat and the abdomen.

With the feet together, raise the arms up overhead, form a steeple grip with the hands and step the right leg three feet to the right.

This time the right foot turns out 90 degrees and the torso, hips, arms and head follow. Turn the left foot in approximately 45 degrees to keep both hips squared forward.

Tuck the chin into the chest, keep the arms and legs straight, and round down from the hips until the forehead touches the right knee. If the hammies or spine are tight, bend the right leg until the forehead touches the knee. The left leg and arms stay straight and the hands can separate on the floor to balance.

Use your abdominal muscles and keep the belly lifting to round the spine and work on straightening the right leg. Can you keep the forehead on the right knee, straighten both legs and bring the hand together into prayer position? Then start to work on aligning the hips by twisting the hips to the right to square the hips to the floor.

Keep the eyes open, keep breathing and remember the chin stays tightly tucked into the chest.

Come out of the pose by keeping the arms straight by the ears and round up slowly, abdominal muscles engaged.

Turn to once to face forward, turn again to face the left leg, and repeat left side.

Strengthens

Abdomen

Thighs

Calves

Stretches

Shoulders

Stimulates

Thyroid / Parathyroid

Pancreas

Kidneys

Entire endocrine system.

Stimulates digestive system.

Benefits

Boosts the metabolism and immune system

Balances blood sugar levels

Good for diabetic conditions

Reduces abdominal obesity

Good for depression and memory loss

Is good for rheumatism and lower back pain

Student Profile Kathy B.

2012-02-03T12:03:00.000-08:00

Kathy comes into our studio almost every day. She is filled with smiles and positivism. We love having her in here! Kathy also owns very many yoga outfits, teachers training maybe? Her hobbies are travelling and taking care of her cute pets!

Tell us about your very first Bikram Yoga class … when was it and why did you go?

My first Bikram yoga class was last February. A couple of the girls at work were interested in trying it, and I thought sure I'll do it too. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had never tried any kind of yoga before, and wasn't expecting this to be so hot and so intense. I loved it. I bought the two week special, and didn't skip a day...when that was done, I bought the year membership. My first class was a true awakening. I knew I needed this for physical reasons and for my mental well-being.

What are some of the benefits you receive from Bikram Yoga?

I have suffered for years from horrible headaches, anxiety, back and neck pain. I also had this strange tingling in my legs at night which my doctor told me was called Restless Leg Syndrome. I am also the kind of person who over thinks everything and worries about everything...so that led to many many sleepless nights. A couple weeks after doing Bikram yoga on a regular basis I noticed my headaches were fewer and less painful...and now I rarely get a headache...amazing! My anxiety and stress levels have also calmed down quite a bit because I am learning how to control my "monkey mind". I am learning how to stay in the present, focus and relax. The tingling in my legs has also been reduced, and the odd night when I do struggle with it I get up and do the Half Tortoise pose...and that really helps. My sleepless nights have now turned into falling asleep right away and sleeping all night. As for my back and neck issues. Everything has become stronger and not so painful anymore. I remember when I first started, the spine strengthening part of the class was so difficult for me. Doing Full Locust pose was near impossible. And now that I can do it, I know my back has become so much stronger. Over all Bikram yoga is doing wonderful things for me.

What keeps you coming back for more?

I am totally addicted to Bikram yoga. It's like my body craves it now. I love what it is doing for me, I love the heat, the challenges it offers, and how I feel after class. It's 90 minutes for me. I look forward to coming into class and getting deeper into postures and deeper into my body and mind. Also, the instructors are always so helpful, encouraging and inspirational to talk to. I really love that. I have also made some wonderful friends here, everyone is so supportive and friendly...why wouldn't I come back for more.

What do you find most challenging about practicing Bikram Yoga?

I guess my biggest challenge is getting over the fact that every day my body feels different, and so does my mind. I find that a 9:30 a.m. class is more difficult on my body that a 5 p.m. class. My body feels more stiff in the morning...but I still challenge myself to do a couple morning classes a week. And if I am having a tough day, it is difficult to let those feelings go and focus on my yoga. And of course there are always the challenges of fighting the heat, and breathing properly.

What’s your favorite posture? Your most dreaded posture?

Right now my favorite posture is Standing Head to Knee pose. It took me a long time to learn to lock both knees and now that I can, I look forward to doing this posture...now I just need to get my forehead to my knee. This posture has really tested my patience. My favorite postures from the beginning have been Eagle and Fixed Firm. I constantly have people asking me what I’m doing when I sit with my legs crossed....they are usually in Eagle pose. My most dreaded is Half Moon. First set I find very uncomfortable, I am happy it's at the beginning of class and I can get it over with.

Any New Year's resolutions for 2012?

I am going to continue and practice daily. I am doing my second 30 day challenge this month, and am looking forward to doing more of them. I would like to learn more on how to improve in the postures so I can get the best benefits possible. I have signed up for another year, and plan to practice Bikram yoga for many many more years.

A healthy SuperBowl weekend!

2012-02-01T10:31:00.000-08:00

SuperBowl... a day of football and rich foods. But it doesn't have to be that way. Dips and chips can actually be a healthy snack! Here's a tasty dip you can try out on your friends and family this SuperBowl weekend.

Melty Pizza Hummus
1/2 cup canned chick peas, drained
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp dry basil, heaping
1/8 tsp salt, heaping
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp of prepared tomato sauce, home made or canned
1 Tbsp olive oil

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and mix until smooth. Serve with corn tortillas or raw vegetables. Also good on sandwiches.

Check ChocolateCoveredKatie.com for the full nutritional information, and for more great healthy dessert ideas!

Trikonasana -- Triangle Pose

2012-01-31T09:47:00.000-08:00

“Triangle pose this is the master posture of the series, perfect marriage between the heart and lungs,” says Bikram in many of his classes.

For many practitioners, triangle remains one of the most challenging poses in the Bikram series. The pose involves strength and flexibility and challenges a practitioners concentration with detailed movements that can make or break proper form in the pose.

What is happening in the pose…

Triangle is an intense hip opener that deeply strengthens the muscles of the legs. This greatly improves the stability of the body through strengthening and aligning the legs and hips. Because of this, the organs in the hip area (colon, kidneys, reproductive organs) benefit as do the associated chackras.

The twist through the upper body in combination with the deep opening of the arms helps to create length in the torso which helps provide adequate room for the organs in the chest to function properly. The combination of the twist and opening of the hips also helps to relieve back pain.

Finally, the deep challenge involved helps to build self-awareness, opening of the heart chackra helps to build authenticity and helps to connect you with the things you love.

Strengthens…

Quadriceps

Gluteus Maximus

Abdominal muscles

Muscles in the neck

Works all of the major muscle groups at the same time

Stretches…

Hip flexors

Spine and neck (through spinal twist)

Shoulder joints

Stimulates…

The respiratory system

The cardiovascular system

Reproductive organs

Nervous system

Kidneys

Thyroid

Adrenal Glands

“When you improve your triangle, you improve your life 360 degrees: sexually, mentally, physically, financially, emotionally.” — Bikram

Physical Benefits…

An excellent cardiovascular workout, with very little movement.

Increases stability.

Tones arms, abdomen and thighs.

Builds better overall body alignment through strengthening of the legs.

Intensely stretches each side of the body.

Lengthens the spine, opens the torso and broadens the shoulders which allows proper function of other physiological systems (cardiovascular, digestive etc.)

Reduces saddle bags.

Good for frozen shoulder.

Helps regulate hormone levels.

Helps to build awareness of hunger, helping with eating disorders.

Helps with: constipation, colitis, low blood pressure, appendicitis, spondylitis, menstrual disorders.

Helps to balance adrenal glands and the production of the stress hormone, cotisol.

Energetic Benefits…

Opens Heart chackra.

Strengthens base chackra.

Emotional Benefits…

Helps to ground the practitioner through turning attention and strengthening the legs.

Builds overall body awareness and self-appreciation.

Builds self-awareness helping to liberate the practitioner from emotional patterns.

Builds concentration.

Relieves stress and anxiety.

“Triangle is the key posture to bring faith back to the spirit,” — Bikram

Posture Tips

Take a BIG step…

Beginners often take too small of a step in Triangle. It would seem that a smaller step would make this pose easier, but truly the 4-5 foot step ensures that the final pose is properly aligned. When proper alignment is reached, a natural dynamic tension will help to suspend the posture.

Allow the hips to open…

In the pose the hips do not face directly forward to the mirror, instead they are slightly angled. The hip of the straight leg should push slightly toward the mirror so that the hips can sink deeper into the pose.

To prevent slipping…

Bikram says you should be able to do this pose on a block of ice, however most of us slip in the beginning. It is important to engage the inner thigh muscles to maintain the pose. Also, try focusing on pushing the outer edge, from the pinky-toe to heel, of your foot into the floor.

About the elbow and touching the toes…

“If I touch my toes, my elbow is not against the knee,” I said to Craig Villani during teacher training. “Point at your elbow,” he replied. I pointed directly at the point part of the joint. Craig pointed out that the elbow is not just the point of the joint but rather the entire area surrounding the point as well. The moral is, that your fingers must touch, don’t worry about perfect elbow alignment.

“Even if the hips are not flexible, you must touch the toes with the hand,” -Bikram.

Head and neck alignment…

The instructions in the dialogue in this pose say to look up to the ceiling, but the movement is more of a turn to the side instead of a look back. Always remember the objective of turning the head is to touch the chin with the shoulder.

Student profile - Lisa

2012-01-27T09:03:00.000-08:00

Lisa always walks in with a great smile on her face! We wish her good luck with Bikram Yoga Journey - it is a great path to take!

Tell us about your very first Bikram Yoga class. When was it and why did you go?

My first class was October 17, 2011. My friend and I had been trying to find a healthy way to spend more time together. The month before we tried aerobics with a wag jag voucher and when we saw the Bikram Yoga voucher we were intrigued. I was hooked after 3 classes and my friend did not like the class. I never would have guessed that I would be able to do the hot yoga. I am shocked that I am so addicted to it.

How soon did you come back for your second class?

Our first class was on a Tuesday and I came back Friday and then several days the second week of my 30 day unlimited voucher.

What are some of the benefits you receive from Bikram yoga?

The biggest reward I get is that the timing of the 5pm class helps me not binge eat after work. Previously this time of the day was the worst for the amount of damage I did to my body by overeating. Doing 90 minutes of yoga is the hardest workout I have ever given my body. Committing to this practice has mentally changed the way I think about food and I don't go home and eat badly after working so hard to improve my health. The physical benefits are an unraveling of several problems my body has endured over the years. To name a few, a severely sprained right ankle that has been bothering me for 2 years. Sciatic nerve damage in my right leg and hip, arthiritis in my tailbone from breaking it 2 years in a row giving birth 25 and 24 years ago. Three different tears in my left knee from a bad fall during a very competitive tennis game, 4 compressed discs in my back, and finally constant strain in my spine and neck from all of the years of living with a lopsided tail bone. All of these problems feel like they are beginning to correct themselves because of the postures I attempt each day in yoga class.

What keeps you coming back for more?

The personal commitment to myself to finally get fit and healthy.

What do you find most challenging about practicing Bikram yoga?

This is a tough question for me. Each day before class I try to review in the Beginner's book what to try to focus on with some of the postures that I want to do better. The tone and the rhythm of the instructor's voice can add or take away from my own focus on working through the postures, so sometimes it is more of a challenge and takes away energy and sometimes the voice adds to my energy to focus on the postures.

What's your favorite posture? Your most dreaded posture?

My favorite posture is the camel. I feel like I can do this better than any other and for the first month I was terrified to drop my head back that far. My most dreaded posture is the standing head to knee. My determination in most tested with this one.

An New Year's resolutions for 2012?

To commit to my weight loss goals.

