I'd driven by the Portsmouth studio a million times and often wondered what went on behind those steamy windows and curtains! Finally, I would find out. My first class was in April 2008. I will never forget it. I remember looking at myself in the mirror when I was done and laughing. I was beet red like I had just come from the beach and I was completely soaked from head to toe. That night when I went to bed I remember my body feeling so fantastic. It was such a great, relaxed, and warm feeling. What struck me the most was that I STILL felt the same way when I woke up the next morning! This was something I was going to do again; in fact, I headed right in the next day for my second class.
Over the next year and a half, I continued to practice the best I could and as often as I could. I remember when I worked up to practicing two or three days a week. I felt so accomplished! I thought other students crazy if they came in more than that. I mean how could they do more than this? Well, quote Emmy Cleaves, (she Bikram's most Senior Teacher who takes ONLY the advanced, yes, advanced classes...amazing) I began practicing with "frequency, precision, and intensity." I would come to class as often as I could. The more I went, the better I began to feel. My mind became calmer and clearer, I felt so much more relaxed and less on edge. I could deal with life from such a better place physically and mentally. As my practice progressed, I began to hear more. It was as if my ears opened up finally. It was amazing to me how much I could improve my practice by simply listening to the teacher more intensely. Finally, I began to really try harder and harder every class. Once in each posture correctly, I would just give it all I had. I was holding each posture as strongly as I could, being aware of my breathing during each posture and respecting my body's edge on that given day.
It is true, that each day of practice is different. Some days were better than others. This still holds true today. I just went to class and accepted myself and my practice for what it was on that day and did not judge it against other days. This was a great lesson learned by practicing Bikram Yoga and it has spilled over into my daily life as well.
At a certain point, when I was up to practicing six days a week and giving the advanced class a whirl, I remember thinking, I would love to be a part of something that made people feel this good about themselves. I began to think about the possibility of teaching Bikram Yoga. It had transformed me and is still transforming me, and I wanted to be able to lead others into the same.
So with the blessing of Sara, off I went to the Fall 2009 Training in Las Vegas. It was nine weeks of the most amazing experience I have ever had in my life! I worked hard, but enjoyed every minute of it. To study this yoga with the Master himself, Yogiraj Bikram Choudhury, was simply an honor for me. It has changed my outlook, my mind, body and spirit, it has simply, changed me. I am grateful for my experience and the strength my family has because of it.
I look forward to teaching every class. I am always trying to get better and better. You never stop learning. It is a journey of a lifetime that I am thrilled to be on. Namaste.
