PURE Fall

September 2012

Issue No. 31

PURE Fall

Greetings!

Did you miss me? August was so busy, I just couldn't find my way to your inbox. I hope you didn't worry.

August marks the end of Summer (though, not the end of summer temps), the beginning of school (not to mention the new beginnings we experience every day), and for PURE specifically, it marked the culmination of months of planning as we hosted the 6th Annual Bikram Yoga Women's Retreat and the 10th Annual Texas Yoga Asana Championship.

We know you've been just as busy as we have. Remember, even in these busy times, to take you time. To stop, think, and focus. To take notice of your surroundings, take care of others, and most importantly, take care of yourself. Bikram reminds us of this when he asks, "What is the most important thing in your life?" Guess what, yogis, it's not your lover, your children, your parents, your friends, or your job. "The most important thing in your life is your life!" Take care of yourself so that you can take care of everything and everyone else.

With that, we celebrate your yoga lives. We celebrate women coming together from all corners of the world. We celebrate yogis putting themselves out there to inspire others. We celebrate science and research and our common goal to make this world happier and healthier through yoga. Take care of yourself. This is how you inspire others. This is good stuff.

We are always giving updates, banter, feedback and fun on our PURE Bikram Yoga page! If you haven't joined the fun yet, be our fan!

PURE Bikram Yoga is also on Twitter!

Check out our YouTube Channel full of Bikram Yoga videos!

Don't forget, our web page is continuously being updated with Press, Testimonials, and Special Events! Take a look around!

Recent Events

Keep reading for important schedule changes, specials, happenings and celebrations!

August

6th Annual Bikram Yoga Women's Retreat

Bikram Yogis from all over the world ascended on Barton Creek Resort for a hot and sweaty time, Texas style. Nearly 250 women attended the event this year! We couldn't have picked a better location or had a better group of ladies. It was a simply wonderful time for all. Keep reading for one student's reflection on her experience. If you didn't make it to this one, worry not, we will host next year's Retreat as well!

10th Annual Texas Regional Yoga Asana Championship

PURE Bikram Ladies stole the show! Gianna Purcell placed first, Afton Carrway second, and Mardy Chen was third! In the Men's division, Jeff Chen came in fourth, and in the Youth Division Maya Tieu won first!

We are so proud of all of the brave and dedicated yogis who shared their yoga practices on this day. It was a great honor to have Rajashree Choudhury and Emmy Cleaves present to witness the strength of our Texas Bikram community. Enjoy the following media coverage in case you missed the live event:

Austin-American Statesman Gallery - Texas Regional USA Yoga Asana Championship

YNN - Yogis hope to bring their sport to future Olympics

PUREBikramYogaTV on Youtube - for all competitor routines.

Stacey Anne Photography - professional pics of all of the competitors! For viewing and purchase.

PURE Action Shop Your Asana Off at DUO

PURE Action and Duo teamed up for a fun night of shopping & yoga. A portion of the proceeds from the event were donated to PURE Action.

September

Austin's Free Day of Yoga

What an amazing day! We hope that you all had a chance to experience some free yoga classes in Austin! PURE Bikram Yoga was booming at all four locations! We are grateful for all of our regular students who served as exemplary models in the yoga room and for all of the new students who have now been exposed to the yoga we believe in so much. Thank you all for being there and for sharing your practices.

Upcoming Events

October

NEW CLASSES STARTING OCTOBER 1:

South Studio - Tuesday and Thursday at 11:30am
Cedar Park - Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 12:00pm

PURE Action Donation Classes

South Studio - Saturdays at 4pm
Cedar Park - Saturdays at 4:30pm (beginning in October)

Beginning October 6th, we will add a Karma Class to the Cedar Park schedule! We will also continue the Karma Classes at the South Studio!

These weekly donation-based classes are now dedicated to funding our community yoga programs like Austin Recovery, an Austin-based nonprofit that provides affordable, effective, compassionate drug and alcohol treatment for individuals, families and communities right here in North Austin and Buda. Many studies have shown that a steady practice of hatha yoga reduces relapse rates of substance abusers. Help us reach our fundraising goal of $5000 by December 31.

Halloween Class

Mardy will teach a special 3pm class at the Downtown studio! Class is free for anyone practicing in costume! Be ready for some tricks and treats!

November

Thanksgiving

Stay tuned for an abridged schedule for the Holiday!

Bikram Yoga Women's Retreat

Through the eyes of Cedar Park Student, Beth Gritzmacher.

I remember first hearing about a Bikram Women's Retreat in the summer of 2011 and my initial response was I want to be there. Well, it just didn't work out for me to attend that year, but I set the intention that one day I would attend one of these Retreats. I felt so blessed when I found out the Women's Retreat for 2012 would be held in Austin. Since it was so close to my home I just had to be there.

The idea of the Women's Retreat was so empowering to me because it was a time for me and I only had one responsibility - myself. It might sound selfish but I embraced the idea of taking care of myself that weekend. I was inspired by everyone's energy during each Bikram yoga class. I enjoyed the atmosphere of practicing outdoors in a pavilion. I felt strength in the postures with no mirror glaring back at me. I took all six classes that were offered over the course of the retreat. At one point I wondered if I had done too much yoga but then calmly told myself, "This is what I am here to do."

