The Path Of Practice - Part 2

Emily Rex is one of the most prominent members of the Revolution Hot Yoga (RHY) community.  She is the manager of our Work-Study program, a teacher for us in the summer, and our most consistent and regular member of class.  On November 3, she attended her 300th class at RHY, completing 300 classes in just 393 days.  Additionally, November marked the 15th anniversary of her yoga practice.  To celebrate both of these achievements, and to share some of her insights and experience with the community, Rebecca and Emily sat down and shared some questions and answers.

Part 2 of 2

Rebecca:

Describe your process of practice.  Most students in class can't see how methodical and precise you are -- they just see an incredible range of motion or a full expression of a posture.  But the teachers observe your process and we've watched your practice grow and develop over the years.  What is your mental focus, discipline, concentration, and how does that manifest in the asanas?

Emily:

Yoga is a path, so the practice is always changing and present in different ways. The most important thoughts I keep in mind are to (1) connect with my body and allow it to guide my practice, (2) accept my practice as it is at any particular moment, and (3) to balance effort with ease.

Connecting to my body and using it as a guide or teacher removes external influences from the practice. In the studio, this includes looking at one’s physical presence in the mirror. I certainly recognize the benefits of having a mirror in the studio: for beginners, looking in a mirror can help one understand the basic alignment of a posture. But as a practice continues, using the mirror too much can risk developing a superficial practice, and can even breed a sort of narcissism. Bringing the focus inward instead allows me to use the sensations in my body as my teacher. And focusing on particular parts of the body teaches me different things. For example, focusing on the pelvic floor or the feet helps me feel grounded, while focusing on the spine brings awareness to my alignment. Regardless of where the focus is, turning it inward has allowed me to guide my own practice.

Accepting my practice as it is at any particular moment has contributed to the longevity of my practice. It takes away the need for pursuing or working toward a particular goal. Instead, accepting my practice each day challenges me to acknowledge any physical, mental, or spiritual issue, including a tight hamstring, boredom, tiredness, or emotional pain. Although it’s easier in theory than in actual practice, I try my best to be completely open to these experiences and try to be nice to them. A regular sitting meditation practice has also helped with this.

Finding the right balance of effort and ease is another tricky one. We live in a culture of striving, and this is very true when it comes to exercise. Because yoga is a wonderful source of physical well being, it’s natural to want to “achieve” a particular expression of a posture. The trouble is that this type of striving is that it encourages bad habits, such as comparing oneself to others and risking injury by pushing the body to places that it’s not ready to go. I’ve learned that practice requires a balance of what Buddhists call “wise effort” but at the same time allowing the body to ease into where it is ready to go. For me, this balance manifests itself in a persistent focus on alignment with a willingness to “ease up” if my body tells me to.

Rebecca:

How is your practice evolving -- from the beginning through now?  Do you have any goals or next targets?

Emily:

Yoga has become part of my spiritual path. Yoga has helped me learn patience, humility, generosity, and love. Even though it’s been 15 years since I first stood on a yoga mat, I enjoy being a student of yoga and still feel like a beginner at heart. For me it hasn’t been about achievements or goals, but the opportunity to connect with my body, be present, and try to spread loving kindness through practice along the way.

Emily Rex in action.

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The Path Of Practice - Part 1

Emily Rex is one of the most prominent members of the Revolution Hot Yoga (RHY) community.  She is the manager of our Work-Study program, a teacher for us in the summer, and our most consistent and regular member of class.  On November 3, she attended her 300th class at RHY, completing 300 classes in just 393 days.  Additionally, November marked the 15th anniversary of her yoga practice.  To celebrate both of these achievements, and to share some of her insights and experience with the community, Rebecca and Emily sat down and shared some questions and answers.

Part 1 of 2

Rebecca:

How did you get started doing yoga? Did you start with the intention of creating such an extensive, lifelong practice?

Emily:

My mom introduced me to yoga in the fall of 1999 at what was then a tiny studio in metro Detroit, and we practiced there every Sunday morning. I enjoyed the mind-body connectedness I felt from practicing and was intrigued by the Buddhist spirituality and sitting meditations that my teacher incorporated into his classes. I knew that yoga would be a lifelong practice for me.