Recipe of the week - Estonian style crapes with cheese-garlic filling

2012-01-25T14:57:00.000-08:00

If you decide to make them - you will love them!. In Estonia this filling is offered in one Crape place downtown Tallinn. In Estonia we call crapes - pancakes! Here is the recipe - should be super quick to make!

Recipe in a nutshell - make the batter - put it in the fridge for 30 min - grate cheese, mince garlic and mix them with mayo and sour cream. Cook crapes on the pan, both sides and then put filling on it and turn it into a pocket and fry until cheese starts to melt - DONE!

Ingredients for crepe:

2 cups of 2% milk
2 eggs
1,5 – 2 cups plain flour
a pinch of salt
a pinch of sugar
2 Tbsp. melted butter

Ingredients for filling:

6 cloves of garlic, minced (try mincing it your own, instead of the garlic from can)
¼ cup of sour cream
3 Tbsp. mayo
250g grated cheese (cheddar)

Process:

Whisk the eggs with sugar and salt. Gradually add flour and milk. Whisking in the center of the mixture, slowly draw the flour in until it is fully mixed. Then add the melted butter, whisking until smooth. The batter should be runny enough to thinly coat the back of a spoon; add a little more milk if too stiff. Let the batter sit for 30 minutes to an hour, covered, in the fridge.
Mix the sour cream, mayo, garlic and cheese. You can put it to fridge for 15 min, but don’t have to. Garlic will get stronger over time.
Coat a small nonstick skillet with a small amount of butter over medium heat. (Make sure the pan is hot.) Add about 1/3 cup of batter to the pan for a large crepe. Tilt the pan so the batter coats the bottom evenly. Cook until set, about 1 minute. Loosen the crepe with a spatula; flip over with the spatula. Cook the second side for about another minute. Then put 2 Tbps.(or as much as you want) filling on top of the crepe and cover it with the other half of the crepe and flip it again into a size you see at the photo in top! Wait till the cheese melts and then it’s ready to be eaten!

Enjoy!

You can fill it with any kind of foods - ham, different cheeses, e.t.c. And for sweet lovers - very yummy is condensed milk and fresh raspberry one!

Dandayamana-Bibhaktapada-Paschimotthanasana - Separate Leg Stretching pose

2012-01-23T11:45:00.000-08:00

Dandayamana-Bibhaktapada-Paschimotthanasana - Separate Leg Stretching pose

This posture is like kryptonite for sciatica! That's because it stretches and strengthens those poor crushed and shriveled sciatic nerves, as well as all the tendons in the legs. It also messages the internal abdominal organs and the small and large intestines, and gives you added flexibility in the pelvis, ankles, hip joints and especially in the last five vertebrae of the spine.

This is the closest we come to inverting in the Bikram sequence, bringing our head below our heart as we move upside down in this stretch.

Start with the feet together. From here take a big step out to the right, approximately four feet. It’s important to set up with a wide stance here to make the pose easier on the hamstrings and lower back. Point both feet forward and stop the feet from sliding out by turning the toes in slightly and engaging the quads and inner thighs.

Keeping the legs straight and arms out to the side, we bend forward from here. Keep lengthening the spine forward, feel the weight in the toes and draw the shoulders away from the ears to encourage a long, straight spine. Grab the heels from behind stepping on all ten fingers. An easier variation if the hammies are not cooperating and the lower back is tight is grabbing the feet from the outside – still with all ten fingers.

By pulling on the heels and keeping the legs and spine straight, work on stretching the forehead to the floor. Keep looking on the floor in between the feet to keep the spine straight, keep the thighs super engaged to stretch the hamstrings safely, and work the core to support the lower spine.

If the forehead touches the floor easily, bring the feel closer together and keep drawing the torso closer towards the legs. If the floor is miles away, try widening the stance a little. Slowly come up with a straight spine – and keep it slow to avoid dizzy spells.

Strengthens

Biceps

Trapezius

Latissimus Dorsi

Deltoids

Stretches

Hamstrings

Entire spine

Stimulates

Adrenal glands

Digestive organs

Benefits

Helps to increase flexibility of the spine

Helps to relieve depression and memory loss

Balances the nervous system

Good for digestion, hyperacidity, constipation

Helps reduce abdominal obesity

Helps with diabetes

Releases tension in the lower back

Exercises adrenal

Exercises the reproductive system

Standing Stretching from Sara Curry on Vimeo.

Student profile - Peter M.

2012-01-20T11:29:00.000-08:00

Peter is a person with many skills and hobbies. He has a social media management business, he is a Recreation Therapist, a music producer and a DJ, but most of all he is a loving and friendly member of the community of Guelph, Ontario. Peter loves Bikram Yoga and has also benefitted a lot from it!

Tell us about your first Bikram Yoga class … when did you go and why?

My very first Bikram Yoga class was in the summer of 2010. I went because a Naturopathic doctor highly recommended it for my Rheumatoid Arthritis.

What was your impression of Bikram Yoga after that first class? Did you love it or loathe it?

I cannot remember the experience that I had in that first class I went to in 2010. All I knew was that it was too hot, so I simply stopped going. I started back up in the summer of 2011, but I knew that before I went to that first class again I was going to be doing it for a very long time. Something inside me told me that I would be, it just took me a year to admit it to myself. The second time around I went into it with a lot of respect and with a promise of dedication and trust. The benefits that I received from the beginning were simply outstanding in every way as they continue to astound me on a daily basis making me feel like I have six senses.

How often do you practice these days?

Right now I am practicing 3-4 times a week but my ultimate goal is to try and practice 5-6 times a week. I am very excited about the February 4 x 4 challenge. It’ s 4 days a week for thirty days. I am trying to get to the point where I am going every day, so this will surely challenge me to go more often.

What are some of the most important benefits you receive from Bikram Yoga? Has it helped to improve your life in any way?

Having had Rheumatoid Arthritis since I woke up with it one day in ’98, the damage it has done throughout the progression of those years in my hands, feet and knees has been slow but steady. Bikram Yoga has started to what I truly believe and feel is the reversal of the damage that has been done up to this point. I feel that every posture is not only realigning my body, but it is strengthening and conditioning my joints back to optimum health as well. Each day I can feel parts of my body letting go, physically and mentally releasing old tensions and old ways of thinking while allowing me to go deeper into the postures and deeper into meditation.

What do you find most challenging about practicing Bikram Yoga?

I find that the preparation is the most difficult thing about Bikram Yoga. For me it is that voice in my head that I am trying to control that tells me "don't go to yoga today." The only thing that helps with that is more yoga. Also, getting enough water and electrolytes and eating enough nutritious food on a daily basis can be difficult sometimes as well, but working on an efficient routine really helps. That is outside of the studio. The most difficult thing for me inside the studio is different on a daily basis. It all depends on what is happening to me physically and mentally that day.

What’s your current favorite posture?

My favorite posture at the moment has to be Standing Bow Pose. It has given me so many benefits in the past and it continues to give me flexibility, strength and it builds my concentration unlike any other pose right now.

What is your most dreaded posture?

My most dreaded posture has to be the U-turn from backbend to the forward bend in the Half-Moon Pose. But, to be honest, it was hard for me to choose because I don’t even feel like I am present in class most of the time. There is something about the mixture of the heat and the constant chatter from the teacher that helps me to go into a trance like state while still reaching for depth in terms of concentration and form in each and every posture.

What are some of your New Year’s resolutions for 2012?

My resolutions for 2012 are to go to yoga more and to also get my loved ones, including friends and family, to come out to try Bikram Yoga and to see for themselves that the benefits are out of this world!

Great Yoga Videos

2012-01-18T09:42:00.000-08:00

There has been many amazing yoga videos going around in Facebook and other social media sites. But I decided to gather some of them in here so people without social media sites can enjoy them as-well!

A morning yoga before going to work! Absolutely amazing!

Dancing with yoga elements! Wow!

Break ton Neck from Alex Yde on Vimeo.

30 day challenge - A studio in Australia interviewed their students during 30 day challenge

Bikram Yoga: 30 Day Challenge 2011 from Think Loco! on Vimeo.

Tuladandasana - Balancing Stick

2012-01-16T13:08:00.000-08:00

Tuladandasana - Balancing Stick

One of the most invigorating and challenging postures in the Bikram Yoga series, balancing stick is a hugely beneficial to the internal organs and as a large calorie burner, helps to tone the entire body. Like standing head-to-knee and standing bow-pulling pose, bringing the chest parallel to the floor helps to stimulate and strengthen heart giving huge cardiovascular benefit. Finally, it requires extreme concentration and helps to release emotion and open the heart.

Anatomical Focus

Strengthens

Upper Thighs
Buttocks
Shoulders
Abdomen
Trapezius Muscles
Deltoids
Ankles

Stretches

Hip Joints
Shoulders
Full Stretch of the spine

Stimulates

Pancreas
Liver
Spleen
Kidneys
Nervous System

Physical Benefits

Improves balance
Increases endurance
Increases lung capacity
Stimulates the heart and arteries, strengthening the heart
Helps to clear blockages from arteries helping to prevent future cardiovascular problems
Helps varicose veins
Burns fat (up to 300 calories during the posture according to Rajishree Choudhury)
Slims waistline and eliminates deposits fat on the body
Relieves tension from the spine

Energetic Benefits

Activates and opens the heart chackra

Mental Benefits

Improves memory and concentration

Emotional Benefits

Releases doubt and fear of giving and receiving love (by activating the heart chackra)

Allows you to open yourself to love and soul expression

Posture Tips

BREATHE This is especially important because you are working the cardiovascular system which is aided by the respiratory system

SUCK YOUR STOMACH IN, using the abdominal muscles in this posture will stabilize your core and will ultimately help you to balance in the posture.

Point your toes from beginning. After you step forward and before you bring your body down, lift your back leg one inch off the floor, and point your toes.

Improvement in balancing stick will help your locust pose and vice versa.

Tips from the Pros

The set up determines how well you will do the posture, lock everything before (knees, elbows, etc) so that you will have more stability in the posture

Lean back slightly in the set up to stretch the chest as you step into the posture

Come down absolutely straight, and use your strength immediately - Bikram

Use your eyes to continue the stretch of the spine, the spine stays straight but the eyes look forward

At the end of the posture stretch forward a little more than you stretch back

Check out more posture tips from Bikram Yoga NYC here

Tips for Teachers

Keep the set up in a regularly paced tone, once the student is in the posture make the dialogue more energetic

“Sound is almost the same as solid matter. Voice and volume is tangible.” Craig Villani

Because of the intensity of the posture, you must increase your vocal energy and intensity to help the students complete and endure through the pose.

Put emphasis on stretching forward. Before coming to the repetition of ‘stretch, stretch, stretch’ at the end of the pose, make sure the final instruction is to stretch forward.

Correcting the alignment of the hips is a correction for intermediate and advanced students only, not for beginners

Balancing Stick from Sara Curry on Vimeo.

Recipe of the week - Sesame Honey Chicken

2012-01-12T10:24:00.000-08:00

You like Chinese food but don' t know how to make it yourself? We can help you here :)

Sesame Honey Chicken

Serves four

400 to 500 g chicken breast fillets or boneless thigh fillets
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or (medium) dry sherry
2 tsp sesame oil

For the batter:
4 Tbsp cornflour/cornstarch

For deep-frying:
groundnut oil or rapeseed oil

Honey sauce:
3 Tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 Tbsp good-quality ketchup
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
3 Tbsp water

To garnish:
toasted white sesame seeds

Cut the chicken into 2 cm pieces.
Mix soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or sherry, sesame oil in a bowl. Add the chicken, stir and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour.
Sprinkle corn flour over the chicken pieces to cover on all sides, shake off excess flour.
Heat couple of cm of oil in a small saucepan until slightly sizzling. Deep-fry chicken pieces, couple at a time, until golden brown on all sides and fully cooked. Put fried chicken pieces aside.
Combine the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and bring into a boil. Simmer for a few minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.
Add the cooked chicken pieces into the honey sauce, heat thoroughly through.
Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
Serve with steamed rice or cooked noodles.

