> Take a few extra minutes to get to the studio. We all live busy lives - so try to make the journey to class a little less hectic.
> Practice early. The 6:15am class is a perfect way to start the day. An early morning practice will energize and wake you up. Besides once you are done you have the whole day ahead.
> Be sure to keep practicing at least three times a week. This will keep you strong and flexible for all your outdoor fun.
> During your class remember to keep your breathing calm, quite, and easy. Steady normal breathing will carry you through even the most challenging moments.
> Spend a few extra minutes in savasana. This will help keep you calm and happy all day long.
> Enjoy the abundance of fruit that we offer during most classes.
> Jump in the river after class. What a great way to balance your system out. First a nice warm yoga class, followed by a dip in the cool refreshing river.
> Spend the rest of your day with a smiling happy face.
Hope to see you in class today!
Michael Harris, School Director
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| Quote of the Month |
"If you have a good spine,
you will have a good life".
Bikram Choudhury |
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Posture of the Month |
Ah... camel is now over and we are on to rabbit pose. For the most part it is opposite of camel. In camel the back was compressing and the front was streatching. In rabbit, the back is streatching and the front is compressing. These two postures are the perfect compliment to each other.
The benefits to rabbit run deep. Just for starters the deep compression of the spine in camel is now be streatched out in rabbit. This really helps to open the vertebre and works to streatch the muscles along the length of the whole back. On the front side this posture will give you a deep compression of the internal organs.
There was a study done in 1961 that reconized the importance of this posture in correcting spinal aberrations and relief of varioius cardiac symptoms. The report showed that out of 150 cases of heart disease of various types, 93% of the cases showed spinal aberrations in the 2nd through 6th dorsal vertabrae. When the rabbit posture was applied in these cases there was clinical and laboratory evidence of improvement. Discontinuance of such treatment was followed by signs of regression.
Now lets make sure you are doing this posture correctly. To begin, you want to have a nice tight grip on the heels. Look at your stomach, bring your chin to your chest and round forward making sure your forehead is touching your knees and the top of the head is touching the floor. Once this is done, then begin to lift your hips up, pulling on your heels with all your strength. Work on getting your thighs perpendicular to the floor. Keep 20 to 30% of the weight on your head as you continue to pull on your heels. After 20 seconds slowly round back out the same way you went in. Now you can enjoy savasana!
Hope to see you in class today!
Michael Harris, School Director |
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Student of the Month |
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July 2009
Student of the Month
Heather Furtney
Heather has now been practicing Bikram Yoga for just under a year. And just recently, on her birthday, she said she was able to feel great the whole way through. This is a far cry from where she started.
Heather has suffered from chronic neck and back pain. It is the reason she started Bikram Yoga in the first place. She has had this pain for over 11 years now and she says that no doctor was able to help her. At times it was so bad it would drop her to the floor and was unable to do anything.
At first Heather thought yoga was just a silly exercise. But low and behold she discovered how effective it was in helping her pain. She can now practice standing head to knee - with her head actually touching her knee. And she gets a feeling of being calm and relaxed as she pushes her hips forward in camel.
Heather says that Bikram Yoga has sort of taken over her thoughts. She rearranges her life around class because it is so important to her and how her body feels.
Congratulations Heather on being Student of the Month..!!
Hope to see all of you in class very soon..!!
Michael Harris, School Director |
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Other News |
Susie McLagen
Susie McLagen just graduated from the Spring 2009 Bikram Yoga Teacher Training. Welcome her back to the Bend as she takes her next step in her yoga practice and as a teacher. This is a picture of her right before her last class at teacher training.
Congratulations Susie!!!
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Buy Your Classes Online
Do you know that you can now buy your classes online? It's an easy and simple way to make sure your classes are always current. You can even look at your class visits and see how many times you have come. Just go to the Schedule Page of our website and set up your account today
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Events
Check out our Website for the latest info on our events.
Kayaking - Sunday, July 16th
Biking - Tuesday, July 28th
Rafting - Sunday, August 2nd
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Be sure to check our Gallery Page on the website. We will continue to add new photos.
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We are looking for more testimonials. If you have a story to tell us about your yoga practice, please let us know. We might want to add you to our website. Take a look at the Testimonial Page now.
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To view schedule updates go to the
We hope to see you in class today!!
Michael Harris, School Director
Bikram Yoga - Bend, Oregon |
