Lyte on Hydration.

Sweat. S W E A T!!! If you love hot 26/2, you probably love to sweat. It feels good to be able to purge everything out to feel empty and be able to start over again with all of the post-yoga good feelings you have, right? 

Most people know that they probably should be drinking plenty of water. If you sweat a lot, you probably should drink more to stay hydrated. And most people have an opinion on whether or not they practice good habits for drinking enough water (for instance, I know that for me, it’s easy for me to just never drink water even though I like water and I have no problems drinking it— such that unless I actively remind myself to drink water, I never will so there will be times that I drink water habitually before doing and after teaching a class or the moment I wake up or sometimes if I’m super busy, I will set an alarm to remind me to drink a glass of water). Drinking water and staying hydrated is paramount, of course, but that’s not the whole story.

Sweat is primarily comprised of water, but it also contains electrolytes, minerals that are generally involved in essential processes in the body, such as contracting muscles, proper nerve function, and making sure that your pH levels are regulated. Your body needs electrolytes to work well just as it needs to have water to work well. This means that if you sweat it out, YOU NEED TO PUT IT BACK IN! 

Many people don’t really hear about electrolytes until they start some regimen where they start to sweat a lot or expend a lot of calories. And understanding electrolytes can be complicated if you get into the ionic charges of chemicals and all that. The way I think about it for practitioners of hot yoga is that if you think that it is healthy to sweat and you sweat a lot, you must pay attention to your electrolytes because electrolytes do the work in the body to help keep you hydrated! Yes, read that again.  Electrolytes help keep you hydrated! Therefore, just water is not enough. You need to make sure that you have these essential minerals in your body in proper proportion. Some of the electrolytes found in the body include, sodium, potassium, and magnesium. 

If you have a mild electrolyte imbalance, you likely will not experience any symptoms at all. But more severe imbalances can cause symptoms like fatigue, headaches, muscle weakness and cramping, and numbness and tingling, among other things. Sound familiar? If so, please think about some solutions that are best for you. 

If you want to go down that rabbit hole, electrolytes can be a very big deal. If you really want to see how much people care about this subject, online discussions about electrolytes for marathon runners are copious. There are mineral packets, tablets, and drops available for restoration of electrolytes, but there are also simpler ways of getting some of these minerals. One is to take a pinch of salt with your water and maybe squeeze a little lemon if you like that. You can also eat foods with naturally high mineral content like bananas. Alternatively, you can take a soak with some Epsom salts in your bath. 

A great yogi favorite for electrolytes is coconut water, which is why you will find it in many studios. Coconut water naturally contains many minerals like potassium, sodium, manganese, and magnesium, giving it a lot of bang for the buck. I’m going to go ahead and admit that I don’t like the taste of coconut water (and to jump off the yogi cliff, I will also admit that I think that most kombucha tastes like spoiled juice to me). 

If you are like me and hate regular coconut water, you might want to make yourself the little yogi cocktail that I occasionally joke about: mix one small bottle of coconut water with a lime La Croix. If you are getting fancy about it, put it in a glass with an Emergen-C rim. SO MANY ELECTROLYTES!!! You probably do not need to go this far for your electrolyte heath. But electrolyte health is a thing to think about for sweaty yogis, so take care of yourself and then come to practice to sweat it all out again. Rinse, lather, repeat.

Maryam Bakht is a fitness coach and yoga teacher specializing in purposeful movement and mental strength and clarity. Maryam holds a PhD in Linguistics from NYU and in her time as a college professor has developed methods for practicing calmness and rest as a way to become more efficient and effective in work.

Travel Round, Ground Down.

Travel can be tricky. The comfort zone is really a real thing, and it includes the place, times, routines, and headspace of “home.” When we move outside of that zone, even knowingly, the body responds. If you’re away from home try some of this if you’re feeling unstable, having trouble sleeping, or have trouble at potty breaks.

A few sets of high lunges on both sides help to warm up the base of the body, and settle nerves.

A few sets of Chair Pose can help to do the same.

Squatting can take that focus into more of a resting position.

If your heels won’t touch the floor your squat could look more like this. No big deal though keep it up!

A few sets of wind removing pose stimulates digestion, and gives you an opportunity connect with a slow calm breath. Breathing this way will stimulate your parasympathetic (relaxed) nervous system. Always start with your right leg.

Nadi Shodhana is a pranayam that helps to balance the nervous system. It involves alternating the breath through one nostril at a time.