Bikram Yoga Challenge tips

2012-01-11T15:01:00.000-08:00

In the month of February we are having our next all-together Challenge. You can choose between 4-for-4 (4 days a week for 4 weeks) or 30 continues days of Bikram Yoga. If you miss a day, you can double up!

Here are some tips for you from a lady who finished her 30 day challenge!

1. The more water you drink before class, the better you feel throughout the postures. Another note on water: never ever chug during class, even if you're seriously dehydrated - little sips will suffice to get you through the 90 minutes without making you nauseous.

2. Get to class 15 minutes early to secure a good spot and allow your body to relax into savasana.

3. With yogis of varying levels of expertise wobbling around you, it's important to have your own mantra for the balancing postures. For me, counting backwards slowly does the trick.

4. There will be good classes and not so strong classes, just like there will be postures you nail and others that are a work in progress - but the effort and focus makes it worthwhile.

5. Wear as few clothes as you're comfortable in, because it's really that hot, and you won't be the only one in running shorts and a sports bra.

6. The long, deep breaths in and out through your nose, though at first your last priority in class, quickly become the best way to sink further into postures.

7. Hold your stomach in throughout the class, especially on forward bends to protect your lower back.

8. Try. Even if it hurts.

9. Don't eat too much before class - a full stomach is worse than a hangover when it comes to Bikram.

10. Take a full savasana at the end of class - you've earned it.

A 30-day exercise regime isn't for everyone - it requires more mental drive than I suspected (forcing yourself out of bed on a lazy Sunday is no mean feat), but the rewards are so amazing!. I know I can handle this challenge, and now I'm wondering, what's next?

Dandayamana-Dhanurasana - Standing Bow Pose

2011-12-21T10:01:00.000-08:00

Standing Bow Pose helps you develop patience, determination and concentration. Remember: Proper form is essential and depth is relative, especially as a beginner. The only way is the right way and the right way is the hard way. Standing bow-pulling pose is incredibly effective at flushing the circulatory system. The pose moves blood flow from one side of the body, dumping it into the other and creating a profound circulatory flush. Standing bow is a hugely expressive pose, helping to open the shoulders, hips, spine releasing emotion and stress from the tissues. As in standing head to knee, the position of the chest increases pressure on the heart helping to stimulate and exercise the cardiovascular system.

Strengthens

Quadriceps
Gulteus Maximus

Stretches

Trapezius
Latisimus Dorsi
Sartorius
Hamstrings
Pectorals
Diaphragm
Ribcage
Spine

Stimulates

Circulatory System
Digestive System
Reproductive System
Urinary System
Endocrine System
Heart
Kidneys

Benefits

Creates natural irrigation of the circulatory system – transfers blood flow from one side of the body to the other
Clears plaque off artery walls
Eases back pain through compression of the spine
Improves elasticity of the spine
Tones hips and buttocks
Strengthens the ankles and knees
Helps with frozen shoulder
Helps alleviate carpal tunnel, arthritis, tennis elbow
Helps with cervical spondylosis
Good for prenatal recovery
Stretches diaphragm and ribcage improving respiration (breathing)
Flushes kidneys, bladder and urinary system
Alleviates gas, constipation and clears digestion
Improves balance
Develops determination, patience and self-confidence

10 Teacher-tested Tips for a Better Triangle (Bikram Yoga Vancouver):

1. Stretch your arms both up and down. Do not just hang there! Stretch down to the floor and up toward the ceiling in both directions at the same time.

2. Touch the chin exactly to the shoulder. Do not let the neck relax; it is engaged. If you want to look at your posture in the mirror, quickly use your eyes. Otherwise your eyes should be toward the ceiling.

3. Keep the shoulders down. Try and touch your shoulder blades together during the setup to open the chest. Do not let the shoulders rise once the arms have turned. There is a tendency to bring your shoulder to your chin but the chin should move toward the shoulder.

4. Push both your hips forward toward the mirror. Instead of relaxing the hips down or back, make sure you are using your legs to push your hips forward.

5. Touch your lower fingers between the big and the second toe. If you can’t touch the toes, you need to sit down more.

6. When stretching your arm toward the ceiling, keep your torso flat in a straight line. Do not let rib cage stick out.

7. The body weight should be on the bent leg with back foot flat and pronated.

8. Stay positive. This is one of the hardest postures because it requires every muscle in your body to work while trying to maintain the breath. This means attitude is everything – it’s going to hurt like hell, but it will give you a lot of benefits so don’t give up.

9. Keep your hips down, sit down and do not let your hips come up.

10. Breathe. As the dialogue says, “This is a perfect marriage between the heart and the lungs.” Which means better coordination between your heart and lungs

Standing Bow from Sara Curry on Vimeo.

How Bikram Yoga can help with New Year Resolutions!

2011-12-16T14:20:00.000-08:00

The tradition of New Year’s Resolutions goes all the way back to 153 B.C. Janus, a mythical king of early Rome was placed at the head of the calendar.

Every year there are top 10 New Year’s resolutions that usually look the same. Why the same? Because they’re just so hard to keep. But you are 10 times more likely to succeed if you do make those resolutions. We want to help you to stick with the resolutions with a help of Bikram Yoga. The list of changes can be as little as: TOP 1 – Join a Bikram Yoga class – all other resolutions will be so much easier to accomplish! We promise!

1) Quitting smoking

"I decided once and for all to quit smoking on July 10, 2006 and walked into my first Bikram class the following day. I have not had one cigarette since, and only experienced one craving all year, which passed rather quickly. I had tried to quit so many times, and Bikram Yoga was my answer” .Research says that quitting smoking is about small, successive steps instead of one huge, giant leap. Getting into routine and replacing unhealthy habits with healthy ones will help you put out those cigarettes for good. Planning for how to handle obstacles is one of the biggest hurdles. Instead of going out for drinks / smokes with friends, bring them into yoga. Once you build your life around improving your yoga practice, little changes will come naturally and the small, successive decision to quit smoking will become easier.

Not only will adding yoga to your routine leave less time in the day for a smoke, it will show you the state of your lungs in the breathing exercises. As you regularly practice Bikram Yoga your lung capacity will improve, helping to flush out the toxins in your body from years of abuse! A yogi from Bikram Yoga White Rock testified, “Bikram Yoga has changed my life, I would recommend it for anyone struggling to quit smoking because once you step into the heated room and realize how sick your lungs really are, you will not touch another cigarette again.”

2) Get into a habit of being Fit

If you have tried all kinds of exercises – running, aerobics, weight lifting – and you can’t seem to get back there. Try Bikram Yoga! Some people think Yoga will tone you a little but nothing major. Bikram Yoga is a full body workout – it works your body from bones to your skin. There are people in our studio who come here 5 times a week every week for years and they say it’s a addiction for them. Well, isn’ t that great – You get addicted to a workout that makes you healthier, more fit, helps to lose bad habits. Bikram Yoga is a slow medicine according to Dr. Divi Chadna. He says, “It is slow medicine but it is the best medicine.”

Not only will you experience physical change while practicing Bikram Yoga but you will also experience positive mental and emotional changes as well. So if you want a fit body and a fit mind then we recommend a higher intensity at first - 5 times a week for 3 months - and then you can continue from that point on at 3 times per week to maintain the improvements you have made in your body.

3) Lose Weight – The Battle of the Bulge

It is so easy to stop paying attention to how you eat, have too many beers, extra lattes every day. You want to lose weight – here are 5 steps from Bikram Yoga studio in Vancouver!

*Find your BMI and your ideal caloric intake per day.

*Go to the doctor and have your vitals checked. Get your weight, cholesterol, blood pressure, and have some blood work done to check if you have any other low vitamin/mineral levels in your diet like iron or vitamin D.

*Fill out your Bikram Yoga Progress Chart to begin to keep track of the state of your body and mind. Get control of your meals and add any missing vitamins and minerals to your diet.

*After you've taken all the initial steps, start and fully commit to coming to Bikram Yoga class 5 times a week for 3 months no matter what is going on in your life.

*Make sure you maintain proper eating habits and help track what you eat via mobile apps such as Lose it! or websites like the LIVESTRONG calorie counter.

*Visit the doctor every 30 days to check your vitals and update your progress chart.

According to The Biggest Loser, people undergoing vigorous workout while controlling diet portions should lose an average of 2 lbs per week. Start with this as your goal and don't get discouraged if you body takes longer - just be honest with yourself and commit to doing the best you can.

4) Enjoy Life More

“My Bikram Practice opened my eyes to enjoy life more. It works like magic. Sometimes I have some questions I don’ t have the answers yet. I walk into the class with the questions in my head and by the end of the class, without even thinking about them – I have the answers. I see more colors, know what I want to do in life, know who matters in my life. I know not to sweat the small things. Just Enjoy life and people around you will start to wonder what is your secret? And you can tell them, it is Bikram Yoga”

5) Healthier diet

Bikram yoga will help your body to crave for the right things! . If you are practicing Bikram regularly, the two-hour no food requirement before class will help you regulate meal times. The compressions of the thyroid throughout the series will also help regulate your metabolism.

If you are planning to make positive changes to your diet we can guarantee Bikram Yoga will help you stick to your regimen. You will choose better foods because your body will crave better foods. You will begin to look at the food you eat as a source of energy (you will need all of your energy some days just to drag yourself back to class). Choosing foods that are packed with energy will mean getting more benefit out of eating less food.

6) Remove stress from your life!

Bikram Yoga Vancouver tells us how Bikram Yoga helps with stress: “Suffer for 90 minutes not a lifetime.” Bikram firmly believes that if you push yourself to 100% of your ability in class then you will prevent a life of suffering from major illnesses, depression/anxiety, and common aches and pain – especially in the spine. Many people think that when life becomes stressful they have no way out. Well, you can’t leave your own life but you can make an effort to be present in it for 90 minutes a day. During this 90 minutes you will have nowhere to go, no one to help you, and no changes can be made other than the way you see yourself and the world. The room will always be hot and your body will always experience some amount of discomfort so the only choice you have is to change the way you think about it.

Once you learn how to relax, accept the moment, and release your expectations in the yoga room these new found insights will spill over into your everyday life. You won't get so riled up by the little problems and anxieties of everyday life and you will find the ability to truly relax in a moment. We recommend Bikram Yoga as a buffer to stress if you commit to a regular practice of 3 times per week after the time of day you feel most stressed out - your mind will be bouncing around with a million different thoughts but the moment you step on your mat the world will become quiet.

7) Learn Something new

If Bikram Yoga is new to you – this will be a simple step to take, just walk into the closest studio. And after doing the yoga it will open your eyes to all kinds of activities you have wanted to do. An in order to learn them all, Bikram yoga builds your patience, determination and concentration. You will be a great snowboarder! You can become or do anything you want and succeed in it!

8) Get out of debt

You will have to spend some money to come take a class. But it is not more expensive than a regular gym membership. Plus if you pay attention to deals, there are always good ones out there. In our studio it is only 30$ for 2 weeks of unlimited yoga for beginners. You can come every single day and really get to know the yoga. Also you will have less free time in your day to spend on restaurants, alcohol/bars, and shopping. We are completely aware (and can sympathize) those 90 minutes is a huge time commitment - especially considering the commute to/from the studio and showering/post-yoga coma.

But, if you spend $99/month on a yoga membership and come 5 times a week then each yoga class works out to being $4.95 per class and that is covering about 120 minutes of your day, 50 hours of your week, improving your health, and changing your life! Not to mention the amount of money you will save from your new need to avoid alcohol, caffeine, and eating out at restaurants.

9) Spend more time with family

Doing yoga will help you realize how important your family is! You can bring them to yoga with you and talk about all the amazing benefits after the class. You can all pick up a healthy workout!

At least one day a week sit down to dinner with your family. Eating together, talking together, you can share your successes, and create an atmosphere safe enough to share worries too.

