Yoga on My Wedding Day

By Niki Fillmore

Our wedding day was one filled with love, joy, laughter, and yoga. That's right, yoga. After all, that is how Nate and I met! (I taught Nate's first class years ago). My bridesmaids and I started the day off by doing a yoga session together in a basement conference room at the hotel. (We let ourselves in!)

This yoga theme continued as our family and friends performed our ceremony and referenced yoga numerous times. And then Nate did it... he said "Lock the Knee"… during his vows. It was awesome. It even made our wedding highlight trailer! 

5 Tips to Practicing Yoga....Not Just Doing Yoga

By Andrea Griego

The only way we learn anything in life is TO practice. So how can you make your yoga experience a good and healthy one?

1.  Arrive early to class so you won't feel anxious or rushed physically and mentally.

2.  Begin to see your yoga practice as relationship building time with YOU!

3. Practice AWARENESS moving into, holding and moving out of postures. Simply begin to notice how you move or think.  This is the first step to create change and learn.

4. Slower is better.....notice your breathing and how it works with you to compliment your practice mind and body.

5. Be impeccable with your form. It's not about pushing your body so much that you sacrifice form and alignment.

Be open to simply practice without any judgment!  Be kind and loving to yourself ...... You have the choice to make your yoga practice an amazing experience that can change your life!

The Hardest Part is Just Getting There

By Erin Wall

You've probably heard before the teacher starts class, "The hard part is over, you are on your mat and towel". We all know sometimes just getting to the studio is the hardest part. Whether your alarm is set for 4:45 to get out of bed or you have to come directly from work, it is so easy to talk yourself out of class and into hitting your snooze button or hitting happy hour with your friends instead. The internal battle of "Should I go take class today?" can be never-ending for some of us. I can't tell you how many times I have sat in my car (in my driveway or in front of the studio) contemplating till the last possible second if I want to take class. A lot of times I would rather stay in bed a little longer or work more or fill my day with anything but the yoga, but 99% of the time I get out of my car and walk into the studio for class. Usually the question I ask myself anytime I'm in this predicament is "Have you ever regretted taking class?", the answer is always no! No matter how much effort it takes to get there, you are always so happy you made it when the 90 minutes is over and you are enjoying your final savasana. There is no better feeling. I hear so often as our students walk into the studio, "I almost didn't come today; I am tired, I am so busy, I am having a really bad day, etc". These are all very normal feelings and thoughts, and the days where it is hard to get to class are the days you really need it. You always feel better even if you can't do as much for whatever reason. This yoga can be really hard and if you have been coming awhile you know it challenges you both mentally and physically. Sometimes that is the reason behind not wanting to do the yoga; its in your face and its pushing your own buttons and bringing up things you're trying to hide or escape from. It's not easy to face your own self everyday. You know there are days where you struggle with balance or during the floor series, or you feel like you can't breathe or focus on anything. Regardless of what you're feeling and experiencing during a certain posture or throughout class, no matter how much you can or can't do on any given day, no matter how much you are struggling; you always feel better at the end of the 90 minutes. It's so worth it. Just get there, I promise you will never regret it, I never do! :)

What is the Most Important Thing in Your Life?

By Terri Villavaso Seemingly, the good answers to this question are endless….

Well Bikram reminds us, the ONLY answer is in the question…

YOUR LIFE.

My whole adult life I have been mindful to stay fit, and take care of me.  I enjoy running, hiking, cycling used to be big on the list, going to the gym, etc.

In 2004, I had no idea what a yoga class might entail… Union of mind and body, what does that mean? 90 minutes in a HOT room?  Of course, I questioned WHY so long... Do everything twice?  One time should surely be enough? WHAT DOES BREATHING MEAN?

My husband, Guy, started yoga a long time before me.  I had zero interest in going.  Of course I was capable of doing my own thing, and did not need a structured HOT class.  I had so many opinions about it all.  I thought for a long time, people were just sitting around in a room meditating, and there was no work out happening…

So our kids, Evan, Tyler, and Emily, were about 12 and 13 years old and they went to a class before I did with Guy!  THAT, is what got ME to my first class…  hearing them say, "MOM, YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS….  YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE IT... YOU LOVE CHALLENGES."

My first class felt like it lasted about 3 hours… time dragging, no clock, I was in shock, most inflexible person in a room of about 45, some crazy teacher calling me… “hey you, in the red shorts”…

I was literally mad at every person in that yoga room, most especially at my husband for not telling me how it REALLY was going to be.  All these so-called, YOGIS, focused only on their face in the mirror, not even noticing or caring that I was about to puke or pass out!

I could not talk for about 2 hours after class, and sat on the corner of my couch at home wrapped in a towel, unable to move or think.  All kinds of things racing in my head, and I could not get the vision of this pretty chick on the front row doing a beautiful “standing bow pulling pose” out of my head!  How dare her show me up, surely I can learn how to do that???

My family still laughs that I was the most unlikely person to ever go back for a 2^nd class or next, or next, or to out of the blue, in 2007 announce to them, I want to be a teacher!!!!

It was not easy the whole process.  Bikram always says, THE RIGHT WAY IS THE HARD WAY, AND IT’S UP TO YOU TO MAKE IT WORK.

I started noticing right away the effects of the yoga.  I felt more patient, more disciplined with my diet, more tuned in to the inner person in me… the observer.  I started feeling different from the inside of me, deep down.  At the top of the list was something very big- my whole family became much more connected.

Somewhere between classes 8 to 10, I thought I might decide that this practice is for ME.  We all know that moment… the one when you walk out of the studio and you have MORE ENERGY, compared to feeling you have to go home and rest!

I got on a routine pretty quickly and decided more is better!  I have kept it up for a long time.  Following a senior teacher seminar back in 2007, I got all energized and just could not stop thinking about it all.  Craig Villani led the seminar at our studio, and he had such a strong presence and so much warmth and knowledge, and I just knew in my heart that teaching was calling my name!  I could not stay off the Bikram website, and started waking up in the middle of the night, wondering, WHY IS THIS CALLING MY NAME?

I feel blessed I followed my heart.  I have been teaching for 5 years now, and it just keeps getting better.  I learn from watching the students, I keep growing on a daily basis.  The yoga does not change, I enjoy the way I keep changing and I see the way YOU keep changing!

NAMASTE, SEE YOU ON THE MAT.

TERRI