Sponsored Yogis Coming Soon!

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Photo via Dudes Doing Yoga on Tumblr.

Happy Friday, yogis! I hope you're celebrating the weekend already.

Anyone have any fun Super Bowl plans? Amazing appetizers you're planning to make for friends and family when they come over to watch the game?

Just wanted to share a little update with you on the Alive in the Fire Yogi Sponsorship 2011 program. I've been receiving all sorts of amazing applications and I can't wait to share the results very soon!

Photo via Dudes Doing Yoga on Tumblr.

I hope to have an announcement for you on Monday. It's going to be a tough decision to say the least!

A big thank you to all of the applicants and to upcoming sponsors. You guys are the best! And I hope that regardless of the results, you've been learning more about your practice and what yoga means to you. That's the whole point of the process, and I hope it's been rewarding.

Photo via FYeahYoga on Tumblr.

In the days and weeks to come, you can expect to see a lot of awesome stuff going on around here at Alive in the Fire. I will be incorporating a ton of new ideas from applicants, including guest posts, some re-design, and the start of a new series or two. (And don't worry, Real Men Do Yoga and Beyond Childhood certainly aren't over! Neither is the Everyday photographer series either.)

The best part? You're going to be getting a lot of quality info about yoga and hearing from some new voices. These sponsored yogis are passionate about their practice. They've got inspiration to share.

They are fiery, fun, and super creative and insightful. I can't wait for you to meet them!

Keep an eye out and get excited. More to come very soon.

PS. In other news, I've written over 300 posts! Eeps, how exciting :) Oh, and keep those followers coming... we're almost to our 100 party!

Photo via FYeahYoga on Tumblr.

Focus Forward Friday: Do Nothing

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Photo by Jonas Peterson, one of my favorite wedding photographers.

Focus Forward Friday: 
A weekly ritual for deepening your practice.

Today's focus: sit still. Can you slow down for a full two minutes and just breathe? I just stumbled upon this amazing site and I am entranced by it. Try taking a break in the middle of your day -- whether you're at the office working, about to start your car and drive somewhere, shopping at the grocery store, or just relaxing at home.

Two minutes of silence, stillness and meditation can do wonders!

Run, Yoga, Run: The Bikram Athlete

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Photo illustration via Blow Up Studios and their ad campaign for Pure Yoga. 

Hey yogis. How is your week going? Are you busy shoveling snow?


Perhaps you've had to mix up your workout this week because of inclement weather. By engaging in other core-building or stamina-enhancing exercise, we can improve our yoga practice. 


Sometimes we need to mix it up in order to improve not only our physical health, but our mental health, too. The repetitive nature of Bikram yoga (as a result of the dialogue and our familiarity with the 26-posture sequence) makes it tempting to zone out during class -- to disengage, stop listening, and go with what we know.


At those moments, we risk injury.


Often it can be great to mix up your work out routine by adding different styles of yoga or different cardio activities to your schedule.


Do any of you readers do Bikram on the side? Maybe you are into cross training, running, swimming, or biking -- but you find yoga to be a great complement to your other athletic endeavors.


No matter what your first fitness love is, Bikram can help you build the strength and flexibility you need to perform at your best, and live your healthiest life.


Photo illustration via Blow Up Studios.

One reader of the blog recently contacted me about her work as a personal trainer. Jeozette of MVP Personal Fitness Consulting recommends that athletes balance their cardio with Bikram, as the two can inform each other and provide awesome balance. The rest of this post is adapted from Joezette's article here.


You Gotta Have: Total-Body Conditioning 
(not simply strong quads) 
Consistent running can lead to a lot of tightness and strain in the spine, shoulders, hamstrings, and hips. This is why it is so important to condition and stretch those areas to develop more strength and movement to your body.


Try the following cross-training exercise to build arm strength and flexibility.


EXERCISE: Push-up; one of the best exercise for muscles of the chest (pectorals), arms (bicep and triceps) and core development.


Start face down on the floor with your feet together curled slightly so you rise on the ball of your feet. Place you hands close together so your thumbs and index fingers form a triangle on the floor. Keep your stomach contracted.
Inhale as you raise your body up till your arms are straight. Keep your head and neck level with your body and back straight. Exhale out as you lower your body back to the ground.


Photo via mewall82 on Flickr.

You Gotta Be: Pain Free!


Bikram Yoga will put an end to the tightness that leads to pain by opening up your joints and stretching all your ligaments, tendons, and muscles. Remember that running doesn't use ALL your muscles. You need a pose that will utilize your whole body.


