Bikram Yoga El Paseo

Are you a leader or a follower? Are you easily influenced or do you use your own mind? Do you focus on Positive thoughts or Negative ones?

There seems to be a common trend in and out of our sweat box lately. The lack of POSITIVE , INDIVIDUAL thinking.

I sent a GROUP email awhile ago asking a group of friends if they would like to participate in an event that I was organizing. Most people are familiar with having the choice of responding solely to the person who originated the email or clicking “reply all” where everyone gets the response.

The first three return emails were all YES’s. Ironically, they all RSVP’d to me privately and not back to the group as a whole- (one was a couple and the other 2 single peeps – so there were four YES Responses so far.)

The 4th response was a “NO” and it was a from a couple, so it was really 2 “NO’s.” This response was sent to the entire group. The 5th response, again from a couple, was also a “NO,” and also responded to the entire group.

The 6th, 7th and 8th responses from Singles came in simultaneously with 2 YES’s and one NO. The “NO” person responded publicly, the two “YES’s” privately.

The final response came a few days later and was from a couple and they responded with a YES for both and sent it privately to me.

Just when I thought I had the tally complete, one of the couples that originally replied “No” changed their minds and sent a second email. This time they sent it PRIVATELY. The “NO” was public, the “YES” was private.

With a final count in place I went about merry way putting the finishing touches on the event. Later I came to find out that a single person that responded “NO” did so because of being influenced by the Public “NO’s” coming through the email. Without being aware of the greater number of private “YES” emails, this person determined that most peeps did not want to attend and therefore was influenced to go that same route.    The “follower” missed out on a fabulous event because of their inability to use their own mind.

Inside the “HOT” room I see a similar trend.  Bikram yoga is “HOT” yoga. The room is heated. The room is hot. The room gets hotter when people sweat. The more people in the room, the more sweating occurs and the humidity rises causing the room to feel even hotter!!! The sweating causes a deep internal detox like no other form of yoga or other exercise can.

The therapy  Bikram Yoga  provides is definitely  FOR  everybody!!!

Bikram Yoga is  not however   FOR   everybody.    It is not for people who are easily influenced or for weak minds.  Bikram Choudhury minces no words when he calls out the weak mind in his classes. He accuses American parents of teaching their children to baby themselves. “Take it easy honey, don’t overdue.” In India, different story. “KILL YOURSELF. It’s better to suffer for 90 minutes than for 90 years of your life.”

As a Bikram Yoga  teacher  I tell my students that the standing series speaks volumes about who we are,      personality and accountability wise.    There are two types of people who take a knee. (I’m talking about consistent practitioners here, not brand new students.)

There are people who take a knee because they are truly   feeling   ill.   Dizzy, dehydrated, hung over, or sleep deprivation can be some of these causes to name a few.    Maybe you came on a full belly because you ate pancakes before class along with Peter Collins.   Any of these reasons could cause one to go down completely or take a knee and  this is totally understandable.

These reasons however, are rarely if ever given much thought.

“My neighbor just went down so it must be too hot in here.”    The “follower” takes a knee.

I’ll never forget when two students told me they took a knee because someone in the class who they highly respected and who has always been considered a “strong student” took a knee.    They both stated that they determined when that student went down it must have been hotter than usual, (ie hotter than it should be) so down they went.

I asked the so called “strong student” why she took a knee. I specifically asked if it was due to the heat. The “strong student” replied that it wasn’t the heat at all. She said she didn’t even think it was that hot. What she did say was: “ I had alcohol last night for the first time in a long time and over did it. I think I completely dehydrated myself and had a slight hangover.     I threw my body out of balance and came to class unprepared.”

Obviously her fellow students comprised what I call a “Wyatt Webb” story regarding said “strong student” that was completely unfounded.    If those two students used their own judgement and were not so easily influenced by others they probably would have experienced a very different class!!!

Are you a leader or a follower? Are you easily influenced or do you use your own mind? Do you focus on Positive thoughts or Negative ones?

Answering these questions honestly, may just help you change your life for the positive and think twice before reacting to a situation you know nothing about because you made up your own “Wyatt Webb” story.

Hope to see you in the hot room soon!! The room will be heated. The room will be hot. The room will feel hot when you enter and feel even hotter as peeps begin to sweat. Whether or not you take a knee will MOST LIKELY depend on your mental strength.

I will see you in the hot room.    If I’m not teaching I’ll be down in the trenches right along side of you.    I’ll be expecting the heat, enjoying the sweat, and making darn sure I don’t go down……..unless of course,     I let Peter talk me into having pancakes before class!  😉

Namaste`