Although my practice is almost daily now, it wasn’t always this way. I began by practicing just once a week, and when I was in college, I only practiced during school breaks and over the summer. But I carried aspects of my practice with me through that time. As a music performance major, I learned how to use my breath effectively through the practice of yoga and meditation. I also practiced meditation and visualization exercises before concerts and auditions. I’ve had a more regular practice for the last few years, and I take class or practice on my own 5-7 times per week. Yoga hasn’t always had a structured presence in my life, but it’s always been there to some degree.

Rebecca:

What compels you to keep coming back?  Starting is easy -- anybody can do a first class or a first week or a first month or even a first year -- how do you maintain a consistent, almost daily practice for 15 years?

Emily:

I love the practice of yoga, and I do what I can. Right now, I feel incredibly fortunate to have the time to practice almost daily, but it hasn’t always been this way. I feel grateful for the ability to practice, my past and present teachers, and the community at RHY. Love and gratitude can go a long way.

Rebecca:

How do you manage the days when you don't want to practice?   What is your strategy for getting to yoga when you really don't want to, and once you're on your mat, does your practice reflect your mood?

Emily:

There are certainly days when I don’t want to practice. During the week, I practice in the evening, so reminding myself that I need a “release” after work is a good strategy. When I know I’m going to have a busy day, I put my yoga clothes and mat in the car so I don’t give myself the choice of going home and making an excuse. And sometimes I simply tell myself, “you’re going to class, and that’s that.” Sometimes my practice reflects that mood, but I’m almost always glad to have practiced.

Rebecca:

How do you motivate yourself?   Do you need a gold star or proof of your efforts?  Did you need different motivators 5, 10, 15 years ago?  How have your motivation needs and strategies changed over the years?

Emily:

I’ve had different motivations at different times. When I started yoga, I remember my mom dragging me out of bed to go to class with her. I’m glad she did. There have been times when my yoga practice has been mostly physical therapy, to heal an injury, for example. Other times, I’ve needed the practice for spiritual or emotional reasons. Overall, yoga has helped me become a better person for myself and for others, and reminding myself of that keeps me motivated. Yoga has taught me humility, so I wouldn’t say I need any gold stars. As a special education teacher, I’ll save all of those for my students!

Rebecca:

Do you get bored?   If yes, how do you handle the boredom?

Emily:

Of course, I get bored! I have spent plenty of classes fantasizing about what I’m going to eat for dinner when I get home or what I have to do at work the next day. I think the best way to handle boredom is to welcome it, bring the focus back inward, and keep practicing. It’s important not to judge yourself for being bored or “wasting” your practice. Sometimes I try to bring some humor to the situation: isn’t it funny that my body is on the mat, but my mind is not? That’s when I try to reel it back in and get centered again.

Emily Rex in action.

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The Pose You Like The Least Is The One You Need The Most

I practiced regular yoga consistently for two years but fell out of the habit about three years ago. The group of friends that I was practicing with stopped going and so did I. Earlier this year, a friend mentioned that she was going to a hot yoga class at Revolution Hot Yoga (RHY), and I decided to give it a try to see if it would re-energize me.

Never having done hot yoga before, in all honesty, the first class was really tough, and I left thinking, "Wow, I'll never do that again!" But something drew me back the next week and the next... The fourth class was the magic number, and I left that one feeling fabulous! I've been in love with hot yoga ever since. My goal is to practice twice a week.


For some reason, I find that hot yoga is different for me than regular yoga.  The practice makes me really concentrate on myself and the poses. I wasn't into watching myself in the mirror in the beginning, but now I get it. At some point, I began concentrating on the poses and lost sight of everyone else in the room.

Since starting a hot yoga practice, I can really tell a big difference in my core strength, and I never realized how beneficial that is. And an unexplainable but great benefit is that something about practicing yoga also makes me intuitively want to eat healthier.

I find the heat so cleansing. In the beginning, I would have to ask that the heater closest to me be turned down to level 3 but now, I do the whole class with heaters on 5, and love it! I find that I don't sweat as much as I did in the beginning. When I leave class,I feel refreshed, rejuvenated and exhausted all at the same time.

It's great to feel like I'm a real yogi. In the first few months, there were some poses that I thought that I would never be able to do. Remarkably now, those same poses are some of my favorites like standing bow pose. When I started, I had to place one hand on the wall and still could barely hold the pose. But now I've mastered it and love it. I'm still not fond of the warrior poses, for some reason, but I keep in mind what Jane and Rebecca always say, "The pose you like the least is the one you need the most."

