Why Bikram?

People ask me this a lot. "Why can't you just do another training that is easier/closer/less time consuming/cheaper/etc.?" If you haven't tried Bikram you are likely to ask me that, if you have tried it, you know that no other form of yoga will do. From the moment I set foot in the torture chamber in Brooklyn Heights I knew I had found a style of yoga that I would practice for a lifetime. I knew almost instantly that I would go to Teacher Training, the culmination of that intention coming to pass in TWENTY DAYS is so overwhelming and delightful, I can hardly stand it. In fact, the idea that this goal of mine is being realized that soon makes me alternately thrilled and terrified (as mentioned in the post below). The last few days I've been on the thrilled side of things. Mentally (and physically) preparing, making lists, practicing, learning dialogue...getting READY. I have been getting some awesome advice from currently certified teachers about TT, here are a few nuggets:

"The program is entirely by design. It's designed to make you a little crazy. Go with it."
"Don't push yourself too hard in the beginning. The people who did that were absolutely dead by the end."
"Immerse yourself in the process, take this time for yourself, it will never be again!"
"Learn the dialogue!"

So, why Bikram Yoga and not some other form? Well, the heat for one. The heat does amazing things for your practice and enables you to safely stretch without worrying about injury. The entire series is tremendously safe. The postures themselves are not advanced, but you can take them to their full expression depending on your body that day. Every day is different, even though the postures are the same. I find that astounding. It's such a learning experience. You learn what to eat, when to eat, how much water to drink, how much sleep you need, how much stress effects you mentally and physically. It's truly like peering into the looking glass of your body, mind and spirit every day you practice. You see where you are at. Having a tough class? What did you eat last? How much sleep did you get? Are you stressed? Are you tired? Are you angry? It's fascinating and it never gets old. Or it hasn't for me in 7 years anyway. It's a reset button. It brings you back to square one. A very sweaty square one :)