BYA Student Testimonials and Success Stories

Not only am I in surgery recovery, I am Deaf!

Hello! Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Celeste. I became interested in Bikram Yoga by my step daughter Natasha. She expressed the benefits to me and I decided to further my research. The selling point to be honest with you was the heated room. I felt for my situation this would totally benefit me. In the last year in a half I have had two fusions; one in the neck and one in the lower back. With my doctor's approval I was able to learn a better way to strengthen my spine and muscles.

I am the type of person who is determined to stay healthy and fit. I have to remind myself that I take one pose at a time and listen carefully to my body. This yoga is totally different from what I am used to doing. However, it is thus far the best! My husband says finally you found an exercise that brings realization to you as a whole. Funny! Well I admit, I am much calmer and not buzzing around the room like a rocket!

Not only am I relaxed, I am more flexible. Allow me to explain. When I first started I was unable to get on the floor and bring myself back up. I could not roll from side to side and bring myself up. I could not stand on one foot and hold my body with my leg muscle locked. Although I am still at the beginning stage and holding for 5 seconds, I am improving. I have to get my muscles and spine strong before I move forward into the depth of each individual exercise. I know this, and need to be patient. The key here for me, is to get stronger and recognize that I have come a long way since my two surgeries.

The kicker of all kickers: the best for last. Not only am I in surgery recovery, I am Deaf! I am in a class that is nonstop verbal instruction. Now if you feel that Bikram Toga is a challenge, for the hearing, can you imagine for the DEAF? Heehee, love it! Having someone on either side of me that is willing and able to keep up with the instructor is much easier for me to follow, however, being that this is not always the case, a Deaf person needs to make accommodations, to keep up with the class. Does that interfere with the focusing and holding poses, yep it sure does! So how does a Deaf person obtain theses poses and be on time? Very carefully!

Well folks, I sure hope this encourages more people to venture out into Bikram Yoga. No matter what your situation, always talk with your doctor before engaging in any physical activity.

Celeste

Inspiration

My Mother was my inspiration for starting Bikram Yoga but my motivation for continuing is all about ME.

I am in love with Bikram Yoga! Your studio is such a welcoming place and for once in my life I don't feel self-conscious when I am "working out", I feel welcomed and part of a group of great people all working on doing something fantastic ourselves.

My inspiration for starting Bikram Yoga came when my Mother underwent a double amputation to her legs due to Diabetes, Peripheral artery Disease and overall poor health. She asked me to take better care of myself, my health, my mind and my emotional well being. I decided on Bikram Yoga Avondale after looking at your website, it seemed to be a good fit for all my needs. I haven't worked out in over 13 years and I was more than a little nervous to start. However, after one 90-minute class I was hooked! Not because I was some Yoga prodigy, not even close! It was because of the way I felt during and especially after class. During class my heart was pounding and my whole body was soaked...but I loved it! My body felt alive for the first time in over a decade. My Mother was my inspiration for starting Bikram Yoga but my motivation for continuing is all about ME. It's because of the way I feel knowing every time I step into the studio I am accomplishing something that is going to benefit me from here on out. Every pose is a new start to make that moment count, to make my life that much better. I started feeling the benfits of Bikram Yoga after only a few classes and I embrace the prospect of a lifetime of lasting benefits with continued practice.

Thank you all for your awesome guidance,

Karen Elder

Thank you for the opportunity to practice yoga at your studio over the past several months.

This weekend I will be climbing with my two adult sons. Until now, I have been unable to share their passion for climbing, knowing what a wrong twist or jump would do to a chronically painful back. Sharing an activity with my sons, which they enjoy, is the best gift from the yoga session.

Without listing the many maladies time visits on us, I can say that I feel better than at any point during the past 20 years; Along with having lost pounds, waist sizes, and aches along the way! The personal benefits are reward enough, the time enjoyed with others is so much more!

The energy each instructor put into every session helped me keep going. At the start of my first session I was afraid I was going to die, halfway through I was afraid I would not! In three short months I have experienced so much progress. At first, I was not able to do any sit ups and after class needed to hold onto the roof of the car to get into the driver's seat. I have enjoyed other styles of yoga, but none of them offered the intensity to show so much progress so soon.

I am sure my first experience with climbing will underscore the need to keep at it. I look forward to continuing when I return. I appreciate the welcoming, positive, and encouraging environment. I know the effort I have expended is a small part of what you and each instructor has put into making Bikram Yoga Avondale an outstanding studio.

John Wesselhoft

"I need to write and apologize."

I need to write and apologize. I think I have been aware for quite a while that I was responsible for the mess in your Yoga studio. I have been leaving behind quite a disaster. My practice is still fairly new, but as I approach the end of my 60 day challenge I feel over whelmed to take responsibility.

I have left behind my Tinnitus, Anxiety, I.B.S, Acid Reflux, Acne, the Crick in my right Knee, Arthritis in my Culinary hands, Chronic fatigue, Menstrual cramps, bad attitude, bricks on my shoulders, the Dunlap over my belt, the flab under my arms, a big portion of my thunder thighs and I think one of my chins. I know the mess this can make as I have been carrying it around with me for 22 years. I was going to look in the lost and found, but honestly, I don't want it back.

I found some items as well. I almost feel guilty sharing them with you as I have been paying 5 times the amount of my monthly dues trying to obtain them. I must come clean and tell you I have found, Patience, ENERGY, PEACE, concentration, emotional, spiritual and physical balance, sweet dreams, Focus, my favorite pair of jeans and most importantly my own eyes in the front mirror.

Now before you get too upset with me you should know I am willing to compensate as I have saved tons of money on Diets, Tylenol P.M., Estrogen lotions, Midol, Advil, Co-Pays, knee braces, Cortisone shots, X-rays and clothes that really don't FIT. Please accept my apology and I would be more than willing to come any afternoon and bring a shovel to gladly throw out all of these lost items.

Thank you and ALL of your wonderful staff especially Niki who has kept me in the room even on my worst day. My body and mind are in travel and I can't wait to see where they GO>>>. Peace/Out

Julia Aldana

"I started Bikram Yoga three months ago at the age of 70."

When I heard Shelby say at my first class that you are never too old to begin yoga I was truly inspired. Why? Because I started Bikram Yoga at Avondale three months ago at the age of 70. Can I do all the poses? No, but each day gives me more confidence. My goal was not to sit out a single pose and to stay focused. Because I just retired I have the luxury of being able to go at least five times a week and the difference to my health and well being has been truly amazing. I just completed my 70th class. Having suffered from low back pain for years and pain in my knees I began the classes with some fear and trepidation. But each of the great teachers at Avondale gave me more and more confidence to just go a little farther each day. I am now pain free and intend to stay that way with my daily practice. So when at last I am able to touch my toes you will hear a great shout of joy. Thanks Shelby and John for providing such a safe and warm... LOL atmosphere for us all to grow and become our best. I feel like I have a whole new family and many new friends.

With much gratitude,
David Wilson

"You may have read it before, but I will say it again. THROW AWAY THE SCALE!"

I have never in my life been able to sleep less that 6 hours in a night and not get horribly violently ill. I have been what I like to call a "professional sleeper" my entire life. In fact, I slept through the night immediately since I was a newborn. When I had mono in 10th grade I slept for 41 hours in a 28 hour time period. Before I started doing yoga in May I was going to sleep at 8:30pm, 9 at the latest and sleeping till 7, even though my alarm clock was set for 6:15. Since I started doing yoga, I not only have become a morning person but I am a night owl. I sleep between 5-7 hours a night and I jump out of bed. The most notable experience I had with this was in June when my uncle was having open heart surgery. I had been doing yoga for 5 weeks at that point and was already amazed at the changes in my life. We decided to wake up at 3:30am to leave for the hospital in time to see him before surgery; I jumped out of bed before 3:30. Let me tell you. This had NEVER EVER happened before in my life. Never.

In January of 2008 I decided that I was going to lose weight, go to the gym every day and get a personal trainer. I did! I was paying for 4 training sessions per month which was $160/month on top the monthly membership dues. But I got the hook-up. My friend Mike was my trainer and instead of 4 work-outs a month I was getting 7 and I wasn't getting charged extra. After 2 months I got tired of spending 2 hours at the gym every day and not seeing the results that I wanted. I stopped going, and was punished on top of that because I signed a one year contract and had to pay $160 per month for a YEAR! Now I know a lot of people will look at the cost of Bikram yoga's monthly unlimited plan and think it is expensive, but it really isn't. I have seen more results from my time practicing Bikram Yoga than I ever saw working out at a gym. And I don't have a restraint to how many times I go to Yoga. One month I went 30 times and another month I went 8 times.