Try the following Bikram Yoga pose to help straighten rounded spines and relieve backaches. This pose will also increase circulation to the spine and strengthen the abs, arms, thighs, and hips.It will improve the flexibility of the scapula, deltoids, and traps.


POSE: Bow Pose; Start lying on your stomach, bend your knees and bring your feet down towards your glutes. Reach back with your arms, take hold of each foot from the outside, grasping about two inches below the toes. Keep your feet and knees six inches apart throughout the pose. Take a deep breathe, look up towards the ceiling and lift thighs and upper body off the floor. Kick back lifting legs higher off the floor. The main goal is to balance on your abdomen. Hold pose for 20 seconds while breathing in and out through the nose.


Photo via creativENERGYoga on Flickr.


You Gotta Have: Agility, Coordination, and Balance


Agility, coordination, and balance are also important factors in day-to-day activities, such as standing and walking or (running). Try the following Cross-training exercise to improve these basic functions.


EXERCISE: Jump Rope; Holding the jump rope handles, one in each hand, the rope should be resting on the ground directly behind your feet. Your head should be up, eyes looking forward, not down at your feet. Your elbows should be positioned in close to your body. During the jump, your body should be erect. A basic jump is straight up and down and about 1 inch high. The rope gets its momentum with a basic swing of the wrist and forearms. The knees should flex and extend slightly with each jump. As you jump, try to develop a rhythm (the speed at which the rope turns).


Photo via kait.rich on Flickr.

Bottom line? Mix up your work out and balance it out with some hot yoga! You'll be happy you did when the winter storm hits and you don't have to pull any muscles while shoveling snow. 

Have any other advice on how to adapt to Bikram as an athlete? I'd love to hear from you, runners, swimmers, bikers, and tri-athletes! Leave a comment below.

Photo illustration via Blow Up Studios.

Real Men Do Yoga: Jacob Stickney

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Jacob Stickney is a Bikram yogi who practices regularly at Bikram Yoga Seattle (Fremont). This is his story.


Fruits of Intensity


"1...2...3...4...5...6..." The teacher speaks loudly so everyone in class can hear, counting out the breaths. 


Beginners to experienced, yogis stand near each other on their mats and towels, facing the mirrored wall.


I collapse my shoulders to my sides; legs, feet, and ankles locked together as instructed. It is only the start of the second set of the Pranayama series, the standing deep breathing exercise that sets the tonality for the 26 postures to follow. 


My entire body is already drenched with sweat...not even five minutes into the class. I engage fully in the second set with my inhale and exhale, the closure and expansion of the shoulders executed as fully as possible. 


When the warm-up postures are complete, I take a few sips of water from my Nalgene bottle and maintain a calmness, letting short bursts of air release through my nostrils. As I look around, I notice I'm one of the youngest students in the room. 


Photo courtesy of Jacob Stickney via Darrah Parker Photography.

The room is 105º (40º C) at roughly 40% humidity, men wearing only shorts, women often in clothing that often does not leave much for the imagination. There's an overwhelming amount of sweat in the room. 26 postures, 2 breathing exercises to open and close the class. A 90 minute meditation.


Bikram never gets easy, even for the more experienced practitioners. I am by no means steeped with experience, I have just been fortunate to have excellent instructors thus far and have enthusiastically thrown myself into the fire so to speak. 


Even the instructors who have been practicing and teaching for years get slaughtered by the simple yet vigorously intense curriculum that is the Bikram trademark. And yet we all love it, and the yoga feels wonderful.


Bikram yoga has sparked some controversy as it is a yogic practice rooted in the cultural purity of India but brought to American culture. Some say that Bikram yoga is a cult. I don't know about that, but I do know that the 26-posture series incorporates only a tiny fraction of the number of yoga postures that have been developed over thousands of years.


Bikram Choudhury devised a specific and fairly punctual method for exhaustively working the entire body of muscles, systems, and organs. The order of the postures in the sequence is quite intentional: each posture serves a purpose, and is a reaction to its neighboring postures, so that the intensity of each posture is maximized. The entire series is a specific method used to get specific results.


Bikram yoga is an opportunity to become immersed in the marriage of thriving intensity and cultural expansiveness. It's a practice in which the teachers are always students. Including it into my life and surrendering to its intensity is nothing short of life-changing on various levels. I hope to sustain the practice until my heart tells me otherwise.


