Testimonials

Kathy B

Tell us about your very first Bikram Yoga class. When was it and why did you go?

My first Bikram yoga class was last February. A couple of the girls at work were interested in trying it, and I thought sure I’ll do it too. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had never tried any kind of yoga before, and wasn’t expecting this to be so hot and so intense. I loved it. I bought the two week special, and didn’t skip a day…when that was done, I bought the year membership. My first class was a true awakening. I knew I needed this for physical reasons and for my mental well-being.

What are some of the benefits you receive from Bikram yoga?

I have suffered for years from horrible headaches, anxiety, back and neck pain. I also had this strange tingling in my legs at night which my doctor told me was called Restless Leg Syndrome. I am also the kind of person who over thinks everything and worries about everything…so that led to many many sleepless nights. A couple weeks after doing Bikram yoga on a regular basis I noticed my headaches were fewer and less painful…and now I rarely get a headache…amazing! My anxiety and stress levels have also calmed down quite a bit because I am learning how to control my “monkey mind”. I am learning how to stay in the present, focus and relax. The tingling in my legs has also been reduced, and the odd night when I do struggle with it I get up and do the Half Tortoise pose…and that really helps. My sleepless nights have now turned into falling asleep right away and sleeping all night. As for my back and neck issues. Everything has become stronger and not so painful anymore. I remember when I first started,  the spine strengthening part of the class was so difficult for me. Doing Full Locust pose was near impossible. And now that I can do it, I know my back has become so much stronger. Over all Bikram yoga is doing wonderful things for me.

What keeps you coming back for more?

I am totally addicted to Bikram yoga. It’s like my body craves it now. I love what it is doing for me, I love the heat, the challenges it offers, and how I feel after class. It’s 90 minutes for me. I look forward to coming into class and getting deeper into postures and deeper into my body and mind. Also, the instructors are always so helpful, encouraging and inspirational to talk to. I really love that. I have also made some wonderful friends here, everyone is so supportive and friendly…why wouldn’t I come back for more.

What do you find most challenging about practicing Bikram Yoga?

I guess my biggest challenge is getting over the fact that every day my body feels different, and so does my mind. I find that a 9:30 a.m. class is more difficult on my body that a 5 p.m. class. My body feels more stiff in the morning…but I still challenge myself to do a couple morning classes a week. And if I am having a tough day, it is difficult to let those feelings go and focus on my yoga. And of course there are always the challenges of fighting the heat, and breathing properly.

What’s your favorite posture? Your most dreaded posture?

Right now my favorite posture is Standing Head to Knee pose. It took me a long time to learn to lock both knees and now that I can, I look forward to doing this posture…now I just need to get my forehead to my knee. This posture has really tested my patience. My favorite postures from the beginning have been Eagle and Fixed Firm. I constantly have people asking me what I’m doing when I sit with my legs crossed….they are usually in Eagle pose. My most dreaded is Half Moon. First set I find very uncomfortable, I am happy it’s at the beginning of class and I can get it over with.

Peter M

Tell us about your first Bikram Yoga class … when did you go and why?

My very first Bikram Yoga class was in the summer of 2010.  I went because a Naturopathic doctor highly recommended it for my Rheumatoid Arthritis.

What was your impression of Bikram Yoga after that first class? Did you love it or loathe it?

I cannot remember the experience that I had in that first class I went to in 2010.  All I knew was that it was too hot, so I simply stopped going.  I started back up in the summer of 2011, but I knew that before I went to that first class again I was going to be doing it for a very long time.  Something inside me told me that I would be, it just took me a year to admit it to myself.  The second time around I went into it with a lot of respect and with a promise of dedication and trust.  The benefits that I received from the beginning were simply outstanding in every way as they continue to astound me on a daily basis making me feel like I have six senses.

How often do you practice these days?

Right now I am practicing 3-4 times a week but my ultimate goal is to try and practice 5-6 times a week.  I am very excited about the February 4 x 4 challenge.  It’ s 4 days a week for thirty days.  I am trying to get to the point where I am going every day, so this will surely challenge me to go more often.

What are some of the most important benefits you receive from Bikram Yoga? Has it helped to improve your life in any way?

