During my teacher training in early 2007, I was told that the real practice would begin after the training was over. How were we, the students, going to incorporate yoga into our lives in the real world?

As it turned out, for the next two years yoga was my professional life and a bit of personal life as well as I was the manager and a teacher at Pilgrimage. I breathed yoga, both figuratively and literally. I had access to beautiful teachers and classes throughout the day. I would meditate with Sujantra on Tuesday evenings. I had my space, and my practice was a constant friend.

When I started on this 15-month travel journey with my husband Tom, I left that consistency behind.

During travel, I struggled to find my own practice without a studio and without the guidance of an instructor. I had also left my yoga mat in Buenos Aires, and struggled without that tool as well. I would try with a bath towel, or simply on grass, and both left me slipping and sliding. I tried various yoga studios and teachers, and outside of my first two months in Buenos Aires, I struggled to find a teacher and a studio that I connected with, that I believed in. Aside from some breathing exercises, my practice effectively took a break for two months.

And then I visited a friend who asked that we practice on her roof. I unrolled the two camping pads that we had been traveling with, walked up onto her terrace over looking the city of Cordoba, and practiced morning yoga. It felt so good. My body was tight, but it welcomed the movement, and the breath.

Since that morning, I’ve unrolled that trusty camping pad made out of foam, and regained my practice. In the hostels, I’ll practice in the morning in-between my bed and the bathroom. Or I’ll go outside in the chilly mountain air for more connection with nature.

My practice is not that long or in depth. I’ll take about five minutes standing, breathing, and finding my intention. I’ll move slowly, starting with five to ten sun salutations, feeling the connection to my breath and body. Perhaps that will be it, and I’ll join my hands at my heart and say ‘Namaste.’ Other days I’ll continue, playing with balance, twists, backbends, and inversions. I’ll let my body and breath lead the way, not feeling attachment to a length of time or specific asanas.

Even after my two month break, my body still knew the movements. My mind relished the pause. My breath took me deeper. My inner spirit knew the practice as well, and welcomed me back.

You can keep up with Blair’s travels at her blog www.tomandblair.com.

The doors to our new studio opened on May 1, 2010 and we couldn’t be happier in our new home! In the eleven or so months that I’ve been working and practicing at Pilgrimage, I’ve seen so much change at the studio, but the heart and energy of our community has continued to be strong and bright.

We’ve had amazing teachers leave San Diego to travel, to study, and to have new life adventures. At the same time, we’ve welcomed new teachers who have amazed us with not only their teaching skills, but also their warmth, grace, and ability to connect deeply to yoga and their students.

We’ve been in a constant state of change working to keep the studio running as smoothly as possible for our community. We began offering a reservation system for classes (which we no longer need in our big new space!), placing mat markers on the studio floor, and re-arranging the Welcome Area to be the most spacious and offer the most seating possible.

Now with our new home, we have room to stretch wide. Both inside the studio room and in the lounge area, students, teachers, and staff are comfortable waiting for class to begin or relaxing after class has ended. There’s lots of room to sit and chat with friends or just close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.

Pilgrimage of the Heart began as a gift shop and organically morphed into a yoga studio in response to our community’s requests for more meditation and yoga. As we move forward in our new home, we will continue to listen to your suggestions and work to meet your needs and hopes. Thank you for all that you’ve shared with us and for being the driving force in our flourishing and open yoga community. –Michelle Laxton

Who thought, practicing yoga one could lose fat? Of course it does depend on the intensity and duration of the yoga class and practice.

To sufficiently lose fat, one must keep their heart rate at approximately 55% to 65% of their max heart rate (MHR) . By keeping the heart rate in the range of 120 beats per minute for a duration of at least 20 minutes. This is known as the “fat burning zone”. The practice of Hot Yoga specifically targets the burning of fat storage, because the heart rate is maintanied at about 120 bpm for the duration of the yoga practice. The bodies primary way of maintaining energy for the yoga class is to utilize fat storage for energy, along with some carbohydrates and very little protein.

During the practice of Hot Yoga or a Vinyasa Flow class, there is continuous smooth movements, in a rhythmic style. You practice breathing deeply, which uses more lung capacity, and you never hold your breath. These are all key components to a good yoga practice, which is the reason why a person uses more of their fat storage for energy while practicing yoga compared to some other types of exercise’s.

Last week Gabriel Johnson, owner of Organiq Fitness(organiqfitness@gmail.com), tested out this theory. He wore a heart rate monitor for the duration of the 50min Hot Yoga class I taught at Pilgrimage of the Heart Yoga studio. The room temperature was set at 95 degrees F. The class consist of Sun Salutations, standing poses, balancing poses, backbends and arm balances. Connecting your breath with your movements in a moderate rhythmic flowing pace.

The results: Total Calories Burned 515 calories

Max Heart Rate 156bpm

Average HR 122bpm

As the results indicate, a great amount of calories were burned during the 50 minute class and his average heart rate was in the “fat burning zone” for the majority of the Hot Yoga class. By practicing a vigorous yoga class that elevates ones heart rate in the range of 120bpm, an individual will utilize there energy from there fat storage, which indicates Hot Yoga burns fat!

To learn more about Tyler and to read other blogs copy/paste web.me.com/tylerlavigne

Namaste