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SWEAT
MARCH 2011
Greetings Huntington Beach Hot Yoga Family,
 

How is your balance? And when I say "balance" I mean the life balance you promised yourself for 2011. Each New Year presents a new beginning and the possibility of a fresh start to keep those promises you may have been making to yourself for years.

 

So who is more important to honor in promises kept than yourself?

 

As the parent of a young child, and the owner of this business, I am challenged by balance everyday. This is why the promise of my yoga practice is so important to me. It is really hard - I will not lie. Many days I wonder how I can possibly fit everything in, but ultimately if we do not honor the promises we make to ourselves, what credibility do we have on promises made to others?

 

I encourage you to find the strength to honor your self-promises, to give something meaningful to yourself - in order to give your best to others.

 

In reflection of your year so far - the often-frenetic months of January and February, think about what promise you will keep for yourself this year. Will it be to commit to regular practice - at least three times per week (ideally more)? Will it be to undertake at least one 30-day challenge (congratulations if you have already started the year with this accomplishment)? If you missed our first challenge, start planning your commitments now so you can join our next 30 day challenge April 25-May 24, and September 26 to October 25.

 

Maybe you are ready for a bigger commitment? Maybe you are ready to sign up for our 200 hour Yoga Alliance Dayton Method Hot Yoga Teacher Training from July 7 to August 6, 2011?  How do you know if you are ready? My yoga instructor, Stephanie, to my complete shock, suggested to me after class one day to do teacher training. I felt so unqualified as I had only been doing yoga six months! But, after a thorough investigation of myself, I decided that is exactly what I needed to do for my development as a person.  

 

I need passion to exist and hot yoga was it for me.

 

Now I am truly passionate about our teacher training. The personal evolution that trainees experience is one of the greatest gifts I receive leading the program. It never ceases to amaze me how students can take in so much information, and then incorporate it and become such influential instructors.  I have been blessed to share the joy of teaching with 26 Dayton Method Hot Yoga Teacher Training graduates from the last 3 years - most of whom started as students like you in our studio and emerged as the teachers you constantly tell me you adore. These inspirational women and men have committed to help you and me with the vital "balance" we all require in our lives everyday. I encourage you to ask me more about this 4-� week opportunity to change your life and the lives of others.

 

See you on your mat!

 

Jason Wilkerson

Owner, HB Hot Yoga
JASON WILKERSON

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Jason Wilkerson, Owner HBHY
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FEATURED STUDENT - Steve Terry

Steve Terry

HOW OFTEN DO YOU PRACTICE? 3 to 4 days a week. I found it's waaay better to set a schedule and make an effort to stick to it, than thinking, "I'll try to go today".


WHY DO YOU PRACTICE? Sense of accomplishment in doing something challenging. Flexibility and endurance for surfing. Better flexibility is an obvious benefit to hot yoga, but HY has increased my stamina too. Hiking to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite last summer seemed a lot easier than when I did it 5 years earlier.

 

WHAT ARE THE PRIMARY BENEFITS YOU EXPERIENCE? I've found that giving up about 2 hours of work each day to go to hot yoga has actually increased my productivity at the office, even though I'm now only working about 6 hours a day. I've grown mentally stronger over the years at hot yoga. When I'm in a savasana after a difficult pose, wanting to lay down, scratch an itch, or better yet, run out of the room, the teaching of "staying in the moment and acceptance" has helped me get through the toughest poses at HBHY, as well as tough days at work. Deal with one issue at a time, focus only on it (staying present and calm), solve it, then, move to the next issue, and focus only on it. Hot yoga has helped me "stay present" in my life, to quit worrying so much about the next thing.


WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE POSTURE? Child's pose. We do most poses twice, why not this one??


HOW HAS YOUR HOT YOGA PRACTICE IMPACTED OR CHANGED YOUR LIFE? When I'm riding in a 100 degree bus on a dirt road looking for a surf break in Fiji, and everyone is complaining about the heat, I just think back to earlier in the week when I was in the front corner of a packed hot yoga class, and then I'm thankful I'm in a hot bus in Fiji :).


Now featuring our Student of the Month on the website homepage - www.huntingtonbeachhotyoga.com
FEATURED TEACHER - Robin Hall

 

RobinHometown: I was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  I have a long family history in the Santa Fe area where much of my family lives, and where some of them are buried in the oldest cemetery in town.

 

Childhood aspiration: Survival in a crazy family would be top of the list.