I had major surgery on September 4, 2008. I have a ten inch scar left over from it. The surgeon's had to cut my abdomen open to remove as cyst and my ovary. Following the surgery I wasn't able to work out, I was too scared to work out but when I started trying to get back into shape again in March I quickly decided that the pain wasn't worth it. I had absolutely no strength in my stomach, so running made this jarring feeling in the area of my scar that was beyond uncomfortable. Obviously I have been hearing about Bikram Yoga on the radio for the last two years and a girl from work and I decided it was time to give it a try. Initially I was very protective of my scar, and some of the postures were not just uncomfortable, they were painful. But Bikram yoga has taught me to listen to my body. I can do every posture without the pain that I was having for months. I have abdominal muscles that I have NEVER had in my life. I played sports all through junior high and high school and I danced and cheered and never had such a strong core.

You may have read it before, but I will say it again. THROW AWAY THE SCALE! Throw it away. There is a mantra while you are in class, lock the knee- how many times have I heard that, and thought that, and told myself that. Well, outside of class the mantra should be Throw It Away! Seriously- throw it away! I was jumping on that thing every day during the first two weeks of my practice and started to get VERY discouraged. But I was only looking at the numbers and not my appearance. When I finally decided to stop looking at my numbers and instead looking in the mirror I started to see the changes. My face is slimmer, my arms and legs are toned, my waist is much thinner and I am wearing clothes I haven't worn in 2 years. And just in time for bathing suit season my butt is the opposite of saggy. I LOVE it! Practicing Bikram yoga has brought out self confidence that I was not aware that I had. Every once in a while I will hop on it again, but I don't worry about numbers anymore. I feel good, I feel comfortable and I feel confident. I ran into a girl that I had not seen in six months and she immediately asked me what I was doing, because I looked so different and "Toned." And of course I went into my 15 minute speech of why I LOVE yoga and why EVERYONE should do it!

When people ask me about Bikram yoga I tell them that it is the hardest and most relaxing workout that I have ever done and that I am completely addicted to it. It is the most complete full body and mind workout that I have ever done.

Every day I talk myself out of going to Yoga, every dayÉ and if it wasn't on my way home I would probably succeed more often. It has taken me some time to figure out why I do this, which is why it has taken me almost four months to write this too. Bikram yoga FORCES me to deal with my weaknesses, and not just physically, but mentally. You have to be focused in class, period. I had a class just last week where I felt like I wasn't even in the room, at one point during Savasana I think I actually fell asleep. I have had a class where I did not last through half moon and lost my breakfast, lunch and everything in between. I talk myself out of yoga, not because it is physically challenging but because the mentally challenging aspect becomes daunting to me. But I can say that I have NEVER left class disappointed. I have never regretted going and I Always feel like I got something out of the class, whether I did 10 asanas or 26.

To say the least, I love practicing Bikram Yoga.

Alicia Morales

Arthritis in Foot Gone, No More Pain Medication

It has now been more than 60 days since I first walked into your studio and I think that I need to tell you about the changes that Bikram Yoga has made in my life. First a little background about me on the day I walked in. First off I turned 65 on September 18th. I was also about 70 pounds overweight. I suffer from bad knees which I was told to have arthroscopic surgery on more than 20 years ago. I also have a herniated disc in my back, and am taking medication for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and naproxen for my back pain.

In early January I went to give blood which I do every couple of months. They clocked my blood pressure at 162/92 and this while taking meds for my blood pressure. That same day I also finally read the warning that comes with naproxen. It cautions that taking this drug increases your chance of heart attack and stroke, and also raises blood pressure. At that time I decided I needed to do something more than walk another mile on the treadmill or spend an extra twenty minutes on an exercise bike. I needed to make a lifestyle change. Six months ago I ran into my friend Rocky who had just come from one of your classes and he looked better than I had seen him look in years. He told me about Bikram Yoga and the change it had made in his life and it stuck in the back of my mind. So here six months later I decided to check it out. I went to your website and read page after page of testimonials from people talking about how Bikram had changed their lives and improved their health. I saw that you were offering a two week special for $25.00 all the yoga you can do. I have thrown away a lot more than that for no good reason so what could I possibly lose.

On January 5, 2009 I walked into your studio for the first time and signed up for your two week special. As I was filling out my paperwork for you the previous class was ending and out walked my friend Rocky. He was thrilled to see me there and told me I really needed to sign up for the "60 day challenge." Having not yet taken a class I did not take him seriously.

In my first class the instructor told me I had two goals. Don't leave the room and come back tomorrow. In my first class I actually had three goals, don't leave the room, don't pass out, and don't throw up. I managed to meet all three goals and actually came back the next day. After going through the second class and living to tell about it, I thought to myself "I can do this 60 day thing."

On my third day was when things started to get interesting. I had an appointment with a podiatrist that I had made weeks before. For the last couple of years I had not been able to bend the big toe on my right foot. It always looked swollen and could barely move. The podiatrist took an x-ray of my foot and told me I had severe arthritis in my big toe. Even without any medical training it was easy to see the difference between that toe and the other four. He said that it was an easy fix, they would just make an incision, go in and scrape out all the calcification and that it would be as good as new. I asked him how long I would be out of commission and he replied that I would be wearing a boot for 6-8 weeks. At this point I was already seriously considering the 60 day challenge (even though I didn't have the guts to say it out loud to anyone else yet) I told him I wanted to think about it. He said there was no rush, that I had waited this long, a few more weeks or months really would not make a difference. I came straight to your studio after that and relayed the entire conversation to you. You told me that several of the postures that we do address that area of my foot and you advised me to wait at least 6 months before reconsidering the surgery. Well it didn't take 6 months. Three weeks into my 60 day challenge I could bend my big toe as though there was never anything wrong with it. Three weeks!!! No Surgery!!!

That as you know is not the end of my story. I also relayed to you about how I had to stop playing a round of golf after 11 holes one week before I came to Bikram. I have a very high tolerance for pain but I was in agony and could not swing the club any more. This was because my last cortisone shot had worn off. Again you stressed to me that one of our postures directly addresses both golf and tennis elbow. Five weeks after starting with Bikram a friend called me up to play golf. I told him that my Sunday yoga class ended at 11:30 and that he should make a noon tee time. I went straight from my yoga class to the first tee and started swinging. No warm up, no practice, just started playing. I played 18 holes with no pain in my arm. A week later my buddy came in from NY and wanted to play. I again went from yoga to the golf course. 18 holes no warm up no pain. Best of all, no cortisone shots.

You might think that is enough but my story is not over yet. Two years ago I went to a dermatologist because my daughter didn't like a couple of spots on my hands that she thought may be precancerous lesions. As it turned out they were not. But while I was there I asked the doctor to look at some bumps on the inside of my thighs. They looked like tiny warts. They were ugly and annoying and there were dozens of them. The doc said he couldn't burn them all off because there were so many of them. He said I would be in excruciating pain and would not be able to walk. So as an alternative he gave me a prescription for a cream that would remove them over time. My health plan did not cover that cream and it was a couple of hundred dollars for the prescription and I just decided I didn't want to pay for it. Well I don't know exactly when but somewhere about a month into my Bikram classes these little bumps were gone. Don't know exactly when or how but they are gone. I have no idea whether it was due to sweating out all the toxins from my body or just being exposed to all that humidity on a regular basis, all I know is they are gone. Also gone at about the same time is the hard, scaly, dried out, cracked skin on the heels of both my feet.

Just one more thing since I am such a work in process. I no longer take pain medication for my back, which I used to do as soon as I got out of bed in the morning. The only time I notice any real back pain is in two of the postures that we do. What is interesting is that it hurts on the first set but when we do the second set I don't have any pain, so I know that my back is healing. No progress yet on my knees but then again I screwed them up as a teenager playing football so I am prepared for them to take a while to heal.

Oh, and by the way while all this was going on I lost twelve pounds and three notches on my belt without changing my diet one bit.

Thank you Shelby & John. Thank you to all the other instructors who have helped me and to all of my fellow students who have been amazing in their encouragement in helping me succeed.

David Lesnick

Marathon runner finds "increased flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, heat tolerance..."

Last fall, my sister Rickie kept going on about yoga every time I talked to her. I'd come to see her on Sunday afternoon, but she'd be out the door to make the 3:00 session. December came around, and winter break was coming soon (I'm a teacher). I'd been training for the PF Changs Rock-n-Roll Marathon and my sis mentioned Bikram Yoga might help. Since I was going to be off, I signed up for the two week unlimited trial. I went to my first class, and immediately the multitude of benefits became apparent. I went back the next day (of course!), and said to myself "I have to do this forever." I haven't looked back.

I ran the marathon in January (and came to class the next morning!) and met my goal (3:30) which qualified me to run in the Boston Marathon next spring. Moreover, the increased flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, heat tolerance... I only wish I had discovered Bikram Yoga years ago. Whatever physical activity I engage in, my yoga practice only makes it better, and I find that things I used to do that would cause me to wake up feeling sore the next day no longer do. My running has improved immensely.

I think my friends, family and acquaintances are all getting a bit weary of my non-stop promotion of Bikram. When anyone around me complains about their back or their knees, or whatever, I tell them I have just the prescription!