10) Help people

By introducing Bikram Yoga to them you might have given them the new best thing in their life! And while taking yoga on your own you might become more compassionate and willing to help others. There is many volunteer possibilities in every town. From Snow Angels (cleaning drive-ways from snow) to bringing food to older people! By helping them you are helping yourself develop and become happier!

Here is a list of New Year’s resolutions and how Bikram yoga can help to get through them. Your list might be different from us. Share us in the comments how Bikram Yoga has helped you in everyday life and what problems have you solved. Have a amazing 2012 year, filled with laughter and love!

Bikram yoga and pregnancy

2011-11-29T13:36:00.000-08:00

Can I do Bikram Yoga if I am pregnant?

Absolutely! Yoga has been reported to help pregnant women thoughout pregnancy, labor and delivery. There are some important notes to consider before starting or continuing your practice.

Women who practiced Bikram Yoga during pregnancy have reported feeling better during pregnancy, fewer complications, greater ease and less duration of delivery and calm, happy babies. You can learn to breathe, cope with stress and stay comfortable in your body through all of the changes pregnancy has to offer.

If you are currently a practitioner of Bikram Yoga, feel free to continue your practice as long as possible, under the advice of your doctor or midwife. Many women have practiced right up until delivery. Once you complete your 13th week, your teacher can instruct you in the modifications for pregnant women. To see photographs and descriptions, ask at the front desk. You may notice that the practice is very challenging in the first trimester as you are adjusting to hormones and increased blood volume.

If you have never done Bikram Yoga before, wait until you have entered your second trimester before beginning classes. From the beginning, you will practice the pregnancy modifications.

Many women may feel intimidated by the heat of the room. Doctors often caution women from saunas and jacuzzis. Unlike a jacuzzi or a sauna, the body temperature rises minimally during a Bikram Yoga class, on average 0.6 degrees, because of all of the sweating and liberal use of fans. You have nothing to worry about. Do the best that you can. You may even want to bring a thermometer to class to prove to yourself that you and your baby are okay.

Important notes for pregnant women:

Practice at about 50% of your capacity and never to exhaustion.
Be sure to stay well-hydrated.
Feel free to bring a sports drink or snack into class if you find you are light-headed or hungry during class.
Practice in a cooler area of the room or by the door. Feel free to leave class anytime to cool down.
From the second trimester on, practice standing postures with your feet six inches apart for stability.
Do not push your hips forward in the backward bends. The cartilage in your hips is preparing for birth by loosening and is less stable than it was before you were pregnant.
No forward compressions or belly-down postures after the first trimester. Ask your teacher for modifications

Enjoy yourself. You are preparing for the SuperBowl of your life!

There is a great article with proven literature at Bikram Yoga Vancouver site Pregnancy and Bikram Yoga
Here is another one from Bikram Yoga Portsmouth Pregnancy Blog
And a very useful article with pose modification photos from Lower East Side Bikram Yoga Pose Modifications

Baked apples

2011-11-17T15:21:00.000-08:00

Do you still have a ton of apples at home and need a easy recipe? here it is - oven baked apples. SO easy to make!

INGREDIENTS

· 4 large good baking apples, such as Rome Beauty, Golden Delicious, or Jonagold 1/4 cup brown sugar

· 1 teaspoon cinnamon

· 1/4 cup chopped pecans

· 1/4 cup currants or chopped raisins

· 1 Tbsp butter

· 3/4 cup boiling water

METHOD

1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Wash apples. Remove cores to 1/2 inch of the bottom of the apples. It helps if you have an apple corer, but if not, you can use a paring knife to cut out first the stem area, and then the core. Use a spoon to dig out the seeds. Make the holes about 3/4-inch to an inch wide.

2 In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, currants/raisins, and pecans. Place apples in a 8-inch-by-8-inch square baking pan. Stuff each apple with this mixture. Top with a dot of butter (1/4 of the Tbps).

3 Add boiling water to the baking pan. Bake 30-40 minutes, until tender, but not mushy. Remove from the oven and baste the apples several times with the pan juices.

Serve warm with vanilla icecream on the side.

Makes 4 servings

Bikram yoga and skiing

2011-11-17T14:41:00.000-08:00

We have talked about all kinds of others sports and how they benefit from Bikram yoga. It is almost winter sport time!. How nice would it be to have a day outside skiing and finish it in a hot room doing yoga. You should sleep like a baby after that!

It is incredible what yoga does for skiing. People can ski all day long and much better.

Conditioning before hitting the slopes can increase the safety and enjoyment of the sport. Most ski injuries occur early in the day when muscles are tight and enthusiasm is high, and late in the day when muscles are weakened and technique is poor.

A simple yoga exercise called the awkward pose, can increase your strength, balance and concentration which will make the ski season more rewarding. It consists of three variations which are done sequentially.

To begin, stand with the feet apart, about shoulder width, an even distance (approximately six inches) between your heels and toes. Extend the arms out in front of you parallel to the floor with the shoulders pressed down and away from the head. Keep the upper body strong and firm in this position.

Bend your knees and shift the weight back into the heels, pushing the buttocks out behind you. When the top of the thighs are parallel to the floor and arms, hold your pose. The feet should be held parallel and the knees should only be shoulder width apart.

One good way to think of getting into this pose is to imagine that you are sitting in an invisible chair leaning back to bring the spine and shoulders against the back of the chair. The arm muscles are contracted, the abdomen is held tight and your breathing should be normal. Hold the pose for 20 seconds. Stand up.

The second part of this series is similar to the first. Keep the upper body the same as before and stand straight up onto the balls of the feet, standing as high as possible with the arches pressed forward. To keep the ankles strong and straight, press down with each big toe. Now, bend the knees again keeping the spine straight and stop when the quadriceps are parallel to the floor. Hold this pose for 20 seconds. Stand up. You will find this second pose a bit more difficult.

Third, assume the same basic pose with upper body firm and strong. Again, slowly bend the knees and this time sit all the way down lightly onto the heels. Now press the knees together and hold the body still. The quadriceps are again level with the floor and the spine is straight. Hold again for 20 seconds. Stand up out of the pose slowly, bring the heels down and relax. Don’t forget to do a second set of all three poses.

Written by: Iyoganow

New Clothes are in!

2011-11-11T07:41:00.000-08:00

This time Shakti surprised us with great patterns! Come in, check them out! Going on a week trip to a warm country? They are great beach clothes also! Shakti active-wear is designed using the highest quality Lycra and Air-fit Microfiber fabrics that cling to the body and absorb excess moisture. Their tops and bottoms are perfect for yoga, Pilates, biking, surfing, running and other fitness activities. Shakti Active-wear is clothing for the modern yogi and yogini. Value yourself, do yoga, live healthy and enjoy life!

Dandayamana-Janushirasana - Standing Head to Knee

2011-11-11T07:16:00.000-08:00

Standing head-to-knee builds great concentration and determination. As the knee locks, the contraction of the thigh creates a “suspension” of the knee joint, pulling bone away from bone. By maintaining the pose, the soft tissues surrounding the knee are strengthened helping to protect the cartilage of the knee. As you bend over, the proximity of the heart to the floor, puts pressure on the muscle, exercising the heart through elevating the heart rate. The completion of all four stages of the pose profoundly strengthens the body and mind, improving confidence, focus, patience and determination. When you fall out of this posture at any point – you must start all over again, at the very first part.

Strengthens

Quadriceps muscles
Trapezius
Biceps
Latissmus Dorsi
Abdominal muscles

Stretches

Back
Shoulders
Hamstrings

Stimulates

Pancreas
Thyroid, Para-Thyroid (in 4th stage)
Thymus (in 4th stage)
Digestive organs
Reproductive organs
Kidneys
Heart

Benefits

Builds strength through the body
Improves flexibility of sciatic nerve
Strengthens tendons
Prevents wear and tear of knee cartilage though strengthening of soft tissues around the knee
Helps clear and prevent problems with digestion, including flatulence
Helps to develop balance
Helps maintain sugar levels through compression of the pancreas
Improves blood circulation throughout the body
Tones abdominal muscles and thighs
Improves your sex life through the massage of your reproductive organs
Helps to decrease varicose veins by exercising the long vein (great saphenous vein) running from the leg to the heart
Helps to build patience, determination and concentration
Helps to improve confidence and self-worth
Helps to calm and clear the mind

Standing Head-to-Knee from Sara Curry on Vimeo.

Garurasana - Eagle Pose

2011-11-04T09:36:00.000-07:00

Eagle pose opens the major joints through stretching during the pose. As the arms and legs twist, pressure is created that irrigates the circulatory system. Blood is reserved in the muscles of the thighs, calves, arms and fore-arms. When the arms and legs release this blood flow flushes the joints helping to relieve joint problems and maintaining synovial fluid. The deep compression of this posture also massages organs and glands. Eagle pose particularity stimulates the reproductive system making this a great pose for sexual vitality and fertility.

Strengthens

Muscles of the legs
Rectum and Pineal Muscles

Stretches

12 major joints of the body: shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees and ankles.

Stimulates

Kidneys
Reproductive Organs
Lymphatic system

Benefits

Improves and maintains joint lubrication
Improves the mobility of the hip joint
Improves immune system through stimulation of the lymphatic system
Helps to regulate menstruation
Helps improve fertility
Good for cellulite
Good for varicose veins
Balances sexual energy
Good for urinary tract infections in women
Good for prostate health in men
Helps with spondylisis

Eagle from Sara Curry on Vimeo.

Pumpkin & goat's cheese risotto

2011-10-31T12:30:00.000-07:00

Total Time: 55 mins

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients (serves 6)

20g unsalted butter
1 large leek (white part only), finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
500g pumpkin, peeled, diced into 1cm pieces
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tbs chopped thyme leaves
100ml dry white wine
900ml chicken or vegetable stock
250g arborio rice
1/2 cup (60g) frozen peas
100g soft goat's cheese, crumbled
Roasted pumpkin seeds and Parmesan

Method

Melt butter in a deep frypan over low heat. Cook leek for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add garlic, pumpkin, half the zest and half the thyme, then stir to coat. Add wine, cover and cook for 10 minutes or until pumpkin is almost cooked.
Meanwhile, bring stock to the boil in a pan. Reduce heat to very low and simmer.
Add the rice to pumpkin mixture and cook for 1-2 minutes to coat the grains. Add stock 1 ladleful at a time, allowing each to be absorbed before adding the next. Continue for 12 minutes, stirring constantly, until stock is absorbed and rice is cooked but firm to the bite. Season to taste. Stir in peas and half the cheese.
Serve topped with the remaining zest, thyme, cheese and pumpkin seeds. Plus a little bit parmesan cheese.

Notes

We used roasted pumpkin for this recipe, and gorgonzola in place of the goat's cheese. While you make the risotto, toss the pumpkin and 4 unpeeled garlic cloves in a little olive oil and roast for 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 180°C. Add the roasted pumpkin and peeled garlic cloves to the risotto with the peas and cheese.

Halloween and yoga

2011-10-26T12:05:00.000-07:00

You don' t have a idea for Halloween costume yet? Do you want to try something different this year? Why not yoga poses :)

Try on a yoga Halloween costume and see how it makes you look and feel. You don't need cosmetics, a mask, or a wig. A simple relaxed attitude and a few minutes of your time is all that it takes.

This Halloween put on a costume that will leave you feeling fitter and more flexible than you have in years. There are hundreds of yoga costumes to choose from so disguise yourself as a Bengal tiger, Cobra, Eagle, Tree, Rabbit, Camel, Tortoise,

You may even find that if you give these yoga costumes a try that you just might want to stay in disguise. Treat yourself to a new lifestyle and try on a yoga Halloween costume this year.

