Yoga Is A Lesson In Mindfulness

A friend introduced me to Bikram hot yoga about 3 years ago, and I was hooked right away.  I love sweating, getting rid of toxins, being physically challenged, and have tried all kinds of fitness classes.  I even taught Pilates several years ago, but running is my favorite and what I do most. 

Surprisingly, I didn't start running until I was 26 years old, after I had my 2nd child and wanted to shed the baby weight. I quickly realized that running was much more than just a way to drop pounds. I fell in love with it and began going further distances.  In 2007, I signed up for my first race, the Atlanta Half Marathon. Upon finishing, I felt great and immediately signed up for a full marathon which I ran the following summer. 

As of today, I have completed 9 marathons, lots half marathons, 5k's, 10k's and everything in-between - even though I'm a distance runner at heart. Marathon #10 for me is coming up this spring, the Boston Marathon which I will be running in for the 5th consecutive year. I'm so excited! While I do have a goal in mind for the race, I'm trying not to put too much pressure on myself. When I don't run as well as I'd like or don't win a race I was hoping to, I do get discouraged and frustrated, but there's always something to learn from it.

I find the same quality in hot yoga.  There are days when a class feels effortless, and other days when every single movement feels like hard work. Yoga helps me be mindful of what my body needs. When I'm having a high mileage training week, my body tends to feel broken down, but when I finish a yoga class, I feel like my body is healing and being strengthened again. Another thing I enjoy about yoga is that there is no finish line, no stopwatch, no competition, and no prize to claim. It's just me and my mat.  

In hot yoga, all I have to do is give my best effort on that particular day, and my mind and body are going to benefit and be renewed.  Over the years, I've grown more relaxed in yoga., and I try to not be critical of myself, but simply accept what my body feels like it needs on any given day. 

Yoga definitely makes me more calm and relaxed outside the studio. "Mindfulness" is one of my favorite words lately, and I never really understood what it meant until recently. I'm reading a book about being mindful and being present in each moment, accepting the moment for what it is, good or bad, and not wishing it away. 

Life is hectic and goes by quickly.  Mindfulness is teaching me to savor the little, every-day moments, which is especially helpful in being a Mom to my three children (ages 7,9, and 11). It's easy to get so busy taking care of kids that some days inevitably go by without even realizing what a gift it was. Being mindful, for me, is much easier said than done; I have a lot of improving to do, and yoga helps!  While practicing yoga, I work on focusing, breathing, being present, and just doing the best I can in that moment. I want to savor each one, in and out of the studio.

As a result of running, I often feel like my muscles and joints are worn out, but yoga allows my body to recover and prevents injuries.  Yoga has positively impacted my life mentally and physically. As a result of doing hot yoga consistently, I feel stronger both emotionally and physically. 

My favorite yoga pose is tree pose.because it's one of the few I feel like I can actually do correctly, and I love how I feel my spine lengthening, as if I'm actually getting taller when I do it. My spine tends to be weak and my back is prone to hurt, but I notice a huge difference when I'm practicing consistently. Yoga strengthens my spine and improves my posture, and makes a big difference in the way my body feels day to day. 

I came to Revolution Hot Yoga (RHY) because I had practiced under Rebecca's (Jordan-Turner) instruction in the past, and I wanted to learn from her again. At RHY, I was excited to get to practice with some familiar faces that I had not seen in a long while. Thank you RHY :)

This is April Irwin's yoga story.

Go to RHY website.

Yoga and the Year of Learning

I suppose during the "happily ever after" phase of married life, a hyperactive nurse such as myself would seek out new learning opportunities. Finding these interests too numerous, I grouped them into years--not unlike the Chinese Zodiac calendar--of piano, reading/writing, drawing/painting, the nursing profession, cooking, and Go (worlds oldest princely board game of Chinese origin).

During 2014, playing Go was the interest I was exploring. This board game is played using black and white disks called stones placed taking turns on the intersections of a gridded 19x19 surface called a goban. The object is simply to circle more intersections than your opponent. But what makes Go the most complex game in the world is the endless value judgments players must make--attack or defend, balance or assertive play, sacrifice stones now for future gains--while keeping greed securely in check. When you study and play Go, you find yourself drawn into other aspects of Asian cultures that encompass body, mind and spirit such as Buddhism, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and yoga.