Try these out on your next trip and see how it goes! If you have any questions about any of the exercises don’t hesitate to contact us:)

Wes Bozeman was Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork in 2009 and is a Florida Licensed Massage Therapist. MA58298  He began his massage practice after the birth of his daughter, when substandard maternity care cast a light on the value of bodily knowledge and wellness for his whole family.  He began his yoga training in 2010 at Evolation Yoga in Tampa. Since then he has studied with Ida Jo and Scott Lamps at Ghosh Yoga, and countless other mentors along the way. He owns  Gaze Hot Yoga in Tampa Heights where he teaches students, and teachers, and is happy to be their student too. Wes’ only goal for his practice is to empower his clients to be aware of their bodies, and facilitate healing.

Holdin' Down the House

We all have things to do. One of the most common things you will hear someone say in a yoga studio is some version of this: “Sorry I haven’t been in a while, my work/kids/dog/travel etc. have been really crazy.” AND the person on the receiving end of that statement never says, “I have no idea what you mean?!”

Householder is now a commonly used term in the modern yoga community, mainly because it accounts for the far majority of folks who would identify a part of their fitness regime/spiritual practice as Yoga. If you’re coming and going in a yoga studio, or using a breathing app on your phone, you’re not a monk, not removed from society, alone for the purpose of self inquiry through Yoga.

Maybe now that it’s been laid out like that. it sounds funny to say, but that’s okay. Unlike the monk sitting alone in an ashram, we have the world around us to be in, and deal with. In my opinion, that alone is an indication for Yoga practice. The tension of daily life and it’s challenges create balance in one’s practice.

The most common statement heard in a yoga studio above is a weird denial of this balance where the brain likes to go. “I’m not a monk , but shouldn’t I be?” Well, no. Your Yoga is helping you be a really great Parent, Partner, Professional, student , and so on. With a little practice, being these things can BECOME your yoga practice.

The concept of a feeding cycle/starving cycle helps me make sense of all of this.

A feeding cycle in this case would kinda look like this:

A starving cycle might look like this:

So put into practice this can look like: In class at every step, be you. Practice this like you mean it. Your brain will still butt in at every turn to say, “If you were in class yesterday, this would look better/feel better/ more closely resemble what’s their name on Instagram.” On the flip, can you in daily life, be careful of “I don’t have an hour, so I can’t practice.” You COULD. Breathe consciously for 5 minutes, put your phone call on speaker and practice 5 postures, or just be fully present while you play with your kids. Little pockets of practice exist everywhere. Let me know if I can help you with anything:) Love y’all!

Wes Bozeman was Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork in 2009 and is a Florida Licensed Massage Therapist. MA58298  He began his massage practice after the birth of his daughter, when substandard maternity care cast a light on the value of bodily knowledge and wellness for his whole family.  He began his yoga training in 2010 at Evolation Yoga in Tampa. Since then he has studied with Ida Jo and Scott Lamps at Ghosh Yoga, and countless other mentors along the way. He owns  Gaze Hot Yoga in Tampa Heights where he teaches students, and teachers, and is happy to be their student too. Wes’ only goal for his practice is to empower his clients to be aware of their bodies, and facilitate healing.

New Year New You.

It’s a tough time of year. It’s a tough thing to hear. New year. New you. Like every 12 months you should change who you are. I worry about being offensive, but I prefer New Year, F**K the Noise. This idea when manufactured in our minds and carried out by our habits means that at best there are a few months a year when we are actively looking outside for who we are. My teachers Scott and Ida at Ghosh Yoga didn’t frame it in the context of the New Year, but they lay it out beautifully simply saying The True Self is Lost.

The new is not you. The new a mechanism for overlooking your true nature. For many of us yoga is a tool for change, and if the expected change never materializes we have a decision to make. Keep looking for our idea of change using another method (switch disciplines or give up) or CHANGE (consider that the change that’s meant to happen will in time if we can quiet the parameters our mind has associated it with)

Personally, this is a rabbit hole I am jumping down with every other thought. AND as a leader of a yoga community, I am tasked every 12 months with avoiding this seemingly essential narration. Which is maybe a personal vendetta designed to protect the community from this place of guilt, shame, and mistaken identity.

Also, being personally pragmatic, I’m asking, “Where is the practical part of all of this?” “Show me the asana, what’s the mantra, who is the teacher?” So what can we practice in the new year? Here are some ideas.

• NOTHING. HA! A seinfeld-y concept maybe. Continue to live your life while only going deeper into your knowledge of things you already know. Like an anti-resolution of sorts, commit to nothing new.

