Blog

by Adi Westerman

Whether you are brand new to yoga, or a seasoned practitioner one thing is for sure… there are always ways you can enhance your practice to suit your needs. Here are some of our top tips for helping improve your yoga experience at Hot Yoga Asheville.

Tip#1: Keep an Open Mind Sounds simple, right? However we often find ourselves sure of “the right way” to do things. When you find yourself judging the heat or the teacher or the sequence… the easiest thing to remember is that you are unique. Your experience may not be your neighbor’s experience. So keep an open mind. You’ll begin to appreciate the things you hate.

Tip #2: Tell the Teacher what YOU Want Though as yoga teachers we have been honing our superpowers for a long time… we still haven’t quite figured out how to mind read. We get tons of feedback from students… and the funny thing is… much of the feedback directly conflicts. One person wants more hands on adjustments or corrections, the other doesn’t want to be touched or told specific adjustments.  One person has an injury, the other came in with super human strength. We do our very best to accommodate all of you… but we could use your help! Want more one on one corrections or adjustments? Speak up before class! Let us know! We want to help round out your practice!

Tip #3: Mix it Up At Hot Yoga Asheville we now offer Hot Power Flow, Hot 26, Hot 26 Plus, Yin and Restorative, and Inferno Core. Feeling sluggish or at a plateau? Switch it up! Don’t be scared. We got you in good hands.

Tip #4: Precision It happens to all of us. We fall into auto pilot. It’s not a crime. But the more precise you can be with your yoga postures, the safer and more quickly you will improve. This means doing your best to listen to all the little details of instruction. At first maybe you try and nothing happens. No big deal! The next two insights will help… read on…

Tip #5: Intensity Come to class with purpose. Whether it’s to relieve stress, feel better, heal an injury (the list goes on)… when you feel tired, remember your purpose and intention. This will help tap you into the intensity you desire. And intensity can even be a super intense savasana! Zzzzzz…..

Tip #6: Consistency Keep coming back! Don’t give up! The transformation you desire is around the corner. The more you practice the quicker the results. 1-2x a week is maintenance. 3x a week or more… you’ll start to feel the changes more immediately.

Tip #7: Stay Hydrated You’re sweating in hot yoga, right?! Staying hydrated will be key to feeling good. A good basic formula is to drink half your body weight of water in ounces throughout the day. Add electrolytes to your water too. Kangen water is available for fill up at the studio. This water is not only alkaline, but it is rich in antioxidants and is restructured for easy absorption. You can even buy a machine for your home when you get addicted like us.  You can also add electrolyte drops or sea salt to your water. This will help replenish your body after a good sweat.

Tip #8: Eat Nutrient Rich Foods Magnesium, minerals, vitamins… these are key to strong muscles and supple body. Make sure you are eating leafy greens, potassium from coconut water or bananas, magnesium for preventing cramping and soreness… the list goes on. A well rounded diet that is full of good fats, veggies, calories that are good for you will help give you the energy you need to keep strong in class.

Tip #9: Take Workshops As an autopay member you save 5-10% on all workshops and many of our workshops are free! Take advantage of these sessions to help with all of the above, especially precision and technique. See upcoming workshops here or download our MB App. 

Tip #10: Have a Positive Affirmation One of our favorite things to say in my family is, “All you can do is do your Best!” As long as you are showing up, trying your hardest, you are getting the benefits… and remember, your best is going to look different each day. So don’t compare to yesterday. Be kind to your inner self and yoga on! Oh and always remember love and gratitude- the most powerful force in the world.

Each year on Mother’s Day I share the following poem. Each time it moves me in a new way. I hope it touches you too. ~Adi

The Invitation
by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life’s betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain! I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it, or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty even when it’s not pretty, every day, and if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, “Yes!”

It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

Famous author Dr. Wayne Dyer discovers
the benefits of yoga

Lahaina News Thursday August 9th 2007

BY RITA SAKAJIANLAHAINA  He walked in the door on October 1, 2005 and said he wanted to try doing yoga for 40 days, said Mary Katharine Wall, owner of Bikram Yoga in Lahaina.His face was familiar but I didn’t really know who he was. I asked him if he knew what he was getting himself into, and he said he was willing to find out.