Scott Stevens

"I can't wait to get to class... to feel all the positive energy that people practicing Bikram Yoga seem to possess."

The last half of 2008 was a very stressful time for me. I had just relocated back to Phoenix after living in NW Indiana for 4 years. I had a new job, a house to unpack, walls to paint, two teenage boys starting out at a new school, Christmas was right around the corner and I was a frazzled mess. I had major insomnia, every night waking up at 2:00 am and unable to go back to sleep. I was getting migraines, which I'm sure were stress related, and after seeing a doctor was informed that my migraine headaches and insomnia were most likely "premenopausal" and "normal, nothing to worry about". Well, I didn't feel normal. I felt very stressed out and miserable.

My life had become such a blur... Work, rushing home to get to high school baseball games or golf tournaments that my boys are involved in, eating dinner at 9:00 pm, doing laundry at 11:00 pm and then starting all over again the next day. It was insanity to say the least!

In March, 2009, I had my milestone 50th birthday. My sister-in-law flew out to Phoenix for my birthday and boy, am I glad she did! For my birthday, she made me promise her that I would start doing something for myself: exercise, take a college class, walk everyday, anything that would be strictly my time and my time only. She told me after putting my family first and doing so much for them all these years, it was now time to do something for myself. She had been going to yoga for about 6 months and she went on and on about how it had changed her life. So I made that promise as her birthday wish for me and called my good friend Laura Jared the very next day to find out about Bikram Yoga. Laura had been trying to get me to attend Bikram Hot Yoga for months but I felt like I could never find the time or energy to go. I attended my first class that night with Laura and was completely and totally hooked!

My first class was crazy. I could barely make it to the end, thought I was going to die, that I was going to have a heart attack right there on my mat during one of my 20 second Savasanas! This 90 minutes of hot yoga kicked my butt like nothing I had ever done before. I staggered out of that hot room, dripping wet, exhausted, feeling like I had just ran the Boston Marathon. It was the most intense, challenging workout I had ever experienced, ever! But I was smiling and I loved it and I felt totally invigorated and that night I went home and for the first time in months slept like a baby and did not wake up until my alarm went off! And the next day I went back and I kept going back every single day of my two week trial period. And so began my 60 day challenge from my very first day of class!

I can't even begin to tell you what a difference this has made in my life. Shelby told me I would have a new body, new mind, and a new spirit after 60 days and it's true. My body has been totally transformed. I am leaner, toner, more muscular than I have ever been at any time in my life. I have always been physically fit and health conscience. I've had fitness memberships of every kind. You name it, I've done it. But nothing has ever grabbed my attention and made me take notice like Bikram Yoga. Every class is such a challenge. Every day is a test of my determination, my stamina, my focus and willpower. And that is what I love about it.

Unlike a fitness center with music blaring, loud weights crashing, people chatting and socializing, yoga is all about focus, determination, concentration, mind over matter. When I'm staring into that mirror using all my mental determination to get me through a 30 second pose, I don't even think about the hot room, the people around me, the sweat running into my eyes. All I see is my happy, smiling (not) face in the mirror telling me, "You can do this, Karen!" I can't wait to get to class, to see all the happy, smiling yogi faces, to feel all the positive energy that people practicing Bikram Yoga seem to possess. And every day, when class is over, I'm amazed that I just spent 90 minutes working my entire body. They say time flies when you're having fun and I guess I'm having fun because it always feels like 15 minutes of practice not 90 minutes. When I'm staring into my eyes, doing my final breathing exercise, the same thought crosses my mind...."Wow, that class went by fast!"

I have found something that I know I will be doing for the rest of my life. Something that I feel great about, that makes me feel great about myself. I could go on and on (I usually do, just ask my friends) but I'll just say this was the best birthday gift I could have ever given myself. I wish I would have started yoga years ago but everything has a time and a purpose and I'm so glad Bikram Yoga has become a part of my life now. Thanks Shelby and John for everything that you do to makes Bikram Yoga of Avondale a wonderful place for me. And a special thanks to Ben and Nikki who keep me inspired by their awesome classes!

Karen Gray

"I honestly have not felt this good in years. I am down to 195lbs with no dieting."

I'm a 51 year old man that at the age of 50 was no longer feeling healthy. I have always tried to stay active with hiking & bike riding and working out at the gym. My body had changed drastically and I was the heaviest I have ever been in my life. I went to the doctor to find out why I no longer could lose weight through diet & exercise and, when I did exercise, my joints and muscles would hurt.

I was diagnosed with extremely high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, high liver enzymes & a fatty liver. I quit drinking alcohol and went on a low calorie diet and continued with my exercise and my work outs at the gym. I lost about 15 lbs and lowered my blood pressure (still high) and increased my liver functions but still didn't feel a ñgood soreî with my exercise program. I was stuck at a weight of just over 200 lbs no matter what I did.

I was listening to the John Jay & Rich Radio show one morning while taking my kids to school and heard John Jay talking about how he had lost 85 pounds through the Cookie Diet and Bikram Yoga. I know through listening that he is not the type of person who welcomes exercise or any type of physical activity at all, so this yoga thing caught my interest. I was listening on another trip to school one AM and John Jay had gotten a phone interview with Bikram himself. I could hear the sincerity in his voice -- a genuine wish to help people to live more fulfilling lives.

A month or so passed and I noticed the sign of a Bikram Yoga studio near my home. I went in and met with Shelby the owner. I explained my situation and that I was looking for an exercise program I could do for the rest of my life. She explained Bikram yoga to me in detail. You could tell she was very passionate about it -- not just a business but something she truly enjoyed. I signed for the 1 month deal.

The 1st class was one I'll never forget. All I was told I needed to do for the first class was stay in the 105 degree room for the full 90 minutes. There were no expectations beyond that. As a matter of fact, there are never anybody else's expectations just your own. I thought "this is going to be easy for me" because I have always jogged, hiked, and rode my bike in the summer heat. I love to sweat. That door was calling my name the whole time. With each class you improve and I actually enjoy the sweat because my body feels so much better afterwards.

Well, I have been doing this for a month and a half. I know now why Bikram calls it "his 90 minute torture chamber". But, I feel each and every time that I have accomplished a personal goal. It is getting easier and sometimes I feel that it wasn't even 90 minutes. I honestly have not felt this good in years. I am down to 195lbs with no dieting. The worst thing is that I'm getting an addiction to it! I can't wait for my next doctor's appointment.

Rick Beckner

"That's when I learned how to train my mind to just FOCUS."

It's 105F degrees and 40% humidity and you are fighting against the heat and the beads of perspiration. 90 minutes and 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises. What has it taught me?

Some say it's a torture chamber and it's killing yourself. Some attest to a stronger back and healthier body. This is Bikram Yoga.

My first experience was rather interesting as I breezed through the 90 minutes of class without panting or dizziness as many have claimed. I loved it since it reminded me so much of dance. I can just hold the positions just like my dance pose. All that perspiration felt like I worked really hard while all the time I was positioned on my yoga mat. I wasn't running on the tread mill for 5 km. I wasn't having a rehearsal for a full length repertoire. I was just stretching my body and holding for 6-10 seconds. At the end of class, my towel was wet, my hair was dripping like I fell into the pool and my costume was drenched. I enjoyed every bit of it.

I took class almost every day and sometimes I did double when I did my 60 Days challenge. As I proceed and learned more from the instructors and a dear fellow yogi the proper placement of the body, class got harder and more challenging. I felt that each class was more difficult than the last. That's when I learned how to train my mind to just FOCUS. Regardless of the heat, regardless of the perspiration getting into my eyes, I have to just breathe and not give up. I learned about perseverance and just pure Focus. Bikram's very own words were "Use your Bull-dog determination, Will power and Bengal Tiger Strength".

Coming out of the heated room, I carry the same attitude I developed in there to the outside world. No matter what I encounter, whatever distractions that come, I have learned to tell myself to Focus and get my job done. When I'm dancing and the rehearsals are running for the umpteenth time and my heart is pounding, I just kept breathing and told myself to Focus. When I'm doing the 5 km runs, sometimes the heat is scorching and the stitch is killing me, I remember how I have to Focus and not give up. I clenched my teeth and push myself even further and run faster.

In life, there are many distractions and obstacles that we encounter. Close your eyes and just breathe and tell yourself that you can do it. Focus and never give up.

