Hot Yoga – Part I
Hot Yoga: Life Coaching & Bikram Yoga – Part 1
“What we think or what we know or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is what we do.”– John Ruskin
Background: Since becoming involved in Life Coaching & Bikram Yoga, I continually witness the evolution of my spirit, heart & soul. For years, I had a subconscious awareness of my inner voice, yet I consistently silenced, ignored & wrestled with it. Once I started seeing a Life Coach, information that had been streaming into my heart became real & tangible via dialogue, prayer, journaling, action & more.
Soon afterwards, I began practicing Bikram Yoga. After surviving the first few classes(!!!), my yoga practice became a platform for the evolvement occurring within me. I celebrated by enrolling in the internationally acclaimed Coaches Training Institute to learn the principles of Co-Active Life Coaching. By becoming a Life Coach, I fulfilled my innate desire to champion, challenge & bring out the best in others. Life Coaching became the vessel for me to partner with other people to help them perform beyond what they thought possible in their lives.
What is your heart calling you about?
Balance: In life, we access the ‘heart center’ to connect with our values & beliefs, especially when we feel shaky or off-balance due to fear, anger or other personal demons. Just as self-centered fear takes us out of our Higher Self, distractions cause us to lose our balance in yoga poses.
The first step in any yoga class or pose, is to get grounded by finding our center. Bikram Hot Yoga class starts with a breathing exercise. No matter what happens over the next 90 minutes, our breath sustains, feeds & reenergizes us.
As we move through various poses, we focus on strengthening our core body in order to continue staying centered. Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee & Balancing Toe Stand are the two poses where I put the most focus into my core. Throughout these poses, I repeat the mantra, ”Breathe; strength is in my core.” This tunes me into how I’m holding this pose & to feel the core strength that supports my body. As long as I keep the mantra going & keep the focus on the basics, the rest of the pose evolves.
How do you ground yourself?
This fundamental Bikram Hot Yoga principle reminds us that when we strengthen our core— either in our poses or in our emotions—we are simultaneously conditioning our Higher Self to stay centered. This will prepare us for all of life’s surprises—the good and the not-so-good—as they happen.