Thanks for reading. 
In joy,
Jacob 


You can read more from Jacob on his blog here. Also consider contributing to the Real Men Do Yoga series by submitting a few paragraphs about your practice and why you love yoga. Email aliveinthefire at gmail dot com today!

Gratefulness for Yoga, Massage & Good Friendship

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I had to share this note from ThxThxThx today. Leah honestly has the best notes and such an awesome sense of humor, don't you think? I love the combo of comedy and gratitude :)

I also want to send a big thank you out to my friend Lindsay Paige of Omai Bodyworks for the best massage ever yesterday. I was only in there for 30 minutes, but Lindsay managed to work out all of my knots and kinks in my neck and shoulders. No more pain! I am so, so grateful. :)

For those of you in Evanston who need a good massage, Lindsay is your girl. She's got a ton of experience, a wonderfully chill style and comfortable studio, and some of the strongest biceps you'll find. If you'd like to contact her about her massage services, let me know and I'll put you in touch. She's located in the basement of Bikram Yoga Evanston and has super flexible hours.


Finally, I hope all of you Chicago readers are all ready for this big blizzard! Stay warm and be safe. I know I'll be drinking some extra hot chocolate and apple cider in the next few days...

SNOWPOCALYPSE, a photo via Northwestern University's Twitter account.

The Everyday: Introducing Northern California Photographer Alex Innocent

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All photos by the talented Alex Innocent.
Leica M3
35mm CV Color Skopar
Kodak 160VC


Lately I've been obsessed with photograhers who have a knack for capturing the everyday. There's something so beautiful about finding grace in the tiny moments that would be easy to miss if we didn't stop to observe them carefully.

In the next few weeks, I'll be introducing you to a few photographers with such talent to witness the whimsical, to document the allure of a landscape or profile, and to capture life's radiance.

In this little series, Alex Innocent does a stunning job of observing the picturesque California countryside using a classic film camera. Muted color, the hovering of the fog, the spareness of the frame: it all comes together wonderfully.

More of Alex's work to come soon!


Leica M6
28mm Elmarit asph
Fuji 160S

Leica M3
35mm CV Color Skopar
Kodak 160VC


Alex is a photographer from northern California. He hails from Sacramento and is a student of Economics at University of California Davis.

Nap

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Photo of an eggy breakfast, source unknown.

Today certainly has been a Monday! 

I am looking forward to an afternoon nap after work, another bite of the delicious quiche I made for dinner last night, a short massage to hopefully work out these crazy knots in my neck and shoulder, and getting my Bikram fix at the late class.

You?

PS If you have recommendations for getting rid of neck pain, I'm all ears. Tonight's regimen for healing will be: Tiger's Balm, meditation before I nap (to stay relaxed and away from any tense dreams), massage, Bikram, and maybe a bath. Other thoughts?

Simplify

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Photo via Lululemon. This is one of their talented ambassadors, Meghan.

Hey yogis! How was your weekend? I hope you are back at work feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. I am!


I had a lovely weekend with a nice mix of productivity and relaxation. I've got some other creative projects in the works besides the blog, so I decided to a take a couple days off to put some energy toward those. Plus there is nothing like a Sunday at home doing some cooking for the week and having a little candlelit dinner with friends. (I made quiche! Mmmm.) 

Anyway, I hope you had fun and maybe took a little time for yourself this weekend, too. It can be so worth it to have a break -- whether it's from work, or just your computer screen at home. Sometimes a few days off from the Hot Room can do wonders for your practice, too.


Sometime's it's just better to simplify. Do a little less. You may find yourself appreciating that task you chose to take out of your busy schedule, even yoga.


I know I am excited to get back to my mat tonight!


I'm also stoked to spend this week immersed in all of the Yogi Sponsorship 2011 applications. Thanks to all of you who have sent in your apps. We have some very strong candidates!


To those of you who have the app but haven't returned it yet, please do so soon. The deadline is coming up. I'm happy to give you a bit of extra time if you need it, but be sure to communicate before the deadline rather than later.


The choice will be tough. I can't wait to post the news! Stay tuned.


Photo via Lululemon. This is one of their talented ambassadors, Meghan.

Focus Forward Friday: Get Sponsored to Do Yoga

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Photo via Coffee and Yoga.

Focus Forward Friday: 
A weekly ritual for deepening your practice.

Today's focus: the blog sponsorship. Did you read my recent post on how you can get free classes, sweet yoga wear, green products, and a whole bunch of awesome custom yoga advice and motivation from yours truly?

If you missed out, here are the details again.