Jasmine Lim

"Stomach, stomach, stomach"

I've heard those words so much they ring through my head constantly. I have been in the fitness industry for many years and I am very aware of what it takes to keep my own body and mind in great shape. So, when a friend told me she was into this Bikram yoga, it piqued my interest. Who doesn't want to be more flexible? Maybe this would help alleviate some of the terrible back spasms I am sometimes troubled with. So, I did the two week intro class with a friend. She never came back but here I am 8 months later...hooked to being in that studio 3 days a week...you want to know why? Stomach, stomach, stomach...I have never in my years of intense workouts seen my stomach look like this and at 46 years old...the more I do it...the stronger my abs get. I did not join Bikram Yoga Avondale to lose weight but where did the extra 5 pounds go that I had when I started? It is still the most challenging fitness regimen I have ever encountered and even got my brother who runs marathons hooked. My back is still an issue but it has been for so many years, I know that if I continue on the path I am addicted to...I will see even greater benefits. I still haven't mastered all of the poses but I know that in time anything can happen.

Thank you,
Ricki Stevens

Pain in feet, ankles, hips and back subside, lost inches in waist, hips and bust, no more sleeping pills in only 5 weeks!

I have just completed my first 5 weeks (I think that is right!) of Bikram Yoga. I didn't think I would make it through my first class, yet here I am. I made a promise to myself to attend classes a minimum of three times a week, and have been able to keep that promise except for one week.

When I arrived at your doorstep, I really had no idea what I was getting into except what I had read on the internet - and who knows what you can believe there! I wasn't sleeping through the night without the help of a pill, I was stressed and I had little patience for anything in my life, especially my son and husband - they definitely took the brunt of my mood swings. I had recently lost 15 pounds through diet and jogging, but I found that even with my weight loss I was miserable. My feet, ankle, hips, back - everything hurt!! I had practiced yoga before, but sadly, I hadn't been on a yoga mat for almost 5 years.

About 1/2 hour into my first class, I decide that I would get through class, and there was no way I would step through your doors again. At the end of the class, I was certain I wouldn't be back. The instructor told me to come back the next day so that I wouldn't be as sore. I went home, barely able to keep my eyes open, got my son to bed, popped my sleeping pill and went to bed.

I woke up the next morning slightly sore, and thought, "It couldn't have been that bad." And I decided to go back. And it was that bad. But I made it through class again despite the dizziness and nausea, went home, and for the first time in months, slept through the whole night without popping a pill. When that happened, I knew I had to go back.

So here I am at around 5 weeks. Here is what has happened:

Feet, ankles, hips and back - all pain is gone, except in the lower back every now and then.
Sleeping patterns: normal on most nights- no drugs!
Stress level: much better than what it was.
Patience level: My husband says that I am acting like a human again - most of the time :)
Weight loss: one pound....not too exciting, right? However, I have lost just over an inch in my belly, 1/2 inch in my bootie/hips, and almost a cup size in my bra if you can believe that. These babies are still huge!

There are also some really interesting things going on with my digestive system. The thing I like best is I am simply not as hungry as I was before beginning Bikram Yoga. I don't think you want to hear about the rest!

I love/hate the fact that a class will never be "easy." I love that even though we are doing the same poses every single class, every time bring something new. I love how almost every class I surprise myself with stretching further or holding a pose longer.

Almost every class, I hear that getting there is the battle, and the instructors are so correct. It is very difficult to walk into something that you know will be challenging physically and mentally, but once I get through those doors and class begins, I am so happy I made it. I really believe that I now know the true meaning of "a love/hate relationship." Bikram has created something so challenging and amazing, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing it. I look forward to my continued journey with your studio.

All the best,
Wendy Ronning

This practice has helped me to see what I can become if I give it 110% effort. It's the best thing I have done for myself in a long, long time.

Bikram Yoga? The advertisement in The Savvy Shopper caught my eye. I was very interested in this "hot" yoga so thought I'd give it a try. Well, that was over one and _ years ago and I was hooked after the 2nd class. I can say that even though I could come up with plenty of excuses not to go to class, there has never been a time that I regretted coming. My non-yogi self would say "you are twice the age of 80% of the class and out of shape . . . just what do you think you are doing here?"

I always leave with more energy and spirit than I begin class with. I just finished my 60 day challenge and report more stamina and determination in my life. It definitely is an upward climb for me, but one that is so worth the effort. The staff has been wonderful and encouraging. My postures are improving with time and the gentle correction and guidance provided by all the teachers is so helpful. Every class is a true learning experience. It doesn't matter how many hundreds of times we hear the dialogue there is always something new and challenging about it.

I am a medical transcriptionist which involves sitting at a computer 8 hours a day. I suffered from wrist and arm numbing/tingling often waking me up at night as well as lower back pain which have both resolved at this time. I haven't seen my chiropractor in over six months. I also have improved mental clarity (most of the time) and am less stressed about situations out of my control. This practice has helped me to see what I can become if I give it 110% effort. It's the best thing I have done for myself in a long, long time. Thank you Bikram Yoga Avondale for the changes in my life! I'm looking forward to seeing more with my new Bengal tiger strength and English bulldog determination!

Debra Cox

"Improvements"

Bikram Yoga improves my mental clarity.

Bikram Yoga improves my ability to execute decisions.

Bikram Yoga eliminates distracting mental wandering.

Bikram Yoga improves my interaction with business associates.

Bikram Yoga eliminates the aches and pains of inactivity involved with pc's, research, test and measurement.

Bikram Yoga eliminates dangerous fatty tissue in my abdomen.

Bikram Yoga's deep breathing exercises surprisingly eliminated stress during a dental procedure.

Bikram Yoga improves my eating habits.

Bikram Yoga opened a door in meeting calm, educated new people.

Bikram Yoga improves my health, self-worth and happiness.

Bikram Yoga is fun, challenging, depletes my energy, leaves me feeling refreshed soon after...

Bikram Yoga enhances my life.

BYA student

Yoga una gran diferencia en mi vida diaria

Esto de hacer yoga me sonaba a que iba a ir de paseo, no lo veia como un ejercicio en forma. La primera clase que tome senti que habia llegado al infierno y aparte tenia que quedarme por voluntad propia, pense que estoy haciendo yo aqui, me muero del calor siento que me asfixio, el corazon se me va a salir tengo hasta ganas de vomitar, pero finalmente la termine por puro orgullo propio. Me puse como meta tomar las dos semanas de promocion y con eso quede enganchada.

Creo que ya voy a cumplir tres meses y he notado grandes cambios en mi. Primero mi nivel de tolerancia a subido, tengo mas paciencia y me siento de mejor caracter. En lo fisico hay varios cosas en las que me he sentido mejor. No mas calambres en los pies al levantarme por las mananas, los dolores de cabeza que sufria antes de mi periodo mensual han desaparecido, esto para mi es increible pues los he sufrido toda mi vida, y el mal genio, ese que nos acompana a la mayoria de las mujeres en estos dias ha mejorado muchisimo.

Yo recomiendo practicar yoga a todo el mundo, no es un ejercicio comun y corriente, es algo que te hace sentir bien fisica y mentalmente.

Lo que pense y dije el primer dia de yoga , que era como "estar en el infierno" lo sigo pensando cada dia que voy y la practico, pero cuando termino la clase me siento orgullosa de mi misma y contenta porque tuve el poder de entrar a ese cuarto caliente y praticarla por 90 minutos. Hay veces se me sale una sonrisa furtiva de felicidad o un gritito de alegria (por supuesto ese siempre es en mi mente) cuando logro hacer alguna postura que no podia hacer o mejoro poquito. Yo siento, que lo que quede del dia va a ser mas facil de sobrellevar y que voy a tener una mejor actitud con las personas a mi alrededor.

Otra cosa que no debo de dejar de mencionar es la gran calidad de los profesores y su profesionalismo.( mi favorita Danielle). Gracias Gorda (Paola) por haberme introducido a esta nueva aventura y por supuesto agradecer A Bikram Yoga por hacer esta diferencia en mi vida

Susana Mata

The regular practice of Bikram Yoga makes everything else in life easier.

I'm now, as I promised long ago, attempting to describe why I practice Bikram Yoga and how I believe it benefits me. The most succinct statement I can make, (and I have said this many, many times) is: "the regular practice of Bikram Yoga makes everything else in life easier." As broad and comprehensive as this claim is, I offer it with complete and utter conviction.

I experienced my first Bikram Yoga class 4 1/2 years ago at age 57. At that time I was feeling and accepting of the physical limitations of what I believed to be the beginning of old age. That first class was challenging and daunting to the extent that I knew if I did not return the next day, I would never return. After taking three or four consecutive classes, I began to feel some important and welcome changes. The first was the blissfully exhausted feeling I recalled having in childhood; after running and playing hard all day, and then collapsing in profound, restorative sleep.

The second and most dramatic change, was getting out of bed in the morning and standing straight, immediately. This was an astonishing experience for me after 35 years of chronic low back syndrome related pain, periodic disability, and varyingly sub-erect posture. It is relevant to mention that in the year 1966 at age 19, I was ineligible for enlistment or draft in military service due to this infirmity.

Today, after practicing Bikram Yoga at the rate of two or three times weekly, I simply feel ageless and free of physical limitations. There is never a morning that I do not revel in the enhanced flexibility and the freedom and range of new possibilities available to me.

