YM IS A DEDICATED YOGA STUDIO on Rue De Funchal teaching the Bikram method; this means there are no other activities in the space that are not compatible with the activity of Yoga.
WE STRIVED TO FIND A SPACE in which we could create a particular environment conducive to the practice of Yoga so that everyone choosing to enter and use the space knows and has complete respect for the discipline you are practicing there. ‘Space’ IS important, when we opened in 2011 we determined that Bikram Yoga had given so much to its practitioners (and to me since I started practicing in 1998) it was deserving and overdue a dedicated quality permanent space in Jersey, it was deserving for ALL THAT IT GAVE that someone should stick their neck out for it and present it better! Yes Yoga can be practiced anywhere but when you are a beginner it helps to be in a space that is wholly supportive of your chosen activity, to be in the company of likeminded persons, a community positively influencing and supporting its new people. Where everyone who sees you in there knows and understands what you are experiencing AND IT HELPS TO KNOW too by the time you realize you are in love with your practice, that the space won’t be snatched away from you on the whim of someone going off on their travels or a landlord who wants the space for something else. Your space at YM is secure.
IT IS A PLACE where every decision about the studio (little or large) taken by the owners is done to enhance the experience of the practitioners. The right space, surroundings and company can be a very POWERFUL AND THERAPEUTIC force helping the less experienced. This space is nurturing to your Bikram Yoga practice. A place where there are no distractions and you can let go of stresses, challenge and rejuvenate your body, quieten your mind and reclaim your spirit. TO US AND MANY OF THE YOGIS IT IS A SACRED SPACE. There is a limit to the number of people we take in the room. Admittance is on a strictly first booked or first arrived, first served basis; there is no re-jigging of mat space as we never have and do not squeeze in extra persons. Once you have come once, engage with us, let us show you and you see the lay of the land then you know that if you decide to come early to pick your spot and relax you can rest assured you will not be shuffled or squashed just before the class starts.
WHEN A NEW PRACTITIONER CHOOSES to walk through our doors we ‘manage’ the first class experience in order to lay the ground for the best experience one can have (given the rigors of the class). We have limited time to do this before class and many individuals with differing ideas on how the experience should go for them (based on their previous experience in other disciplines or studios). Sometimes they come with a friend (who has been a few times before) who enthusiastically wants to chat to them or manage them and it can be hard for the instructor to get a look in BUT we have to be allowed our time (which is limited in that moment) to take care of the newbie and impart the essential basic information that they will need to see them through the next 90 minutes. The instructor will be conscious of the time elapsing, the practitioner or their enthusiastic friend is unlikely to be conscious of this in their enthusiasm. Every minute passing meaning we have to condense our induction. IF we seem brusque in taking charge it is not because we are rude but because we are in a particular mode to settle people in as efficiently as possible so we can move on to other practitioners’ needs or deal with any unexpected issues arising. We only have 90 minutes and that brief ‘before class time’ to show new people a practice that we believe can transform a life. If we do not get this ‘before class time’ people will comport themselves based on previous experience (e.g. say a gym environment) or they could end up starting class without having had the appropriate chat with the teacher on how to take care of themselves in this new environment. We settle people in and give them boundaries not just for them but for the ambiance of the class and studio too. It is for ALL the class practitioners. We cannot allow unnecessary distractions for our dedicated members. Remember there is only 1 instructor but there can be 25 people in a class (we never know who/how many are going to walk through the door); we need to get everyone on the same page for this new class’ dynamic (every class is different). Our firm strong voices will manage you through this but our words will be short and few as we do it because that is ‘Bikram succinct mode’ (why use 10 words when you can use 2).
WE RUN A YOGA STUDIO and there are etiquettes and disciplines that go along with that (all clearly stated on our website) and on attendance at first class practitioners sign a form that they will commit to reading all the information before coming back to their second class; assimilating and using all this information will enhance theirs and other practitioners experience. Whilst we are flexible ( 🙂 ) and laid back to a point and will let some things slide, there will come a point when we will ‘remark’ on etiquette, terms breaches; it is our job to protect the integrity of the environment. The ‘remarking’ will usually be done in Bikram succinct mode because we need to have our focus on the more important work in hand ~ helping people develop their Yoga practice. ALL ARE WELCOME but sometimes people might not like this/our way of doing things; we don’t mind – we never did set out to seek universal popularity. We are strong and we know where we are going and what we are trying to create, we have our values and procedures and policies that work and we won’t bend them for the sake of a class fee.
WE ARE HERE fully 100% for those who give us a chance and take the time to engage with us and the processes by studying our website, etiquettes, terms and chatting to us to find out why we are so different to other places they have been.
WE LOVE IT WHEN YOU ‘GET’ US. For YOU we will do our best. We will try to make your experience light. We will endeavour to accommodate differing needs whilst at the same time firmly keeping you on track in your practice and discipline. We will help you modify if you need to. We will make your environment conducive to what you are trying to achieve in your practice and in your life. We will keep the room hot and safe. We will take care of you and your practice as it evolves. We promise to keep telling bad Yoga jokes 🙂
WE HAVE CLASSES EVERYDAY (sometimes twice!); we are always here hail, rain or shine should a fancy for a class in the evening overcome you in the day 🙂 . We have a fabulous Booking App {Momoyoga} where you are totally in charge of manging your booking/cancellation (at your finger tips). You can pay as you go or buy a block of 10 passes at a discounted fee {see website}. You can use these passes to pre-book classes and they are valid for six months (6) from date you add them. There are no financial ‘lock-ins’ or commitments other than your commitment to yourself and your practice.
WE TEACH THE BIKRAM METHOD which is 26/2 pure form Hatha Yoga (all described on our website). We leave nothing out, we don’t add extra postures (then it would no longer be Bikram), we don’t allow or encourge ‘extra’ moves or flourishes. We don’t mess with the sequence. We will, however, modify the postures on an individual basis. Anyone teaching at YM will be a Bikram certified teacher. It is the Bikram formula pure and simple. Oh! and it is Hot (Of course!). Remember! All Bikram Yoga is HOT; but not all hot Yoga is Bikram. Now that is cleared up; hope to see you soon.
Om Om Om I L L U M I N A T E
Jan14
Love The Original Hot Yoga
In Pursuit of Stillness @ Yoga Matters