 

First Yoga Class: My first class was with my sister Marcela at Gold's Gym (yeah, next door). My next first class was at the Bikram studio with Patrice Simon, after that class I didn't sleep for 24 hours and I knew I'd stumbled onto something very powerful.

 

Most influential teacher: My most influential teacher was Master Yogi Jnana Nanda Bharati. I am thankful for the time and patience he and Diana Pipaloff took to teach me the ancient traditions of yoga.

 

The Defining moment when you realized you wanted to teach yoga was: I knew I wanted to become a teacher when through my own experience I understood the profound healing, mind changing, and spirit strengthening abilities of the practice of yoga.

 

Favorite Pose and Why: My favorite pose is the one pose on any given practice, or maybe a moment in that practice when all things connect... and I feel happy in it.

 

Most Challenging Part of Your Yoga Practice: The most challenging part of my yoga practice is not the physical part of yoga- although that can be challenge; it's mostly the other practices of yoga that become the hard part. The most challenging part is having the courage to do what is necessary to get there.

 

Person who has inspired you most: I am constantly inspired by the yogis around me- from the teachers I know to the students who sometimes against great odds, and with health concerns, injuries, fear, apprehension, or even apathy who continue to show-up and be present for class.Their courage is an inspiration and their trust is not to be taken for granted.

 

Book you are currently reading:I am currently reading the Purplicious Series, and lots of Phineas and Ferb books, and anything about dinosaurs with my granddaughter Isis.

 

Secret Comfort Foods: I love any berry-filled pastry.  Everyone in my family knows...

 

Movie that has changed the way you think: A sad movie makes me cry, a funny one makes me laugh, a gross one turns my head away- it's doubtful any could change the way I think. The best movie I have seen lately is The King's Speech.

 

Cause you feel most passionate about:If passion is the same as enthusiasm- then I feel great enthusiasm for teaching with a spirit of service and humility for the great tradition of yoga and for the preservation of it as a healing science.

 

An Unfinished Dream: My goal is that someday my sister and I will have our own yoga studio in Utah.

 

What is your favorite expression? Ekham Sat Viprah Bahudha Vedanti- There is a single truth, but the wise call it by different names. Rig Veda 3000+bce

 

What is your teaching philosophy? My philosophy is to remain a student and to continue to learn. To teach only from experience and to share what I know to be true.

 

How long have you been teaching yoga for? I have been teaching for seven years.

 

Most impressive person you have ever met? The most impressive person I ever knew was my grandfather Ben, the most amazingly talented, strongest, and funniest man to ever live. He smoked a pipe, and always had a nail in his pocket to tap down his tobacco with. He would tie our socks in knots when we were napping, so we would fall down when we woke up. He would flip his eye-lids up and run after us while we screamed and ran. I miss him.

 

Why is yoga important to you? Yoga is for me life itself. It is the path and the goal.

  

Which yoga book would you recommend to students? The best all-around yoga book is Light on Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar.

SUMMER TRANSFORMATION - TEACHER TRAINING
Jason teachingAre you starting to think about what you will do this Summer? Perhaps you have dreamed of the opportunity to immerse yourself in a passionate pursuit - something that will stretch your mind and body and fuel your soul? We can offer you this exact opportunity - and you don't have to pass through a TSA security screening to do it!

Our Teacher Training program begins each day (Mon-Fri) at 8am with meditation. Each day we practice on the 9am and 4:30pm classes. In between we have 4 .5 hours of posture clinics and anatomy workshops, as well as 1.5 hours of break. On Saturday we participate in the 10am class, and undertake 3.5 hours of study. On Sunday we rest.

The program costs $2,200 (for early registration due by June 1, 2011 and $2,500 thereafter.) The Tuition fee includes unlimited yoga classes for the duration of the training, a course manual, and all instruction.

The experience is transformational as you will see from the teacher testimonials now listed on our website. Here is a sample of what our teachers have said about this training -
  
"Jason is a meticulous trainer who will support and encourage you with lots of compassion but he will also make sure that you advance to your highest potential." Christelle
  
"What I love about this training is that you are PREPARED to teach a class the day you graduate. The training is so structured, you are not just given a book and told to study on your own, you practice exactly what you need to know to teach a class." Vivien
  
"During the training I had to overcome personal struggles such as patience with others as well as myself, come to the realization of knowing perfection is not attainable because no one is, and taking life one day at a time which I continue to remind myself every day." Harmony
  
"This was a great group of people and we shared many laughs, woked hard and remained supportive of each other's progress and aspirations. We will stay in touch and I would not be surprised if I now have life long friends. This is largely due to the feeling of community that Jason has built at Huntington Beach Hot Yoga." Janet

If you are even mildly curious about the teacher training and whether or not it is right for you, Jason will be hosting a question and answer session on the training on Saturday March 12 at 11:30am for 30 minutes. RSVP HERE or at the front desk. More details on the treach training can be found on our website - Dayton Method Teacher Training
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Hot Power Flow Posture Clinic


Ask Yogi: Looking at our Yoga Roots

What are the "Yoga Sutra's of Sri Patanjali"? 