The third change, experienced more gradually, is the introduction of mind to body, as YOGA has intended for thousands of years. The power of this union promotes mental clarity, emotional stability, and psychic peace to degrees that I cannot adequately describe.

I whole heartedly recommend Bikram Yoga to anyone seeking any or all of these transforming experiences.

See you soon,

Ken Hanley

"Bikram Yoga Avondale Changed My Life!"

I don't know where to even begin when trying to describe what Bikram Yoga Avondale has done for me. You may be thinking that you have been to other yoga studios, maybe even another Bikram studio, so you know what this one is like. You would be wrong. Shelby, John, Danielle and Kelly are what make this studio unlike any other; they make this studio and the people who practice feel like family.

When I showed up on Shelby's doorstep I had my first daughter Payton, three months old at the time, with me and really only came to talk to her as a last resort. My body had taken a hit with a difficult pregnancy and even more difficult birth. I had enormous baby blues and had just been told by my doctor that I could not run for 4 months due to severe shin splints and starting knee damage due to the extra weight I was carrying from being pregnant. As you can imagine, being told that you can't work out to lose the baby weight can be devastating when all you are trying to do is feel like yourself again.

From the moment I walked through that door and met Shelby I knew that I had met someone who truly cared for the people she worked with. She sat down and just asked how I was doing, what I was looking for, and told me how she and Bikram Yoga could help. I started that day and continued straight through for sixty days. In those sixty days I came to realize that Bikram was addressing more than just my weight. My baby blues were gone, I had learned how to deal with my anxiety (90 minutes in that room with do it for you!) and found a moment where I was not someone's wife or someone's mother but I was me again. For those of you who are wondering, I did lose weight. In 60 days I dropped 38 pounds. I do have more to go as I was not one of those "cute little pregnant women". Ha Ha.

When you begin your practice at Bikram Yoga Avondale you will feel the family atmosphere immediately and it does not ever go away. Upon walking in the door you will see the brightest smile on the face of Kelly who is so excited to see you every time. You will have the pleasure of being led through your practice by Danielle, Shelby, or John who care about how you are doing not just going through the moves. They will push you and challenge you because when you have stopped believing in yourself they are there to show you that someone not only believes, but knows you can do it. The "family room" or waiting area as other studios call it is typically full of laughter and discussion amongst the other members of the studio. Most come 30 minutes early just to get that conversation time in.

Bikram Yoga Avondale is life changing. As Danielle once said, "Give us 10 straight days and we can show you the beginning of a new life!" She has no idea how right she was. Each and every person who practices with Shelby, John, or Danielle as their instructor will see that they are committed to showing you how much better your life can be from the tip of your toes to the hairs on your head and all the things in between. It is up to you to close of your mind and just listen to your body.

Jen Whalen

"Since I began practicing Bikram Yoga twice a week last August, my bursitis quickly disappeared and I have had no pain related to my bulging disc! This is amazing for me."

I am a thirty seven year old mother of four girls, ages 8, 7, 5, and 4. I am used to working out every day, but had only taken one yoga class prior to trying Bikram Yoga. After swimming competitively from age 5 through college and spending many years running (running a marathon), playing tennis, strength training, and being pregnant for four straight years, my body was starting to feel the effects. For the past 3 years I have suffered bursitis in my shoulder. I also have a bulging disc in my back which has continued to cause bouts of severe pain, sometimes almost paralyzing me temporarily. I have tried physical therapy, regular massages and ibuprofen to manage the back and shoulder pain in order to remain active. These have only served as very temporary fixes.

Prior to John and Shelby opening the studio, a friend of mine told me about Bikram Yoga and how great it is for your body. It sounded perfect for my aching body, but I have a terrible time in the heat. I have suffered heat exhaustion/vomiting and heat induced migraine headaches in the past. Needless to say, I was nervous to enter the torture chamber, not to mention actually staying in the room and exerting myself for 90 minutes! However, I was at a point in my life where I was feeling as though I would not be able to keep up my normal workout routines for much longer and needed to find a way to continue to remain active for the next half of my life.

Last August I tried Bikram Yoga for the first time. I was nauseous and had a migraine all day after my first several classes. It was awful. I kept coming back because I felt there was hope that if I could overcome the heat and acclimate to it, rather than suffer from it, then maybe I could heal some of my aches and pains. Shelby told me that once I could keep the breathing to in and out only through my nose the experience would become more meditative. Finally, I was able to keep my mouth closed through the entire class. In my experience, being able to breathe only through my nose was a huge help. I stopped getting the migraine after class and started feeling great after class, no more nausea. Don't get me wrong, I still sometimes feel like I am going to die during class, but only during, not after class!

Since I began practicing Bikram Yoga twice a week last August, my bursitis quickly disappeared and I have had no pain related to my bulging disc! This is amazing for me. I had become accustomed to regular pain from the bursitis and often times debilitating pain from the bulging disc. In April I completed the 60 Day Challenge and on Day 58 I completed my first triathlon. (My only training for the triathlon was Bikram Yoga...no kidding.) With a healthy shoulder and back, I was also able to complete the entire tennis season from September through May this year without any lapses due to injury!

Thank you to Shelby and John for opening the studio and doing such an amazing job of welcoming all of us. The studio is a wonderful place to be and all of the teachers are outstanding. You are changing people's lives.

Thank you!
Stefi

Asthma is Gone

I would like to thank you for bringing Bikram Yoga to our area. It took me several months to finally find you. I was hooked after my 1st class, now 47 classes later I'm addicted. The most amazing change my body has experienced is my breathing. I have chronic asthma. I've always needed to carry my inhaler with me every minute, never knowing when I would have an attack. From day one with Bikram yoga my asthma is gone. This is so huge I don't even have words to express my gratitude. Also, that you remember everyone by name, Wow, you're all great... I look forward to more and more and more "Hot" classes.

Laura Jared

"I have never experienced the sweat and rewards that Bikram Yoga has given me."

I find Bikram Yoga is many things; difficult, rewarding and addicting. It's true - I have finally learned the definition of a love/hate relationship. To explain just a few of my love/hate feelings of Bikram: hate the heat, love the results; hate that it's 90 minutes, love how the time fly's by in class.

For the past 30 years I have been an avid exerciser. I have managed and coached running groups, aerobic classes and weight training. My true passion is running and my husband got me into running in 1978. I have never experienced the sweat and rewards that Bikram Yoga has given me. The repeated, positive instruction that is given by John, Shelby and Danielle is admirable.

Last month I touched my toes from a straight leg standing position something I had not been able to do since an on-the-job injury in 1994. Before this toe touching day my best flexibility was last year after a series of epidural shots I could touch below my knees! This task may seem small to most however, if you could see my x-rays and the damage to my lower discs you would understand why the doctor recommended back surgery. The ability of touching my toes, I feel is an amazing feat. After class I shared this toe touching experience with John, our instructor, and I had no doubts John understood how important this small stride was to me. My goal for Bikram Yoga is to continually do as I am asked and achieve my best in ALL 26 postures!

With heartfelt thanks,
Debra Undhjem

"Bikram Yoga has provided me a quiet and peaceful oasis for 90 minutes every day..."

I have truly found my niche in the work out world with Bikram Yoga. After only one month of practice, I feel like "a million bucks"...and I look like it tooJ My attitude is better, my focus is clearer, and my flexibility is increased (to say it lightly). Looking for a way to work out without going to a gym and being stared at by strangers, I chose Bikram Yoga Avondale, which has given me the opportunity to focus on improving my own body and self image without the trepidation of a large gym atmosphere, but retaining the challenge of a great workout.

I must admit, coming through the doors into the hot room for the first time was completely intimidating since I am not one much for working out or being uncomfortable; however, the welcome and sincere encouragement from all the regular yogis was heart warming, which created this determination in me that I have never felt before...all I could think is "if they can do it, and want to do it, then so can I." As soon as I left my first session, I was hot and sweaty and although said I would definitely try it again, I wasn't sure how I really felt about the experience until the next day's session when people already knew my name and I could feel the change in my body just since the previous day. I live for the natural high that Bikram Yoga provides, and I find myself longing to go back day after day.

Being a high school teacher, I have very little time to myself during the school year, and Bikram Yoga has provided me a quiet and peaceful oasis for 90 minutes every day from the hustle and bustle of my daily life so I can go home in the evening and enjoy my husband's company without a clouded mind and soul. My husband doesn't complain about the results either! I am sincerely grateful for the clarity that I have gained, as I didn't know I was missing it until I began my yoga practice. I can't wait until the next challenge that tomorrow's session brings.

Yours faithfully,
Nancy Mitchell

"The days I go I never regret and the days I don't go I do regret"

I was introduced to Bikram Yoga by a friend. I am really enjoying this new experience. I've been practicing for about 6 weeks now. I was used to working out in a gym so the torture chamber was really a new experience for me. I like the way I feel after each class. The days I go I never regret and the days I don't go I do regret. I find myself eating healthier, drinking a lot of water and overall feeling more energized. I had to take one week off and saw the difference in myself. I started eating unhealthy, not drinking lots of water and I had less energy. This is just the beginning of my yoga practice, and can't wait to see what's in store for me.

