I feel very honored to be chosen as student of the month! We have such dedicated students at our studio with very strong, disciplined practices. So I feel very lucky to be chosen.
I have been practicing Bikram Yoga now for about 3 and 1/2 years. A good friend of mine was talking about Bikram Yoga and saying what a great, hard workout it was. I thought to myself "It can't be that hard...I've done many marathons and triathlons, etc." Well, after attending 10 classes in 2 weeks, I quickly changed my ideas about Bikram Yoga being "easy".
My first 2 weeks of Bikram Yoga, I decided that I would try not to run or do any other exercise. I remember a few nights sleeping 8-9 hours solid (I usually sleep only 7 hours or so) because I was so exhausted. When I did go back to running, I felt as though my body was floating on a cloud. My joints felt so good after doing only two weeks of yoga.
I have made a lot of changes in my daily exercise, since I have been coming to yoga regularly. I used to train for marathons and triathlons, so it was not uncommon to work out a minimum of 2 hours and up to 5 hours. I was running, biking, swimming, lifting weights, playing tennis, and participating in a weekly yoga class. Now I try to do a yoga class 4-5 times a week, run 3 days a week, and play tennis 1-3 days a week. I feel as though it is a more manageable and healthier exercise program.
I had ongoing pain/tendonitis in my right knee and other injuries including shoulder/neck etc. It was getting to the point when I would go from weight room to work out, and I couldn't do very many exercises because of my knee or shoulder. So I was starting to get frustrated with my exercise routine.
I also used to participate in a yoga class that was 2 hours long. There were over 200 poses, so the instructor would choose the poses for that particular class, so you never knew what to expect until you participated in the class. It was not a "hot" room at all and you could come late, leave early, and even talk throughout the class. So when I attended my first Bikram Yoga class, I nicknamed it the "Nazi Yoga" class because of all of the rules (excuse me for the slang). But I really began to like all of the rules, because I felt as though it made me more disciplined and tough. Then I also realized that I really did better with a more structured class and knowing exactly what to expect of the class with only 26 poses.
When I get done with a yoga class, I feel like I have had an intense workout without all of the injuries that my previous exercise routine gave me. I feel physically challenged and mentally more alert and calm.
This yoga has helped me to slow down some because of my "type A" personality. I have 3 kids so it has helped me to be more patient with them as well. I constantly need to work on being present in the moment and not rushing to the next activity or event. This yoga helps me to be more present and to stay focused. My goal is to continue doing yoga until I am 80 years old (go John!!) and on up to 90 years old. See you in class!!