Pata = fallen;  Anjali= prayer; Sutra =thread.   

 

The Yoga Sutras are a set of aphorisms -short, concise, easily-remembered set of instructions - for the practice of the eight limbs of yoga, written by Sri Patanjali.  It is not know when Patanjali lived, or if he was one or several persons; estimates date the Sutras from 5,000 BC to 300 AD.  Patanjali in no way invented yoga but rather compiled already existing ideas and practices into almost 200 Sutras, which are divided into four Padas (Chapters),  The Padas of the yoga Sutras teach a philosphical system about the duality of reality.  In describing the "goal" (to end suffering) and power of yoga, the Sutras also explain how to practice yoga and overcome ignorance and the five "Vritti" - distractions of the mind: 'right' knowledge, misconception, verbal delusion, memory and sleep.  In sum, the Sutras teach the language and practices of yoga that help us understand the nature of (and connection between) the material world and the spirit, and achieve complete absorption (i.e. being in the moment) and joy.

 

There are numerous translations of and commentaries about the Yoga Sutras; I particularly like those written by Sri Swami Satchidananda and TKV Desikachar (you can find these online via Google or Amazon, etc.).  Some of the Sutras are given more emphasis than others in the study of yoga. Two of my favorite Suturas are 1.33 - "By cultivating attitudes of friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous and disregard toward the wicked one remains calm"; and 2.33 -"When disturbed by negative thoughts, positive ones should be thought of....".  

 Yoga Mantra

 

 

Do you have a question about the Yoga Sutras or any other aspect of yoga?  Any ideas about possible yoga history or philosphy topics?   Feel free to send questions, comments, suggestions to [email protected].


FEATURED POSTURE-Forward Fold Stretching Pose

Forward-Fold Stretching Pose

Prasarita Paschimotthanasana 

 

Who doesForwardFold Stretchingn't love this pose? The opportunity to "hang out" upside down brings fresh oxygenated blood to the brain and revives memories of carefree childhood days when you could hang upside down and see the world from a different view!

 

Another variation from the traditional Bikram Hot Yoga sequence, in designing the Dayton Method sequence we switched out the repeat on Standing Separate Leg Stretch (featured last month) in order to provide this opportunity to further extend the spine, drop the head to the ground in full release and extend the stretch through the shoulders. 

 

Begin the sequence as the previous pose, stand at the top of your mat facing the side mirror. Inhale raising your arms over your head and exhale as you take a wide three foot step to the right, lowering your arms to shoulder height. Angle your feet inwards (unless you have sciatic pain), inhale, contract your abdominal muscles, lower your arms and clasp your hands behind your back, bend at your waist and lower your torso forward towards the ground with a flat back until you are perpendicular to your legs, staring through your legs to the back wall. It is important to keep your palms tightly clasped together, do not extend your arms past the point where you can maintain this grip. Contract your quads to lift your knee caps and release your hamstrings bringing your weight gently forward toward your toes and the balls of your feet. Relax and breathe. Then SLOWLY, gently, inhale and raise your torso to upright position maintaining a flat back as you do so. Once upright, inhale arm up over head, step feet back together facing the side mirror, and exhale arms down, stand still and tall in standing savansana.  


Benefits

Known as the "Umbrella Posture." This pose tones and stretches the spine, hip, pelvis, pectoralis major and deltoids. It stretches the hamstrings. Relieves sciatica nerve pain. Increases the rotation of the shoulders and neck. Posture draws large quantities of blood to the head, improving complexion, the scalp and texture of hair. As in all inversions where the head is lower than the heart, this pose nourishes the brain.

 

FINAL THOUGHT

 

Your life is always working, whether you know it or not. Sometimes it works to bring you what you want, and sometimes it works to keep you from what you think you want.

 

Neale Donald Walsch

Tomorrow's God

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