One Year of Bikram and I am Still Standing (but is my knee locked)

The Anniversary!

I thought I would mark my one year of practice by revealing my thoughts about Bikram Yoga. This post is written with the relatively new or not yet started Bikram Yoga attendee in mind. If you have not attended a Bikram Yoga session I hope to inspire you to take the plunge and for those that have like me been practicing for a while, I hope that some of my observations touch a chord and that my observations and any associated links are beneficial. I am a mere novice, but keen and eager to learn more in relation to Bikram Yoga, Yoga, Health and Well Being so I welcome any comments, counter comments and challenges to my observations and perceptions.

It's So Much More than just Stretching
One year of Bikram and I am still standing, still going strong (started 26th March 2009). Like a lot of devotees i realised early that regular attendance will give a core foundation to maintaining good health and well being and this is the primary reason I consistently attend Bikram Yoga classes. From my very first class I have been consistently attending Bikram Yoga classes three times a week. You can feel this notion of well being after each and every class and it is this feeling combined with the knowledge that Bikram Yoga is a well thought out carefully planned system of self development that makes me love Bikram Yoga! Not that Bikram Yoga is easy, it is a tough 90 minute session that for me acts a catalyst to self development both physically and mentally.

I believe that you owe it to yourself to be the best that you can be and an important part of that is physical development. This is where Bikram Yoga comes in as a core element for your own personal development. Once you commit to Bikram Yoga, you learn not only how to improve your posture, flexibility, agility, strength and balance (through the physical postures), but you take a deeper interest in other aspects of your life that may well influence your health and well being. For example drinking water regularly, re-evaluating your eating habits, the importance of sleeping, the importance of resting and the importance of nasal breathing. Regular attendance at a Bikram Yoga class reinforces good habits that promote health and well being. It keeps you on track.

Where I Practice
I practice at Bikram Yoga Leicester, UK. The teachers are fantastic. Each one delivers consistently the Bikram Yoga Program and all give good advice during the class. Bikram Yoga tends to attract clientele with a good outlook on life. The combination of great teachers, attendees of a good nature and a well thought out program of postures that the teachers and the attendees believe in creates a positive vibe during class and a lovely satisfied afterglow when the class has finished. I think a good description is that it is serious fun. There's me below checking in for a session, that's the fun bit, the serious business is about to begin (check out my serious face in later photographs). Fortunately there is fun to be had in serious hard work and the teachers whilst keeping us focused never lose the opportunity to sprinkle humour throughout the class.

So How has it been for Me?
Initially I attended Bikram Yoga to improve my flexibility. It quickly became apparent that there is more to Yoga and Bikram Yoga in particular than stretching and flexibility. I have found attending Bikram Yoga classes a great stimulus to learn, it has been very educational and made me think more about many other aspects of personal development. My previous blog posts Bikram Yoga and the 'Locked Knee' and Shut your mouth: Nasal Breathing is a snorting good choice give an insight to how Bikram Yoga has made me look deeper into issues that may help my own personal development. The bottom line is that I feel good after a Bikram Yoga session, I am pleased with my progress and am confident I will keep improving on all of the postures, even the three 'impossible' postures that I will mention below.

Firstly I think for all of us that attend Bikram Yoga classes we need to recognize that we all have different body shapes and sizes and that there will be some postures that you are more naturally suited to than others. My motto is to enjoy the postures you are good at and work as hard as you can on those postures that seem difficult. There are many postures that I have thought are near impossible (but i always believe with regular practice I'll get there, even if it takes 5 years or more - the funny thing is i do not expect miracles, but I believe in miracles through hard work and determination). There are some 'impossible' postures where i have in fact made some progress, but i still have a long way to go and generally progress has been slow. I'll expand a bit more and share my experience of my struggle with the three main 'impossible' postures:

Eagle Pose (Twist like Ropes): Initially i just hugged myself. I can now clasp knuckles on the right hand under side and clasp my thumb on the left hand under side. I am trying hard to twist my legs (like ropes :-)), but i cannot get my legs anywhere near the back of my other leg. Still lots of work to do here. In the photo below fellow Bikram Yoga attendee Liza gives a great demonstration on how the legs and arms should twist like ropes in this posture. My effort i think is a true awkward pose :-).

What I know is that to improve on this amongst other things I need to become more flexible in the upper back and the hips and lower back. Tip to myself is be patient.

