I have found Bikram yoga to be so much more than exercise. It is a rejuvenation of the spirit and the mind. After dancing professionally for six years with the Fort Worth Dallas Ballet, I eventually retired from dancing due to the continuous degeneration of cartilage in my knee. After my dance career ended I started attending SMU as a full time student, and it was not long before my body and mind craved what I once had with ballet.
My studies and my life had made me very stressed. I had progressively become more and more bottled up, without any outlet or release. I came to my first class as finals week was approaching. My first class was a disaster! For nearly a year I had been living on coffee as an aid to help me study, and my body was extremely dehydrated and full of toxins. I barely made it through class, sitting down repeatedly to control my nausea. I left that first class, however, knowing I would come back the next day to try again. The feeling I had was akin to how my body felt after a hard day of dancing, and that amazing connection to myself and my spirit kept me coming back.
At first I noticed how profoundly Bikram helped me manage the stress of studying. With only a week of yoga, the extreme heaviness seemed lifted, and I felt my spirit lighten. Even my fiance commented on the remarkable change he saw after only a few days at Bikram! It is as if I cleared away all the blockages that had built up from daily life, weighing me down before, and found the truly happy me! As I have continued my practice, these benefits have permeated not just my scholastic endeavors, but every aspect of my life.
I believe there is a strong connection between the mind, body, and spirit. I have found practicing Bikram everyday strengthens this connection, removing the "stuff" that before used to block my way. I feel more balanced and in tune to my life, my desires, others, and myself. Bikram yoga is a catalyst for true transformation.