And if you don' t want a costume - be a savasana or half moon or any other great pose ;)

Cinnamon buns

2011-10-21T12:58:00.000-07:00

Cinnamon buns
Makes about 16 large buns

450 g all-purpose flour (about 750 ml or 3 cups)
85 g caster sugar (100 ml)
1.5 tsp ground cardamom pods
0.5 tsp salt
1 packet of fast-action dried yeast (about 11 g)
250 ml lukewarm milk (1 cup)
1 egg (divided)
75 g butter, softened

Filling:
50 g butter, softened
4 Tbsp caster sugar
cinnamon

Topping:
pearl sugar (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, mix most of the flour, sugar, cardamom, salt and yeast. Stir in the milk and about half of the egg (leave some for brushing the buns before baking). Knead in the softened butter and the rest of the flour, if necessary. Knead until you've got a soft and pliable dough that releases from the sides of the bowl. Cover with clingfilm or a clean towel and leave to prove for about 45-60 minutes, until doubled in size. (The place for proving should be warm and draught-free).
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured table, knead gently couple of times. Roll into a reclangle sized 30x60 cm. Spread soft butter over the dough, then sprinkle generously with cinnamon and sugar. Roll up tightly, starting from the long side, leaving the "seam" under the roll.

Now use a sharp knife to cut into buns, following the scheme here. The buns should be about 2 cm wide on the narrow end and 5 cm on the wide end.

Transfer onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, placing them upright. Using your thumbs or a large pencil, press a dent into the middle of each bun, just like this:

Cover with a kitchen towel and leave to raise for another 30 minutes in a warm place. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 225 C/450 F.

Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with pearl sugar. Bake in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until the buns and golden brown.

Take the baking sheet out of the oven, and cover the buns with a kitchen towel and let them cool (a little) - this way they remain nice and soft.

Awkward Pose - Utkatasana

2011-10-21T12:14:00.000-07:00

This strength posture depends on the precise alignment of the feet to deliver the benefits. While in posture, the legs and feet are realigned helping to decrease back-pain. Essentially, the pose works almost like an orthotic. The muscles of the upper body are also profoundly strengthened by the back-bending and positioning of the arms helping with toning.

Awkward pose – waking up those legs!

Part I

There are three parts to Awkward pose. The first part works the thighs by holding a deep squat and strengthens the lower back by arching the upper spine backwards.

Try to arch the upper spine and shoulders back like you’re trying to straighten it against a wall, but keep the knees bent, thighs parallel to the floor. Make sure the toes, heels, knees and hands stay six inches apart and keep the shoulders down and away from the ears.

Part II

The second part is about balance, so breath and focus is important. We stand high on the tippiest of tippy toes, and sit down half way, trying to get the thighs parallel to the floor. When you think you’re about to fall, lift your lower belly in and up, press into the big and second toes to lift the heels higher… then engage your abs again to lift up and out of the hips.

Try not to lean forward and stick the bottom back, we want a straight spine with knees, feet and hands six inches apart.

Part III

The third part is about balance and strength. We rise up on the toes just a little, then squeeze the knees and inner thighs together.

The knees bend to lower down to a slooooow count of ten, coming down so low that the hips prop just above the heels. The spine stays straight by engaging the abs, keeping a strong focus, and keeping the arms active.

Strengthens

Triceps

Deltoids

Abdominal Muscles

Quadriceps

Tones muscles of the legs

Stretches

Ankles

Feet

Toes

Pelvis

Shins

Stimulates

Liver

Spleen

Intestines

Pancreas

Benefits

Helps to realign the legs to prevent lower-back pain

Tones the arms, getting rid fat deposits from under the arms

Helps to align the meniscus in the knee

Reduces flat feet, bunions and bowed legs

Helps with lumbago

Relieves menstrual cramps

Relieves sciatica

Reduces fat under buttocks

Good for arthritic conditions in knees and hips

Relieves joint pain

Helps to release anger and frustration

Helps with chronically cold feet

Awkward from Sara Curry on Vimeo.

Why Professional Athletes, Show Business Stars and Politicians Choose Bikram Yoga?

2011-10-20T11:21:00.000-07:00

Many acclaimed sportsmen, actors, musicians and other strong-minded and successful people, politicians among them, have included Bikram yoga in their training program. The major advantage of this yoga is that everyone can practice it regardless of age, gender and fitness level.

Bikram yoga is an integral part of the trainings of many NHL hockey players, USA NFL soccer players, professional tennis players and athletes. Regular Bikram yoga exercises improve their professional performance, help to heal sports injuries faster and grant numerous psychological health benefits. „Bikram yoga helps students cultivate faith in one self, develops self-control and determination, improves concentration & patience and it shows in their professional performance,” explains the developer of Bikram yoga – Bikram Choudhury.

One of the first professional sportsmen among those who started practicing Bikram yoga and acknowledged its positive impact is the legendary NBA basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Even though he is more than 50 years old now and retired from his professional career, he still continues to practice yoga every day. His almost 80 year old father has witnessed impressive health improvements from practicing Bikram yoga as well.

Bikram yoga is practiced by tennis players Andy Murray, Serena Williams and John Patrick McEnroe, one of the best defenders in the NBA, former San Antonio „Spurs” star Bruce Bowen and many others.

Bikram has taught yoga to the USA presidents Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon. „President Nixon was my first student in the USA,” reveals Bikram Choudhury. The next were the undisputed king of Rock 'n' Roll, - Elvis Presley, the lead guitarist of "The Beatles" George Harrison, pop music legend Michael Jackson, basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and American football star Dan Marino.

Bikram yoga raises hope in people. „When everything goes wrong in life, people give up. You don’t have to give up,” says Bikram Choudhury. Through the years, he has conducted yoga classes for hundreds of show business representatives. Actors George Clooney, Jim Carrey, Jennifer Aniston and Demi Moor can be named among the devoted yoga practitioners. The pop divas Madonna, Beyonce and Jessica Simpson are in great shape thanks to Bikram yoga. „Most Hollywood celebrities who take up yoga do so because they’ve already tried fitness classes and therapies which haven’t worked as expected,” Choudhury explains the popularity of Bikram yoga.

The Best Yoga Mat for Bikram Yoga

2011-10-18T13:29:00.000-07:00

Thick and Padded for Cushioning

A yoga mat that is thick and padded enough to withstand the rigors of a Bikram yoga class is best. A thin mat will wear out too quickly and will not provide the cushioning you will want for poses such as rabbit pose, when you place your head onto your mat. For most people, that will mean a mat that is at least one-half inch in thickness.

Durability: Rubber, Bamboo

Eco-friendly yoga mats made from natural rubber or bamboo or other plant-based materials are excellent choices for Bikram yoga. A rubber mat will wear well from the standing poses found in Bikram yoga. Those made from bamboo are surprisingly durable and lighter in weight than rubber.

Traction to Prevent Sliding

It might be possible to practice some types of yoga on bare wood floor, but Bikram yoga is not one of them. The heated room and no-nonsense succession of poses will quickly produce a sweaty practice that requires a yoga mat that will not slip or slide. For that reason, selecting a yoga mat made with a patterned surface to provide traction on carpet or hard flooring is a good idea. It is not uncommon to see people practice Bikram yoga in bathing suits as the session produces that much heat.

Reversible for Versatility

Fully reversible mats are also very practical for a Bikram yoga class. While many people will bring thick beach towels and lay them flat on top of their yoga mats, these can slide during practice. There are yoga mats that have a "sticky" side and on the other side is a terry towel side to soak up the perspiration from practice. You might try one to see whether it suits you. As all yogis know, you should choose the best yoga mat for your Bikram yoga class based on your direct experiences.

In our studio we sell Zenzation mats that are perfect for Bikram yoga. It has sealed edges that prevents fraying and tearing. Rounded corners which keeps the mat flat during your yoga practice.

1/4"(6.5mm) x 24" x 68"
Sticky Mat
Easy to clean and long lasting
Extra thick for comfort
Made with PVC and cotton

(article from live strong)

'Sin' foods that are healthy for you

2011-10-12T10:33:00.000-07:00

If you're feeling sluggish or perhaps can't quite do up the top button of your pants, you can regain energy without depriving yourself of tasty, healthy foods, says a nutrition and weight loss guru.

Dr. Joey Shulman, author of "Healthy Sin Foods" (Penguin, 2011), says people can lose weight by learning how to swap out less nutritious choices for healthy ingredients.

Your body could still be remembering being fed high-sugar and high-fat foods over the holidays and may even have developed an addiction. Breaking the cycle of craving takes some getting used to.

A craving may indicate that blood sugar is off balance, not that a person is weak, says Shulman, a registered nutritionist who runs four weight-loss and nutrition counselling centres in the Toronto area. She previously worked as a chiropractor.

"So before we even attack that, we have to get clean. You can have naturally sweet foods. But you have to take all foods with added sugar out of the diet immediately. The first day or two, you might get a little bit of a headache or your cravings may intensify, but once you're past Day 3 you're done, it's over."

Protein will help you get rid of your cravings too, she added.

Shulman says that with most people it's sugars and carbohydrates that they're craving, not fat. "But the fats they've eaten over the holidays tend to be inflammatory so joints start to ache a little bit more. You just start to feel a little sluggish, digestion might slow down. It just makes you feel overall heavier even if you didn't gain weight, so all you have to do is switch to those good fats which your body needs for weight loss, for mood."

The book's title might sound like a contradiction -- how can you have decadent foods that still taste delicious and are good for you?

"I practise weight loss mostly and I see few hundred patients every year for weight loss. People were saying to me, 'Look, I don't want to eat bland broccoli and tasteless tofu to lose weight.' ... In fact, I would argue that the food you can eat to lose weight is even more delicious.

"So I was coming up with these recipes -- really yummy muffin recipes or faux pasta recipes -- and tricking my friends, tricking my neighbours and they were going, 'This is fabulous' and I was going 'Yes, this is like a healthy sin food. You wouldn't even know it. ...

"It was me just saying, 'Anything that we can do unhealthy, we can do healthy and make it just as yummy."

In the paperback version of the book that originally came out in 2009, there are 101 recipes, including "anything from a really hearty bruschetta that you can put on whole-grain bread, which is delicious, to creamy soups or cheesy vegetable dishes that are lower in fat. It's tricky because all the recipes that we made we opted for lower sugar, lower fat and you have to be aware of the substitutes or else the food is not going to taste good," she explains.

"I feel in weight loss if I keep you deprived, then 100 per cent I'm going to lose you. So I can't do that."

Here is Shulman's top five list of healthy sin foods:

1. Berries. These can include any kind -- raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries -- and can be fresh or frozen. Shulman suggests putting them in a morning smoothie. "They're naturally sweet foods that are going to satisfy and curb that sweet tooth."

2. Almonds, walnuts or pistachios. "I call them the peckish foods because when you're feeling really hungry, instead of grabbing the wrong thing that you'll overconsume, they'll fill you up and keep you satiated. They have a nice crunch to them too so they're satisfying," Shulman explains. A serving is 10 to 15 walnuts or almonds or 20 to 25 pistachios.

Nuts and an apple or nuts and berries are perfect "for that 3 p.m. blood sugar dip."

3. Plain yogurt. "I'm not actually so concerned with the fat content as long as it's plain yogurt," she says. "It's not what's making people heavier. The fruit-bottomed yogurts, the sugary yogurts, for sure no, but the plain yogurt, if it's a two per cent you enjoy, go for it." Add some fruit or ground flax seeds for additional benefits and flavour.

4. Any green food, such as broccoli, kale, spinach and rappini. "If it's steamed or thrown into a chili, for example, because you don't feel like having a cold green this time of year, that's completely fine, but we need to get those antioxidants into the system," Shulman notes.

5. Cold-water fish, such as fresh salmon and black cod. Tilapia is also a good choice. Fish is a wonderful lean source of protein, Shulman says. "One, it's going to curb the cravings. Two, it's filled with omega-3 fatty acids which we need, especially this time of year for brain support, to be anti-inflammatory. Three, it fills you up."

