Comments on: Bikram Update http://www.plannedobsolescence.net/bikram-update/ falling indelibly into the past Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:21:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: kari http://www.plannedobsolescence.net/bikram-update/comment-page-1/#comment-337 kari Tue, 11 Jul 2006 15:56:02 +0000 http://www.new.plannedobsolescence.net/?p=164#comment-337 <p>The Bikram sounds challenging!  I’ve been enjoying reading your accounts of it.  Like Joe, I practice Iyengar yoga, which emphasizes precision, varied and creative sequencing, and duration (poses are held for relatively extended periods of time).  The attention to detail sparks lots of those eureka moments you mention, KF: tucking the tailbone under, for example, gives you greater control in coming out of a headstand; transfering weight from the palms to the fingers gives the forearms a lift in downward facing dog; pressing the inner feet down firmly lets the thighs take on more of the work in bridge pose--that sort of thing.  I absolutely love it.  I’d be really interested in trying out other styles for comparative purposes.  Bikram sounds exhilirating. </p> The Bikram sounds challenging!  I’ve been enjoying reading your accounts of it.  Like Joe, I practice Iyengar yoga, which emphasizes precision, varied and creative sequencing, and duration (poses are held for relatively extended periods of time).  The attention to detail sparks lots of those eureka moments you mention, KF: tucking the tailbone under, for example, gives you greater control in coming out of a headstand; transfering weight from the palms to the fingers gives the forearms a lift in downward facing dog; pressing the inner feet down firmly lets the thighs take on more of the work in bridge pose–that sort of thing.  I absolutely love it.  I’d be really interested in trying out other styles for comparative purposes.  Bikram sounds exhilirating.

]]> By: joe http://www.plannedobsolescence.net/bikram-update/comment-page-1/#comment-336 joe Sun, 09 Jul 2006 18:27:28 +0000 http://www.new.plannedobsolescence.net/?p=164#comment-336 <p>The Mehta’s have a great (cheap) book on Iyengar style that is worth the purchase if only for the sequences listed in the back (that you’re supposed to go through over a three-year time period).  Their sequences are based on doing four sessions per week: Standing poses, Sitting poses, Miscellaneous poses and Relaxation poses.  The last two are a mixture of backbends and restoritive poses.  Anyway, yoga is a journey that never ends… </p> The Mehta’s have a great (cheap) book on Iyengar style that is worth the purchase if only for the sequences listed in the back (that you’re supposed to go through over a three-year time period).  Their sequences are based on doing four sessions per week: Standing poses, Sitting poses, Miscellaneous poses and Relaxation poses.  The last two are a mixture of backbends and restoritive poses.  Anyway, yoga is a journey that never ends…

]]> By: Mel http://www.plannedobsolescence.net/bikram-update/comment-page-1/#comment-335 Mel Sun, 09 Jul 2006 05:16:22 +0000 http://www.new.plannedobsolescence.net/?p=164#comment-335 <p>I’m glad you’re still doing Bikram!  In time the mental effects will become more obvious to your awareness—though I’m sure the yoga is having effects at that level already.  For myself, the discipline of the set sequence has had tremendous mental value because it lets me detach from the grasping attitude that would sometimes come up for me in other yoga classes ("let me see if I can do this new weird/difficult posture").  Like the t’ai chi sequence of forms, the sequence is part of the meditation. </p> I’m glad you’re still doing Bikram!  In time the mental effects will become more obvious to your awareness—though I’m sure the yoga is having effects at that level already.  For myself, the discipline of the set sequence has had tremendous mental value because it lets me detach from the grasping attitude that would sometimes come up for me in other yoga classes (“let me see if I can do this new weird/difficult posture”).  Like the t’ai chi sequence of forms, the sequence is part of the meditation.

]]> By: KF http://www.plannedobsolescence.net/bikram-update/comment-page-1/#comment-334 KF Sat, 08 Jul 2006 20:55:47 +0000 http://www.new.plannedobsolescence.net/?p=164#comment-334 <p>Yeah, actually, if I have any complaints about Bikram, that’s it:  it is a set sequence of 26 postures, and there are so many other poses that I remember from my Iyengar classes that I’d like to spend some time with.  Like inversions!  I miss inversions!  What I’m imagining is that at some point I’ll start interspersing some other classes in amongst the Bikram, to get a bit more variety. </p> <p> There are other issues with Bikram, as you note, most of which have to do with his… well, I’ll just say his pronounced desire to control the distribution of “his” style of yoga.  What irks me more than his attempts to claim copyright over the particular sequence—annoying enough—is his reported attempts to prevent Bikram studios from teaching other methods as well.  I want to keep doing Bikram, but I’d like to get some Iyengar (or even Ashtanga!) in there, too, and it bugs me that I’d have to go to multiple studios to do so. </p> Yeah, actually, if I have any complaints about Bikram, that’s it:  it is a set sequence of 26 postures, and there are so many other poses that I remember from my Iyengar classes that I’d like to spend some time with.  Like inversions!  I miss inversions!  What I’m imagining is that at some point I’ll start interspersing some other classes in amongst the Bikram, to get a bit more variety.

There are other issues with Bikram, as you note, most of which have to do with his… well, I’ll just say his pronounced desire to control the distribution of “his” style of yoga.  What irks me more than his attempts to claim copyright over the particular sequence—annoying enough—is his reported attempts to prevent Bikram studios from teaching other methods as well.  I want to keep doing Bikram, but I’d like to get some Iyengar (or even Ashtanga!) in there, too, and it bugs me that I’d have to go to multiple studios to do so.

]]> By: joe http://www.plannedobsolescence.net/bikram-update/comment-page-1/#comment-333 joe Sat, 08 Jul 2006 20:27:40 +0000 http://www.new.plannedobsolescence.net/?p=164#comment-333 <p>My core concern with Bikram (other than the fact that Bikram himself is trying to claim copyright in the sequence of poses in order to keep others from teaching that sequence) is that you do a set sequence of poses (right?).  In Iyengar styles of asana practice, you switch things up quite a bit… and, in fact, you’re encouraged to do poses that you don’t like (which helps you get deeper into all sorts of poses). </p> My core concern with Bikram (other than the fact that Bikram himself is trying to claim copyright in the sequence of poses in order to keep others from teaching that sequence) is that you do a set sequence of poses (right?).  In Iyengar styles of asana practice, you switch things up quite a bit… and, in fact, you’re encouraged to do poses that you don’t like (which helps you get deeper into all sorts of poses).

]]>