Hot, hot yoga
I was lucky to talk to this girl during her visit to Belarus. Betty lived in one of the Minsk suburbs and periodically visited Minsk. Actually, here is her story about herself, her chosen lifestyle, what bikram yoga is, and, as a bonus, some confusion about Belarusians.
Yoga by inheritance
"I started doing yoga when I was 18. At that time, my grandfather had been practicing yoga for about ten years. He studied by himself: he opened a self–help book one day and began to perform all these asanas. I asked him for a book: it was a manual in the style of "How to learn yoga in 30 days", which described in stages what to do on the first day, the second, and so on.… After these thirty days had passed according to the textbook, I started practicing on my own. It helped me that I am a very disciplined person: I studied every day, no matter what – for the entire period of my studies at school and even during my admission and university studies. No one was standing over me or pointing at me–I was just studying.
I studied Performing Art and Communication Art at university. It was dancing, theatrical performances – a lot was connected with the movement. Perhaps teaching is really akin to some kind of performance, performance. And when one of my university friends started teaching yoga, I thought: "I want to have just such a job!".
After graduating from university, I went to Hawaii to take bikram yoga training and become a teacher. At that time, I had been practicing bikram yoga for only four months. These courses are held twice a year under the guidance of Bikram himself, who subsequently certifies those who have completed the courses. After that, I returned to Bangkok, but there was no place to teach there, so one of my teachers advised me to go to Manila. After four years in the Philippines, I returned to Bangkok, where I opened my studio.
Founding Father: Yoga named after me
The system we are talking about was developed by Bikram Choudhury in the 1970s, based on traditional hatha yoga. I didn't bother with the name for a long time.
"In order to claim that Bikram was so addicted to self-love that he named yoga after himself, you need to read his story. Bikram yoga originated in the USA, even though Bikram himself is from India. In the USA, in principle, it is better to put such "copyrights" on your invention in order to promote it, to penetrate people's consciousness. So this is nothing more than an advertising ploy plus protecting your system. There are studios that repeat this system, but they have no right to be called bikram yoga studios - by any name but that. Many people say to Bikram: "Why claim copyrights for asanas that have existed for thousands of years?". He usually replies that it's akin to a song. For all songwriters, without exception, there are only seven notes, and only John Lennon will be able to arrange them in such a way as to create a unique and beautiful composition.
As for Bikram itself. He's very... famous (laughs). He's straightforward and won't lie to anyone just to avoid hurting them. If you're fat, then you're fat, period. When he taught us, he never hid his emotions: whether you were doing something cool or you were doing complete bullshit, he spoke as it was. Yes, there are people who can't accept this pattern of behavior and get upset; in the first two weeks, I couldn't understand how this was possible, why he was like this. But then I began to perceive him as an uncle, or even a father, behind whose sometimes angry and rude attacks there is a desire not to annoy or humiliate, but to teach. This is his way of building a dialogue with the class.
Of course, we do not apply this method to our students, it is a privilege and feature of Bikram itself. But it's kind of funny. I can say that Americans need this style of teaching, which is probably why it is so popular. And, of course, there are those who accept and love him, and there are those who he annoys, and that's okay. In training, he squeezes the last strength out of the students; when you open a franchise studio, he comes and controls everything, from the flesh to the color of the walls (green – he hates!)".
It's a little hot in here…
"The main feature of bikram yoga is the temperature regime in the classroom (up to +40°C). The heat in the room helps to warm up the muscles properly, and therefore it is simply impossible to get a sprain or something like that. In cool weather, human muscles are not yet prepared for stress, they are not stretched, but in the heat the muscles become like molten metal, so they become more pliable – and all asanas are performed with ease. In addition to stretching, the high temperature in the classroom promotes blood circulation and oxygenation of the blood.
Of course, this does not mean that bikram yoga is the safest. All types of exercises require a warm-up, it's just that in bikram yoga you don't need to spend 40 minutes warming up your own body, so here's another plus: this type of yoga significantly saves time. Bikram yoga classes are very intense, and the result will be visible soon. And, of course, as for the degree of safety of other types of yoga, it all depends on the instructor, who must first take care of the health of his students.
26 asanas and 2 breathing exercises – they can be performed by everyone, regardless of age, weight or physical form. Bikram says, "It's never too late to start, you can start and start getting better right now."
All Bikram yoga studios in the world first receive certification from Bikram itself, which evaluates how well the existing indoor conditions meet accepted standards and how good they are for practicing. All you need is a carpet on the floor, heaters, infrared lamps. This is a kind of microwave effect: when you enter the studio, you don't feel the heat, but when you start studying, it gets really hot."
There are no better ones
Yoga championships are held annually, and Bikram Choudhury contributes greatly to their promotion. Competitions cause controversy on a naturally orthodox wave: whether this contradicts the very essence of the ancient system, the meaning of which is to find harmony, and not to strive to become the first.