Yelila Arellano

Improved Mood - More Calm and Relaxed - Less Stressed

I've just started Bikram Yoga and it is definitely a challenge. It's a lot of work during class, but once it's over and I leave, I feel so much more refreshed and accomplished. Even in the short time that I've been taking classes, I see and feel a difference. My clothes fit a little looser and my posture is a little better. In addition, the biggest change I've also noticed is the change within my-self. One of the reasons why I started taking Bikram Yoga is because I've been stressed out about work and family recently, and I needed to find an outlet where I could get away from it all and focus on me. I am also more focused on important obligations and less of frivolous things. My mood is so much better now because I am a lot more calm and relaxed. I know it may sound corny, but it is as though I have found peace and contentment within myself. The instructors as well as the other people in class have been wonderful because no one judges anyone else. It is a safe environment to come and focus on you. I feel like class really helps me release all the built up tension I've carried within myself. I've learned to just let go because life is too short to stress. This is a great workout for the entire body, inside and out.

Relief From Low Back Pain After 3 Bikram Yoga Classes

I would love to share my testimony about your Bikram Yoga Classes.

I came to Bikram Yoga with low-back pain and after 3 classes, felt so much better because of the incredible stretching that is done to help loosen up tight muscles. The classes are definitely challenging but also encouraging to see how quickly the body can stretch further, have more balance, and more stamina.

Each instructor is highly trained and knows the proper way to do each pose so we get the most benefit and stay clear from injury. Avondale Bikram Yoga facility offers a warm welcome, fresh and clean rooms and positive encouragement to offer.

Keep up the excellent work!

Gerda Swortzel, Certified Health Instructor

Improving Muscle Tone and Reducing Stress

"Like most college grads I took a job in an office setting with a desk and a chair on wheels. I sometimes call my work "riding the chair". My work is primarily mental and I have not gotten a lot of exercise since my days in college, so of course, I had stress, weight gain, and that longing to be fit again. A couple of months ago I gave Bikram Yoga a try. I was not really sure of what to expect, but I tried it, and immediately I began feeling the benefits. I now am starting to see muscle tone in my arms and legs, my clothes are fitting looser, and most of all I do not have all of that chaos that runs through your mind and body when you are totally stressed out.

I have recently set a new goal for myself to attend classes 4 to 5 time per week and just increasing my participation 1 to 2 times per week is really helping me physically and mentally. I still struggle with some of the postures, but I do my best because as one of our instructors tells us "Its yoga practice not yoga perfect".

I can say with conviction this is the best thing I have done for myself in a long time."

Kerri

Entire Body Feels Alive After Only 3 Weeks of Practicing Bikram Yoga

The benifits I've seen in the first three weeks of Bikram Yoga are...

• More ENERGY
• More PATIENCE
• More FLEXIBLE
• CLEARER MIND
• STRAIGHTER POSTURE

I'm sure this list will continue to grow overtime. I have also stopped making excuses why I CAN'T exercise. My entire body feels so ALIVE!

DeeDee

Weight Loss, Reduced Sciatic Pain and Stabilized Hypothyroidism

Bikram promises that in doing this practice of Yoga for 60 days you will gain a new body, new mind and new life. During this 60 day challenge, I received many wonderful benefits in all three areas as Bikram promises, mainly with a new body.

I lost weight, regained some feeling in my right leg and foot and my under active thyroid stabilized.

At the beginning of the year, as most of us has done in one way or another, I set out on the resolution to lose weight and get in shape. I had been going to Bikram Yoga since June, 2007 with no real dedication due to the distance of traveling downtown Phoenix. When I found that there was a studio opening in Avondale, I was excited about attending and although I joined in October of 2007, the dedication to my-self had not yet come. I even missed most of the month of December due to illness. In January, I decided that a resolution was not something you do just because it's the beginning of the year, but a life change that needs to be made , so I started attending classes on a regular basis for maybe three to four times a week and in February, the 60 day challenge was announced. Opportunity was available for me to rededicate myself to me. At the beginning of 2008, I weighed in at 193 lbs. by the end of the 60 day challenge I weighed in at 169 lbs and I look great! Don't get me wrong, 193 lbs could very well look great on some people with the right height and the right build, but it wasn't quite working out for me being 5'7'' with a medium build. Losing weight was only one of the many added benefits that would affect the rest of my life.

In March, 2005, I was stricken with sciatic nerve problems in the right lower side of my body. The pain was horrible and for 3 yrs now, I have had to deal with some nerve damage as a result. During the 60 day challenge, miraculously, I began to have something really crazy happen in my right buttock, leg and foot. I had pain! Pain in areas that I had not been able to feel for 3 years now! This was wonderful! I had been through numerous series of steroid injections to my lower spine which would only temporarily relieve the pain in areas where there are sensations, in the hope of healing the herniated disk in my lower back. I will continue to do Bikram Yoga on the belief that although I may not completely get full sensations back in those areas of my right leg and foot, the health benefits of doing this Yoga excels in keeping the pain away versus getting the steroid injections. Since my bout with feeling pain sensations during the challenge, I haven't experienced any more severity of pain in those areas, not to mention, my hips are loosening and I have moved closer to being able to go into lotus pose. Okay, maybe not full lotus but half, one leg at a time. Just like others practicing Bikram Yoga, I would probably continue to find added new benefits as I continue to become deeply aware and in touch with my body.

Back in December, 2007, I visited with my family doctor for my routine annual physical, blood work, and mammogram. The numbers in my blood work showed that I had hypothyroidism and needed to be on medication, however, the medication wasn't prescribed and I didn't make a fuss about it only because I don't particularly care about using pharmaceutical medications as an option to healing the body. Well, here it is 4 months later and on my most recent visit to the doctor's office, the nurse practitioner asked had I been prescribed medication for my hypothyroidism. When I answered no, she immediately had the lab tech come in and draw blood so that she could get my numbers again and get medications prescribed to me to start trying to stabilize my hypothyroidism only to find that it had already stabilized itself! WOW! I have a history of hypothyroidism in my family starting with my grandmother, mother and numerous females in my family who have all either had to have surgery, or are spending their lives on medication to keep their hypothyroidism under control. Who is to say that my numbers won't change again and that I could have to go on medication, but right now, I do believe that this practice along with my mind set are the reason for the positive health changes and as long as I continue to be part of this practice, I feel that my body, my mind and my life will be restored.

I would like to thank the instructors for all their motivation, inspiration and kind words of encouragement throughout this journey and to also congratulate the Bikram Yoga Avondale family of students and newfound friends in completing their challenges as well, and much appreciation to them all for offering their love and support. Namaste

Deidra

Relief From Stress Induced Panic Attacks Since Practicing Bikram Yoga

I went online to learn more about Bikram Yoga after my aunt suggested I try it out. She has been practicing in Los Angeles for a few years. I was so excited to find out that a studio was located only six miles from my home so I signed up as a new student, figuring I would give it a month and see how I liked it. My attempts to get into shape over the past few years had been plagued by reoccurring injuries, which lead to a lack of motivation and eventually a complete end to my efforts. My initial interest in yoga was to simply get healthier and start engaging in some regular physical activity.

I am a firm believer that we are unmistakably introduced to experiences or situations for a greater purpose and it is our responsibility to seek out what that purpose is. In a span of ten days, prior to signing up for my first Bikram Yoga class, I lost my grandmother, my job, and my beloved Rottweiler, Zena, certainly a lot for anyone to handle. Since my early twenties, I have suffered from an anxiety disorder, which was later accompanied by stress induced panic attacks.

During some of the most stressful times in my life I became physically unable to function because of either the onset of an attack or the fear that I could have one at any time. I participated in therapy for a few months to learn some coping strategies, but when implemented, they rarely worked for me. The first day I walked into the studio, I was scared, uneasy, and understandably STRESSED OUT, because of the happenings of the preceding days. Still focused on becoming healthy, I endured my first class, came back the next day and did it all over again. Then I began coming every day. If I missed a day, I would double up. I was feeling really good. And despite how challenging I found the classes, I was injury free, which made it easier to come back the next day. In the next few weeks, I became less focused on my physical appearance when I realized I had gone two weeks under a great deal of stress and hadnÍt had a panic attack. My parents commented that they were shocked but impressed at how I was "dealing" with things, almost as if they had been anticipating that a panic attack was inevitably coming. I am proud to say IÍm six weeks in and still no panic attacks.

I went into this thinking I was going to change my body, but in return I have learned more about my mind and the power that I posses over it. Practicing yoga is more of a lesson in exercising your mind power. I have better control over my perception of situations because of the clarity that comes with calming your mind. The clarity enables me to make a sound decision about how I am going to react to a particular situation. I think all those therapy sessions tried to accomplish that but it took a hot room and 26 postures for me to get it!!