Who: any yogi, male or female, any age, any location, who practices any style of yoga (not just Bikram!).

When: apps due by the end of January (I can extend the deadline by a few days if you need a bit of extra time). Winners will be announced in early February.


Sponsorship may also induce happiness, relaxation and mind-body connection. 

Photos via Coffee and Yoga.

What: if you are chosen, you'll get a bunch of sweet perks. Free yoga classes (details to be determined). Lots of loot (yoga wear, cool products, treats from me and other blog partners). Excellent advice from an advanced Bikram student who's practiced a variety of styles and who's passionate about sharing yoga with others (and teaching one day!). Ongoing communication. The chance to write for the blog, promote it to your yoga community, and watch it grow. And much, much more! 

How: email me at aliveinthefire at gmail dot com for an application. Then I'll send you the form to fill out with more info on your background, your yoga practice, and what you plan to bring to the blog space and community if you are chosen. Note: you'll want to be sure to read the fine print and sign digitally before you send back. Photos welcome, too! I like being able to put names to faces, and if you've got a shot of yourself doing your favorite posture, that's perfect.


A quick note: only dedicated yogis need apply. I plan to choose someone as my go-to person for discussing yoga-related topics and creative ideas for the blog. I expect to find someone who's creative, fun, laid-back, punctual, hardworking, and kind. I want someone with extreme enthusiasm for their yoga, for the blog, and for making positive changes in their life. If you're not ready to make the commitment, please don't ask for an application.


Along the same lines: please feel free to use your creativity here! You'll need to fill out the application, but if you are so inclined to add to it, share the blog with your friends, increase the followers and invite people to check out the Twitter, by all means -- go for it! Going above and beyond won't hurt your chances :)


Are you ready to take your yoga practice to the next level? 


Contact me today. (aliveinthefire at gmail dot com)

This is not the end; there is no end in yoga. Photo via Coffee and Yoga.

Centering

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Om illustration via Yoga is Life.

Anyone else out there have the tendency to get over-booked and busy? I'm finding that I have a subconscious push to take on more projects and tasks. Unless I am careful about limiting my time spent working, I end up with a little too much on my plate.

That's where the yoga comes in, and when I need it most. Meditation and relaxation, too. The practice of letting go and doing nothing.

One of the best ways to place clear boundaries around your time is to spend time thinking about how you want to use it. What really makes you happy? What is really important to you?

I've had these kind of questions running in the background of my mind lately, and sometimes it helps to mull them over in the shower or write about them in a notebook. Whatever method I use, it's most important that I slow down and pause, giving my thoughts completely over to the work of self-knowledge.

If we don't pause to center ourselves, we lose track.

Last night I was getting frustrated about letting my brain get too much like a hamster caught in a wheel, and then all of a sudden my yoga mind kicked in.

Choose not to suffer.

I actually smiled realizing that this calming mantra has sunk in enough to pop up not only during Bikram class, but also during stressful situations in "real" life. I fell asleep a little easier knowing I could choose not to suffer, choose to be strong, and choose to let God handle the rest.

Photo via  Leo Castillo on Flickr.

Yogis, what are your practices for managing your time and stress well? How do you balance during busy weeks? I know you take yoga class, but are there any other meditations or calming techniques you use?


Would love to hear from you. May you be well, and keep calm.

Soap Heaven

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Photo via Lauren Ross Photography.
Photo via Glen Allsop Photography.

Sometimes we need a space for escaping. A spot to relax, unwind, create, imagine. A space simply to be.

You can create such a space in your home with the right mindset, a nice candle or two, and a lovely spa in your very own bathroom.

I highly suggest soaps and dead sea salts from Sharilynn Studios on Etsy to do the trick. Shari creates dreamy handmade products that are awesome for daily use as well as for special at-home spa days. 

I have been enjoying her well-crafted, gentle, and lovely-smelling soaps for a couple of weeks now and love them. I also love knowing that they're made from all-natural, healthy ingredients that are great for my skin. Plus, she's got a great variety of scents that aren't overly feminine or masculine, so they are great for anyone.

Our favorites so far are the eucalyptus spearmint zen and the coconut lime verbena flavors. Amazing!

A few of Shari's amazing soap and dead sea salt products I've been trying. Love them!

On days when I feel tired or a little stressed, a bath featuring her amazing sea salts helps immensely. I can finally warm up, let go, and enjoy a good steamy bath with no distractions, no conversations, and no negative thoughts in my mind.

