Yoga Competition?? Lynn Whitlow?? You?? What? Read on…
Hi Yogis!
What is this about yoga competition and how does it affect normal yogis like us? I have been asking this question as director of Bikram Yoga Queenstown and as a 20 year plus practicing yogi. How can competitions help me, the studio, students?
Donna Wikio in Dunedin is training students to compete this year and encouraging me as well. We have students ready for that next step in depth. There is a method for training and a lot for me to learn on how to train someone! This will be big for me too! I think it will be great for all of us!
Bikram Choudry and his wife Rajashree are pushing to get yoga in to the next Olympics! Yoga competitions have been around for years in India and ultimately bring us face to face with….ourselves, our minds and our perceived limitations.
There are 5 postures that are practiced and judged in competition, Standing Head to Knee, Standing Bow Pulling, Camel, Rabbit and Forward Bend ( you can bet Lynn Whitlow coming this weekend starting Fri night 6pm, will be focusing on these postures this weekend at her workshops) A competitor performs those 5 postures then 2 of their own choice. The judges score more points for difficult postures chosen by the practitioner for their body types. For example, someone very flexible who chooses a strength pose get more points than if they choose a super flexible posture. In other words, it can’t be the easiest for the practitioner.
Nicci in Auckland hosted the first Yoga Competition in 2009. Donna is on board for 2010. So are we. I think people need to have goals. Goals drive success. That which we don’t try, we will never know.
I want to push this studio to a higher level. Why not? In teaching, in practice, in ability and continuing to develop a good yoga school. Bikram is from the Bishnu Gnosh Yoga College in Calcutta. A university that has been there for 60 years. Bikram’s wife Raj has her degree from there as well, in women’s health issues. The yoga we practice has years of study behind it, literally hundreds of thousands of hours, in proving the medical benefits of yoga postures, the mental changes, and the potential and power to heal, to make people confident and happy. Yoga is a very useful tool to help humans deal with all the challenges of being alive.
Back to Lynn Whitlow. She is coming this weekend July 30th-Aug 1st. Lynn was one of the founders of the Yoga Competitions with Bikram. She was on the panel of judges for years. She knows the scoring and rating and details of the postures. She is going to help us get in to the next level with our practices. She’s tough. She is a Bikram legend. She has been doing the whole yoga thing for all her adult life. She trains teachers now and travels for workshops.
Friday 6-8 pm Master Class, strong, focuses on 3 postures, a must for practicing students wanting to get that teacher training depth with some struggle in this class. Yes, it will be a difficult one. Come hydrated, get excited to struggle hard as Bikram says! $49
Saturday 2-6pm Posture Clinic This is in a warm room, casual, workshop style, can ask questions, going through every posture from standing to floor series. Bring cameras if you like to get you in postures! $99
Sunday Community Class – Regular class taught by Lynn, good price if you are a bit skint and can come to only one class. This will be the 26 postures series done in a heated room, just like normal $29
Lynn Whitlow can help us start training ourselves just for fun. I am really excited on all the new developments. I love having Donna in Dunedin charging the way. She did come from this studio after all! She thinks we can train Nicci in to being top and placing really well! Wouldn’t that be awesome! Why not get in to it! To continue our training, we will have a new class…..
Competition Training will start Aug 4th and be weekly on Wednesdays 8-9 pm, (donation class, $5 suggested) . You must take the 6pm class in order to come, but everyone is welcome. We will practice the 5 competition postures. Everyone welcome! Come give it a try.
Advanced practice, which I am starting 2 times a week, is different. You must be invited. It is mandatory that a student be able to sit in Lotus without strain before starting the advanced. Bikram says 10 years of practicing the beginning before the advanced if you are normal stiff person. It took me 10 years almost exactly and now I do feel I am ready. I am practicing it now and loving it. It is the 84 posture series, on the poster, in the hallway above the fountain. Check it out.
That is the studio scoop and also the big push to get you guys in to Lynn Whitlow. This is our last yoga workshop this year (until Lance in Jan 2011)! I think we can really take Lynn’s teachings a long way. She has so much experience.
Get in here for the whole weekend $169 or take an individual workshop.
See you soon,
Namaste, Peggy
July 30th-Aug 1st, Bikram Workshop, Lynn Whitlow, Early Bird Now!
Lynn Whitlow, senior Bikram teacher, founder of The Funky Door in San Fransisco, and a founder of, as well as, a judge for the International Yoga Competitions, will be coming to Qt to share her knowledge of the Bikram series, give students more precision, and introduce student’s to fantastic technique. These techniques are used by International Yoga Champions. This weekend will be an excellent tune up for everyone. $169 after July 20th early bird special now! $149 for weekend
July 30th Fri 6-8 pm- Master Class will cover 3 postures only, and be a tough class. Everyone welcome and especially continuing students wanting to deepen their practices and improve their technique. $49
July 31st Sat 2-6 pm - Posture Clinic will take 4 hours and go over every posture in the standing series in 2 hours, then the floor series for 2 hours. Room will be just warm, and questions welcome. Great for every level and everyone welcome. $99
August 1st Sun 9:30-11:00 am- Community Class Lynn teaches a Bikram class. Everyone welcome (please note this is a paid for class for everyone). $29
$169 for whole weekend
Early bird til July 20th $149!