Having had Rheumatoid Arthritis since I woke up with it one day in ’98, the damage it has done throughout the progression of those years in my hands, feet and knees has been slow but steady.  Bikram Yoga has started to what I truly believe and feel is the reversal of the damage that has been done up to this point.  I feel that every posture is not only realigning my body, but it is strengthening and conditioning my joints back to optimum health as well.  Each day I can feel parts of my body letting go, physically and mentally releasing old tensions and old ways of thinking while allowing me to go deeper into the postures and deeper into meditation.

What do you find most challenging about practicing Bikram Yoga?

I find that the preparation is the most difficult thing about Bikram Yoga.  For me it is that voice in my head that I am trying to control that tells me “don’t go to yoga today.”  The only thing that helps with that is more yoga.  Also, getting enough water and electrolytes and eating enough nutritious food on a daily basis can be difficult sometimes as well, but working on an efficient routine really helps.  That is outside of the studio.  The most difficult thing for me inside the studio is different on a daily basis.  It all depends on what is happening to me physically and mentally that day.

What’s your current favorite posture?

My favorite posture at the moment has to be Standing Bow Pose.  It has given me so many benefits in the past and it continues to give me flexibility, strength and it builds my concentration unlike any other pose right now.

What is your most dreaded posture?

My most dreaded posture has to be the U-turn from back bend to the forward bend in the Half-Moon Pose.  But, to be honest, it was hard for me to choose because I don’t even feel like I am present in class most of the time.  There is something about the mixture of the heat and the constant chatter from the teacher that helps me to go into a trance like state while still reaching for depth in terms of concentration and form in each and every posture.

Lisa

Tell us about your very first Bikram Yoga class. When was it and why did you go?

My first class was October 17, 2011. My friend and I had been trying to find a healthy way to spend more time together. The month before we tried aerobics with a wag jag voucher and when we saw the Bikram Yoga voucher we were intrigued. I was hooked after 3 classes and my friend did not like the class. I never would have guessed that I would be able to do the hot yoga. I am shocked that I am so addicted to it.

How soon did you come back for your second class?

Our first class was on a Tuesday and I came back Friday and then several days the second week of my 30 day unlimited voucher.

What are some of the benefits you receive from Bikram yoga?

The biggest reward I get is that the timing of the 5pm class helps me not binge eat after work. Previously this time of the day was the worst for the amount of damage I did to my body by overeating.  Doing 90 minutes of yoga is the hardest workout I have ever given my body. Committing to this practice has mentally changed the way I think about food and I don’t go home and eat badly after working so hard to improve my health. The physical benefits are an unraveling of several problems my body has endured over the years. To name a few, a severely sprained right ankle that has been bothering me for 2 years. Sciatic nerve damage in my right leg and hip, arthiritis in my tailbone from breaking it 2 years in a row giving birth 25 and 24 years ago. Three different tears in my left knee from a bad fall during a very competitive tennis game, 4 compressed discs in my back, and  finally constant strain in my spine and neck from all of the years of living with a lopsided tail bone. All of these problems feel like they are beginning to correct themselves because of the postures I attempt each day in yoga class.

What keeps you coming back for more?

The personal commitment to myself to finally get fit and healthy.

What do you find most challenging about practicing Bikram yoga?

This is a tough question for me. Each day before class I try to review in the Beginner’s book what to try to focus on with some of the postures that I want to do better. The tone and the rhythm of the instructor’s voice can add or take away from my own focus on working through the postures, so sometimes it is more of a challenge and takes away energy and sometimes the voice adds to my energy to focus on the postures.

What’s your favorite posture?  Your most dreaded posture?

My favorite posture is the camel. I feel like I can do this better than any other and for the first month I was terrified to drop my head back that far. My most dreaded posture is the standing head to knee. My determination in most tested with this one.

Brian M.

This is Brian on the right, before he found Bikram Yoga. At the end of the
profile you will find a photo of him now