Standing Head to Knee Pose: For a long time I did not attempt to extend my leg. I can now on occasions extend my leg straight out, keeping a reasonable L shape for the legs. However keeping a straight concrete solid leg which is the essential part of the exercise is something I still have to work hard on. Also i find bending down to clasp the feet in a basket grip and keeping the standing leg straight very difficult. I wish iIhad slightly longer arms :-). Away from Bikram Yoga classes I practice this posture in the swimming pool and lying down on my back (it's a lot easier :-)).

Liza again gives a great demonstration (photo below) on this stage of the posture. As i recall she does a great job on the next stage, actually bending the head down to touch the knee. Can you believe that, actually head touching the knee, for some of us that does sound and look impossible, but as Bikram himself says in his book Bikram's beginning Yoga Class (Copies available at Bikram Yoga Leicester as well) "That's what Yoga is about... Yoga makes things that seem impossible, possible. You can do magic without being a magician.". Bikram also says "I know you won't believe me when I say that in a relatively short time, you will actually consider this one of the easiest poses".

I am pleased with my progress but I need to straighten my back more, get my leg lifted to ninety degrees (and constantly think about locking the knee) before I embark on bending towards my knee. I think the flexibility in my upper and lower back is improving, allowing me to sooner or later get a good clasped hand underneath the foot, which is another key element in this posture. A physically very tough posture, but with improvement in my general posture I can see a chink of light on this posture - it is about 2 or 3 years away though.

Toe Stand Pose: I find this very difficult. I find it very difficult to open my hips to rest the leg on the center of my thigh, consequently when I bend down my leg often slips off my thigh. I pick it back up and put it on once i am down at floor level, but with my arms being slightly shorter than i would like it is very difficult to balance with a straight back and decent posture. Still working on it, but still a million miles away (my ankle and thighs are getting stronger slowly, so eventually my arms can be bypassed and they won't be an issue). No photo's of me in action on this pose - there really would not be much to see, so i have included a picture of the pose from the hotyogadoctor website where many interesting discussions seem to take place. This discussion titled Still can’t do toe stand after 3 years, may be interesting for those like me that struggle with this pose.
For me, I tend to notice a significant improvement in my flexibility, strength and balance around every three months. This will be on a selected few postures and these will vary every quarter. I still have to think hard about 'Locking the Knee'. It seems whilst developing a strong locked knee balance can be affected in standing poses, which leads to a slight give in the knee to stay standing (I was going to say stay in posture, but until the knee is locked the posture has not even begun :-)). I think I have improved, but it is a gradual process to get that leg like concrete and I am not there yet. In my last session I found that concentrating on locking my knees in half moon pose backward bend supported my back much better, but I felt more wobbly on my legs (if you are not a hard core knee locker yet, try this on your next session - see what you think).

Managing Expectations
Fortunately I do not expect miracles and I came to Bikram Yoga with the mindset that I did not expect to see any improvement for a year (this way I would not be disappointed). Nevertheless i have made undoubted improvements over the year and I am satisfied with my progress. I know from others' experiences that some attendees have gained quick, in some cases near instantaneous results in relation to losing weight or managing pain from persistent chronic injuries, but for me having a low expectation in terms of quick results is a valuable psychological tool in ensuring that I do one of the most important things i can do for my own personal development and that is just to turn up at a Bikram Yoga class and practice regularly, giving the best that i can give on any given day.

Practicing with Injuries
I would not want to NOT practice Bikram Yoga for any longer than a week or so. The thought of going backwards and the hard work it takes to get back in the Bikram groove after just a week away compels me to practice regularly. I have had a few injuries over the year, including a sprained ankle, hamstring strains and lower back pain - so what to do when injuries occur. Well although i have found it annoying and frustrating i believe you still need to practice. If you stop practicing you will start to lose benefits and go backwards. You will need to take advice and best decide how to manage your own injuries, but for me I have come to the conclusion that the best thing is to turn up and do the postures that you can and modify or leave out those that aggravate the injury. Generally i have nursed my way through with reduced effort on some postures (I have found concentrating on stretching tall on half moon pose is good if your back is sore and it made me appreciate the importance of stretching tall in this posture) .Occasionally i will miss a practice or two, but i would never leave it longer than a week otherwise I'll be going backwards. Also let your instructor know as they can give advice as to ways of modifying your postures to allow for injuries.

Beyond Bikram Yoga Classes
Outside of class one of the most significant things I have been inspired to do because of my interest in Bikram Yoga is my own home yoga routine which includes some of the Bikram postures (like standing bow pose below), but also other yoga postures such as handstands and headstands. I decided early on that three Bikram classes a week was right for me, both from a logistical point of view, but also to ensure my motivation remains high and that I do not get stale. I do the 45 minute Home Yoga routines on the alternate days between Bikram classes. As I am not in a sauna environment i usually take it a bit easier, but it gives me a chance to reflect a bit more on the postures and what I am trying to achieve.