In the book, Shulman includes descriptions of top 50 superfoods -- foods that pack a powerful nutritional punch and that haven't been refined, processed or preserved, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, oil, protein and whole grains.

Shulman cautions against following fad diets such as the paleo (short for paleolithic), or caveman, plan, which is based on what our ancestors presumably ate prior to the development of agriculture. One of its main tenets is avoiding grain, but Shulman maintains that whole grains are fantastic for health.

"I can tell you clinically and from seeing hundreds of weight loss clients over the years, most people can't do grain-free long term. And so my rule for weight loss is whenever you're joining any program you have to ask yourself, 'Can I see myself following a version of this in five years?' And if the answer is no, don't do it."

The key with healthy eating and weight loss is to make your food plan sustainable.

"I worry about an all-or-nothing sort of approach. I think that just by incorporating those five foods in your diet, exercising more, making sure you're sharp with your supplements like fish oils and a multi-vitamin, making sure you're well hydrated -- and that can be with herbal teas or green teas at this time of year -- you'll start feeling a whole lot better and the healthier you feel, the more you want."

Shulman encourages people worried about failing in yet another weight loss plan to take baby steps. "Baby steps work."

Article from the Canadian press

Cycling and Bikram Yoga - The Perfect Match

2011-10-11T13:13:00.000-07:00

Most people who take cycling seriously are die hard cyclists and can't wait for that time in the day to sneak out for a nice ride. I describe avid cyclists as mentally strong people, very determined and goal-oriented. Challenge is welcome in a cyclist's mind. As you know, going for a bike ride requires many hours including the cleaning of your bike with VeloShine wipes after every ride. Then, it is time to shower and get on with the rest of life. Is there time for stretching after such long and challenging rides? No time. So, here is where Bikram Yoga can help for that lack of stretch in our routines.

Bikram Yoga provides as all the other Yogas many valuable physical and mental benefits. But, Bikram Yoga is different, and it is the perfect match for diehard athletes like cyclists. Athletes tend to have a strong and tight musculature and it is hard to get it to stretch well with a couple of regular exercises. In a Bikram Yoga room, the room is so hot and humid that those tight muscle will warm up quickly and profoundly that it will be easier to get the stretching that will make a difference in your musculature and overall performance when you are on your bike.

But besides the benefit of additional flexibility in your muscles, joints, and back, Bikram also helps significantly in your mental stamina and endurance. Just the environment is challenging in and of itself. To stay in a 105º F degrees at least 40% humidity for 90 minutes requires a mind-over-matter disposition to take over just stay in the room, never mind the 26 postures you have to do that you may think impossible to achieve in your first class.

In addition to the mental stamina and endurance you will acquire, Bikram Yoga has immense physiological benefits that will translate also in a better physical performance of your body overall and the quality of your daily life.

Here are some of the major benefits of practicing Bikram, Yoga on a regular basis as communicated by Dr. Joel Brame, speaker. author, cancer prevention consultant.

Reduces acidity in your body. In a toxic and stressful lifestyle, the body becomes highly acidic and Ph imbalances within the body is dangerous.
Re-oxygenates the body. Bikram breathing exercises at the beginning, during and at the end of practice have a deep and powerful impact on your health.
Remarkably detoxifies the body. The body has 5 major routes of naturaldetoxification. The kidneys, the intestines, the lungs, the liver and the skin. Bikram Yogaall these 5 major detoxification routes of the body are highly activated through a series of key poses completed throughout the practice with breathing exercises and other stimulant poses.
Boosts the immune system. As you may know, 75% of our immune system is found in our intestines. Bikram Yoga stimulates the food passage through the digestive tract via a series of twisting poses, it helps it through the detoxification process we discussed above.
Re-connects the mind with the body. As with other yoga practices, Bikram helps connecting the mind with the body as one and not two separate, independent entities. As you practice more, you will become more aware of your body changes because you are more tuned in with it.
Helps reverse cancer. It is not guaranteed, but Bikram Yoga certainly helps reverse many of the pathological processes that culminate in the disease called cancer. To read more about this, we invite you to read this document by Dr. Joel Brame:http://www.docstoc.com/docs/15269370/5-Ways-to-Reverse-Cancer-using-Bikram-Yoga.

Another benefit of Bikram Yoga that I have experienced during my practices is helps you achieve moments of meditative states. As you progress and achieve more control of your body poses, your mind starts to quiet down and submerge in the pose you are doing. You start concentrating more on your breathing and in the pose while all thoughts averse to quieting your mind start going away. You achieve a point in your practice when you mind starts staying in the room with your body. It does not take many practices to achieve this early stage of moving meditation.

When you come out of class, not only do you feel clean and de-stressed, but also your mind is "tamed" and your disposition and attitude toward your life is that of embracing it. For cyclists, I consider Bikram a perfect match. Cycling, besides the health benefits, it allows you to be in touch with nature during your rides, it gives you a sense of freedom and moments of contemplation, which can be complemented in unison with a Bikram Yoga practice.

Try it, you will love it!

Article by VeloShine, from facebook.

Hands to Feet - Pada-Hasthasana

2011-10-07T11:58:00.000-07:00

Unlike traditional “touch-your-toes” hamstring-stretch taught in PE class, hands-to-feet pose the whole body. This is perfect example of how a pose can both work to strengthen and stretch your body. As you pull with your arms to increase flexibility, your spine, hips and legs are stretched in what Bikram calls a “360 degree stretching angle.” Completion of this pose after half-moon and backward-bending, means that the spine has been stretched in four directions, the circulatory and nervous systems have been invigorated to prepare the body for class.

Strengthens

Biceps

Deltoids

Quadriceps

Calves

Rectus Abdominis

Trapezius muscles

Stretches

Hamstrings
Spine
Sciatic nerve
Tendons and ligaments of the legs
Shoulders

Stimulates

Pineal and pituitary glands
Colon
Pancreas
Kidneys

Benefits

Firms and trims waistline, hips, abdomen, buttocks and thighs
Good for frozen shoulder
Relieves lower back pain
Good for abdominal obesity
Greatly enhances concentration
Helps with sciatic problems
Improves circulation to the brain and legs

Dessert for Holiday weekend - Rasberry and Mascarpone Fluff

2011-10-06T13:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had an early Thanksgiving dinner with the people I usually have dinner parties with. It was my time to do a dessert. As I am Estonian we have this thing called Kama, that you can use in desserts or everyday cooking. Kama is an mixture of various roasted and ground grains & pulses - usually peas, barley, rye and wheat. You can read from here about it KAMA and a tasty dessert,

Here I have you a different fluff dessert with berries. I know, I know - what am I thinking about posting a recipe for summer fruit dessert in the middle of the Christmas season?? You see, I craved a fruity dessert the other day, and came across this recipe for a blackberry fluff in the October 2006 issue of the British food magazine Olive. Unfortunately, neither one of the two nearby grocery stores had frozen blackberries that day, so I had to settle for frozen Estonian raspberries instead. Not a bad choice, I think - they're still tart and sweet at the same time, plus I love the colour.

Note that the dessert has much more character when it's been given a few hours' rest in the fridge - you can taste the mascarpone again then. I didn't bother to sieve the fruit pulp, but please do, if you think the small seeds will bother you.

Supereasy and rather nice.

Raspberry and Mascarpone Fluff
Serves six to eight

300 g frozen raspberries
1 Tbsp sugar
250 g mascarpone, at room temperature
200 ml whipping cream (35% fat content)
1 tsp vanilla sugar or extract

Heat the berries (keeping a few aside for decorating) gently with the sugar for a couple of minutes or until they give off juice. Whizz in a food processor until smooth, then push through a fine sieve, if you want to get rid of the seeds. Cool.
Beat the mascarpone with a spoon until it is softened, then fold in the berry purée and the vanilla extract. Loosely whip the cream and fold it in.
Spoon into small dessert bowls, decorate with extra berries. Place in the fridge for a few hours before serving.

In my yesterdays recipe I used fried rye bread as a garnish - You can use crumbled ginger cookies!
In my yesterdays recipe I used ricotta cheese instead of mascarpone cheese and I also added cinnamon!!!

Here is a picture of yesterdays dessert (sorry about the blurriness) and main course. Main course has our last week recipe of butternut squash!

New to Bikram yoga?

2011-10-05T11:35:00.000-07:00

In next two months we are expecting many new people in our studio. Here are some tips for you :)

Bikram Yoga Tips for Beginners:

1. Arrive early to your first few classes. The first time you go, you will have paper work to fill out. The next few times after, you want to get there about 15 minutes before class starts (at least) to acclimate to the heat in the room. Be careful though, it easy to doze off if you lay down on your back.

2. Where as little clothing as possible, but still be appropriate. A lot of girls tend to wear long yoga pants. I did that for over two years. I should have switched to shorts a lot sooner. I recommend yoga shorts for girls, and a yoga tank top or sports bra. Guys seem to be a little shy in their first few classes and don't want to take off their shirts. Big mistake. A loose t-shirt gets in the way. And to be quite honest, even if you are the hottest guy we've ever seen, chances are, the other people around you probably won't be checking you out during class. You get so focused on your practice that you don't often see the details on another person.

3. Remember to drink water; but only between postures. My sister (Red) and I had a similar experience in our first classes. We both felt so nauseated that we were afraid to drink water. We thought if we did, we would puke. But you need to sip water during the class. But sip it. Don't chug it. And remember to drink only between postures, as it is less distracting to other people around you.

4. If you feel like you are going to pass out, sit down on your knees. I've been so tired lately, I have had to sit down during a few poses myself yesterday. We almost had a girl faint in class a few Fridays back. The teacher gave her some coconut water. She was back in action a few minutes later. (Coconut water helps!)

5. Try not to talk during class. If you come with a friend or spouse its tempting to talk a little but try not to. It is very distracting for other people in the class who are trying to meditate . Thank you :)

6. Don't leave the classroom. It would be so easy to just leave when you feel very hot. But please don´t. You are doing yourself a favor by staying in the room and adapting. Soon your body will get used to the heat and make it more manageable!

7. Accept that even if you have done a different kind of yoga for years, Bikram yoga will still be hard the first time. Bikram is a "hard-core" but "beginner-friendly" yoga. .

8. Don't eat three hours (at least) before class. Sometimes, I don't eat for for or five hours before class. If you have a heavy meal that you don't digest before class, you will regret it when you bend forward and feel like you're going to puke. And I have heard tales (recent ones) of people puking in class.

9. REST after final breathing. There are so many people I see (both new and experienced) that hop up after class as soon as the final breathing exercise is done. This is bad. You need to plan for time to rest on your back after class. Getting up too quickly just to get out of the hot room (or catch your train) means you're not taking advantage of all the hard work you just spent 90 minutes doing. Your body needs to rest. For at least two minutes. I prefer five minutes myself.

10. Don't be ashamed to cry. Bikram yoga can be very emotional. All that backwards bending opens up the heart chakra. Some people see "green stars" the first few times they do camel pose. That means their heart chakra is beginning to open. I tell them, "That's awesome! Good for you! You are making progress!" But some people cry when they open that heart chakra. I cried a little one time during locust pose. I don't why I cried, but it was just so emotional for me.

11. Come back to practice again soon. My first class was Monday, October 11, 2004. I came back the very next day for a second class. And for the past four, almost five, years I am glad to see my interest in practicing Bikram has stuck. If you come back the next day for your second class, maybe it will be the same for you?

(Modified Tips from http://oncommonground.blogspot.com/)

Roasted Butternut Squash

2011-09-29T09:34:00.000-07:00

Its Thursday - time for a recipe of the week! My favorite side dish for fall is Roasted butternut Squash!

