I have shared my love for Bikram Yoga with all of you, which I have been practicing for seven years.
As with anything, doing the same thing day-in and day-out gets tedious. So, I was very pleased to start taking The Bikram Core class at Yoga Tribe Brooklyn.
They offer different slots throughout the week; however, the first one that I took and have continued to take is on Monday and Wednesday at noon. This class is taught by Saya Ishii Velasquez.
Even though the class follows the strict 26 postures and two breathing exercises, it adds other postures with the addition of music. Saya often plays music with chants which allows the body to automatically open up as vibration are heightened. She teaches a lot about expression through the body and openness of the mind.
The class is fun and I highly recommend it. I recommend it because her experience is very evident. Her teaching style is effortless, knowledgeable yet trusting. She allows students to express themselves. Which is a step away from the traditional style of Bikram, where everyone must do each posture or sit out.
If you are looking for a fun yet open approach to yoga, take this class! I have already seen my shoulders, hips and chest open up as a result of taking this class once or twice a week for the past three months.
The class is 60 minutes long and is not heated; however, you still work up a sweat as though it is heated.
Saya shares her yoga journey with us:
I have been teaching yoga for over 15 years now.Once I experienced the healing power of yoga and how it empowered me, I knew I wanted to share this with others.Yoga is so much more than exercise in that once you learn to quite the mind, tame the mind and turn it into a moving meditation- you're able to eventually free the body mind of stress, hence setting yourself free from suffering.Yoga has become the key to my peace and happiness on this journey called life and as I work on myself and get stronger physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually,it makes it easier to navigate through life circumstances with a sense of ease, confidence, and clarity.In my class, yoga has very little to do with if you’re a new student or seasoned, whether you can do a headstand or get that leg over your head, but everything to do with showing up and trying , with an open mind to the possibilities. The goal is self-awareness. I am always humbled when students show up to class and entrust in me to guide them. I teach from the heart and if I am able to plant a seed or open new doorsfor my students, that's one successful day. I find teaching yoga very rewarding and am constantly learning from my students. I am so grateful to have had found this path.I am and will always be a student of life.
“Work is love made visible “ Kahlil Gibran
*Visit:www.yogatribebrooklyn.com to view their schedule.