Although I like my three day a week strategy, i am conscious that ideally Bikram Yoga practice is a daily ritual and that by taking a 30 or 100 day challenge there may well be physical, psychological and emotional gains to be made. This is something i will explore when i can logistically meet the demands of daily practice. Thinking about strategies it would also be interesting to experiment with a fortnight of double sessions (two in one day). This article 'herniated discs' highlights how one Bikram Yoga teacher/attendee found great value in taking double sessions to overcome her injury problem (lot's of good information about Bikram Yoga as well).

The other significant thing to come out of my Bikram Yoga practice is my realisation of the importance of nasal breathing, culminating in my recent purchase of a nose breath mouthpiece from nosebreathe.com. The blog Set Higher Standards has a great blog post about the benefits of nasal breathing (with informative comments) about nose breathing.

Summary
Posture and nasal breathing are key elements to health and well being. Bikram Yoga's carefully thought out sequence combined with great instruction and advice from the rigorously trained Bikram Yoga teachers is a great system to improve these vital elements. Not only that, but apart from developing your musculoskeletal system, the Bikram Yoga postures also address health benefits related to the respiratory,nervous, digestive, immune and endocrine gland systems. Other forms of Yoga, practicing pilates and other conventional fitness training such as running or weightlifting have their place, but I believe Bikram Yoga should be the core anchor of any fitness, health and well being program. It is a solid foundation for personal development. For a great read on the philosophy behind the system read Bikram Yoga by Bikram Choudhury founder of Bikram Yoga and for further information see the Bikram Yoga Website.

Special thanks to Libby, Rachel and Sharan who have been my core teachers during the year. But also to say thanks to Hannah, Harbinder, Nicky and Chris, other teachers at Leicester who have contributed to my development thus far. Thanks to Rachel again for taking the snaps of me whilst practicing at the Bikram Yoga Studio in Leicester. I look forward to what this year brings.

And Finally
Just thought I'd mention this blog ilovesweat - the blogger combines a passion for bikram yoga, healthy living and photography. You might find it of interest as he blogs regularly on his Bikram experience. His photo's have become a bit large of late though :-).

Shut your mouth: Nasal Breathing is a snorting good choice

In Praise of Bikram Yoga

Having completed around twenty sessions of Bikram Yoga, what i love about this from of yoga is the solid, know where you stand, never to be changed, carefully thought out structure of twenty six postures (and two breathing :-)) exercises. From this solid base in my opinion those that are interested in self improvement and development will be challenged to look further outside of the class, to find answers to the many questions that practicing this yoga brings.

My Struggle to Breath (correctly)

One such question for me was centered around the correct way of breathing. Not sure when it happened but in between reading and practicing i have had a Clickadoodledastic (eureka) moment, which is the realisation that nasal breathing (both in and out) is indeed a mysterious secret, rarely spoken of in mainstream life, which isin fact the key to improved physical well being and hence life and should therefore be broadcast load and clear..

Now i don't know if it's just me or whether i am slow on the uptake but i have purchased pilates CD's, attended pilates classes, have purchased a manual from the enlightening http://breathing.com and have generally been aware that getting to the bottom of correct breathing would be a very useful life enhancing thing to do. I have never been happy that i have cracked it despite meddling with different strategies over the last 2-3 years. My main thinking was that i needed to improve how my diaphragm works, which included exhaling much longer and more forcefully to empty my lungs of stale air. The focus was always on exhaling through the mouth and eventually getting a deep inhale through the nose. I felt this worked reasonably well for me when running and as part of my breathing recovery between sets of not quite 50 meter interval sprints when swimming (40 seconds sprint, 80 seconds recovery * 6).

Clickadoodledastic

My initial clickadoodledastic (might have been clickadicious as well) moment would have straddled the period from Thursday 23 April to Saturday 25 April. Earlier in the week my new found interest in yoga had naturally found its way into the consciousness of my work colleagues and on the back of this, one of my colleagues lent me a book on the principles behind Hatha Yoga, which is the yoga that underpins Bikram Yoga. In this book i read the unequivocal statement that made it plain that the best and most natural way to breath is in and out through the nose. Here is my paraphrased simple statement:

You and me were born to breath in and out through our noses. Our mouths are made for eating. Breathing in and out through the mouth is an emergency response to a distressing situation. Unfortunately because of the development of bad habits, most people have forgotten or are unaware of how to breathe correctly.