I still have "real life" issues to deal with, but I have been able to deal with them in a healthier and productive way because of everything I have learned thus far from practicing yoga. I plan on continuing with my yoga practice, because I know that this experience was placed in my life at this time, under these circumstances for a specific purpose, and maybe if IÍm lucky a new body will find its way in there eventually too.

Angela

"After Beginning Bikram Yoga My Hot Flashes Have Virtually Disappeared!"

I wanted to tell you about my last doctor visit. I go to my doctor for treatment of migraines. We have changed my diet and I have also included Bikram yoga a few days a week. During the month of March I was busy preparing for my daughter's wedding and did not attend classes. I recently began experiencing the migraines again with some lasting a week. After some discussion with my doctor she and I decided the yoga helped to keep the migraines away while I am active in the classes. I also told her that after beginning Bikram my hot flashes have virtually disappeared! So I can say with some confidence that yoga does help if not get rid of some health ailments.

My thanks go to both you and John and all our other instructors!

Debbie

Half Way Through a 60 Day Challenge

For those who do not know me, my name is Alicia. I started practicing yoga at Bikram Avondale around October. I had never practiced yoga of any kind prior to coming to Bikram Avondale. My original motivation to try Bikram was to see if it would give me options beyond going to the gym to help maintain my weight loss (I lost 50 lbs last year). Within that time, Bikram has become much more for me physically and emotionally. I recently reached a goal to practice 30 straight days of Bikram and Shelby asked if I could write down some thoughts on my Challenge. (And since Shelby has the ability to make the class hold a really, really longggggg awkward pose, I am writing my thoughts - just kidding).

I think my advice for the Bikram Challenge is simply to make "finishing the 60 Day Challenge" your goal, rather than improving postures, weight loss, etc. This really helped me on my hard days when terms such as balance, flexibility and strength were completely foreign concepts to my body or days when no matter how hard I tried I could not hold a pose that I had been working on improving. Mentally on those days my brain tried to sabotage my body by taunting..."I practice better yoga when I don't come ever day, why am I doing this"? Throughout my 30 Day Challenge, I had amazing practice days and days where I thought I did better poses on Day 1 of just starting Bikram! What allowed me to push through was the fact that my goal was simply to finish my Challenge; it had nothing to do with how I did on any one day. I went up and down so many times in my yoga practice that I really had no choice but to accept my body and what it was able to give or not give on any set day. However, looking back NOW, it is pretty cool to see how my "worst" poses (namely bow pulling) got better and my "favorite" poses got even stronger...unfortunately my "hated" pose (2nd part of awkward), I still really do not like it!!

The time commitment needed to do the challenge was tough for me. I work full-time, have a beautiful 6 year old daughter and a very supportive, but busy husband. I can only hope in the long run that I am a better mom, spouse, and employee.

To end, I would like to thank Shelby and John for their constant support of my practice and thank Danielle, not only for her support, but also for making my actual "Day 30" class truly amazing.

Alicia Webber

Overweight, out of shape, bad knees, bad back, ex-smoker, and 53 years old...
How Bikram Yoga helped

Overweight, out of shape, bad knees, bad lower back, bad upper back, ex-smoker, and 53 years old; what do you do to fix all that damage? 9 Hours a day at the computer and 2 hours a day behind the steering wheel weren't helping and my attitude wasn't improving, either. I needed a plan to enter middle age in some semblance of health and happiness.

Bikram has shown me a way. For two months my wife and I attended twice a week. I could feel the improvements beginning in my body, but was not losing weight. I was actually consuming enough extra calories to prevent weight loss. It was time for an adjustment to the plan.

We added a day and now go to class three days a week. I have begun to limit my caloric intake to something more along normal lines and have subsequently lost more than 20 pounds over the last 3 months. My weight loss continues and I am still able to enjoy the occasional beer or cookie (which helps my attitude improve).

My joints will still not complete all the movements the postures expect, but they are about 30% closer than they were when I started, 5 months ago. I expect to continue to improve as we progress. I am building muscles that help prevent my upper and lower back from further injury. My overall body structure is improving and I believe my loving wife approves of this new replacement for her potbellied old husband.

The meditation of Yoga practice helps me a great deal, spiritually. I have been fairly exasperated by the remnants of a career interrupted several times by failed employers. The discipline and relaxation put me in touch with a greater perspective. Meditation is individual and personal, so you have to find out for yourself what lies there for you.

I feel very fortunate to be shown this path to recovery, wellness and happiness. I anticipate some golden years ahead.

Gratefully,
Bradford E. Black

Discouraged, Struggling with Back Pain - How Patience, Faith and Bikram Yoga Helped

I just wanted to take a few moments to let you know how I have and continue to appreciate the incredible support you have shown in my journey to practice Bikram Yoga. There have been times that I have struggled greatly and I am in hopes that this email may assist others you are seeking to help.

For the past 5 1/2 years, I have been working fulltime and going to school fulltime. That means that I have spent most of the hours in a day sitting. With a history of back challenges, the volumes of hours on my rear end have not helped. When I first started at your studio 4 months ago, I was very excited. The excitement was from my experience 6 1/2 years ago when I had practiced Bikram for 7 months before moving away from that area of town. Because of that experience, I came to Bikram Yoga Avondale completely sold on the benefits. However, after a few classes, I started to doubt that my body was still able to handle such an intense practice.

The first class was challenging, but I knew if I returned the next day things would improve. Well...after the next day, I was sure that one or two more classes would help me to realize that I could still handle Bikram Yoga. I am guessing that about my 5th class was when I thought it was over for me. Being unable to do the standing head to knee pose, I was so determined and forced my body in a manner that was not pleasing. My back screamed and I responded by leaving the room and went into the waiting area in tears of complete frustration. That afternoon and evening were very frustrating for me and I shed quite a few tears. My body was telling me to stop, but my mind was telling me to remember the success I had once enjoyed with Bikram. My husband, who practices with me, was lost at what to say or how to help me. He has seen me over the years at times when my back issues left me unable to hardly walk for days at a time. I am sure he thought that I would quit. Then you called my home to talk about what had happened. You listened to me and a few of my tears. Through our conversation, you suggested that I look at the Bikram site under testimonials and herniated discs. You assured me that others had had similar concerns and experiences and that this testimonial information would help.

Over the next few days, I poured over the numerous postings from people who had various health concerns and had overcome them. Mostly, the one under herniated discs was quite insightful. The person had a story that far surpassed anything I had experienced, so I knew that my hope could be restored. In the testimonial, there were pictures and comments on how the person had modified poses and then eventually was able to handle poses without modifications. I printed out all of the information, read and re-read it, then decided to try some of tips at my next practice. At the next class, you were the instructor. You spoke with me before the class, encouraged me to listen to my body, and shared that I had a lifetime to practice. During the class when I was trying a couple of the poses with the modifications I had learned from the Bikram site, you encouraged me when you saw the modifications working well.

After a few more classes and still being unable to do a few poses, I later decided to bring in a yoga strap to assist me with the pose sitting separate leg stretching head to knee. You observed what I was doing and after class gave me a modification that would not require any supports. I must say that I was not sold on your optimism and thought it would never work for me. Well, today I am able to do the pose and have my knees about 1/2 straight - that is quite a feat for me since I started with not even being able to reach my toes, much less hold my toes properly with my legs almost straight.

Each day I come to class, I know that practicing Bikram Yoga is the best thing I have ever done for my body, mind, and spirit. Yes, there are times that my body needs to be listened to more than others. With your support and my renewed optimism, I work through those days with more grace and patience. What is most enjoyable is my body now craves the practice. There is not a day that goes by that I do not think about the next time I will be able to attend class. I am still working full time and will be a full time student for 11 more weeks, but I am counting down the days that I will be able to practice 4 times a week instead of 2 or 3 times a week. Many ask my how I find the time to devote to Bikram with my current schedule and I share that the practice is so profound, I somehow find a way.

With thanks and gratitude,
Lee Ann Black

35 Year Old MOM Love's Bikram Yoga - Replaces Running and The Gym

I spent years working out at the gym and enjoyed running and competing in triathalons. Shortly after completing my first marathon I was introduced to Bikram Yoga, and everything changed. I didn't need to go to the gym to stay strong, and I didn't need to run to stay slim or keep my cardio up, all I had to do was go to yoga. After my second visit I was hooked, and I've never stepped foot in a gym or gone running since. Today after 6 years of practicing Bikram Yoga I am in the best shape of my life. The differences between yoga and the gym have been amazing. When I went to the gym I never developed the muscle tone and definition that I have from practicing yoga. My strength and endurance is better then it has ever been. I can go snow skiing or hiking and my legs feel strong and I rarely get winded. And despite having a family history of high cholesterol, mine is the lowest it has ever been. I attribute all this to my regular Bikram Yoga practice.