The RHY instructors are phenomenal. Due to timing and coincidence, I usually take either Jane's (Cable) or Rebecca's (Jordan-Tuner) class which I find so encouraging and inspiring. I actually look forward to yoga class, and I have NEVER been able to say that about exercise of any kind before.   

This is Lisa Caldwell's yoga story.

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A Hallelujah For Hot Yoga!

I started doing Hatha and then Ashtanga yoga at least 20 years ago. (OMG, am I really that old?!) Through the practice of yoga, I've always found peace, as well as physical fitness.

In 1996, I had a mountain biking accident that left my T12 vertebra fractured and two of my lumbar discs bulging. The excruciating lower back pain I experienced after affected all of my daily activities and yoga. However by taking large amounts of ibuprofen for years, I managed to continue with life, yoga, and martial arts as normal. Eventually chiropractic care eased the pain somewhat for which I was very grateful. But I discovered that if I didn't get frequent enough adjustments, the pain was still omnipresent in my life.

Five years ago, I found hot yoga. AND WOW! With a regular hot yoga practice, my back pain completely resolved.  I haven't been to the chiropractor for 3 years since beginning hot yoga. 

Now folks, I’m known for my honesty and, shall I say, my bluntness. I came pretty close to detesting how hot...and gross...and suffocated I felt during the hot yoga classes at one studio where I had the fortune to meet Rebecca (Jordan-Turner).  However,  I continued to practice regularly because the relief from the back pain I got was worth 90 minutes of suffering in the heat.

It was a happy day for me when Rebecca left that studio and started teaching her own school of yoga, first at home then at Revolution Hot Yoga (RHY). I eagerly followed her and LOVE the classes at RHY. I enjoy the people, the variety of classes offered with their different sequences, and especially the adjustable heaters. 

Hallelujah! 

I take the regular hot yoga classes often to challenge myself, but the restorative classes are a little slice of heaven for me. I can destress and keep my back in good working order in the same restorative class. Win-Win! :)

I'm a true believer; I drank the Kool-Aid (a reference for those of you past the age of 40); and I'm here to testify. 

Can I get an “Amen”!

Rebecca and all the teachers at RHY have my thanks. 

Choir:  Can I get another “Amen”?!

This is Dr. Myra Dove's yoga story.

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Getting Stronger With Yoga

My first introduction to yoga was in 1998 at a small studio in Greensboro. I'm not sure what kind of yoga it was, but we did lots of boat poses and other core strengthening postures. The classes were 75 minutes long with 15 minutes of guided meditation at end of every class. The practice focused on integrating the body and mind. The teacher was also a Reiki master and did my attunements for learning Reiki.

I found yoga relaxing, and liked how it helped me calm my mind and focus on my body.  I've visited many studios since and have discovered a common theme among yoga teachers: they're all very knowledgeable, caring people. I believe some of the best people in the world teach yoga!

My first teacher was very meditative and taught me the benefits of practicing meditation. My subsequent teacher was very detail oriented and would give us pictures of the poses listing the benefits of each one. Under her guidance, I did some of my most difficult postures in that class, like crow, side crow and hand and head stands. And as an extra treat, we always had tea after our practice. As teachers moved on and studios closed or changed hands, I attended various studios and determined that I prefer a smaller, more intimate yoga setting.

Before coming to Revolution Hot Yoga in September of this year, I had been out of yoga for about three years because of a shoulder injury, a tear in my cartilage, that took two years to heal. I'd injured my shoulder practicing yoga; so I made sure it was healed completely before resuming.

I wanted to try hot yoga because I thought that it would suit my body needs and that practicing in the warmth would prevent me from injuring my shoulder again. I like the heat and enjoy that added dimension to yoga. However, I do find it challenging, but not because its hot. It's challenging because I'm so wet from sweating that I find it difficult to get a firm grip!

Hot yoga feels good and re-energizes me. Because I go to yoga after work, it's my wind down time prior to going home. I also think it's good to sweat out the toxins in your body.

After my first hot yoga class I got in my car and noticed that all of the windows were fogged. I was sitting there trying to figure out why all of a sudden my car windows were fogged up, when I realized it was because of all the heat radiating from my body. :)

When I first began my hot yoga practice, I had quite a bit of tightness in my back. For that reason, I took the restorative classes for a few weeks before resuming the other. I think many people have similar reactions in their bodies when trying something new and abandon the activity, but it's important for people to get to know their bodies and its areas of weakness. For me, it's my lower back, and I'm aware that it might feel worse before it feels better.