Following on from the reading of this book 'Hatha Yoga: The Yogi Philosophy Of Physical Well-Being' (for more information see http://www.metta.org.uk/public/) on the Friday i grasped a quick chat with Libby the owner/teacher at Leicester Bikram Yoga (where i practice), who confirmed that nasal breathing (in and out) is the way to go during the bikram yoga sessions and in general including sporting situations like running. She also alluded to the fact that it helps with the flight/fight phenomenon to keep you more relaxed in stressful situations. I probably made a mental note that i need to investigate that one further and i have (but more of that later). The other question i still need to address is the use and purpose of mouth exhales in the two bikram yoga breathing exercises, as well as other hatha yoga breathing techniques.

Putting knowledge into practice

Life

So from the excellent book mentioned above and some confirmation from the owner/teacher of my bikram yoga center i proceeded on the way home on the train to breathe solely in and out through the nose. Points to note were:

1. I did not inhale or exhale deeply, just gently

2. Their came a point after a short while where after breathing in i desperately felt the need to breathe out from my mouth as i did not seem to have the ability to breathe out through my nose (it was as though i had too much air to exhale and my nose could just not cope quickly enough with the need to exhale). I did somehow suppress the urge to exhale through my mouth and still managed to breathe in and out through my nose.

3. Eventually the pay off came by way off an absolutely wonderful chest expanding inhalation of my lungs from a nasal inhale which felt very satisfying and did indeed feel as though it was a deep breadth.

4. these deep inhales followed fairly frequently. Much quicker than any other technique i had tried in the past.

5. There are many benefits, but the major point is that you are getting more oxygen into your system and oxygen is life.

I do this anywhere i can now, when i remember. Also I breathe like this when going off to sleep. Hopefully i am not breathing with my mouth open in my sleep..

Running

I followed this up on the Saturday morning with an hour long easy jog, where my aim was to breathe through my nose (in and out) for the duration of the session. Points to note were:

1. Initially (first 10-15 mins) breathing was a bit awkward, but doable - quite a number of natural deep inhales occurred just when i needed them.

2. After 15 mins started to have great difficulty breathing in through the nose, just felt blocked up (narrow passageways). Snot was accruing and my main technique to help clear my nasal passageways was to blow my nose into my shirt as i exhaled, this seemed to help, although shirt not too pleasant :-)

3. I did sneak in about 4 or 5 mouth breaths in, which was not too bad.

4. subsequently i have found that if i am struggling with the inhale, i just start exhaling vigorously through one nostril only (the other blocked closed with my finger) and alternate this exhaling on left and right nostrils until a natural inclination for a deep inhale occurs. (this seemed to work effectively)

There's more, There's more

After another shorter run or two, where i was still unsure if this was the right path to go down, i came across this excellent blog post The Importance of Nasal Breathing and this has given me extra conviction to pursue a nasal breathing policy (in and out) whilst doing sporting activities, such as running or weight training. Prior to reading the blog i had also completed a set of chin ups where by working to the rhythm of my breathing i pulled up on my nose inhale and lowered on my exhale. This felt very good. I felt that i was using the energy of my breath most effectively. With all my exercise now i am going to work to the rythm of my nasal breathing and i am hoping in the long term that a return to the natural way of breathing will bring about significant improvements in my overall fitness and conditioning. I have seen (felt) enough from my initial experiences to have confidence that significant improvements will be made. Getting back to the blog post the main messages were:

1. Confirmation that we are made to breath through our nose

2. Breathing through the mouth encourages the flight/fight response, which produces "adrenaline and cortisol which are both degenerative hormones. They contain waste products called free radicals, which are believed to be the leading cause of aging, cancer, disease and death. In addition, the body responds to this stress by Storing Fat and burning sugar. So if we can train our body to handle more stress without responding to it as an emergency (via nasal breathing), we’ll have taken a huge step in the fight against fat, aging and disease." (that's some motivation to breathe through the nose :-))

3. "Breathing through the nose stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system which calms the mind and rejuvenates the body" (I have felt this calming effect when i was running.)

4. "Due to the need for longer, deeper breaths, one of the inherent results of nasal breathing is a slower breath rate. There is a direct correlation between breath rate and heart rate so that a slower breath rate will entrain a slower heart rate.... The end result being that during a race, you’d have more in your energy reserves to out-run your competitors!"

