7 February Ray Child February 7, 2012 Set Your Intention — Focus Wristbands as Guides Hot Yoga dallas hot yoga, focus, hot yoga, Intention, Sunstone Yoga, yoga 1 Comment What does that colorful piece of plastic on your wrist mean to you? These days, everyone — from politicians to tweens — seems to sport a wristband as a simple reminder of something meaningful to them, whether a way of living, memorial to a friend, or a special occasion. At Sunstone, we acknowledge certain steps along your hot yoga journey with colorful Focus Wristbands to remind you of your focus for that point in your practice. You receive your first Focus Wristband when you reach your 10th class. Wear it with pride! The dedication and discipline you demonstrated by stepping into our studios nine times after your introduction to our 98.6°F, 60% humidity hot rooms (which the body perceives as 124.6°F) takes resolve, and you have truly earned this recognition. Your next wristbands (handed out in your 25th class and then intermittently until your reach 500 classes) are designed to set a focus or intention as your practice develops. At the beginning of your yoga journey, you may be most focused on the personal physical goals that prompted you to try hot yoga in the first place. (We frequently hear that our new students want to lose weight, tone, or increase strength and flexibility.) As such, you may initially associate these Focus Wristbands only with the physicality of your practice — like creating a strong foundation by actively engaging through the feet, contracting the legs and buttocks, and keeping your abdominal muscles strong. As your practice develops, however, you will become more attuned to the mental and emotional benefits yoga provides, and your wristband collection may incite you to translate those once-physical goals into lifestyle goals.. For example, at 75 classes, you will receive the yellow Manipura band, which is associated with finding new Purpose in your yoga practice and possibly your life outside of the hot room. At this point, you have already worked on building your strong Foundation (25 classes) as well as your growing Desire for your practice (50). Or maybe you wear your 100-class Balance wristband as a reminder to seek balance between your work and family time, not just when in a balancing posture like Standing Bow.. Not only can your wristbands focus your intention inside and outside of the hot room — they also signal where you are on your journey to your teachers and help instructors personalize and tailor adjustments and suggestions for your practice. It is wonderful to see students proudly wearing their wristbands into as well as outside of the studio. If you are wearing your wristbands in everyday life, you may be surprised by the people who approach you to ask whether you also practice hot yoga at Sunstone! Our student community is comprised of practitioners from all walks of life, but we all share a passion for yoga and a desire to share our experiences with one another.. Set your intention today. Wear your wristbands! Want to learn more about the goals and focus points we set for our practitioners? Click here. Related Articles Be Engaged Throughout Your Class Last week, we introduced Sunstone’s vision as well as the Five Teaching Principles that guide our teachers in helping our students cultivate their very best selves. These principles are our core values, the foundation on which we've built our studios. They are equally valuable for you, our students. They create the landscape for what your experience with us can be like. Whether you're in your second class, or well on your way to building a body, mind, and life practice, these words describe behaviors that can turn what seems to be the simple action of taking a yoga class into something truly life-changing. Yoga Tips for Beginners: What To Know Before Your First Yoga Class Yoga Tips for Beginners: What To Know Before Your First Yoga Class If you’ve been thinking about getting into shape, you may have considered taking a yoga class. Yoga can be a great way to either get in shape or maintain your level of fitness. It builds strength and flexibility while simultaneously allowing you to focus on your breathing. By practicing yoga, you learn how to control your breathing, even during some rather challenging poses. This in turn helps you in virtually every other area of your life, as it allows you to remain calm and stay in control of your emotions. Yoga also helps you become more in tune with yourself. Therefore, you have the chance to reap both physical and mental benefits of practicing it. Here are some top yoga tips for beginners: Why You Should Invest in Coaching in 2020 Consider a few questions: How to Really Advance Your Practice As yoga teachers, we sometimes hear students categorize themselves and others as “beginner” or “advanced.” It is interesting to hear people talk this way because they usually base the label on the number of classes attended, length of time they’ve practiced, or whether they can do certain postures. The fact is that everyone is advancing--it just looks different for each individual. Taking Care of Your Hair and Skin So you are regularly attending classes at Sunstone, working hard, sweating like crazy, all the while loving the change that your yoga practice has created in your life. BUT, as you spend more time with your practice, you are noticing changes in your skin and hair. 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