Doing new things is hard.. But you gotta get out of that comfort zone!
Even when you become someone who is pretty consistently willing to put themselves out there and experiment, it doesn’t necessarily get easier. In fact, sometimes, it can be even more difficult to try something new when you’ve already pushed yourself to make other significant changes. For example, a lot of new runners nowadays are using apps like Couchto5k to gradually get into the exercise. The app lets you start out walking more than you are running–but by the time you get to the end of the training, you’re hopefully running the entire time. For a lot of people, jogging for several minutes without stopping is a huge feat in itself, it can take a while to get there. When you’re a new runner, you pretty much just stick with a slow and steady pace, one foot in front of the other. Once you finally run that 5k, you’re likely to start hearing about all different types of workouts you can do to help you tackle different distances: tempo runs, hill repeats, intervals.
While some of us might be intrigued by all of this, others are likely overwhelmed. You had already stretched yourself–then you realize there’s a whole bigger world to explore, even beyond your already challenging beginning.
This is kind of how I felt stepping into my first Dharma yoga class a couple of weeks ago. Although I’ve been practicing Bikram for almost ten years, it continues to challenge me physically, mentally, and spiritually. Other than one brief stint with Vinyasa (because a friend was offering free classes), I’ve never felt compelled to try a different type of yoga. I feel like I get everything I need from Bikram. Also, who wants to go through that discomfort and awkwardness of a first class all over again?
It would have been hard to get me into a new class at another studio. The fact that Dharma is now being offered at Yogacare–the studio I regularly practice at and love, made it much easier. I kept hearing teachers say that it was a great complement to Bikram and that the practice was powerful yet gentle. All these adjectives appealed to me. I think becoming a dedicated practitioner of Bikram has given me not only a constant desire for growth, but also a true belief in my capacity for change. When I first started coming to class I’d tell my teacher, I have bad knees, I can’t do that. Now years later, I've proven myself wrong so many times, I’ve become a person who’s more likely to believe than doubt. I’ve seen what can happen when hard work and consistency meet patience and time.
Since I felt like I already had the yoga I needed well in hand, but also finally felt enough openness in my heart to explore a bit further, a practice that would complement Bikram seemed ideal. With time off work, I decided to take a Dharma class with Ile on a Friday afternoon. (PS, if you haven’t taken a yoga class on a Friday afternoon before and you are able, do it! It’s the most luxurious feeling to get that calm and centeredness in the middle of that day where everyone’s rushing to finish projects or making a mad dash to escape the city for the weekend). I think if there were ever a teacher who was made for newbies, it might be Ile. She’s patient, kind, gentle, and also strong and inspiring. While it was a small class with only two other practitioners, I immediately felt a bit intimidated because they seemed to know what they were doing. In her own subtle but compelling way, Ile reminded me of what my new challenge had made me forget: There’s no space for ego in the yoga room. Her patience helped me let go of my insecurities, and get into the postures. Her lightness reminded me that yoga is fun (sometimes I can forget that in the torture chamber!), and the whole class ended up feeling like a wonderful and exciting experiment.
BTW this is Ile doing what she does best!
The hip opening postures and also the inversions in the Dharma practice were by far the most
enlightening for me. They gave me that feeling of oh shit, yoga is bigger than I thought–and then, strike that, this world is way bigger than I thought. While I tend to think (and still do believe) that Bikram is an extremely well rounded practice, this class made me realize that the number of ways we can use movement to learn about and open up our bodies is probably infinite. We got into some postures that opened my hips in a way I haven’t ever felt (and believe me, these runner’s hips need some serious opening.) And if you’ve never done inversions, you’re in for a real treat. They are scary as hell at first, (remember your first backward bend?!) but when you have a teacher who’s as understanding, intuitive, and instructive as Ile, you know you’re in good hands and you feel free to let go and stretch yourself. Once I got my legs up on that wall that first time, I wanted to hang out there all afternoon and keep trying to get better.
So yes, Dharma is a complement to Bikram for sure, but a star in it’s own right as well.
Like I said, change can be hard. But once we peek through and allow ourselves to see what else is available to us and possible for us, we’ve got to swing that door wide open in order to receive all of it. I’m so grateful to practice in a studio that I can rely on to bring me some of the most amazing Bikram teachers and classes anywhere–all while inspiring and motivating me to live outside my comfort zone and stretch my body and my mind to places I've yet to discover.
Check out Dharma Schedule here!
By: Cat Bradley
Cat is a regular student at YogaCare and a contributor to our blog. We are blessed to be in her presence and can’t wait to hear more amazing stories she has to share. Stay tuned.