Hot Yoga Master Class Package is on Sale!

I don't know if you've looked at Gabrielle Raiz' Hot Yoga Master Class package and wished you could own it, but right now she's having a hot sale on this great program.Using the information in Gabrielle's book, DVD and audio, you can take your hot yoga practice to the next level and enjoy all the benefits practicing is meant to give you.


If you've ever tried Bikram yoga and found it difficult or had trouble with the different postures, this program will help you improve your poses to get the most benefit from them. Sometimes, in trying to do the posture the way the instructor is telling us to, or the way we THINK we're being told to do it, we can actually cause ourselves pain and injury. Many people just give up at that point or try and power through the pain when simple tips and improved techniques could solve their problems.

Think of all the shoulder work in Bikram. I had a shoulder injury last year and nearly quit going to class because the postures seemed to aggravate the injury and increase the pain. I read about variations to the poses to decrease stress on my shoulder and also consulted Gabrielle's hot yoga forum and received a personal response. Within a couple of weeks, I could practice again without shoulder pain.

I also strained my knee one time when doing some of the poses and after reading through Master Class, I realized what I was doing incorrectly to cause this.

For every single hot yoga pose, Master Class explains how to set up the pose and how to get into it. Gabrielle explains then what you should be experiencing during the pose and how to get out of it. Just knowing some easy to follow tips and techniques can make all the difference in your practice.

Besides the 304 page Master Class book with all the beautiful photos and text, you receive an entire class on audio, plus nearly 6 hours on DVD to show you each and every pose and how you should be doing it to get the most benefit. On the DVD there is a pose menu selection too so if you're having trouble with one particular pose, you can easily find the information about it.

In the past, the Master Class package has sold for $199 but right now, Gabrielle is having a special. Get all the material described above for just $99. This is an amazing deal.

Do yourself a favor this holiday season and give yourself a gift that you will use and treasure all the years of your hot yoga practice. Click here for more information on the program, what it can do for you and ordering information for Hot Yoga Master Class

Bikram Yoga - Nearly 2 Months of Practice

Are you ready for Christmas?

It's been nearly 8 weeks since I started my Bikram yoga practice. I can't believe how much better I feel in just 2 months. I didn't take up hot yoga to lose weight and I haven't lost much, just a couple pounds but my total body shape has changed. Last week I went to try on jeans and found I could fit into a size 6! Two months ago, I was wearing a size 10.

Besides losing inches, I've noticed other improvements. I am able to do all the poses and get a little further into each one and as I go about my day, I have much less joint pain. I used to pretty much ache from head to toe. My fingers were stiff and when I sat down for very long, my knees and feet would be stiff and painful when I started walking. All that is gone.

My stomach if flatter and I've lost another half inch from my waist measurement. I haven't really been eating any less either. My diet is lots of fruits and veggies anyway but with the holidays, everybody eats a little more sugar and bigger meals. I feel like if I stick to my hot yoga practice, then I won't have to worry about gaining weight over the holidays. Those size 6 pants are always a good incentive too!

One of the biggest improvements I've seen is that I feel less stressed with the holiday madness. I don't have that knot in my stomach which tells me I am not getting enough done in my day. I feel calm and peaceful actually.

It isn't always easy to make time to go to class, which lasts 90 minutes. This week too, I have to go to my granddaughter's Christmas program at the usual time I'd go to hot yoga so I need to get in another day at some point. Usually, on Thursdays I don't go to yoga because I have tai chi in the mornings but since my husband is playing golf on Thursday afternoon, I'm going to yoga for the 5 pm class. I'm trying to get in at least 4 days a week.

At some point, I want to go through all the hot yoga poses and talk about the challenges of each one and what to do about them. If you have any tips you'd like to share about your own practice, I'd love to hear from you.


I've found lots of valuable info on the Hot Yoga Doctor forum to help me improve my poses. It's free to sign up. There are also free downloads about hot yoga and a great email newsletter. 

In the Hot Yoga Doctor Store you can find audios and videos to help you in your Bikram yoga practice. I put one of the hot yoga audios on my ipod and listen to it a couple of times a week.This audio will be invaluable when I travel and can't get to the studio.

Bikram Yoga - Before My First Class

I bought one of these Aurorae Yoga Synergy mats

It took some courage to go to my first Bikram yoga class. I feel like I need a challenge and I'd attended a Bikram class a couple of years ago. I liked it but I was already going to a much less expensive yoga class at the local Y, plus I attended other classes at the Y too, which I enjoyed.

The Bikram class stayed in the back of my mind though and when Groupon came up recently, I decided to try again. What takes courage is that I've been skipping out on my other yoga class since last May so I'm out of shape and I'm also a couple years older now. At the Y, most of the people in my classes are my age (over 50) so keeping up is no problem. Can I keep up in a Bikram class full of 20-somethings?

Before I went to my first class, I read up on Bikram. There is a great website with lots of articles and free info about Bikram called Hot Yoga Doctor which I highly recommend. There are free downloads to help you get the most from the practice, plus free videos and a forum.

One thing I learned is not all hot yoga classes are the same. Some instructors just stand up in front and recite the script and some will give tips and help with corrections. I remember thinking when I went to class the last time that it would be easy to hurt yourself if you hadn't ever taken yoga before because at least one of the instructors I had didn't really give any direction. Yoga is a practice that must be done in proper alignment to get the most out of it and avoid injury.

Bikram yoga is a series of 26 yoga postures and 2 breathing exercises, each one done twice. I remembered from my previous class that you do get to rest between poses and you can also drink lots of water.

To inspire myself, I also ordered a new yoga mat with a built in towel. I remembered from my last attempt at a Bikram class that you definitely need a big towel to absorb the sweat as it pours off your body.

So, I had done my research, ordered a new mat (they let you borrow one on your first class if you need to) and I was ready to go.