"The Yoga Championship is not really a competition, it's a way to inspire each other. Of course, there are certain categories, "beginners" or "advanced", but within the category itself, one cannot say that someone is physically cooler. And in this championship, there is no sports envy or crazy fans who support only the representative of their country – no, everything is built on inspiration. The title of champion stays with the winner forever, he does not move on to the next one. When you're on stage, you're so focused, you control yourself so much, you're so one hundred percent confident in yourself – no, it's not at all like just going out and showing a couple of asanas that are perfect in technical execution. The most important thing in this is your involvement, not the desire to get a title. Yoga is not a sport, it certainly has a physical component, but also a spiritual one. In sports, the mind and body work separately, in yoga they cooperate, they are one."
Simple stories
"I had a student over the age of 50 who had a heart attack. She couldn't walk after her illness. A year after undergoing therapy, she was able to walk, but weakly and unsteadily. Her son brought her to my classes, and he helped her go up to the second floor to the studio and down. All she could do in class was stand, stretch her arms out, but she couldn't lift them up, for example. She had been studying with us for two or three months, and one day I saw her climbing the stairs on her own. I was almost crying at that moment. After three months, she was able to raise her arms up, and it's the most amazing feeling to see how a person's body is changing. Of course, she couldn't do the whole complex to the fullest, but I saw that yoga helped her."
It's a weird place for yoga, don't you think?
"I ask myself every day: the weather is so beautiful here, lots of greenery, clean air, so why doesn't anyone go out for a run? During my stay here, I walked a lot, a lot – maybe that's enough for them? I do not know if a bikram yoga studio will open here, because classes are quite expensive (a monthly subscription costs about $ 150).
I once demonstrated yoga for the Rotary Club in Thailand. These were people over the age of 60, and they were definitely not the type of people who could do yoga – and it's not about age, but the fact that they just don't need it. After some asanas, people said, "I don't need to be like her, I won't do it," or "Why should I start if I'm not going to be as flexible anyway?"I felt very strange. It was just a waste of time. But it's not just yoga, it's about engagement, my dedication to this lifestyle. Yoga is not a hard work, on the contrary, it concentrates all the energy that is in the human body. You don't waste your strength – yoga gives your body more and more new energy." For existing users, the search for a 1xbet promo code today can lead to ongoing rewards. These promotions are not just for new players; a current 1xbet promo code can provide benefits like a 50% accumulator bonus on your multi-bets or a 10% weekly cashback on losses. These offers add significant value over time, turning near-misses into recoverable funds and boosting successful bets even higher. Consistently applying the latest codes is a smart strategy for any serious bettor.
Yoga by inheritance
"I started doing yoga when I was 18. At that time, my grandfather had been practicing yoga for about ten years. He studied by himself: he opened a self–help book one day and began to perform all these asanas. I asked him for a book: it was a manual in the style of "How to learn yoga in 30 days", which described in stages what to do on the first day, the second, and so on.… After these thirty days had passed according to the textbook, I started practicing on my own. It helped me that I am a very disciplined person: I studied every day, no matter what – for the entire period of my studies at school and even during my admission and university studies. No one was standing over me or pointing at me–I was just studying.
I studied Performing Art and Communication Art at university. It was dancing, theatrical performances – a lot was connected with the movement. Perhaps teaching is really akin to some kind of performance, performance. And when one of my university friends started teaching yoga, I thought: "I want to have just such a job!".
After graduating from university, I went to Hawaii to take bikram yoga training and become a teacher. At that time, I had been practicing bikram yoga for only four months. These courses are held twice a year under the guidance of Bikram himself, who subsequently certifies those who have completed the courses. After that, I returned to Bangkok, but there was no place to teach there, so one of my teachers advised me to go to Manila. After four years in the Philippines, I returned to Bangkok, where I opened my studio.
Founding Father: Yoga named after me
The system we are talking about was developed by Bikram Choudhury in the 1970s, based on traditional hatha yoga. I didn't bother with the name for a long time.
"In order to claim that Bikram was so addicted to self-love that he named yoga after himself, you need to read his story. Bikram yoga originated in the USA, even though Bikram himself is from India. In the USA, in principle, it is better to put such "copyrights" on your invention in order to promote it, to penetrate people's consciousness. So this is nothing more than an advertising ploy plus protecting your system. There are studios that repeat this system, but they have no right to be called bikram yoga studios - by any name but that. Many people say to Bikram: "Why claim copyrights for asanas that have existed for thousands of years?". He usually replies that it's akin to a song. For all songwriters, without exception, there are only seven notes, and only John Lennon will be able to arrange them in such a way as to create a unique and beautiful composition.