This is a naturally low fat fall side dish that would make a great accompaniment to a Thanksgiving dinner. Sometimes squash are hard to cut, but you can make this task easier by piercing it with a fork, then popping it in the microwave for 60 seconds before cutting into it.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

1 small butternut squash (2 lbs)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup maple syrup

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a sturdy knife, cut off the top of the butternut squash near the stem, then cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and membranes. Halve again, making four wedges.

Place wedges cut side up in a large glass baking dish. Sprinkle cinnamon on top. Combine orange juice and maple syrup and drizzle over squash wedges. Cover with foil and roast for 45 minutes. Spoon syrup over wedges before serving.
Serves 4
Per Serving: Calories 166, Calories from Fat 5, Total Fat 0.5g (Sat 0.1g), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 11mg, Carbohydrate 35.3g, Fiber 3.8g, Protein 3.4g

This is why men should do yoga!

2011-09-28T09:52:00.000-07:00

In our studio we have quite a many regulars who are guys..and they keep coming back! Tell your spouse about them and show him this article and ask him to give Bikram a try - he will not regret it!

- Tone your hamstrings
- The 5 fitness pros that can help you reach your goals
- Strengthen your glutes and hamstrings

Once upon a time, when you spoke to men about yoga, they almost immediately had images of Lululemon-clad women chanting verses of Sanskrit while bending their bodies into impossible positions. For the hockey-playing, basketball-watching, sports-obsessed male species, the practice of yoga was about as appealing as watching a Julia Roberts romantic comedy -- twice. However, times -- and old-standing stereotypes -- have changed thanks, in part, to the evolution of male-specific sport versus female-specific sport. More women are tackling the football field while more men are doing the downward dog. Yoga has become the new cross-training for men looking to increase their flexibility and improve their muscle conditioning so the next time they hit the field or the rink, their bodies will bend into nearly impossible positions -- willingly.

Paul McQuillan, a yoga instructor at Toronto's Bikram Yoga Centre, has been practising yoga -- specifically, Bikram or hot yoga, a style of yoga that takes place in rooms heated to about 40 C -- for three years. Yoga has improved both his physical and mental strength, he says, while revitalizing his energy levels. Here, he explains the advantages of yoga and how men can benefit from it.

1. Yoga works the entire body
In sports such as hockey, tennis or football, you tend to utilize only 10 to 15 per cent of the body, whereas yoga provides a workout that covers every muscle, joint and organ. The practice oxygenates the blood, creating more energy when you finish the exercise as opposed to depleting the body of it. You work every system: cardiovascular, skeletal, muscular and endocrine.

2. Yoga has benefits in the bedroom
Guarasana, or Eagle Pose, is a posture that sends fresh blood and oxygen to the sexual organs, so this is a particularly beneficial exercise for men in revitalizing their bedroom prowess! Trikonasana, or Triangle Pose, is a marriage of the heart and the lungs, two organs that don't usually interact. Not only does this posture increase cardiovascular endurance, but it is also the only known yoga posture that utilizes every organ, muscle and joint in the body.

3. Yoga works for every size
It does not matter how you look when you practise yoga. Whether you're a 250-pound linebacker or a 150-pound triathlete, yoga will push your personal boundaries by increasing your own flexibility, endurance and muscle strength.

4. Yoga decreases muscle soreness
Yoga is hugely beneficial in working out stiffness from other sports. When muscles are fatigued, they build with lactic acid, and yoga, which stretches and releases tension, helps flush that away. Runners in particular find yoga the best activity after a long endurance jog.

5. Yoga restores energy levels
Yoga practice doesn't deplete your body of all of your energy after a class -- like, say, a gym workout, where your body is entirely fatigued after your session. Instead, it actually increases your vigour, making you feel more aware and revitalized.

6. Yoga trains your focus
Athletes like Wayne Gretzky, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and John McEnroe have heightened their performance levels through practising Bikram yoga. By combining mental, physical and emotional strength, they became better athletes at their chosen sport. Men can't seem to let their egos go, and in yoga, you have to train your mind to shut down -- to stop thinking about work, what you're going to have for dinner or whether the Raptors are going to win the game. Traditionally, men have a more difficult time doing that than women, although, once they do let go, their focus on the positions -- and the difficulty in holding them -- improves vastly.

7. Yoga flushes your system
The practice of yoga is often referred to as "intense," especially in Bikram. When you are working in a room heated higher than your body temperature, you sweat a considerable amount. The pounds dramatically shed off your body and, more importantly, you rid yourself of all the pent-up toxins. Due to the heat in Bikram, it has been noted that you are essentially creating an artificial "fever" in the body, therefore enhancing the immune system.

8. Yoga balances the mind
Yoga has such a great sense of community to it and it really allows for mental clarity and focus. After you practise, you feel more grounded, less self-absorbed and calmer. This type of mental clarity really helps in other sports or activities you may be involved in.

Come to life with the challenge!

2011-09-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a fun video we found. In this video people literally come to life with Yoga Challenge!

Fun video

2011-09-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

Here is a fun video of "Yoga for Wine lovers" . But we all know that Wine and Bikram yoga doesn' t wanna always work together. Any tips?

Half Moon pose - Arda-Chandrasana

2011-09-23T12:16:00.000-07:00

Ardha-Chandrasana or Half Moon pose is the first of the 26 postures in the Bikram series. Teachers will often say that this posture determines the fate of your entire 90 minute practice. This posture warms up your spine and activates the central nervous system, which certainly affects your performance in the other 25 postures that follow.

The scientific origins of Half Moon go back to the beginning of Hatha Yoga time. The word Hatha (meaning any series of postures), comes from combining the two Sanskrit terms. “Ha” meaning sun and “tha” meaning moon. When the two components of the word are placed together, “hatha” means “forceful”, implying that powerful work must be done to purify the body. Yoga means to yoke, or to join two things together, hence hatha yoga is meant to join together sun (masculine, active) energy with the moon (feminine, receptive) energy, thus producing balance and greater power in an individual. The sun is represented in the right side of the body and the moon in the left. This is also why almost all yoga postures are done from right to left (sun to moon or masculine to feminine). Have we lost you yet with all this yoga jargon?

So, back to Half Moon Pose. This idea of sun and moon is very evident in the Half Moon posture. First you bend to the right, moving circulation from right to left (ha to tha). Then you bend to the left, reversing the circulation. In the beginning you are struggling just for good form. Over time, as the body improves, you will be able to deepen the posture and therefore move even more blood circulation to each side of the body. Eventually, in the future, the side you are bending will only have about 4 inches distance from your shoulder blade/scapula to the hipbone.

This lateral bending is all in preparation for the amazing Half Moon backbend that takes place next. To do a good backbend, start by dropping your head back as far as it goes. Truly, look at the floor behind you and use your eyes to guide you deeper into the posture. When you are all the way back, contract your hip muscles and push them forward towards to mirror and you will find yourself even more rooted and further deepening your backbend. Keep your arms and elbows straight and keep reaching back….and breathe! Don’t be afraid if your back hurts or you feel weird. This is normal to experience.

Benefits

Trims fat all over the body: thighs, hips, waist, buttocks, arms and abdomen.
Improves and strengthens every muscle in the central part of the body, especially the back and abdomen.
Increases flexibility of the spine
Helps pigeon chest
Helps release tension in the respiratory system
Corrects bad posture
Promotes proper kidney function
Helps cure enlargement of the liver and the spleen
Helps cure dyspepsia and constipation
Helps to alleviate lower back pain, bronchial distress, scoliotic deformities, tennis elbow, frozen shoulder
Realigns spine
Stretches the lymph glands and is good for lymphoma
Good for children to build will power and self-esteem

Energetic Benefits

Proper alignment of half-moon exercises and opens many of the chackras.

§ Aligning your hips opens the 1 (root), 2 (sexual) and 3rd (solar plexus) chackras. This breaks through issues of power, intimacy, sexuality, creativity and self-image.

§ Opening of the shoulders activates the 3 (solar plexus), 4th (heart) and 5th (throat) chackras. releasing of the shoulder area helps to balance the difference you feel between your inner and outer self : how you see yourself, and how you feel the world sees you

§ allows you to break free from taking yourself too seriously

Class Notes from the Pros

From Rajishree

§ You MUST use the hips. If you feel pain in the ribs or scapula, you are using your upper spine too much and not enough of your hips.

From Craig

According to Craig, the two biggest mistakes in Half-Moon are holding the body up to avoid the pain of stretching and flopping down using only flexibility. Here are his tips to avoid these mistakes and improve your pose:

§ Stretch up first as much as possible to open up the intervertebral disks [soft tissue between your vertebra]

§ Your hips should initiate the movement because they are both your centre of gravity and prana [energetic center]

§ Exhale as you stretch, gravity will help you. This applies to all poses that use gravity.

§ Think ‘stretch’ instead of ‘come down’ so that the static arc of the posture will hold you up

§ If you feel pain in your lower back, you have failed to stretch

§ Instead of focusing on bringing the palms together, focus on stretchingand lengthening which will automatically force the elbows to straighten and the palms to touch

Tips for Teachers

§ Hold the first set at least 30 seconds, 1 minute is better. If the room is not hot enough, hold it approximately 1 minute – Craig

§ Pay close attention to the order of the dialogue. “The dialogue is a set of variables executed in a sequence, each one must exist in order to allow the next to happen.” – Craig

§ Say the dialogue once, make the students see themselves and repeat, repeat, repeat until they understand the pose - Bikram

§ The first dialogue of half-moon is important because it establishes yourauthority in the class, and sets the stage for the students to surrenderto the instructions. If you can make a beginner understand half-moon by second set, you can make them surrender. – Bikram

§ Half-Moon is a very diagnostic posture, use your knowledge of the form to diagnose and anatomical inconsistencies affecting your students – Craig

Half Moon from Sara Curry on Vimeo.

Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

2011-09-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

This is a lovely sweet, yet not too sweet, soup with a hint of mild spice. Butternut squash and pears make a wonderful combination, and both flavors are evident in this warming fall and winter soup.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

· 2 tsp olive oil

· 1 cup finely chopped onion

· 1 tbsp curry powder

· 1 pound butternut squash (about half a medium squash), cut into 1-inch pieces

· 2 ripe medium Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces

· 3 1/2 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

Preparation:

Heat oil on medium heat in Dutch oven or soup pot. Gently sauté onions until softened—about 5 minutes. Add curry powder and stir, sautéing for 1 minute. Add butternut squash and pear pieces. Sauté for 3-4 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes until squash and pear are tender. Transfer soup to a food processor or blender and purée until smooth, working in two batches if necessary.

Serves 6

Per Serving: Calories 119, Calories from Fat 17,total Fat 1.9g (sat 0.2g), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 38mg, Carbohydrate 23g, Fiber 3.2g, Protein 2.5g

Also try with apples!

Top Ten Reasons Why Runners Love Bikram Yoga

2011-09-21T11:10:00.000-07:00

1.You build lung capacity! From the first breathing exercise to the final posture, your lungs are stretched beyond their normal elasticity. You will find you are taking bigger and deeper breaths than you ever have before.
2.You sweat! For 90 minutes, you are exercising in a 105 degree room. Be prepared to sweat and detox. 90% of your body is made up of water. It’s important to flush toxins and rehydrate with fresh water to keep your body healthy and happy.
3.Improved cardiovascular activity! 90 minutes of Bikram yoga is equal to 90 minutes of jogging, as far as your cardiovascular system goes.
4.You can practice with an injury! Many runners find that at some point in their running career an injury surfaces. While you may have to break from running, you can always practice Bikram Yoga. It’s a great alternative when you can’t run, not to mention a quick way to get your body back in to shape.
5.Yoga heals old injuries! Injuries can remain dormant in your body for a life time. Whether you recognize it or not, old injuries affect your performance. Yoga works through the tourniquet effect of compression and release. As you practice yoga, circulation reaches these parts of your body and works like a pressure washer to clean out scar tissue and damage that has been done, restoring your body to it’s natural state.
6.You become bullet proof! It is true that Bikram Yoga is as mentally challenging as it is physically. The more you practice, the more you find you become bullet proof, stress proof, and heart attack proof. Nothing will be able to steal your peace.
7.Yoga makes you alkaline! Practicing yoga creates an environment in your body that makes you much more immune to sickness and disease. Your doctor will love you!
8.Yoga encourages healthy habits! The more you practice yoga, the more you find yourself making better choices for yourself. This includes lifestyle, diet and nutrition, and overall decision making.
9.You will have a better spine than you did when you were a kid! In Bikram Yoga, the natural body’s range of motion is restored and you will find your body starting to do things you haven’t done since you were 10!
10.Yoga is a path to self-realization! As humans our potential is limitless. We are 100% responsible for our experience on this planet! Acceptance of this is liberating and can bring infinite happiness and success to your life.