• Practice during life. In your day to day, take a conscious breath, practice an asana. This can be as simple as not taking your phone with you when you go to sit on the toilet. HA!

• If you’re reading this, you probably have a regular asana practice already. So, after each class, ask the teacher one question. Then consider that in your next class.

• Help someone with their ”New Year task” You can encourage them, support them, or ask, “how can I help?” Starting a practice of service to someone else can be a good tool for putting aside the noise in your own mind.

Happy New Year. Let me know if I can help with anything.

Wes Bozeman was Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork in 2009 and is a Florida Licensed Massage Therapist. MA58298  He began his massage practice after the birth of his daughter, when substandard maternity care cast a light on the value of bodily knowledge and wellness for his whole family.  He began his yoga training in 2010 at Evolation Yoga in Tampa. Since then he has studied with Ida Jo and Scott Lamps at Ghosh Yoga, and countless other mentors along the way. He owns  Gaze Hot Yoga in Tampa Heights where he teaches students, and teachers, and is happy to be their student too. Wes’ only goal for his practice is to empower his clients to be aware of their bodies, and facilitate healing.

Go Back, Way Back, Fall Back.

You’ve heard this before? Sometimes a teacher will say it in class. This time of year you definitely see it on social media trying to remind folks to set their clocks back. Go back, way back, fall back, is maybe a good little piece of encouragement, but also needs to be practiced carefully.

Its an instruction you might hear in back bending or extension. So, in back bending there is spinal extension and hip extension. The idea of go back, way back, fall back is that both are happening at the same time. But practicing them separately is so useful, and when put together, will be stronger, deeper, and more controlled.

Here is spinal extension. When standing, the spine extends by bringing the ends (head and butt) toward each other.

Here is hip extension. The angle on the front of the hip gets larger. When standing, practicing hip extension only is safer for the spine if the head stays over the hips.

Here is hip extension only (mostly) with head behind the hips. This can sometimes be the result of go back, way back, fall back.

Try breaking down these movements, and see how it goes. Big basic movements like go back, way back, fall back, are always made up of some smaller basic, or maybe complicated, movements. Understanding them, will make more complicated movements more clear when you get there. Happy practicing!

New Studio, New Pricing

Starting in June the pricing structure at gaze will be changing. Since the move in May, we have added several new classes to the schedule, and we hope to add more. We also have big plans for workshops coming up this fall and winter! Stay tuned for more updates.

Here’s a peek at the new pricing.

Monthly Membership - $85/mo

Sign-up during your Intro month and get half off the first month.

Included with this pass: 

• Unlimited yoga

• 15% off Retail

• Discounts on Workshops

• 3 Buddy Passes

• Option to freeze

No minimum commitment, no sign-up fees, opt out with 15 days notice

10 pack - $155

Expires 12 months after purchase. Not a sharable pass

5 pack recurring - $70

Grab 5 classes and share with as many people as you like! When the classes run out, your card is charged automatically and you get 5 more!

Single Class - $20

Music Class Drop-In - $8

Current pricing will be available until 6/3 have a look at that.

There's still no excuse!

We’re ready to get down to business this weekend! We’ll be working hard to move from our current space to the new studio, and be ready for all of you next week.

BUT, we obviously understand the importance of practice, so we’ve set up some classes for you over the weekend and into next week about town.

Friday 4/19 Music Class at Factory 114 w/ Mr. Bongos

Class will be held at Factory 114 in Channelside. Mr. Bongos will be there to spin the tunes, and all of your other Friday Night friends will be there!

There is parking on the street around Factory 114 and the cost to park in the garage is $2.

See
you
there.

Saturday 4/20 9:30 | Hot Yoga 60min

Class will happen like normal on this day. The studio will look very different, and this will be a non-heated class. We appreciate your patience!

Sunday 4/21 | Easter

NO CLASS

Monday 4/22 6:30pm | Mel's Pilates Shop Pop Up Mat Class

Learn the core principles of the Pilates method through this fun and challenging mat class. All fitness levels are welcome. This class is not heated and no equipment or props will be used.

Tuesday 4/23 6:30pm | Asana Under the Arch

This class will be 60 minutes and we will practice the 26 and 2 posture series. If you are a veteran practitioner then you will recognize the series, and get a chance to try it in a different environment. If you're new, or if you don't love the usual heated classes, then this will be your chance to try it without the heat. Either way, it is going to be a treat to practice in this beautiful space.