In resuming my yoga practice, my main body goal was building strength in my core. I can already feel and see the difference. I feel stronger and have a better sense of balance in my body and brain.

This is Kathy Kueider's yoga story.

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Always Something New

I first tried yoga at my local gym as a teenager in Chicago.  The class was a hodgepodge of different styles, and I would really call it advanced stretching.  After trying out various yoga styles and studios with friends, I started attending a vinyasa class with a teacher I really liked. 

About two years ago, I tried Bikram hot yoga in Chicago, and in all honesty, I HATED it.  The studio was way too crowded.  I couldn't take the heat and was grossed out by a strange man dripping sweat on me.  The practice was too sequential and boring for me.  I felt like I was going to puke or pass out, got angry, left before the class was over, and went and had a cheeseburger.  One of the best cheeseburger of my life!  :)

Not willing to admit that I'd been defeated by a yoga class, I tried hot yoga again at a Core Power studio in Chicago where the conditions were much better.  While I still can't say that enjoyed the actual experience during class, I felt GREAT after.  When I moved from Chicago to Greensboro, I'd just come off my Core Power yoga high and wanted to find a similar hot yoga studio.  I knew that I didn't like the Bikram style, so when I saw Revolution Hot Yoga (RHY) pop up in my search results, I was super excited and tried it.  Now, I'm a regular.

My work is stressful with a lot of travel.  I've been to a zillion yoga studios in Chicago, New York, etc. in my travels, but I've never found better teachers than the fine folks at RHY.  I found Bikram yoga boring and repetitive because it was always the same thing no matter the teacher or audience.  I liked Core Power better, but felt like my body wasn't worked evenly and some part of me was always oddly sore or off kilter.  

The first class I took at RHY got me hooked.  The practice was varied and challenging enough to keep me interested, and the teachers were very helpful with tips that didn't leave me feeling embarrassed or uncomfortable, but grateful for the feedback.  

Being from Chicago and used to the cold, the heat was a real challenge for me (and still is sometimes, honestly), but my body has acclimated to it, and I actually prefer it now to cold yoga.  The teachers at RHY vary the classes to the specific needs of the individuals present that day, and while there's definitely some familiarity, I always feel like I did something new in each class.  

I also feel like I'm always growing because the teachers, like Rebecca (Jordan-Turner), somehow know exactly where to push me to do things I didn't even know I was capable of.  All of a sudden, I'm able to do a real-people push up or hold a standing bow that I never could before which leaves me feeling amazing.  I just love the constant challenge.  There is always something new to learn, more strength to build or a stretch to push further.  I find it so exciting when I do something I never thought possible.

Yoga not only helps keep me mentally balanced and grounded, but I physically start feeling worse if I'm not able to make it to a class.  I'll literally plan my work travel to leave or arrive so that I can make it to a yoga class. If my schedule would allow, I'd practice every day because I literally crave it daily now.  Yoga calms me down, loosens up my tight back and hips, and helps with my chronic headaches in conjunction with my awesome chiropractor.  

This is Marissa Lutz's yoga story.

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The Harder The Work, The Sweeter The Reward

Over this past summer, my best friend and I really wanted to get into yoga. As regulars at the cycling classes at the YMCA, we heard that yoga was a great complementary workout. We took a beginner’s yoga class at the Y, enjoyed it and wanted to find another challenging workout so we decided to try out Revolution Hot Yoga (RHY).

When I first stepped into the studio, I was horrified and thought, “What did I get myself into?!” If my friend hadn't been there, I’m positive I wouldn’t have gone through with it. I was nervous before class as the instructors explained how hot it would be in the room and that we might get lightheaded. However, I was surprised by how much I liked the intensity, yet calming effect of the class. After, even though I was completely drenched in sweat, I knew I wanted to continue and knew that it was going to be with RHY.

What I love most about RHY is that even though class is in a group setting, it feels like a one-on-one practice because the instructor walks around and helps each person individually.

Although my yoga life only started four months ago, it has changed substantially in that short amount of time. What I love most is seeing my progress from one class to the next. I’m able to get into poses that I couldn’t a month ago and also go further in my stretches.