Tell us about your very first Bikram Yoga class … when was it and why did you go?
My first class was in February 2010 after an illness whereby it was suggested that hot yoga might help with the symptoms. The first time I went to the studio in January I was still to sick to go, however I returned in February and after that class I knew that I had found something that I would be doing for a long time. I returned two days later and since then have been to over 400 classes in slightly less than 2 years.
What are some of the benefits you receive from Bikram Yoga?
The practice instils in me a sense of calmness and balance that I begin to crave if I go too long without it. I find that when life is out of balance outside of the studio I am off balance in the studio and I use the practice to bring things back to an even keel. A consistent practice for me pushes me to live a healthier lifestyle and forgo previous poor choices in terms of nutrition and sleep.
What do you find most challenging about practicing Bikram Yoga?
I enjoy the difficulty of this exercise and the fact that it is not easily mastered. My challenges change with every session. One day it’s my mind which wants to flee the heat, other days I have the flexibility of my first day. Poses I use to love I now dread but every once in a while I have a class which defies all expectation and I feel fantastic. The progress is millimetre by millimetre and it is a long and hard road. No matter how well you think you have mastered a pose there is always another step to push you beyond what you thought was the limit. Listen to the dialogue because it’s all there and your breath is everything.
What’s your favorite posture? Your most dreaded posture?
I love triangle pose but my favourite poses are the ones that I initially and still struggle with but can see progress. It took me 300 hundred classes to be able to properly kick out in standing head to knee and I can still only do this on one side however lately there is some hope for the right side and I will continue with my struggle because away from the studio I feel healthy, strong and happy.
Any New Year’s resolutions for 2012?
In 2012 I will make a decision about teacher training.

We wish Brian good luck with teachers training – he would be an amazing teacher. And look at this photo of him -
what a difference!

Laura P

Tell us about your very first Bikram Yoga class … when was it and why did you go?
I went to my first Bikram class in July 2011. I had never been a big fan of “typical” yoga but my sister had been going to Bikram for a while and really enjoyed it so I figured it’d be worth a try. During my first class, I remember the heat hitting me before even walking into the room. Lying down in savasana before class, I couldn’t imagine how I was going to survive 90 minutes in that room…let alone practice yoga moves I didn’t even know I was capable of. But I managed to survive and walked out of that sauna feeling exhausted but better than I’ve ever felt about myself.

How soon did you come back for your second class?
I can’t remember exactly how soon I came back for my second class. It was probably within the next day or so because I wanted to make the most of my 2 week pass and try the postures all over again, now that I had a taste of what they were all about.

What are some of the benefits you receive from Bikram Yoga?
After about 7 months of being a dedicated Bikram Yogi, I feel like this practice has strengthened me physically and mentally. I’ve always been an active gym rat and casual runner and I’ve noticed that yoga has helped make running and other cardio activities easier, as I’m able to control my breath a lot more. I feel like I’ve gained a new awareness of how my body is feeling and try not to let my mind convince me I’m not capable of something – whether it’s workout related or life related. I’m also drinking a lot more water than I used to, even on days when I don’t make it to class.

What keeps you coming back for more?
The sense of accomplishment and physical challenge that I gain from every class is what keeps me coming back for more. I’ve never worked my body so hard in my life, but I’ve discovered that the harder you work in class, the better the results will be.

What do you find most challenging about practicing Bikram Yoga?
What I find most challenging about Bikram Yoga is the amount of focus and bodily awareness you have to maintain throughout the class. With other types of physical activity, you can often just workout and let your mind wander, thinking about the problems or stresses in your life. With Bikram, you have to devote your entire body and mind to the practice for 90 minutes and I often find myself losing this focus during specific postures or over-thinking some of them. I always remember Jeff saying that thoughts are just distractions, which I think is definitely my biggest challenge in yoga and life.

What’s your favorite posture? Your most dreaded posture?
Ever since day one, camel has been my favorite posture. Maybe it’s because it is so close to the end of class…but I also feel very strong in this posture and love the meaning behind it, how it exposes your heart and releases emotions. When I’m not in class, I often find myself craving a deep back-bend. My most dreaded posture seems to change on a daily basis. I used to despise standing separate leg head to knee, as I found I it impossible to breathe properly while sucking in my stomach, touching my forehead to my knee, and balancing with my hands in prayer. Thankfully, I’ve discovered that the postures get easier with practice and I look forward to almost every one because I want to see myself improve in the poses I previously dreaded.
Namaste

Olivia P.

Tell us about your very first Bikram Yoga class… When was it and why did you go?
My very first class was in June 2011.  I went because my good friend Alyssa (also now a Bikram yogi) found an online coupon and wanted to try it.  I was hesitant at first but thought it would be something fun to do together. Partway through the first class Tom asked how it was so far and all I could say was, “It’s hot.”  Needless to say I think he rolled his eyes at me.  But by the end I felt like I had worked harder than I ever had before and was excited to see how I would do the next time.
How soon did you come back for your second class?
I can’t exactly remember the next day I went back… it was probably 2 or 3 days later.  Alyssa and I were determined to go together as much as we could and working around our schedules was somewhat challenging.
What are some of the benefits you receive from Bikram Yoga?
I feel a lot better about myself in general with regular practice.  My head is clearer, I worry less and have better focus.  I feel stronger in other activities like running because I know what my body is capable of.  I also like to think that I avoided getting sick this winter when many people around me were because of Bikram.