That was two years ago!

She said if he was going to take her yoga classes, she was going to read his books.

The next day he brought in his book, The Power of Intention, and several of his other books. They have completely changed the way I look at life. I guess it was serendipity that brought him to my class that day, Wall said.

The man she is referring to is Dr. Wayne Dyer, world-renowned self-help advocate, author, inspirational lecturer and resident of Maui.

His 1976 book Your Erroneous Zones sold over 30 million copies and is one of the best-selling books of all time. He has written more than 30 inspirational books.

“I had been an avid runner from 1976 to 1998 and I was running between eight and 15 miles a day. Then I would go and play tennis for a few hours”, said Dr. Dyer.

“I knew my days of running would have to come to an end because I was living with chronic back pain. The doctor said I would also need knee surgery.”

He said that he heard different things about yoga through the years.

“My body was such a mess, I knew I had to do something. The first day of doing yoga at MK’s (as she is affectionately known) Bikram studio, I got through half of it, but I kept coming back, and after 40 days I was completely hooked. I don’t know where I would be right now without doing yoga the last two years,” he concluded.

Yogiraj Bikram Choudhury is the founder of the worldwide Yoga College of India. He was born in Calcutta, India, in 1946 and began practicing yoga at the age of four.

He taught yoga to Indira Gandhi at the tender age of 11, and now has more than 500 studios all over the world.

MK took over the ownership of the studio in December 2004.

I” heard it was on the verge of closing, so I moved to Maui and gave it some “TLC” and brought it back to life,” she said with a smile on her face.

The studio is heated to relax the muscles and help in healing and detoxing the body.

Some of the benefits of doing yoga are: reducing stress, increasing flexibility, increasing energy, increasing muscle tone, lowering blood pressure, losing weight, improving concentration and preventing injury and disease.

“Most people come to yoga to fix an injury to their back or if they have a knee problem. After doing yoga for a while, they find there are other benefits, such as sleeping better, eating better, and just an overall feeling of well being.” said MK.

“I’m an inch taller since I started doing yoga because it stretches the spine. It doesn’t just teach us to be flexible in our physical world, but to be flexible in our thinking and keeps us balanced. Because I am a public speaker, I first noticed a difference in my mind. I started thinking better and my lecturing was more focused. I didn’t have to take notes on what I was going to say. I also noticed I was sleeping better.” said Dr. Dyer.

He continued to say that practicing yoga works every part of your body not just the outer part, but the inner parts like your thyroid, pituitary gland, and your digestive system.

“Not only am I doing this interview because I want this business to thrive, but also to inform the people of Maui of all the benefits of yoga and how it can improve the quality of life. There is a miracle waiting for you in that hot room.” he concluded with a smile.

Bikram Yoga of Lahaina is located at 900 Front St., Suite F17, at Lahaina Center (across from the movie theater). You can call 661-6828 for more information.  Introductory rates are available.

For more information on Dr. Wayne Dyer and his books, go to his website atwww.DrWayneDyer.com.

Our instructor Sean posed the following questions this morning in class while we were in a quick savasana between sweating buckets and working hard:

Has anyone checked the Thermostat lately?   How about the Humidistat?   How about the Clock?  … and … How about Yourself???

He followed by reminding us that so often when we are challenged in a class, we begin to look outside of ourselves. We look for distractions. We look for anything that we can put our attention to, rather than going inward and focusing on ourself. What a great reminder! 

Remember, one objective of yoga is to slow down and check in with yourself. This not only means working hard when you can, but it also means backing off when you need to. To the best of your ability seek to be present with your body and your self. When you find yourself fidgeting or looking at the clock, remember that the more you stay in the present moment with your practice, the more easily the time/heat/and even postures move to the background and become simply tools in your success.

Thank you Sean for the wonderful reminder!