Coming in for class one time, I remember Rebecca (Jordan-Turner) said, “Do you realize how much your body has changed?” I'd noticed small improvements since starting yoga classes, but it meant a lot to me for Rebecca to note my progress too. That’s the type of attention and encouragement that has kept me coming back to RHY.

Yoga has not only changed me physically, but mentally too. I definitely have more patience, and I've come to understand that taking just five minutes out of the day to do Savasana and sit in silence can help minimize my stressing out about school, life, etc.

Is it weird that sweating during class is my favorite part of hot yoga? When sweat is dripping off my body, I think of all the toxins I'm releasing. I enjoy coming to each class never knowing what to expect from my body that day since every class is different. On any random day, I could have a particularly hard class, but have the best class ever at my next practice .

For me, the most challenging part of hot yoga is staying focused on myself during class. With the busy-ness of life, it's a difficult task to set everything aside and completely focus on my practice that day, but yoga is teaching me how to do just that.

Because I’m not a small petite woman, I feel like I have to work a little harder to achieve some of the postures, which may come more natural to others. Interestingly enough, however, I think that that element has made me appreciate the accomplishments I've made in class even more. That’s one of the things that's great about yoga: it’s scalable to your abilities. I hope to continue practicing yoga for the rest of my life because I want to always keep that good feeling of accomplishment I have when leaving the studio.

This is Camille Nesi's yoga story.

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Yoga Magic

As a young girl, I watched all my Mom's exercise endeavors. Being an early riser, I used to crawl out of bed, curl up in the big recliner in the den, and watch her do aerobics videos or yoga sequences. I liked the ritual because it was a quiet time. Watching someone else practice yoga is still mesmerizing and meditative for me. Yoga looks so fragile and strong at the same time. 

Over my adult years, I took a few yoga classes at the YMCA and although I enjoyed the stretching, I didn't really feel a difference in my body.  So, I kept running instead. 

My cousin is a Bikram yoga teacher, and I knew there must be something really amazing about the practice that would convince her to go to California for nine weeks for training. Two days after my first half-marathon, I tried hot yoga for the first time. I was dehydrated, felt like the teachers were yelling at me, and wasn't sure what to make of the experience, but felt amazing in the days following. However, I only attended two classes because I couldn't do all of the postures and felt exposed, observed, and just plain weird. 

A friend, who had transformed herself into a more confident, balanced, and happy person doing hot yoga, made me take a second look at the practice. My cousin, the Bikram teacher, is super thin and fit. I've never been like that and don't really want to do the hard work or the healthy eating required.  So, I figured hot yoga just was not for me after my couple of bad class experiences. However, my friend spoke so highly of it, talked about crying on her mat, and just letting everything go. I really wanted that kind of spiritual renewal more than anything physical.

My friend told me about Revolution Hot yoga (RHY) and Rebecca (Jordan-Turner), and I came the first week the studio opened and have been attending pretty regularly in spurts, five days in row then not all for a week, since.  I found Rebecca, Jane (Cable), and the other teachers so nice, supportive, and complimentary of my efforts.  It didn't matter if I could do the postures 100%. What mattered was my effort. 

I was super proud to make the 100+ practice club this past year because it shows the level of commitment I made to myself over the long haul.

Hot yoga got me through my dissertation at graduate school last year. There was a point where I couldn't really tell the difference between being asleep and being awake. I sat at the computer reading and writing all day, and at night, I dreamed I was sitting at the computer reading and writing. I even had dreams about footnotes. Really. 

Yoga was something very different which took me out of that haze for a little while. In one class, Rebecca mentioned that padahastasana II was good for people who typed all day. After hearing that, I threw myself into the pose, standing on the palms of my hands waiting for my fingers to tingle which was both fun and relaxing. Because of hot yoga, I was able to keep off SOME of the dissertation weight. 

After turning in the first draft of my dissertation, I did my own version of a thirty day challenge. Each week, I kept healing in new ways. My knee swelled up, and then went away. I popped my toe, and it got better. My back started hurting, stopped, and I was able to feel sensations I'd never felt there before. The month long experience was surreal and amusing to observe, but I just kept doing the yoga.  If it had been anything else, I probably would have quit. 

The fitness that comes with yoga is a nice byproduct for me. My yoga practice is about healing and meditation which Rebecca and Jane facilitate. Sometimes when I'm in class with them or right after, I just want to lie down and put my head in their laps because they are like yoga mommies to me. I study ritual and magic in graduate school--the ritual and magic of the English Renaissance--and yoga brings that to life for me in our little RHY studio. 