What keeps you coming back for more?
I think at this point it’s pretty much an addiction.  If I have a great class I can’t wait to go back for more.  If I have a not so great class I can’t wait to go back and have a better one.  I love the mental and physical challenge it gives me as well as being able to escape real life for an hour and a half.

What do you find most challenging about practicing Bikram Yoga?
The most challenging part for me is not having any expectations in class.  I’ve learned that every day is different with Bikram and you can’t go into class expecting to perform the same as, or better than, yesterday.  You can only do your best for that day and your best is constantly changing.  Although it’s hard to accept this sometimes!

What’s your favourite posture?  Your most dreaded posture?
I try very hard not to prefer one posture to another because if I find myself dreading certain ones it makes them that much more unpleasant to do, which makes them harder for me to improve in.  But with that being said I’ll admit that I do like some postures better than others.  I look forward to doing triangle because I like the concept of connecting your heart and lungs and that it works every part of your body at the same time. Your body also makes a pretty neat shape in it.  I have always somewhat dreaded hugging both my knees to my chest in wind removing pose because my spine does not want to stay on the ground and my arms are often slippery, which makes holding this one fairly challenging.

Any New Year’s resolutions for 2012?
Hmm… do more yoga?  I think I’m doing well with that so far.

Anna H.

Tell us about your very first Bikram Yoga class … when was it and why did you go?

Terri O.

Annika G.

I love the cobra pose as I can see it progressing. All the back bends feel great also. I mostly like all the postures J

What is your most dreaded posture?

They say that the posture you dislike the most, is the one your body needs. For me was the locust pose, where you lift your both legs up. I disliked it so much, that I often avoided it. But once I had a teacher taking photos of my poses, I could see how high up I go. I had no idea I went so high, so I started to love that one and push even harder.

What are some of your New Year’s resolutions for 2012?

Since I found out I am pregnant I haven’t come much, as I work a lot and in the evenings I was just totally wiped from work. Now I am at my second trimester and I have more energy. I am hoping to come 2 or 3 times a week!

 

Mike C.

Tell us about your first Bikram Yoga class … when did you go and why?

My first Bikram class was in 1995 or 1996 with “Sasha” at his studio on Spadina Avenue in Toronto. It was just an old office with a bunch of space heaters and humidifiers, and with no change rooms or showers. My roommate at the time suggested we try it and, having just given up karate and started a desk job, I thought it was a good idea. Going in blind, I had no idea what I was in for. I felt like a tube of toothpaste that had been stamped on after my first class, but I continued to go fairly regularly for a few months until it was apparent that class times didn’t fit into my work and social schedule, nor did the practice fit into my budget. After a few years dabbling in Ashtanga yoga between 2002-2005, I started at Bikram in Guelph in April, 2011, almost 15 years after my first hot yoga class in Toronto.

What are some of the most important benefits you receive from Bikram Yoga? Has it helped to improve your life in any way?

Many,  both physical and mental. Several years ago I suffered a tear in my right Achilles tendon which immobilized me for approximately 5 months. I lost a tremendous amount of my right calf’s muscle mass, as well as nearly all of my calf strength and flexibility. Since going to classes more frequently I’ve noticed huge improvement in both strength and flexibility, and that my calf is slowly rebuilding itself. This injury also put my body completely out of balance, with one side practically useless and the other compensating for it. This was felt throughout my body, not just in my legs. The balance is returning. There have also been huge improvements in the quality and length of my sleep which, before, was patchy at best. An old left knee injury has all but disappeared, as have issues associated with my right rotator cuff. My posture has improved which has greatly decreased my frequency of visits to the chiropractor. My diet and eating times have changed, and this (together with several of the postures) have improved my digestion, as well as been instrumental in practically eliminating occasional acid reflux issues. All these things and more, combined, have definitely lead to a much improved overall feeling of well-being. In a nutshell, life is better.

What keeps you coming back?

The benefits mentioned above keep me coming back. I want to maintain and improve on them all, and gain new ones. The practice has been nothing but good for me, so I will continue for as long as physically possible.

What do you find most challenging about practicing Bikram Yoga?

