Yoga Suicide

Bikram's latest term, used tonight in class - YOGA SUICIDE - is actually quite hard to do and you really have to have a lazy attitude to accomplish it. 

Bikram's reference was in respect to skipping steps in the poses (i.e., mental masturbation, another one of his favorite terms). For example, if you don't lock the knee in Standing Head to Knee pose, before kicking the leg forward, the posture is a complete waste of time. The minute you break the form, the posture ends and all the medical benefits are lost.

I have seen some students committing Yoga Suicide lately as well. Today in Posture Clinic, one woman was asked why she loves Bikram. Her response: "Because it numbs my brain." Ummm, yeah...you probably don't want to say that to Bikram's head "mistress," Kat (who is notorious for reporting back to him on everything). And you really shouldn't say that after you bomb the delivery of a pose and act like you don't care. Just something to keep in mind for all future Teacher Trainees reading this.

Sadly, there is someone in my own group who has lost a bit of her dialogue mojo, like I did on Friday. She is pristine, and I'm not naming names but it really is suicide when you don't own your greatness, in the yoga room and in life. When you give up, your dreams, you die. It's that simple. 

And so to end on a less morbid note, I am delivering the hell out of my poses. I am back! The bitch is back! All of the feedback I've been receiving is gelling together nicely. I LOVE THE PROCESS! I'm also a huge fan of Tricia ("Trish"), owner of Bikram Yoga Lower East Side, who gave me a wonderful critique today on my Locust pose and her business card. For those of you NYC peeps who are bored with your home studios, check out Lower East: http://www.bikramyogales.com.

What's your goal for today? Mine is to lose the self-defeatist attitude that creeps around in many forms. Be aware of what's lurking in your own shadows. Get the monkey off your back and out of your head. And lastly, watch your back when coming up from under the counters in the posture clinic rooms. I whacked my lower back today so hard that I bruised my spine and am now injured; ironically, not from doing yoga, but for being less than totally aware of my surroundings - do not rush the process!