In May of 2014, while reading up on the yoga experience, my wife and I received an invitation to attend a class at Revolution Hot Yoga from our next door neighbor. On our first ever experience with--hot or otherwise--yoga, I found it a perfect fit--relaxing exercise to compliment running, concentrating to expand the mind, and a spiritual facet for harmony. The first class was exactly as I envisioned it; low lighting with matching music, heat relentlessly smacking you upside the head, and everyone seriously concentrating on each pose.

Today I find myself looking forward to the "meditation room with a lot of sweat." I now stretch with Calcutta grips and torso twists anytime of the day, keenly aware of my breathing and muscle groups working together to achieve the great feeling of relaxation.

I love the way the class goes through each pose in a methodical routine, with a warm, relaxing, spiritual chi even though a pose that was easy one day, can turn into a this-is-for-the-birds pose the next! I enjoy studying each pose with the eye of a sketch artist, appreciating the beauty of straight lines and curves.

 
Some poses seem impossible simply because I am a male. The pelvis gets in the way with standing folding pose, not to mention the ease of the bow pose would be without the anatomy getting in the way. I have a harder time hearing the teacher when I am in the standing folding pose too, perhaps because of increased intracranial pressure causing me to glance over at a nearby student for a sort of visual, "What did she say?...oh."

With ADHD people like me, the biggest challenge is finding and holding this concentrating center of attention that encompasses the whole body--breath, stretch, focus--relaxing one set of muscles while pulling others, sustaining a balanced form that at any second could tumble like a stack of pebbles. There are days where all the muscle groups are in synch and communicating well to achieve the pose. If absent for any length of time, it's trying for every group to synch up smoothly again. 

In the operating room, while juggling the demands of surgery, assessments, and patient-focused care, it's a good feeling knowing the physical aspects come easier using the techniques of relaxing and stretching learned in yoga. Getting used to the heat in hot yoga trains me to withstand the heat of the OR rooms needed for our pediatric and elderly populations.

I am very pleased to have added hot yoga to my year of learning experiences, and will continue to incorporate these ideas into my daily living.

This is Vince DiMattia's yoga story

Go to RHY website.

Just Breathe Into It

This month marks one year since I began my hot yoga journey. Even though I'd taken a basic yoga class for a couple of months, I still considered myself pretty much starting from scratch. Two of my friends had been singing the praises of hot yoga for a couple of years, but I was very resistant. I was nervous about the heat and tended to avoid class settings because I'm too self-conscious about looking silly or being horrible at something. Honestly, my vanity was a big obstacle! 

However, I finally gave in and decided to try a restorative class at Revolution Hot Yoga (RHY). It was the perfect introduction because I found it easy to follow and not nearly as intimidating as I thought it would be. For the first six weeks, I stuck with the restorative class and found Rebecca (Jordan-Turner) and Jane (Cable) to be very welcoming and encouraging. Finally, I took the plunge and did what I called my first “big girl" 75 minute hot yoga class which was challenging and a bit foreign, but incredibly exhilarating also. After it was over, I told my friend that I wished I could do that every day! Before long, I felt comfortable with the postures and began to feel like I was a part of the RHY community.

In the year since starting hot yoga, I've been happy and surprised by the benefits the practice has brought me. While I've never been very flexible, I can see marked improvement in my flexibility, and I know I'm stronger and think I look stronger. I also have had some nagging issues with my lower back but on a day-to-day basis, the discomfort has greatly diminished since practicing hot yoga regularly.

Balance is an important factor as we get older, and I find the balance sequence very challenging. Most days, I see a big difference from where I started. Some days I have what seems like a magic balance sequence that leaves me invigorated and ready to conquer anything! I find my yoga practice to be challenging in a different way every single class, which is great because I never get bored.

For me, one of the nicest benefits from my yoga practice has been that I'm not as concerned about how well I do something or how I look doing it. While I still strive to improve, I'm getting better at leaving my ego at the door and accepting what my body, mind, and spirit give me that day. It’s not easy, but I'm working on it.