I find something magical about this yoga:  the meditation, the breath. Rebecca, Jane and Carmen (Cavanagh), the RHY studio, the Sanskrit, the Hindu gods, the candles, the twinkly lights, and THE LAVENDER FACE CLOTHS! :)

This is Tina Romanelli's yoga story
Tina is now a teacher at RHY and is getting married this weekend!

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A Year Of Yoga

What a year it has been at Revolution Hot Yoga.

We did it!! With your help, we made it to our first anniversary! Although we’re not really surprised, we're proud. We knew that our vision of an intimate, welcoming, beautiful studio with excellent instruction and a revolutionary approach to hot yoga was bound to succeed.  Add you, the amazing community that we've attracted, to the mix, and it’s an unbeatable formula.

Frankly, we're amazed at how quickly the time has flown by. It seems like only yesterday we were opening the studio doors and welcoming our first students. We're sincerely humbled and grateful for the success of the past year and passionately dedicated to improving and growing over the coming years.

Some milestones of the previous year:

• On October 9, 2013, we opened our doors for business at 8:30am.
• 365 days later, we have offered 1,364 classes.  Of those, Rebecca taught 40% or 546 classes.  Jane taught 433 classes or 32%.
• 905 people have come through our doors to take their first class.
• 15 people have made it into the 100+ Practice Club!! 

1. Emily Rex 274
2. Carmen Cavanagh 234
3. Debbie Hampton 211
4. Tammi Thurm 182
5. Pam Goldberg 181
6. Page Motley-Mims 137
7. Steve Young 136
8. Ron Baron 130
9. Susan Brady 127
10. Pete Turner 119
11. Rebecca Jordan 115
12. Jane Cable 110
13. Tina Romanelli 105
14. Stacy Dove 102
15. Martin Price 100

We’re proud that our current teaching team Rebecca, Jane, Carmen, and Tina, made the list, and our administrative and long-term work study persons are included as well. The team that yogas together, stays together!

On average, Emily Rex, our most frequent yogini, practices 5.25 times per week.  So, when you see her do amazing things in class and are tempted to think, “she’s just good at it,” remember the hard work and dedication that goes into her practice.

According to the results from our survey, we must be doing something right:

• 84.95% Described their first class as "excellent."
• 100% Said they would refer a friend to RHY

It’s thrilling to look back on our first year and see how far we’ve come, but far more exciting to look forward to where we're going. Big thanks to you, the members of our community, teachers, work-study team, and administrative group.  RHY is here because you expressed the need for this studio and supported it.  We do it for you, and we couldn’t do it without you. 

It's a deep and profound honor to serve this community with the gift of this yoga, to bear witness to your growth in your physical and spiritual practices, and to maintain this space as a gathering place for those who seek the light we offer, which is the light which dwells within us all.

Namaste

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Yoga Is My Secret Defense

In high school, I was introduced to yoga when my mom's friend opened her own yoga studio which, I think, was basic Hatha yoga. . Being a brand new studio, business wasn't exactly booming.  Often, I would be the only one in a class which meant that I received a private lesson essentially.   

I first tried hot yoga a few years ago and although there was a year and a half gap in between my first and second class, I haven't stopped once I really got into it.

Both forms of yoga (hot and not) have a calming effect on me which I really like.  In hot yoga, I feel like I get the added benefit of ridding my body of unnecessary stuff it doesn't need in all of the sweat, and I prefer it. 

I find it rather incredible what a little breath and movement can do for me in yoga.  Sometimes after savasana, I leave my mat with the sense that I've resolved something, even though I can't consciously say exactly what. Yoga allows me to address issues that otherwise I don't think about all the way or don't really understand.  

Hot yoga also puts things into perspective for me.  Often, my thoughts can carry me away, and the yoga grounds me. What's wonderful is that it's not the yoga, in a literal sense, that does this.  It's accomplished by me practicing the yoga which is really just me breathing and moving.  I can carry this grounded feeling with me everywhere I go. Yoga is like my secret defense against the more unpleasant things I encounter in the world. 

For example when I started practicing yoga regularly in high school, I was that typical rebellious teenager with zero patience for her parents. My mother and I were in a what seemed like one long, continual brawl, and after fighting one evening, I went to yoga class. Coming out of the class, I bought her some tea that I thought she would like from the yoga studio's little store, even though I was angry with her and could hardly tolerate being in the same room.  The purchase only struck me as strange days later.  In the moment, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world, getting my mom some tea that I knew she would like just because.

