04 :: The Bikram Method

Whatever you might call it, Bikram Yoga, Original Hot Yoga, the 26 and 2, it is a powerful, magical practice. In a class, I perform twenty-six postures and two breathing exercises in a specific sequence, over ninety minutes, in a heated, humid room. It is a complete body workout. I have been practicing this method for over ten years and envision myself practicing as long as I am able. If I had to reduce all the reasons why I have committed myself to this practice I would say, “I practice because it makes me feel good.”

By practicing the same postures day in and day out I am cultivating a very close relationship with my body. In any given class I can see and feel the imbalances in my body and by using patience and determination, I am reprogramming the way I use my body. The combination of performing the postures and using mindful breathing it feels like I am unearthing trauma hidden in my body and chasing it away.

If there was one regret I have with my yoga practice is that I never took any photos of my practice over the years. I often forget how much my body has changed because it feels like there is still so much more work to do. I wanted to change that so in the end of 2018 I took photos of me performing the postures in the Bikram Yoga series.

Looking at these snapshots my first instinct is criticize each and every posture so I have to remind myself that they are perfect for the fraction of a second that it represents. 

Bikram Yoga is about how you perform the postures, not about how deep you can get into them. It is hard work to be present in the exact moment of now, and it is the hard work that I love.