26 + 2
Magic formula.
Every class.
Every single class.
Gets a bit boring..
Well, does it?
The term we tend to use, when we talk about exercising doing Yoga, is 'practice'. It's a beautiful word. I love it. It encapsulates the concept of 'trying' like no other word. We're not in the class to show what we can do, we're there to achieve what we can't do. And the only way to do that is to try. However, in my opinion, the word 'practice' also carries the concept of 'repetition': we're doing (or trying to do) something over and over again. That's the only way to learn how to do it. And it could be anything: a sport, how to play an instrument, a yoga posture.
A triple jumper has to practise his run-up and jump millions of times. In fact, you can see them rehearsing it in their mind, with some very minimal movements, moments before the actual jump: to remind the body of the exact motions it has to follow, in order to deliver at its best.
A pianist preparing for a concert has to rehearse his piece just as many times, smoothing any tricky bits by going over them constantly, in exactly the same way, in order to create muscle memory.
Neither of them wakes up one morning and decides to change the execution.
Bikram believes our yoga practice should be the same. If the structure of the class doesn't change, the only thing that will change is us. With time and... You guessed it: practice. There's always somewhere to go, something new to achieve. And once that's achieved, then comes the hardest bit: maintaining it.
The difference is that a yogi/yogini's goal won't be to win a medal or an award*: it's his/her own evolution and, ultimately, self-realisation.
Every class is a chance for us to try again: don't get frustrated, don't get discouraged.
Bikram gave you the structure: rely on it.
You put in the effort: trust in your own brilliance.
And most importantly: enjoy the ride.
* However, there is indeed a yearly World Yoga competition, which can be incredibly inspiring, and that might well be one of your goals! But don't stop there. Be bolder.