My favorite lesson that hot yoga has taught me is the benefit of slowing down, taking time to breath, and recognizing that it’s the little adjustments that we make, both on and off the mat, that can make the biggest difference. I love it during class when the teacher reminds me of a small tweak or I recognize it for myself and make that tiny shift to find that it changes everything. Learning this has helped me in my life to not get too overwhelmed by the big things, break them down, and make small adjustments toward the bigger goal. It's so much simpler to just breath into it like Rebecca says. :)

So, after all the resistance I put up at first, I think it's safe to say that I'm hooked on RHY. I’ve never been one of those people who loves to workout, and it usually doesn’t take much for me to come up with an excuse not to exercise. But since RHY has come into my life, I actually look forward to a class, and I really don’t want an excuse not to go!

Rebecca and Jane are both incredible teachers and Carmen (Cavanagh) and Tina (Romenelli) have been wonderful additions. Each teacher brings their own twist and sparkle to their classes which makes for the perfect variety.

My only regret with hot yoga is that I didn’t get there sooner. The warm room at RHY has become one of my favorite places to be.

This is Ellen Goldenberg's yoga story.

Go to RHY website

From Beast Mode To Peace Mode

About a year ago. I tried traditional yoga twice for the first time ever seeking to enhance my flexibility and supplement my weight training and other exercise. On both occasions, I didn't know what I was doing or even what a Down Dog was and the classes were large without individual instruction. At the time, I had an incredible Chiropractor who was working with me on several injuries, and my body didn't react well to yoga.  He politely suggested that I may want to try alternative fitness options.  

However, my brother is a personal fitness trainer and very persuasive, and he thought hot yoga would be great for me because I would sweat and jump start weight loss. I was able to put him off for a couple of months before relenting and coming to Revolution Hot Yoga (RHY) with him one Sunday afternoon. I honestly came to class just to spend time with my brother and had  no intention of coming back. The class was actually led by two new instructors with Rebecca (Jordan-Turner) overseeing them. From the beginning, Rebecca and Carmen (Cavanagh) took an amazing amount of time to work with me and make sure I didn’t injure myself. After that class, I was hooked, and I try to come every Sunday and more if my schedule allows.

My family health history is riddled with heart disease and diabetes. I was on that path, extremely obese, and didn't watch what I ate even though I work with major sporting events in Greensboro. (Has everyone bought their Figure Skating tickets yet?)  I didn't look the part for the industry and was actually told that I didn't get a prominent job because of my appearance. 

One day two years ago when looking at a picture of myself, something just clicked, and I realized that I had to make changes in my lifestyle and diet. Because it was the easiest thing for me to do, I began swimming two miles a day. As the weight began to drop off, I added running on the treadmill and riding the stationary bike. I joined the the Clubs of Greensboro and started participating in their group training program. 

As I saw positive changes, I became more motivated but sustained a shoulder tear that slowed me down. With an aggressive physical therapy program and now hot yoga, the shoulder issue is a lot better. I sometimes train twice a day probably 5 days a week, and hot yoga has became my Sunday exercise. I find that a hot yoga class allows me to relax before starting a new work week and improves my sleep on Sunday nights. I haven’t really lost any weight since coming to RHY, but with a couple of weddings, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, I feel good that I've not gained weight. 

At yoga, I like that I have the opportunity to focus, sweat, and push my body to the limits. At the gym, I used to tell my trainer I was gonna be in "beast mode," but at RHY, there is no beast mode as a class challenges me, but also brings out the calm and best in me. I attribute that to the staff as much as the yoga itself.  Rebecca and Carmen have helped to make something unfamiliar something that I truly enjoy. 

There is no competition in yoga but the competitive side of me is always there. In class one day, I remember saying to myself, "Yes! I can do something that he can't.'  But I don't really think that's competitiveness as much as just me being happy and proud to see progress in my practice. 

I’m proud of my accomplishments in my yoga practice. Rebecca and the staff are incredible to work with and the facility is immaculate. Hot yoga has been an awesome experience for me. I would encourage everyone to try Revolution Hot Yoga at least once. You'll be back.

This is Demp Bradford's yoga story.

Go to RHY website