Lynn Whitlow coming Fri 6pm July 30-Aug 1
Lynn Whitlow, advanced senior Bikram Yoga teacher is coming to Queenstown to give us a fine tune-up and alot of inspiration and detail in practice!
Fri-Sun July 30- Aug 1st Weekend seminar starting Friday night at 6pm and ending Sunday at 12am.
Details and early bird booking to follow, but keep the dates now! Lynn Whitlow!
Rescheduled due to Winter Fest Thurs 6-8pm Swami Govindananda
Thurs, June 24th 6-8 pm, 2010
The Spiritual Nature of Yoga, a talk by Swami Govindananda
Swami Ji’s talk “The Spiritual Nature of Yoga” picks up where the practice of physical yoga naturally leads you to – inquiry in to the self, the desire to meditate, and to gain a deeper understanding of the origins of yoga from a spiritual perspective.
Swami Ji is an accomplished and charismatic speaker. An author and producer of 100’s of recorded talks, he brings us the fruit of his many years of experience of living in India studying philosophy and meditation at the deepest levels.
Please attend this talk and support his effort to come to Queenstown as well as continue your understanding of what yoga really is. He is a regular lecturer at Lance Schuler’s teacher trainings and comes highly recommended.
Everyone is welcome.
$20 members, $30 non-members proceeds support schools and hospitals in India
Bikram Advanced training update from Peggy
Hi Yogis,
Hello from Las Vegas! I went to my first class at 4am your time Saturday morning, stiff and barely awake. I got to have a class with Raj, Bikram’s beautiful and inspiring wife. Like she said, it was a “light” class. I felt I could just move my spine again, it took me until rabbit to feel mobile after the plane flight. I spent the rest of the day at the pool. The US is funny, it seems people are really in shape or obese, not so much in between. I think all the really in shape one’s were all the Bikram Yogis there for their teacher training! Bikram has a lot of saving to do if he is going to save this country from fast food and huge portions!
I went back at 5pm for the last class of the teachers trainers. They just finished 98 classes in 9 weeks. There was a lot of anticipation in that room. Yes, it was hot. Picture a huge white tent with over 400 students and studio owners. I didn’t have to be there for that class, but I’ll never miss a chance to practice with my teacher, Bikram. I had a great class. My body finally opened and went to it’s depth of strength and flexibility. I killed myself. It wasn’t the hardest class I have ever had with Bikram, maybe he is softening a bit, but it was the real Bikram, compassionate and funny. I laughed and almost cried, I felt everything, so alive, so hot, so tired, so clean, so good and happy. But it was the end that really got me.
After the class, after all the hooting and clapping, the lights went down. Bikram was up front on his podium, with his thumbs going up, more up, more sound. On the speakers was one of his best songs, an Indian techno song that he sings. The music goes louder, louder…everyone jumps up and starts to dance! My legs could hardly hold me up! 400 sweaty bodies moving and jyrating and Bikram himself up on stage with some fantastic moves. He loves to dance, and sing, and laugh. All the great yoga teachers I have met love to laugh!
This is my teacher, our founder of Bikram Yoga, laughing, dancing, working the crowd like a superstar, talking about love, and the Laker’s game, about opening your heart and helping people, about never giving up, ever, on someone. Here is a man a lot of people talk about, not all good, he doesn’t care, good or bad. He just keeps teaching. He doesn’t turn down the heat, make it easy, give in to out weaknesses. He makes us get stronger. He has a huge heart and never gives up on us. He makes our practice so hard to prove that we can build confidence, we can change the world, we can be successful and compassionate, we can help other people. We can change ourselves and be the person we aspire to be. Never give up.
“Never too sick, never to poor, never too old, to start yoga and begin again.”
I start the advanced training tomorrow. I am a bit scarred and really excited. I have trained for this, given up coffee, sugar and alcohol for a few months now to get my body more supple. I never knew, 12 years ago when I went to my first class that my journey would take me to Queenstown, to a studio, to where I am today.
I give thanks first to myself for staying on this path, I give thanks to my teachers giving me their knowledge, and I give thanks to having a home studio to return to and share what I have learned. I am deeply grateful for being able to help other people find their strength and health. More daily updates coming on facebook. Become a friend and stay tuned…..and practice!
Namaste, Peggy
PS. Huge clothing sale on now! Get in there for the best selection! 1 piece is 10% off, 2 is 20% off, 3 is 30% off, 4 is 40% off and 5 or more is 50% off! Everything on sale, soft hoodies, long and short capris, all hot yoga gear, all clothes!