The most difficult parts of the practice for me are the mental challenges, not the physical challenges that it presents. Physical obstacles are unavoidable, and will change over time, hopefully for the better. So I accept that what I can do today is all I can do. My brain is another matter. At first, my biggest hurdle was stopping myself from thinking, “*Sh_t, when will this be over?!?!” These days it is keeping my mind quiet, and stopping it from flying off in a million directions which are unnecessary and unhelpful while in class.

What’s your current favorite posture/What is your most dreaded posture?

Frankly, I don’t have a favourite posture. Some I enjoy more than others, like the Standing Separate Leg Stretching Pose, and the Standing Bow Pose, but there are no postures that I really look forward to. Because of my leg injury and its after effects, I find most of the balancing postures very difficult, especially Standing Head to Knee and the Toe Stand (which I simply cannot do at the time of writing this).

 

Kyle Reinhardt

 

Tell us about your very first Bikram Yoga class … when was it and why did you go?

Hmm, had to think about this for a bit, it was about 4 years ago, my sister asked me to go.  I had no idea what hot yoga was but figure id give it a shot.  It was an experience I don’t like to look back on to be honest!!! I did not drink much water before the class and was in HORRIBLE shape at the time.  I remember struggling through the class, seeing stars everywhere by the end.  I even had 1.5 Liter water with me that lasted about 30 minutes.  I did make it through the class only because the teacher stopped me from leaving! Afterwards on the walk back to the car, let’s just say I got sick! (Guess a liter and a half of water in 30 minutes wasn’t a good idea: /) I figured I would never be back!

How soon did you come back for your second class?

Probably about 2 weeks after my first horrid experience! A friend asked me to go with her and I told her about my first experience, and she said just drink water all day, before we go and you will be fine.  So I did just that and went that night, it was much better; I remember I made it through all the postures (struggling of course!) But I actually enjoyed it! After that I went maybe 10 more times then stopped until this year!

What are some of the benefits you receive from Bikram Yoga?

For me the biggest benefit is working on breathing and just being still and not thinking.  I’m a very outgoing typically LOUD person and my brain is ALWAYS racing.  I feel from just a few months of Bikram I’m way more cool, calm and collected.  Also helps keep me clean, I’ve struggled with substance abuse for which seemed endless years (probably about 7, the last 4 took everything, except family (THANK God for them) and have been clean for nearly a year now (with a few slips, but completely clean in all 2012!! Even quit smoking since I started Bikram! Eating a lot healthier as well! Bikram is a HUGE part of everything as of late, helps keep me focused on my practice and whenever I feel triggered I know I need blow of some steam and stress, nothing clears the mind better than a good old Bikram class!

What keeps you coming back for more?

Girls in yoga pants …..…

OK OK OK that’s not all… the benefits I get from Bikram FAR outweigh the little bit of suffering that I often experience in class! I feel great afterwards and my energy levels are through the roof (after most classes, been going 4 times a week for a few months now) my mind is clear and I’m ready to take on the WORLD!

What do you find most challenging about practicing Bikram Yoga?

Honestly for me it’s probably laying in savasana (dead body) just to lie there and just BE and not think about the sweat running into my eyes and mouth. (I am getting a lot better at it mind you, but the first 20 or so classes I was a wreck flopping all over the place, I couldn’t LIE STILL FOR THE LIFE OF ME!!

What’s your favorite posture? Your most dreaded posture?

Favorite would be Toe Stand for some reason I’m very good at this one and often get compliments from the teacher!! (I’ll admit it helps my self-esteem, Common let’s be honest, who doesn’t like a compliment now and then?) If you experience shin splints this is the posture I have found Guilty of that!

Dreaded , wow there are a couple I really don’t look forward too but like I hear time and time again, these are the most important, I’ll say standing head to knee, I’m still working on locking my KNEE whenever I kick my other leg out my standing knee comes unlocked UGHH so frustrating!!!

Any Tips for fellow yogis?

KEEP with it, the first few classes may SUCK like mine (or you may enjoy it right off the bat, who knows?) But don’t give up on Bikram until you try. Let’s say at LEAST 5 Classes; I’m forever grateful I was forced back by a friend after my first experience J.  Drink WATER!!!  (BEFORE CLASS!! NOT TOO MUCH DURING! I’ve learned this the hard way) if you have any questions about going for a first time, send me an email always down to give advice and receive advice!!

Kyle.reinhardt@gmail.com