Footnote
Have just completed a 45 minute spinning session using nasal breathing. It went well and i was not in control of the changes in pace, but coped ok with a few one nostril exhales. The amazing thing was when jogging back to work, without thinking about it i just used nasal breathing all the way back (5 minutes).

Bikram Yoga and the 'Locked Knee'

Having just completed my ninth bikram yoga session, i'd like you to note that these are the initial thoughts of an inexperienced beginner. I have instantly developed a good vibe about this form of vigorous mental and physical (torture -:)) exercise. What we are being told just seems naturally right - i am a believer. I might be a believer, i have the faith, but that does not mean that i am not unquestioning or that i fully understand why i am doing what i am being told to do. I want to fully appreciate the philosophy and reasoning behind the postures as i believe it will make me a better practitioner (yoga, elearning and life).

A key feature of many of the bikram yoga postures (poses) is the locking of the knee (lock the knee, lock the knee, lock the knee :-)). I like the direct forceful manner in which this instruction is confidently asserted by the instructors - there is a conviction in the instruction that they know that this is good for you. Whilst i have always stretched a lot, usually in a sporting context and have always gone for a straight leg, no information prior to my bikram yoga sessions has emphasised the importance of 'locked knee' and flexed foot where appropriate.

An excellent summary of what the locked knee does for you can be found here at http://hubpages.com/hub/bikram-yoga-lock-the-knee. An extract is included here:

"Rather than just straighten the leg in the standing poses, actively engage your quadriceps muscles
and you will never have sore knees, your walk will feel lighter, you will be preventing any future issues - and as a side-benefit, your hamstrings will gain more flexibility and lengthen more easily, which is a boon for many of us with tight hamstrings from sitting at desks all day or from sporting activities!" (hub pages, Roger One - retrieved 11 April 2009)

An article that seems to talk contradictory to this view, but comes across as an authoritative piece is Yoga And Preventing Knee Locks - at http://www.myyogaonline.com/yoga_article_120_Yoga_and_Preventing_Knee_Locks.html

"The ‘knee lock’ presents some useful function and purpose in allowing one to stand without using the quadriceps to hold the legs in a straight position. This creates an energy-efficient mechanism that allows you to maintain the knee in extension over prolonged periods of standing without requiring muscular contraction." (My Yoga Online - retrieved 11 April 2009)

I tend to take the former view that actively engaging your muscles is the right way to go and am wondering whether i have not quite understood the second view as i find it difficult to believe that there could be such a contradiction. Another quote from My Yoga Online that i have mixed views on is:

"The purpose of Yoga poses is to generate physical vitality so one can proceed through life with positive energy flow and with a holistic connection to what brings balance and harmony. Standing Yoga poses offer these benefits when mindfulness and proper intention is applied. Without mindfulness, some standing Yoga poses present a tendency towards knee locks and hyperextension, which can produce chronic problems in the function and health of the knee joint." (My Yoga Online - retrieved 11 April 2009)

I like the idea of mindfulness in that the 'locked knee' is executed with mindfulness and that the knee is not hyperextended. on the other hand this comment still gives the impression that 'locked knee' can lead to injury, which may be the case with hyperextension, but i do not believe this wouLd be the case with a correctly performed 'locked knee'.

Linked into the concept of 'locked knee' is the flexing of the toes. on this point I'd like to say that many of the relevant yoga postures can be performed without flexing and 'locking of the knee', which is an attractive proposition for beginners because it is the easy option. in my opinion new yogis :-) need to build themselves up mentally and physically by working towards a 'locked knee' position and flexing where relevant. The value of flexing is reinforced for me by the comments of Andy Baran in his book 'Gymnastic abs' - where his advice to students is "its; not just the exercises. it's how you do them" and his specific general advice (if that is not a contradictionj in terms :-) is

"Flex everyone of your muscles, not just your abs. I said before but it bears repeating. When you flex all your muscles you are creating connection between all your muscles. The ability to focus on every muscle of your body while you flex them will create that connection and make you incredibly strong." (Andy Baran 2007, Gymnastic Abs, p.7)

For those of you interested there are quite a number of Bikram Yoga centers in London and three outside Leicester, Manchester and Brighton. As i understand it there are centers at various locations throught USA and Europe, but do not have exact details. To now more about Bikram yoga here are a some links:

http://www.bikramyogaleicester.co.uk/
http://www.bikramyoga.com/
http://www.bikramyoga.co.uk/home.html

and finally the issue of maintaining good hydration is covered well in this article:
http://www.bikram-yoga-noosa-australia.com/hot-yoga-facts.htm

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