12 July Ray Child July 12, 2012 When To Take A Break Body, Hot Yoga, Yoga dallas hot yoga, injury, when to take a break 0 Comment Everyone needs to take a break sometimes, even from something as wonderful as yoga. Have a conversation with your teacher about your experience and be ready to give yourself permission to take time off if: You are injured (or something doesn’t feel quite right). If you have a serious injury like a broken bone or torn hamstring, listen to your doctor. If it’s something less obvious like a persistent ache in your shoulder, back off your workouts entirely or don’t do postures that could potentially aggravate it. Give your body some time to heal and recuperate. Or maybe you need to not take one particular class for a little while. For example, if your wrist is bothering you, cut out Earth for a week (and talk to your teachers about how to not put pressure on your wrists during Downward Dog!). You are ill. Whether you have a bad cold or are just feeling tired and a little run down, your body is telling you it needs time off. Rest is what you need. Whenever you are feeling better, ease back into your practice until you truly are back to feeling 100%. You’re tired. If you can barely keep your eyes open, give yourself permission to go home and go to bed early rather than battling through a 90-minute class. You haven’t seen your family and friends lately. Yoga is all about balance--inside and outside the studio. Spending quality time with your loved ones is just as important as practicing Triangle. It feels like a chore. If you’re forcing yourself to go to yoga and not enjoying your time there, you are suffering from burnout. Ask yourself whether you need a few days off. Or maybe the solution is to take a different class style or try a workshop. You’re engaging in negative self talk. Do you think mean things about your thighs throughout Fire? Are you mentally berating yourself for not being able to do every posture “perfectly”? Taking time away to explore why you’re having these feelings and thoughts may be just what you need. And when your break is over, come on back - we'll be waiting for you with open arms (oh, and a mat and a towel). Related Articles Learn what is to be taken seriously, and laugh at all the rest I recently got a survey comment that I really enjoyed: “Bean was one of the most excellent instructors I’ve ever practiced with at Sunstone. He brought humor to the mat, and was gentle at the same time.” I would like to point out, after I wrangle my ego back under my hat, that I recall that particular class, and it was not, to my recollection, gentle. People were huffing and puffing, falling out, flailing. But as I stood in the foyer after class, I saw so many smiles. So much sweat. But also, so much joy, contentment, and community. Who Does Yoga? – Breaking Through Dallas’ Hot Yoga Myths Yoga has been around for thousands of years, but it’s still a very misunderstood form of exercise in America. Misconceptions about yoga, most especially Dallas hot yoga, are still, (sadly) widespread in the West. Here are a few of the most far-reaching yoga myths. You have to be in perfect shape if you want to do yoga. Top 5 Excuses for Skipping Practice Hot yoga can be tough. Dallas hot yoga can be tougher, given the heat outside. Here at Sunstone, our groundbreaking series of options can help you adjust to your body’s needs from workout to workout – but first, you’ve got to get in the studio. Accountability Partners: Not just “yoga buddies” Here we are, seven weeks into 2012 … perhaps you started out strong on your New Year’s resolutions to eat healthier, lose ten pounds, or take five hot yoga classes a week. Often times we make resolutions with great ambition in the moment, but we tend to lose perspective (and the eagerness to follow through) as time passes — sleep right now sounds so much better than getting out of bed to take a 6 a.m. Fire class. 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. Student to Student: Just Keep Coming Back to the Mat! Streams of sweat run off my nose as I move into a Balancing Stick yoga pose, my body looking vaguely like a capital “T” from the side. When I tip forward standing on one leg with my arms above me and the other leg tipping up behind, it’s as if I’m a tea kettle and I am pouring a cup of hot water off my nose. You see, I am exercising in a 98.6oF room with 60% humidity, and I can produce copious amounts of sweat. It is January and new faces crowd the room, ready with their New Year’s resolutions to get healthy, and it is clear that the newbies are struggling in the heat. How can I tell them that I was one of them some years ago, overweight, out-of-shape, and unable to make it through a class? Comments are closed.