When I started yoga, I liked the flexibility that resulted and again, the sense of calm that was so evident even after just one class. When I began practicing Bikram yoga in college, the sweat factor was great and the series healed my knees from chondromalacia patella, a fancy term for runner's knee. 

Physically, Bikram yoga made my body feel great, until I needed to take a break from it.  I probably just over did it by going to class almost every day for a few years which took a toll on my body.  Around that same time, Revolution Hot Yoga opened its doors. I found that the shorter classes were kinder to my body and was able to slowly get back into a regular yoga practice.

This is Ron Baron's yoga story.

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Hot Yoga Is The Cure For Me

Back in 1986, I didn't like my first yoga class.  Already practicing karate and working out at the gym, I thought I was too manly for yoga and never went back.  Fast forward 16 years to 2002.  I started having horrible lower back spasms and hip pain.  My girlfriend at the time was practicing Ashtanga yoga and strongly encouraged me to give it a try to help.  It definitely did.  The girlfriend is long gone, but I've stuck with the yoga.

Although my back and hip issues improved, they still nagged me when I first tried hot yoga in Oregon in late 2004. Shortly after, I moved to North Carolina and found a local hot yoga studio.  Before a class, I showed the teacher that I couldn't lift my right heel off the floor while sitting on the floor because of intense pain in my hip. She advised me to do as much as I could without pushing too much. When the class was over, I was easily able to lift my heel off of the floor while sitting down without any pain in my hip.

After that, I knew hot yoga was what I should be doing and practiced 4-5 times a week for months. My hip pain has been gone since, and I can count the back spasms I've had since then on the fingers of one hand. Before practicing hot yoga regularly, I would get them several times in a year.

When skiing, I tore up my left knee in 1988 and again in 1991 and wasn't able to move well laterally after that for many years.  Then, one day after a hot yoga class, the knee noticeably popped when walking down stairs. Because it was sore after that, I had it checked out by a doctor who told me that everything actually looked really good. After the soreness passed, it's been as good as it was before I hurt it ever since.

Other than skiing, the problematic conditions developed in my body due to sitting at a desk job all day for decades.  Some muscles weakened and atrophied which meant others got stressed and overworked compensating. Plus, the vertebrae in my spine were compressing and pinching nerves and the pain in my hip was coming from a pinched sciatic nerve. Through a regular hot yoga practice, especially rabbit pose, I've opened my spine and don't have pinched nerves anywhere anymore.  I can't stop doing yoga because, if I do, everything bad slowly but surely starts to come back. I know. I've tried quitting a couple of times over the years.

I have flexibility I never dreamed of before I started hot yoga and more strength. I feel better in my mid-fifties than I did in my thirties and forties and it's been nice not to have to deal with and worry about the health issues that I used to have.  Hot yoga's positive impact on my health has been dramatic. It's not for everyone, but it's right for me.

For me, having a consistent practice is the most challenging thing about hot yoga, but my back and my hip make sure that I keep practicing. I find it interesting that I never know how a class is going to go. Some days, my body can't do things it normally can.  I might not feel like going one day, but I go anyway and have an awesome class. Then one day, I might feel super walking in the door but struggle in class. Regardless, I'm always better off for getting to a class.

Plus, classes can be fun. While doing locust pose one day, the teacher said, "This pose cures tennis elbow and carpal tunnel syndrome. They don't have machines at the gym that can do that." A little voice in the back corner of the room said, "They don't have wind removing machines at the gym either." The teacher replied, "I have a vision in my mind of a gym with some happy old men sitting under a sign that says wind removing machines."

This is Martin Price's yoga story.

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Yoga Is A Regular Ego Adjustment

I first tried yoga back in the 1970s in high school when a buddy and I heard about a class that was being offered and tried it. The class met once a week and was in a church basement. The instructor, a young Indian man, wore traditional Indian clothing, which was always orange, and a turban.  So, I would guess that he was a recent immigrant.. He always joked, "How do you know I have ears?  You've never seen them.  I could be like a snake."

I still have the handouts he gave us.  The papers, titled "Shankar Yoga Society," tell about the history, science, and awakening of the Kundalini.  The classes were around three hours long and started with breathing exercises, moved into postures, and ended with a meditation, but we kept focused on the breathe during the entire class.

