Play.Get Physical
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Turning Up the Heat
Before you half-heartedly drag yourself back to the gym in January, strike a pose. By Schuyler Ferguson
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When fall’s nip in the air becomes winter’s bite, we tend to retreat inside, slow down, eat more and, in turn, bulk up. The holidays only compound matters. With lots of opportunity to eat, drink and be merry, there’s bound to be one sour hangover, literally and figuratively, come January. Naturally, the question then becomes, how do you reverse the trend? While the masses swarm the health clubs to renew their memberships, consider an emerging, alternative practice that’s capable of quickly undoing the holiday excess: Bikram Yoga. Weight loss, though, is really just one aspect of its potential. Bikram Yoga revitalizes the entire mind-body complex by reducing stress and lethargy and boosting energy and wakefulness. As you learn to steady your mind, concentrate and meditate, the most significant benefits begin to manifest: a greater success in your undertakings, a deeper satisfaction in your overall life and a more consistent mental peace. But, as yoga students of all kinds are aware, it’s difficult to achieve such balance while plagued by physical concerns. So, Bikram Yoga begins with bringing the body 26
manayunk.com | Winter 2012
into a harmonious state in order to build a firm foundation. Shedding weight is part of that process, and it’s done in several ways. First, it heats up muscles, enabling them to burn fat faster and, ultimately, more efficiently. Bikram Yoga is typically practiced in a studio heated to 105 degrees, making it possible to burn upward of 700 calories in a single class. The sweating also helps dispense excess water weight, which diminishes puffy skin. Even more importantly, it’ll remove toxins from the bloodstream. On a deeper level, Bikram Yoga postures harmonize the major organs and gland systems. Many, such as Supta Pawan Muktasana (Wind Removing) and Ardha Kurmasana (Half-Tortoise), deeply massage and stretch the intestines, which produces serotonin that, in turn, promotes peristalsis and nutrient absorption. We’re all familiar with the expression, “You are what you eat.” In truth, you are what you can assimilate. You’ll be able to eat less food and do more with it because your body will no longer be wasting bio-energy, or prana, trying to digest so many calories. Other postures eliminate stagnation in the glands and the lymphatic system. Sluggishness in the latter is behind a host of weight-related disorders. The backward-bending Ardha Chandrasana (Half-Moon) and Dhanruasana (Bow) massage and stimulate the pancreas, feeding it fresh blood. The action is supported by the regulation of the thyroid and parathyroid glands through postures such as Dandayamana Bidhaktapada Paschimottanasana (Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee) and Sasangasana (Rabbit). Together, the pancreas and thyroid and parathyroid glands control metabolic function and hormones, including insulin and glucagon. In nourishing them, digestion becomes more efficient, the blood sugar stabilizes and overall energy increases. (Counterclockwise from the top) Schuyler and Ammie Ferguson and Suzanne Musetto are the owners of Bikram Yoga Manayunk (www. facebook.com/BikramYogaManayunk).
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