(BikramYogaRichmond)

Lynn Whitlow

2011-09-16T07:23:00.000-07:00

Almost a year ago we had Lynn Whitlow visiting. She is one of the world’s best yoga teachers. We have put together a list of Lynn’s top ten pieces of advice from the seminar, for you to enjoy incorporating into your own personal practice!

1. Three elements of Hatha Yoga:
Breathing- Normal breathing is calm and relaxed, in control, regardless of the breathing pattern.
Focus and concentration- Use your eye direction and balance.
Strength- Find the muscle contraction.
2. Yoga is the only subject in the world, where the subject in not the object.” Translation: The object of yoga is not the posture, the object is the body.
3. Focus on what you can do!
4. Smile! “Smiling happy face,” is not just a silly line in the dialogue. It actually dates back to the Sutras of Patanjali, and smiling will help you relax and enable you to be more easeful in the poses. :)
5. It’s important to do the practice, even with an injury. As one part of the body heals and improves, the injured part will also receive benefit and will start to catch up and heal over time.
6. We create space in the joints not compression. We compress the organs, muscles, and glands.
7. Backward bending increases the flow of energy in the Chakras; forward bending decreases the flow of energy in the Chakras.
8. Tension in the posture is emotional; contraction in the posture is physical.
9. The standing series burns calories, the floor series burns fat.
10. For each individual posture, the dialogue is like a cereal box, giving you the most important ingredient first. When looking at the entire series, it’s the opposite. The postures become more important as you progress through the series.

BONUS TIP! There is no such thing as pacing yourself. As you move through the series, each posture builds on the next, and you gain energy. It follows a very simple moral principal in life; the more you give, the more you receive.

10 Tips for a Healthier Diet and Healthier Life

2011-09-15T11:37:00.000-07:00

The people at helpguide.org have created an extremely comprehensive list of tips to make it easier in the transition to a healthier diet.

Healthy nutrition has been an extremely controversial topic for many years. However, doctors know that the combination of a healthy diet and frequent exercise is the most effective way to lose weight. Calculate your BMI here and then go over some of the basics:

1. Set yourself up for success. To set yourself up for success, think about planning a healthy diet as a number of small, manageable steps rather than one big drastic change. If you approach the changes gradually and with commitment, you will have a healthy diet sooner than you think. Every change you make to improve your diet matters.

2. Moderation is key. People often think of healthy eating as an all or nothing proposition, but a key foundation for any healthy diet is moderation. Despite what certain fad diets would have you believe, we all need a balance of carbohydrates, protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, and minerals to sustain a healthy body. Try not to think of certain foods as “off limits.” Think smaller portions.

3. It’s not what you eat, it’s how you eat it. Eat with others whenever possible. Eating with other people has numerous social and emotional benefits—particularly for children—and allows you to model healthy eating habits. Eating in front of the TV or computer often leads to mindless overeating. Take time to chew your food and enjoy mealtimes. Ask yourself if you are really hungry, or have a glass of water to see if you are thirsty instead of hungry. During a meal, stop eating before you feel full. It actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough food, so eat slowly. Eat breakfast and eat smaller meals throughout the day.

4. Fill up on colorful fruits and vegetables. The brighter, deeper colored fruits and vegetables contain higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants—and different colors provide different benefits. Fruits and vegetables should be part of every meal and your first choice for a snack—aim for a minimum of five portions each day. The antioxidants and other nutrients in fruits and vegetables help protect against certain types of cancer and other diseases.

5. Eat more healthy carbs and whole grains.

Healthy carbs (sometimes known as good carbs) include whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables. Healthy carbs are digested slowly, helping you feel full longer and keeping blood sugar and insulin levels stable.

Unhealthy carbs (or bad carbs) are foods such as white flour, refined sugar and white rice that have been stripped of all bran, fiber and nutrients. Unhealthy carbs digest quickly and cause spikes in blood sugar levels and energy.

Dietary fiber, found in plant foods (fruit, vegetables and whole grains) is essential for maintaining a healthy digestive system. Fiber helps support a healthy diet by helping you feel full faster and for a longer amount of time, and keeping your blood sugar stable. A healthy diet contains approximately 20-30 grams of fiber a day, but most of us only get about half that amount.
The two types of fiber are soluble and insoluble.

6. Enjoy healthy fats and avoid unhealthy fats. Good sources of healthy fat are needed to nourish your brain, heart and cells, as well as your hair, skin, and nails. Foods rich in certain omega-3 fats called EPA and DHA are particularly important and can reduce cardiovascular disease, improve your mood and help prevent dementia. Good sources of healthy fat are:

Monounsaturated fats, from plant oils like canola oil, peanut oil, and olive oil, as well as avocados, nuts (like almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans) and seeds (such as pumpkin, sesame).

Polyunsaturated fats, including Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, found in fatty fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and some cold water fish oil supplements. Other sources of polyunsaturated fats are unheated sunflower, corn, soybean, and flaxseed oils, and walnuts.

7. Put protein in perspective. Protein gives us the energy to get up and go—and keep going. Protein in food is broken down into the 20 amino acids that are the body’s basic building blocks for growth and energy, and essential for maintaining cells, tissues and organs. A lack of protein in our diet can slow growth, reduce muscle mass, lower immunity, and weaken the heart and respiratory system.

· Downsize your portions of protein. Most people in the U.S. eat too much protein. Try to move away from protein being the center of your meal. Focus on equal servings of protein, whole grains, and vegetables.

· Focus on quality sources of protein, like fresh fish, chicken or turkey, tofu, eggs, beans or nuts. When you are having meat, chicken, or turkey, buy meat that is free of hormones and antibiotics.

8. Add Calcium and Vitamin D for strong bones. Calcium and vitamin D are essential for strong, healthy bones—vitamin D is essential for optimum calcium absorption in the small intestine. Recommended calcium levels are 1000 mg per day, 1200 mg if you are over 50 years old. Take a vitamin D and calcium supplement if you don’t get enough of these nutrients from your diet.

9. Limit sugar, salt and refined grains. If you succeed in planning your diet around fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and good fats, you may find yourself naturally cutting back on foods that can get in the way of your healthy diet—sugar, salt and refined starches.

· Give recipes a makeover

· Avoid sugary drinks

· Eliminate processed foods.

· Limit sodium to 2,300 mg per day.

· Avoid packaged, restaurant and fast food.

10. Plan quick and easy meals ahead. Healthy eating starts with great planning. You will have won half the healthy diet battle if you have a well-stocked kitchen, a stash of quick and easy recipes, and plenty of healthy snacks. If you have three or four meals planned per week and eat leftovers on the other nights, you will be much farther ahead than if you are eating out or having frozen dinners most nights. In general, healthy eating ingredients are found around the outer edges of most grocery stores—fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and poultry, whole grain breads and dairy products. So shop perimeter of the grocery store..

For a more comprehensive analysis read the full article here. For healthy eating on a budget, read here.

Celebrities who love Bikram Yoga!

2011-09-14T13:40:00.000-07:00

Bikram yoga has been one of Hollywood’s biggest beauty secrets for years and more and more celebs have been openly singing its praises. Its founder, Bikram Choudhury, lives and practices in Los Angeles, so it’s no wonder that many of his faithful followers are rich, famous and beautiful. Here is a list of celebrities who love Bikram Yoga:

Jennifer Aniston - Aniston is a faithful follower of Bikram and believes in the results it gives. As a result of Bikram yoga, “My legs got leaner. My arms got strong. I’ve maybe even grown half an inch from aligning my spine,” Aniston said. Many actually believe that Bikram Yoga has reached its level of popularity largely because of her. She turned to the exercise following her divorce to Brad Pitt and attributes her healing to Bikram Yoga.

George Clooney – Among one of his favorite celebrity followers, Bikram Choudhury claims that Clooney does 90 minutes of yoga whenever he’s near a Bikram school, even when he is traveling abroad.

Madonna - In her 50s and still flaunting a rock hard body, Madonna has been Bikram Yoga follower for years. “I’ve been practicing yoga for a while now, and it’s an incredibly powerful and positive force in my life,” she said.

Lady Gaga - Perhaps the most notorious celebrity yogi of all is Lady Gaga, who started practising Bikram Yoga long before her meteoric rise to fame. She not only maintains a regular practice in her old New York neighbourhood to stay fit but also to remain connected to herself: “My Bikram Yoga teacher Tricia always says, ‘Please try every day to have 15 minutes of compassionate thoughts by yourself.’ I have narrowed it down to five because 15 drives me mental. It’s very helpful!”

David Becham - He really bends it when he practises Bikram Yoga. Last year the soccer star spoke out about his desire to extend his pro career well into his 40s by making Bikram Yoga a regular part of his fitness regime. Beckham was introduced to Bikram Yoga by basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who told him how regular Bikram Yoga sessions would heal his body, relax his mind and help him “carry on playing football for years to come.”

Beyonce - When Beyonce wanted to do Bikram Yoga away from the public eye, she bought out an entire class and filled it with her own family and friends. Now that the singer is pregnant with her first child, we wonder if she’ll keep up with her Bikram Yoga practice through Rajashree’s Pregnancy Series? Perhaps, considering B had this to say: “Every time I do yoga, I want to cry. … By the end of the class your body can do things it couldn’t do in the beginning so you feel accomplished and emotional. It’s therapeutic.”

Ashton Kutcher - In an interview with Men’s Health magazine, AshtonKutcher said he stays fit to survive a possible future Armageddon. That’s why he runs hills, trains in Krav Maga (a hand-to-hand combat technique developed by the Israeli army) and, most importantly, does Bikram Yoga. To make it through the latter, Ashton advises pretending you’re in the desert with no water.

Demi Moore - She has also turned to Bikram Yoga in recent years. As she approaches her 50th birthday, Demi says that the heat helps her body to detoxify: “You’re sweating so badly, you realize very quickly that no one cares what you look like, you’re all just trying to get through the 90 minutes.”

Jenny McCarthy - She loves Bikram Yoga so much, she built her own studio in her backyard (the perfect retreat for a busy mom). She also claims that she managed to lose 65 pounds of baby weight by practising three times a week and watching her diet. Jenny’s favourite Bikram benefit: her coconut bum

Jim Carrey - He loves what it has done for himself and especially what it has done for his wife, Jenny McCarthy, who now has a nice booty due to this unique yoga.

Carmen Electra - Playboy gal Carmen Electra is another follower of yoga. The hottie shapes up naturally with her strict yoga schedule which she believes, works out her spiritual side as well. Electra has also adopted 'Bikram yoga' which aims towards general wellness and stress and tension relief.

Robbie Williams - “Rob suffers from crippling anxiety and has been worried about the lads’ forthcoming concerts. A pal suggested Bikram yoga to refocus his pent-up energy and handle stress more effectively. After a couple of sessions he was hooked – and sweating like a wildebeest. While the others have stuck to the gym or pool, Robbie’s been using meditation and yoga to help his stagefright and to keep him sane on tour.``
Matthew McConaughey - He also has a yoga bug ;)
Ryan Kwanten - Look how good he is in yoga!!!

(photos and info from internet, various pages)