East Lansing, Michigan – May 18, 2017 –
Three practitioners at Bikram Yoga Capital Area will represent the state of Michigan in this year’s USA Yoga MidWest Super Regional Championship. The event will take place at the Latin School of Chicago in Chicago, IL, on Sunday, May 21, 2017. Those interested in attending may find detailed information here.
The participants were invited via USA Yoga’s official qualifying procedures.
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by Lauren Anastos
Almost four years ago, while long-distance training, I pulled a hamstring. I continued to run on it and completed a marathon in Charlevoix in June 2013.
I struggled throughout the race due to the pain in my hamstring. Also, despite my training, around mile 14 I had trouble breathing and needed to use an inhaler. At the end of the race, the pain in my hamstring was so bad that I couldn’t bend my knee.
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by Ann Chrapkiewicz
I started practicing Bikram Yoga in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 2003 – shortly after returning to the United States after 2 years of living in rural Japan. I was working in the kitchen of the People’s Food Coop at the time and attended on the invitation of one of my coworkers. I do not think that either of us “liked” the first class – she did not ever return for a second class (that was hard!).
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by Lindsay Gray
I started practicing Bikram Yoga six years ago and have had the pleasure of practicing in many different places. Having started in Honolulu, and then in Houston, Austin, Boston, and Berlin before ending up here at my most favorite of studios. (Aren’t we lucky!!)
I am forever indebted to a close friend of mine, a former dancer like myself, who introduced me to Bikram yoga.
Continue Reading ›by Ann Chrapkiewicz **revised edition; originally published May 2016**
This beautiful May weekend in 2016 is the USA Yoga National Championships in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
In fact, as I am writing parts of this post, I am watching the live streaming video of it.
by Ann Renee Chrapkiewicz
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Bikram’s Beginning Yoga Class is truly that. A place for beginners to start the yoga process.
However, there seems to be a part of the human mind – and if I may propose, especially a noticeable portion of the American mind – that would like to believe that it is not a beginner.
It is sure that it is already an expert.
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Bikram Yoga is often referred to as a “90-minute moving meditation”.
Lately I have started to prefer the term “physical meditation” over “moving meditation”. It is true that we move our bodies, but the emphasis of class is always on stillness.
Physical Meditation is a term that makes sense for me because it describes the heart of how anyone can practice, just by stepping in the room, and regardless of any flexibility or ability.
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by Ann Chrapkiewicz
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I have learned a dozen lessons and received a thousand blessings from my back injury on March 17, 2004.
But before getting to those, let me finish telling you about that day. If you missed the first part of the story, you might want to read that first.
by Ann Chrapkiewicz
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If I had not broken my back 13 years ago today, we would not be here. At least not in the way we are today.
It might sound extreme, but it is true.
If you were in class last year on this date, you may have heard me tell the story.
Continue Reading ›In my 14th year of practice in this amazing yoga lineage, I continue to love and appreciate the steadiness and auditory meditation that comes from the near-constant instruction from the teacher. I enjoy the rhythm of the “dialogue” – which truly is a two-way exchange of information between student and teacher! – and its phrases, or the flow of an expert teacher using his or her own tremendous experience and unique instructions to guide us.
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The weekday morning classes here are indescribably special. I love every single class I teach and practice – evenings and weekends included – but the 9:30 am classes have this special energy that dedicated, regular, curious students create. The average age is probably 55, with many of my 70+ students attending regularly at that time.
This past Tuesday’s “warm” 9:30 class – practiced about 10 degrees cooler than the usual 105F – was an all-front-row class with the kind of calm, deep focus that leaves you floating the rest of the day.
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I am very excited to announce that two of the foremost North American ambassadors of Ghosh Yoga will be coming to Bikram Yoga Capital Area this March for a weekend of workshops! Ida Jo and Scott Lamps will be leading six unique, not-to-be-missed yoga practice seminars from Thursday-Sunday, March 23-26, 2017.
In the summer of 2016, I completed the inaugural Ghosh Practice Week in Madison, Wisconsin.
Continue Reading ›by Ann Chrapkiewicz
As you have probably noticed, there is a lot of yoga out there! As yoga and fitness studios continue to open and close, I find it increasingly important for us to understand the practices in more depth – focusing on the history, lineages, science, and testimonials of practitioners. For practitioners of Bikram Yoga, Ghosh lineage yoga, and hot yoga – or for those interested in trying them – here are the most basic distinctions and history.
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A question I love to address occurs commonly with regards to Fixed Firm Posture.
I hear something like: “When am I going to be able to do the posture?”
I smile in response: “What are you talking about? You are already doing it. I have seen you do it several times a week for the past 5 months.”
“But I am terrible at it. When am I going to be good at it?”
The question I must ask in return:
What do you mean by “doing” a posture? Or being good at it? And what is the purpose of the posture?
Join us this winter for Intermediate and Therapeutic Yoga Classes in the Ghosh Lineage!
Every other Sunday, from January 15-April 23, join BYCA owner and mentoring teacher Ann Chrapkiewicz for classes focused on specific areas of the body. In these classes, we will combine therapeutic exercises for specified sections of the body with preparations for intermediate yoga postures in the Ghosh lineage. Each session is limited in size to 10 students, ensuring individual attention to each level and need.
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