Sharilynn Studios also has awesome back scrubbers and pumice stones for sale, so you can get that little extra "oomph" in your cleaning routine.

I also love that Shari's site features artwork and art supplies for sale. She is a talented artist with an inspired, insightful eye for beauty. Swing by her Etsy shop to find out more-- and tell her I sent you :)  You won't be disappointed!

And believe me, when that lovely box shows up on your doorstep with goodies inside (like it did for me), you'll be on your way to luxe and joyful goodness!

Photo via Sharilynn Studios on Etsy. Artwork for sale.

Yoga Tonight

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Photo via Coffee and Yoga.

Sometimes I get what I like to call the 4 o'clock waver. I'm sitting at work, less than an hour left 'til I get to peace out. I'm planning to hit up the Hot Room for a sweaty Bikram yoga session, but then... I waver.

What about a lazy night at home?

What about baking cookies in my PJs?

All of a sudden my mind's bouncing around about how hard the Standing Balancing series is going to be, about how I'm under-hydrated or hungry. Surely there's something more relaxing I can do tonight than yoga. 

It's sad, really. Frustrating. These silly thoughts!

Yoga is my relaxation. Yoga is my meditation. Yoga kicks my ass so I can let go -- fully, finally. Especially on the days when I waver, yoga is what I really need.


And let's be honest: if you can, YOU MUST!

See you at the 5:30pm class, yogis :) Here's to kicking yourself in the bum so you can get your yoga in today.

Photo via A Yoga Journey. 

Swimspot: For Sexy Hot Yoga Wear

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All photos via Swimspot.

Ready to spice up your Bikram wardrobe? Check out Next by Athena, a designer line of hot yoga wear brought to you by Swimspot. You can find tons of sexy outfits for yoga, plus awesome and flattering women's bathing suits on this site. I'm seriously hooked!

I'll be reviewing Swimspot soon, and posting a guest blog post to their blog space, The Spot. Stay tuned!

What are you guys wearing to the Hot Room lately?



All the News That's Fit to Print

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Photo via my new favorite blog find: Fashion Toast!

It is most definitely Monday. Buzzing around the office (on tea, not coffee!) catching up on weekends, the big game, and trying to sort through my Google Reader.

Lots of yoga news in the mix today! If you haven't already, check out the story on Tara Stiles via the New York Times. Interesting stuff. I'm curious to hear your thoughts.

I had to agree with YogaDork's review in saying that "It's yoga. Yoga is as yoga does." I'm all for creating community around yoga that's open, welcoming, and true to the heart (not the ego). Let's all avoid the snobbery and do our backbends, OK? :)


Photo via Google.

I'd also encourage you guys to check out OMB Yoga's open letter to a new Bikram student. There are some great reflections on why the teacher speaks loudly, why we require silence and stillness in between postures, and why wearing short shorts is the way to go (and here's a hint: none of it has to do with your ego!).


Photo of Coby Grant via PrAna's blog.

 PrAna also has some great posts on the upcoming Wanderlust trifecta as well as a lovely review from Coby Grant (a favorite up-and-coming artist of mine!) on the wonderful PrAna line of yoga gear.


Yoga blogger Julia Yee has some wonderful advice on sticking with your yoga routine. Don't miss this post!


Photo of Joslyn Chandler of Miss Fit Bliss by Mechelle Lavelle of Bryant/Lavelle Photography.

Finally, one of my favorite hot yoga bloggers, Joslyn over at Miss Fit Bliss, featured awesome advice on the top 14 things she's learned from Bikram (plus photos of her rockin' the yoga at an advanced class and in competition). Amazing stuff, Jos!


What are you guys up to this week? What are you reading?


I hope all is well and I'm wishing you the best.


Photo of Joslyn Chandler and yogi competitors by Mechelle Lavelle of Bryant/Lavelle Photography.

Seriously, About that Party

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Photos via This is Glam and their offshoot fashion blog.

Hey readers, remember awhile ago when I mentioned I'd love to throw a big happy blog party when we hit 100 followers? Well, we're getting close :)

Here's a thought: what if all of you sent this link to a couple friends on Facebook today? And asked that each of them send the blog along to one or two people they thought might enjoy it, or who could use a little motivation for getting back to their mat?

Photo via FYeahYoga.

My invitation to you: invite your friends, build up the blog following to 100, and then let's part-ay! No, really. Seriously! 

We'll all dress up in glittery, sequin-y outfits after yoga class and go out on the town for fancy coffee drinks. Or do whatever else you want. :)