The Women's Retreat was a wealth of inspiration. I loved being surrounded by women who shared a common passion. I hung onto every word shared at the women's panel discussion and I even tried a class in meditation. I felt privileged to take classes from Afton Carraway, Emmy Cleaves and Rajashree Choudhury. I returned home from the retreat refreshed and renewed. If I had one word to describe my experience it would be....priceless.

Beth Gritzmacher

The 7th Annual Bikram Yoga Women's Retreat will be held in Austin next Summer from 8/1 to 8/4! Missed it this year? Make sure to come in 2013! For those of you who joined us this year, we are making a few changes to add to your next Retreat experience! Make sure you check your email and complete the Women's Retreat 2012 Survey to help us make next year's Retreat the best it can be!

Caloric Expenditure of Bikram Yoga

A study by PURE Action And Bikram Inc.

Thanks, PURE! PURE Action met their fundraising goal of $5000 for the Caloric Expenditure of Bikram Yoga study, thanks to several large individual donors, our weekly Donation Classes, and a special donation class held by Bikram Yoga Dallas on August 25th that raised the final $1000 needed.

PURE Action is collaborating with Bikram's Yoga College of India Corporate Headquarters to fund a study at Colorado State University on the caloric expenditure of Bikram yoga.

Many have attempted to estimate the intensity of Bikram yoga via heart rate monitors, but it has never been measured by way of indirect calorimetry. This study will be the first to establish the intensity of Bikram yoga and the results will benefit all practitioners, particularly those who intend to utilize this practice as a form of weight management and/or loss.

Data collection began in September, 2012 and Dr. Brian Tracy, Associate Professor and Bikram yoga teacher training lecturer is overseeing the project.

We would like to send a special thanks to all Bikram yogis who made this study possible through their donations to PURE Action and look forward to seeing the results soon. In the mean time, check out some pictures of the data collection process. The participant is photographed wearing an Oxycon portable metabolic system and practicing the yoga postures inside an environmental chamber with a temperature of 105 degrees F with 50% relative humidity, representing a typical Bikram yoga class environment.

New Retail!

Check out the newest offering in the retail section of our PURE Bikram Yoga studios! Fun, functional, and fashionable items for all!

Hydro Flask keeps your Party Time beverage COLD,

even in the hot room!

New shirts, tanks, and hoodies with yoga-inspired designs, sure to keep you calm and focused outside of the hot room!

Sincerely,

The Yoga Team
PURE Bikram Yoga

In This Issue

Recent Events

Upcoming Events

Bikram Yoga Women's Retreat

Caloric Expenditure Study

New Retail

Deni Hodge Testimonial

Deni Hodge

South Studio Student

Mardy & Deni after the 60th class of her 60 Day Challenge! Congrats, Deni!

Especially to full figured women,

I would like to encourage you to take the 60 day Bikram Yoga Challenge. It promises..."60 classes. 60 days. A new life." 60 days to correct a decade of getting out of shape sounded like a good deal to me.

I looked at the website and saw a demonstration that showed people doing the triangle pose with sweat dripping off. I figured if I sweat like that, it would help me lose the weight that has been plaguing me for the last decade. I came to find out by completing the Challenge, it is so much more than that.

At first, it was hard to get used to the heat- but what a smart thing to do if you live in Texas! I learned that sweating really does cool the body- and that my eyelashes catch my sweat (Regina Spector sings that's how she remembers she has a perfect body-LOL;) That was helpful to remember being in a room of many very fit bodies when mine wasn't, but you are told right away to focus on yourself in the mirror, especially your knee!

Each class, each instructor, is different, and you learn something new and valuable each time, from every one. The postures and the dialogue are basically the same each time, but they all share their love of yoga in unique ways. Nobody ever pushes anybody beyond their capabilities, and you are told upfront to listen to your breath and ease off or lay down if your body is not ready for that posture that day. I found it motivating to learn that this yoga heals on a cellular level, that the organs and glands benefit from the compression postures and that the constrictions serve to allow fresh oxygenated blood to flood the knees, healing damaged tissue.

To sum it up, I like my body now. I feel toned and healthy. I can see my muscles that were dormant under my flab. My posture has improved. My upper back doesn't hurt and is less stiff. My breathing and lung capacity has improved. 40 years of underwires have been like a clamp around my lungs, and in Camel, which I can finally do, I can literally feel my chest breaking free, in a good way. People say I look healthy, and I am starting to feel a little pretty again. I feel more balanced and calm. Finishing the 60 day challenge has proven to me that I can actually commit to being kind to my Self by giving my body the attention that it deserves. I was amazed that with such a change in my body, I did not lose pounds. I lost fat and gained toning. It is a steady and gradual change that comes with the practice, over time, working from the inside out. I am another case study for "Yoga Is Medicine". The results in 60 days are profound and definitely worth the effort!

Deni Hodge

Testimonials.