Yoga and Pregnancy

I've had two children since I started yoga, and I practiced throughout the pregnancies for both of them. Bikram Yoga helped me maintain my weight and I never had problems with swelling, stretch marks, etc... My labor and deliveries were quick and easy. With the birth of my youngest daughter, the OBGYN said it was "the most perfect deliver she had ever seen." She commented on my ideal weight and how great of shape I was in. She couldn't believe that all I had been doing was yoga. The best part however, was how quickly I was able to shed my pregnancy weight and get back into my pre-pregnancy clothes. It was a matter of weeks. Besides the results the yoga gives me - I love the sense of community I get from being with people who are happy and healthy and love the results too. I'll do Bikram the rest of my life.

Shelby Rayner

Athlete Heals Knee Injury

When I started practicing yoga, I was looking for something challenging that would keep me in good shape. I had been running a lot and racing in triathlons, and was beginning to feel burned out. Then I took my first Bikram class and right away I knew this was exactly what I needed. My heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest and the teacher was calmly telling us to be still and breathe. Sweat was pouring off of me, I was getting completely worked, and was hooked. I stuck with it, practicing several times a week, and soon realized I was getting so much more than just a great workout. I would come to class tired and stressed out and would leave totally energized and in a great mood. My body changed - leaner, more toned. My diet changed - I just felt like eating healthier. I still got stressed out, but could easily deal with it.

When I injured my knee in a basketball game and needed surgery, Bikram Yoga brought me back to full strength in a couple of months. It is good to know that if I only do this for the rest of my life I can stay in the best possible shape. What I truly appreciated about Bikram Yoga is you get exactly out of it what you put in - you decide.

John Rayner

Eliminating Knee and Joint Pain and TMJ (lock jaw)

Bikram's yoga is the only thing that brought me relief from knee pain. I had had knee surgery on both knees in 1982. While the problem was addressed, my knees were always stiff and creaky and, over time, the pain returned. I originally started taking yoga to prepare for a second knee surgery. Most doctors felt it was inevitable; just a matter of when. I decided that even though I didn't like yoga very much, I'd do it for bit to build good muscle tone for my (allegedly) unavoidable second surgery.

Four years of yoga later, my knees are gloriously pain free! An added surprise benefit is my lifelong battle with constant jaw locking and headaches caused by TMJ. Within six weeks of starting yoga, the problem just sort of vanished. If I stop doing yoga for any kind of extended period, the TMJ issues return. As long as I stay in the room and do the 26 magic postures, my knees are gloriously healthy and my jaw is no longer locked and the headaches are gone.

Tracy

Arthritis and Asthma Improved

I want to share my positive Bikram yoga experiences with you. Late last summer I found out that I had arthritis in my left knee: the result of a decade of running. I needed to find a new source of exercise, and in mid October a friend introduced me to "Bikram Yoga". During my initial visit I asked your staff if I would be able to do the yoga with an arthritic knee. I was told that the yoga would likely cure my "runner's knee". I had my doubts but had nothing to loose. I am also an asthmatic and have relied on daily medication since 1990 to keep my lungs clear. I was also told that Bikram yoga can cure asthma. Once again I was skeptical. I have been attending your classes roughly 4 times a week since early November. I am happy to inform you that my arthritis has drastically improved, and for the past few days I have been able to discontinue the use of my asthma medication! As a bonus I have also lost some weight and my cardio vascular health is as strong as it has ever been.

Thank You!

Sincerely,
John Barne

Quits Smoking - Feels and Looks 10 Years Younger

Within the first 30 days of taking Bikram Yoga, I began feeling better. My employer and fellow workers had also commented on my increased energy and improved attitude. I have since gotten 2 raises and a promotion within the first 5 months.

I was a heavy smoker for over 30 years. I quit at the age of 49. After 3 months of gaining weight and failing at several different exercise programs, I almost started smoking again. It was then that I discovered Bikram yoga. Immediately, the desire to smoke left me and I have been able to maintain a healthy weight for my age and feel and look at least 10 years younger. Other problems such as trouble sleeping are gone and I naturally eat healthier. It's been over a year since I've smoked and as I continue Bikram Yoga, I am still pleasantly surprised at the healthy results others, as well as my self are able to see in me.

Sincerely,
Dennis Gilman

Injured Athlete Rehabs Back and Knees with Bikram Yoga

I have been practicing Bikram Yoga now for four and half years on a regular basis. Bikram yoga has helped me holistically in all avenues of my life. I am a 36 year old woman who spent my early years, teens and 20's playing all kinds of competitive sports. These included gymnastics, running, hockey, cheerleading and tri's; just to name a few sports. I have arthritis in both my lower back L5-S1 and knees.

My back was injured in a lifting injury at work in November 2000. Through a combination of yoga, massage and natural supplements; my back is 90% better. Western methods of treatment have had no effects for me in healing of my iliac/sacral ligament.

I also had tears to my meniscus in both knees and had surgery in November 2005; the Bikram Yoga helped me recover post op. I had bilateral scopes done in November 2005 and was practicing gingerly two weeks later. The heat allowed me to slowly stretch and strengthen both knees, thus this allowed me to return to work at week three as a R/N.

The physical effects are delightful but I feel the emotional and spiritual effects out weigh the physical. Bikram allows you to practice a combination of Hatha, Karma and Raja yoga within one method. It changed my life for the positive.

In Fall of 2006 I completed the Bikram Yoga Teacher training in LA and now also enjoy teaching; helping others experience the joys of Bikram Yoga.

Gemma Moore

Drastic Reduction in Cholesterol Levels Without Medication

For the past seven years, I have had some concerns over high cholesterol. More specifically, I had borderline high LDL cholesterol levels. Although I haven't been in immediate danger, I just wasn't happy to see these numbers at age 37. I knew I wasn't headed the right direction... With some diet changes, I was able to maintain relatively acceptable total cholesterol. However, my bad cholesterol always stayed around the borderline high levels.

I took my first Bikram Yoga class on February 10, 2008, and started my first 60-day-challenge on March 1, 2008. Having completed almost 80 classes over three months, I was so hopeful that my newly developed exercise habit would help reduce the LDL cholesterol. So, in May 2008, I went to my family physician to get tested. From 134 in December 2006 to 136 in May 2008, my LDL cholesterol went up 2 points. The total cholesterol showed a small sign of improvement, but I was not happy with the LDL count...

Most likely, Bikram yoga did reduce the LDL cholesterol. But, because I did not get tested before starting Bikram Yoga, no one could tell what the impact was at that time.

I continued my practice, which helped me with stress management, anxiety and knee pain issues. I went to Teacher Training in September 2008, completing almost 100 classes over 61 days. After the TT, during 2009, I completed two more 60-day challenges. I lost 25 pounds over this time period. On July 1, 2009, I became a vegetarian. On January 2, 2010 I started my fourth 60-day challenge...

Finally, It was time for another blood test. On March 5, 2010, I went to my doctor's office to review the results with her. I was in her office nervously waiting, praying for a good result. I was willing to take 115 or 120, just to show some improvement, just to prove that what I did over the past almost two years was not for nothing. My doctor came in, logged in to her computer, was looking at the results. She turned me and said "Ben, are you taking any cholesterol reducing medicine?" I was somewhat confused. I said "No". I added "I have been a vegetarian since July 2009". She said "the results I am seeing here, the reduction you show, cannot be achieved by simply changing diet". She added "this much reduction we see when patients are on medication". I said "well, I have been doing Bikram Yoga since February 2008". She said "whatever it is, you have done a good job". I said "can you please tell me what it is". She said " your LDL cholesterol is 90". I could not believe it. A reduction of 46 points. I was finally in the optimal range...

She asked my permission to share this with the office. She came back with a group of doctors and nurses, all congratulating me. I kept telling them my story.... Apparently, my doctor's office recently decided to recommend life style changes over medicine to those with high cholesterol. But, my doctor told me that they would eventually prescribe medicine to reduce the cholesterol because the "life-style" change was never enough to reach safer levels of cholesterol. She said I was her first patient to achieve a 46 point reduction with out medication...

Shelby, thanks for all your help. You kept me motivated when I wasn't so sure about the yoga... This wouldn't be possible without BYA...

Ben

"I thought these people are nuts to be in this hot room..."

I was introduced to Bikram Yoga the summer of 2008 by my friend Sabre. It was a very trying time in my life; I was dealing with some health issues. Sabre informed me about the heat and I thought, "Yeah right, we live in Arizona, it can't be that hot." WOW! During my first class, I thought these people are nuts to be in this hot room. The instructor told me I needed to come back the next day, and I thought I better give it one more try. I wanted to know more about Bikram Yoga. In the fall of 2009 I did the 60 Day Challenge, and experienced a change in my practice, mind and total body. I no longer have tennis elbow, I have quieted the mind, and overall feel great.

Thank you
Marge Balvistsch