Bikram Yoga Missoula Newsletter
August, 2015     
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Winter Schedule
The winter schedule will begin October 1. Give us your feedback about it in the survey here

 

New Mika Order

Come in and check out the new Mika merchandise! If you need a different size, let us know and we can place an order for you.

 

 

Technique Tuesday

This month the TT class will be on August 4 at 4 pm.

 

Labor Day Schedule

Unbelievably, Labor Day is right around the corner.  During the holiday weekend we will offer Friday/Sat/Sunday/Monday 9:30 am ONLY. Challenge participants, make sure to get your challenge classes in!

 

 

  

Inspirations

 

 

Since you cannot do good to all, you are to pay special attention to those who, by the accidents of time, or place, or circumstances, are brought into closer connection with you.

 

~ Saint Augustine

 

 

Our life is composed greatly from dreams, from the unconscious, and they must be brought into connection with action. They must be woven together.

 

~ Anais Nin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear fellow yogis and yoginis,

 

Although all of us have been a little surprised by the cool, rainy July we've had of late, every conversation is about when the fire season will arrive. If you've lived in Missoula long you know that fire and smoke are probably inevitable. But whether August is smoky or not, the sauna-hot air will make your skin and hair beg for the humidity of the hot room. So come in and quench your body's thirst. We can't wait to see you. 

     
Warmest Regards,
Cheryl
and the BYM crew


 

  Support the Summer Challengers

We are about half-way through the summer challenge, which means that there are about 8 weeks left. Take a moment to check out the list of people participating in the summer challenge and cheer them on (this challenge requires serious long-term commitment). They are our current yoga heroes!

 

PS: Challengers - don't forget to sticker your visits.

 

  
Vote on the Winter Schedule

The winter schedule begins on October 1. We're thinking about offering more early morning classes and fewer evening classes, and are curious about your interest in 60-minute morning classes at either 6 or 6:30 am. 60-minute classes would cost the same amount as 90-minute classes, but we've heard considerable interest in an option for a shorter class session. Please let us know what you think! The survey is here.


 

 

 

 

August Community Donation

This month BYM will support the Missoula community by donating to the Sletvold Family Fundraiser. Here is their story: Ben (an ICU RN at St. Pat's, co-worker to several Bikram yogis) and Alicia Sletvold were waiting for their baby to be born June 2015.  Unfortunately in April 2015, Alicia suffered complications of an aortic aneurysm and required extensive surgery.  Because of this, their baby arrived 13 weeks early.  Their baby girl required neonatal intensive care for many weeks.  Both mom and baby are improving daily.  The financial burden this event has caused the Sletvold family is significant.  Please consider a donation to our silent auction and fundraiser to benefit this awesome family.  Thank you!!  

 

When: August 22, 2015 @ 5-11PM

Where: Seven Mile Meadows, visit https://sevenmilemeadows.com/Contact_Us.html for direction

What: Live music by the Bottom Feeders at 7PM, some food and drinks, feel free to bring a side dish to share, silent auction with great auction items

* Please no dogs at venue.

*You can also contribute to this by leaving money at the BYM desk. 

 

 

Visiting Teachers

We are excited to welcome two new traveling teachers to the studio this month! Angeline and Frank will be here for the whole month of August.

 

 

 

Angeline Chase Priefer

Having grown up and gone to college as a dancer, I first found Bikram yoga while studying abroad in Melbourne, Australia. Immediately it became something I wanted and also needed in my life. The benefits were both medical and physical. In addition to loving the practice for these reasons, the sense of calm/peace that came with a regular practice was what kept me going back. My practice has given me improved strength, flexibility, health and overall well-being.  In 2009, I decided to find a way to attend Bikram's teacher training. Having made the decision, I followed through and did what I needed in order to be enrolled in the Spring 2009 teacher training in Palm Desert, California. Since training I have spent much of my time traveling and teaching, throughout the United States as well as Ireland, Thailand, Canada, Mexico, France and Denmark. I love the practice and the global community that this yoga has created. It's always a pleasure to visit new studios, continuing to teach and learn from fellow yogis in every new adventure.

 

 

 

Frank Samuyo

My name is Frank Samuyo.  I began practicing Bikram Yoga in 2006 in Palm Desert where I owned an architectural stone business.  Due to the stresses of my job, both mentally and physically, I found the hot yoga room the perfect place to find relief.  I was instantly addicted.  I enrolled in Bikram's teacher training when it came to Palm Desert in Spring 2009.  Almost immediately following training I managed the Bikram Yoga Palm Desert studio for a month while the owners were away.  I then continued to teach there full time for a year before going on to open my own studio in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.  I owned and operated the studio in Playa for two years before returning to the states and my other business.  Back in Palm Desert I continued teaching regularly.  For the past two years I've been traveling and teaching in studios around the country and internationally.  I love being a part of this yoga community and my passion for teaching continues to grow.

 

 

 

Yoga Etiquette Tip: 

How to Fight the Yoga Funk

 

Anyone who spends time in a hot yoga room is familiar with the post-yoga smell that lingers in your clothes, towel, and mat even after a hearty laundering. If you listen to the TV commercials, you might think that your only option is to buy expensive (and actually quite toxic) detergents, deodorizers, and fabric softeners. Most of the time, these products seem to work, but they do so by masking the smells - and then your friends in class can smell the deodorant AND the yoga funk.

 

In fact, there are some inexpensive, natural weapons for smell destruction. Most hot yoga websites offer a combination of vinegar, borax powder, and/or baking powder. Borax is a naturally occurring mineral that enhances the cleaning and deodorizing power of your detergent, while vinegar and baking soda soften clothes and remove the bacteria that causes the smell. All of these products can be used alone or alongside your detergent. Bikram Yoga Vancouver recommends adding ½ cup borax powder and ½-1 cup white vinegar to the load of wash. They also recommend air drying your clothes to help them sustain elasticity and prolong their lifespans.

 

 

Schedule Updates:

Stay up to date with our daily or weekly schedule HERE.

  

   

 

 

Posture of the Month: 

Standing Separate Leg Stretching Pose

 

Standing separate leg stretching pose is one of the few poses in the Bikram series that might seem familiar to beginning students because it looks similar to a typical "grade school PE" stretch. Happily, although it requires the same subtle attention as all yoga postures, it is a posture that becomes easier the more you relax into it.  Here are some tips:

  • As you step out to the right, make sure that your heels are in one line and draw your weight forward into the balls of your feet.
  • Keep your arms straight and strong and feel the top of your head reaching up toward the ceiling.
  • As you come forward, keep your legs straight for as long as possible. If you can come all the way forward without bending your knees, that's great, but if you need to bend your knees then bend them just enough to place your hands on the floor.
  • Once you are in the posture, there are a lot of different adjustments you can make to find the right position for your body. Some people place their hands under their heels, others can place their hands on their toes, and others put their palms on the floor between their feet. (Your teacher will help you find the right position.)
  • No matter where your hands rest, keep your weight forward in the balls of your feet, and work toward keeping your back straight. Drop your chin down so that your eyes are looking at the mat between your feet.

 

Benefits of Standing Separate Leg Stretching Pose (from Bikram's Beginning Yoga Class):

  • Cures and prevents sciatica by strengthening the sciatic nerves and tendons of the legs.
  • Improved function of the internal abdominal organs, especially small and large intestine.
  • Improves the muscle tone and flexibility of thighs and calves.
  • Improves the flexibility of the pelvis, ankles, hip joints, and last five vertebrae of the spine.