For many years after, I think I kept an awareness of yoga, even though I didn't formally practice.  My earlier exposure to the practice helped me with breath and body awareness during my years as an actor.

I first tried hot yoga a few years ago after finishing grad school.  I went to Bikram a couple times and then to Hot Yoga Therapy in Kernersville.  Although I liked the sweating and the challenge of hot yoga, I got bored with the lack of instruction.  However, I started dating and later married a hot yoga teacher, Rebecca Jordan-Turner.  So, I became a regular practitioner at Revolution Hot Yoga.  I believe in her passion and enjoy the workout and sense of community of the studio.

When I started hot yoga, I was going to the gym routinely, but couldn't seem to lose a bit of fat around my gut. Once I started practicing regularly, that was gone within a couple months. Since hot yoga, my diet has gotten better, I drink a lot more water, and my flexibility has increased.  

I'm certainly much older than when I first tried yoga which requires that I be very forgiving of my knees.  Since practicing regularly, I have observed that my body can be quite different on a day to day basis.  I try to listen, adapt, and not expect to be able to do what I did yesterday.

As a children's librarian, I have to stay limber.  I'm constantly scanning low shelves, lifting books, walking, and sitting on the floor or kneeling.  It's important that I'm able to match the energy of my patrons and get them excited about books, and I find yoga keeps me young!

The hardest part of hot yoga, for me is getting to the studio.  Once I'm in the room I'm good to go.  It can be difficult to get there on days I don't want to go.  I still get frustrated when I see a newcomer be able to do postures that I can't manage yet, but I know that's just my ego.  So yoga gives me a regular ego adjustment as well.

This is Pete Turner doing his "balancing stick with a book" pose.

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Yoga Is All About Focus

When I was a teenager, I printed the instructions for a sun salutation series off of the internet, followed them every morning, and have been practicing yoga ever since.  While in high school and college, I practiced on my own, then sought out classes. I first experienced a Bikram studio when visiting a friend in Boston in 2009. 

From the start, I enjoyed hot yoga and was pretty amazed that my body was capable of producing so much sweat.  I always thought the Bikram dialogue was a little strange with all of the metaphors about Japanese Ham Sandwiches and Bengal Tigers.  They cracked me up.  I still don't know what "grab your arms each other" means.

Yoga has really helped me to cultivate a sense of patience and focus, both of which have proven crucial over the past six years in my life as a full-time graduate student. Through hot yoga, I've learned to get comfortable with my discomfort which I find applies to so much of life, but especially the stamina required for graduate-level coursework and research.

A lot of my school work, at this point, is dedicated to honing a research area that will produce a dissertation project.  I spend most of my time working independently, learning complex theories, and figuring out what they mean for my own work. I think there's overlap in the focus yoga and research require because both are about exploring your abilities and their limits, as well as being okay with being uncomfortable. 

Yoga has helped me feel grounded in the abilities I do have while appreciating that I also have lots of room to grow. Through yoga, I've learned how to harness my mental effort so that I can spend hours thinking about or exploring one subject without getting distracted or going off on tangents. 

The thing that I like most about hot yoga is that it requires my entire mental focus.  The thing I like least about hot yoga is that it requires my entire mental focus. :)

As a funny aside, the mental focus and physical stamina that I gained through my hot yoga practice convinced me I could sit for longer tattoos. I'm pretty creeped out by needles, but I just recently sat for a six hour tattoo.  I think my being able to endure that directly relates to learning to be comfortably uncomfortable on the mat!

I feel like I'm always learning new things through yoga, and I particularly appreciate the mind/body connection that it engenders. Lately, I've been trying to use my practice to think about the emotional aspects of my life I want to nurture, such as patience, generosity, and resilience. There have been times when I've thought of yoga as more of a physical workout, but more and more I'm shifting away from that to think of it as a holistically helpful practice. 

I met Rebecca (Jordan-Turner) when she was teaching at the Bikram studio in Greensboro and really enjoyed her teaching style there.  I was excited to support her independent studio  (Revolution Hot Yoga - RHY) because I've always felt that franchised yoga was ethically questionable.

I appreciate that RHY houses a diverse range of teaching styles under the common philosophy of being really body-positive and community centered. Also, the cool lavender facecloths at the end of class are the best!

This Carrie Hart's yoga story.

Go to RHY website.