As for Bikram itself. He's very... famous (laughs). He's straightforward and won't lie to anyone just to avoid hurting them. If you're fat, then you're fat, period. When he taught us, he never hid his emotions: whether you were doing something cool or you were doing complete bullshit, he spoke as it was. Yes, there are people who can't accept this pattern of behavior and get upset; in the first two weeks, I couldn't understand how this was possible, why he was like this. But then I began to perceive him as an uncle, or even a father, behind whose sometimes angry and rude attacks there is a desire not to annoy or humiliate, but to teach. This is his way of building a dialogue with the class.
Of course, we do not apply this method to our students, it is a privilege and feature of Bikram itself. But it's kind of funny. I can say that Americans need this style of teaching, which is probably why it is so popular. And, of course, there are those who accept and love him, and there are those who he annoys, and that's okay. In training, he squeezes the last strength out of the students; when you open a franchise studio, he comes and controls everything, from the flesh to the color of the walls (green – he hates!)".
It's a little hot in here…
"The main feature of bikram yoga is the temperature regime in the classroom (up to +40°C). The heat in the room helps to warm up the muscles properly, and therefore it is simply impossible to get a sprain or something like that. In cool weather, human muscles are not yet prepared for stress, they are not stretched, but in the heat the muscles become like molten metal, so they become more pliable – and all asanas are performed with ease. In addition to stretching, the high temperature in the classroom promotes blood circulation and oxygenation of the blood.
Of course, this does not mean that bikram yoga is the safest. All types of exercises require a warm-up, it's just that in bikram yoga you don't need to spend 40 minutes warming up your own body, so here's another plus: this type of yoga significantly saves time. Bikram yoga classes are very intense, and the result will be visible soon. And, of course, as for the degree of safety of other types of yoga, it all depends on the instructor, who must first take care of the health of his students.
26 asanas and 2 breathing exercises – they can be performed by everyone, regardless of age, weight or physical form. Bikram says, "It's never too late to start, you can start and start getting better right now."
All Bikram yoga studios in the world first receive certification from Bikram itself, which evaluates how well the existing indoor conditions meet accepted standards and how good they are for practicing. All you need is a carpet on the floor, heaters, infrared lamps. This is a kind of microwave effect: when you enter the studio, you don't feel the heat, but when you start studying, it gets really hot."
There are no better ones
Yoga championships are held annually, and Bikram Choudhury contributes greatly to their promotion. Competitions cause controversy on a naturally orthodox wave: whether this contradicts the very essence of the ancient system, the meaning of which is to find harmony, and not to strive to become the first.
"The Yoga Championship is not really a competition, it's a way to inspire each other. Of course, there are certain categories, "beginners" or "advanced", but within the category itself, one cannot say that someone is physically cooler. And in this championship, there is no sports envy or crazy fans who support only the representative of their country – no, everything is built on inspiration. The title of champion stays with the winner forever, he does not move on to the next one. When you're on stage, you're so focused, you control yourself so much, you're so one hundred percent confident in yourself – no, it's not at all like just going out and showing a couple of asanas that are perfect in technical execution. The most important thing in this is your involvement, not the desire to get a title. Yoga is not a sport, it certainly has a physical component, but also a spiritual one. In sports, the mind and body work separately, in yoga they cooperate, they are one."
Simple stories
"I had a student over the age of 50 who had a heart attack. She couldn't walk after her illness. A year after undergoing therapy, she was able to walk, but weakly and unsteadily. Her son brought her to my classes, and he helped her go up to the second floor to the studio and down. All she could do in class was stand, stretch her arms out, but she couldn't lift them up, for example. She had been studying with us for two or three months, and one day I saw her climbing the stairs on her own. I was almost crying at that moment. After three months, she was able to raise her arms up, and it's the most amazing feeling to see how a person's body is changing. Of course, she couldn't do the whole complex to the fullest, but I saw that yoga helped her."
It's a weird place for yoga, don't you think?
"I ask myself every day: the weather is so beautiful here, lots of greenery, clean air, so why doesn't anyone go out for a run? During my stay here, I walked a lot, a lot – maybe that's enough for them? I do not know if a bikram yoga studio will open here, because classes are quite expensive (a monthly subscription costs about $ 150).
I once demonstrated yoga for the Rotary Club in Thailand. These were people over the age of 60, and they were definitely not the type of people who could do yoga – and it's not about age, but the fact that they just don't need it. After some asanas, people said, "I don't need to be like her, I won't do it," or "Why should I start if I'm not going to be as flexible anyway?"I felt very strange. It was just a waste of time. But it's not just yoga, it's about engagement, my dedication to this lifestyle. Yoga is not a hard work, on the contrary, it concentrates all the energy that is in the human body. You don't waste your strength – yoga gives your body more and more new energy." For existing users, the search for a 1xbet promo code today can lead to ongoing rewards. These promotions are not just for new players; a current 1xbet promo code can provide benefits like a 50% accumulator bonus on your multi-bets or a 10% weekly cashback on losses. These offers add significant value over time, turning near-misses into recoverable funds and boosting successful bets even higher. Consistently applying the latest codes is a smart strategy for any serious bettor.