Northshore Magazine

Northshore March 2016

Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.

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157 to be taught without any kind of dogma so it is more accessible to everyone." She feels the repeti- tion of the 26 postures—always done in the same order—results in a kind of moving meditation. Classes commence and end with a breathing exercise, but a "normal breath" is followed while getting into and out of the poses. Whereas vinyasa calls for breathing in and out through the nose, in a Bikram class students breathe through the mouth "to turn on the fight-or- flight response." The breathing, according to Almquist, is not used for creating internal heat as it is in unheated yoga practices. Also unlike vinyasa, Bikram classes are scripted. The same "dialogue" is used by all instruc- tors to teach the postures in a uni- form way. "That almost becomes the mantra, even though it is just physical directions," says Almquist, who feels those instructions help people "shut off the analytical part of their brains." It's about speaking to the body, not the mind. "Your mind becomes quiet while the body keeps moving." There is a misconception that Bikram is an intense yoga. Almquist says it is actually a begin- ner yoga. "It really is a healing yoga for everybody. There's no expectation other than to come, breathe, and stay in the room." Though the heat creates a "stress- ful environment," the yoga itself is simple—it's not always easy, but it is simple. There aren't any of the inversions found in vinyasa class- es, as Bikram yoga is designed for inflexible bodies. (Bikram himself was a weight lifter—he was strong, but not flexible.) "When people tell me they can't do yoga because they are not flexible," muses Almquist, "I tell them that's like saying I can't CONTACT take French lessons because I don't speak French." Almquist thinks of her studio as a wellness center, where a holistic approach to health is the focus. "The difference between illness and wellness is the spelling of the word," she says. "The difference is 'i' or 'we.'" She feels practicing alone and practicing with others have different effects. Generally, her students come into the studio to work on their own physical, mental, and spiritual health, but they do so alongside others who support them. "This is a place for taking care of each other. I don't know how you find wellness with- out having a community." Almquist's view of yoga is best summed up in her own words: "Yoga is not about yoga. Yoga is about all the tools you learn to make your life outside the studio better." It's an idea that Shea, Olson, and Almquist seem to share, and one that is at the root of every yoga practice, even power yoga. Power Yoga Evolution 1060 Osgood St. North Andover 978-794-2500 power-yoga- evolution.com Home Yoga 28 Chestnut St. Andover 978-886-6669 andoverhomeyoga. com Bikram Yoga Merrimack Valley 43 High St. Suite 310 North Andover 978-689-9642 bikramyogamv.com photograph by Laurie McDonagh

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