Tales From The Mat

“Anything is Possible!”
My 2006 YOGATHON Experience

I’ve always been a late bloomer. I started college at 30, ran my first marathon at 45, and waited till almost 50 to do my first double-century bike ride…and start rock climbing. My Bikram yoga practice was no exception – I began when I was 51.

In 2006, I wasn’t thinking much about doing the YOGATHON, at least not the 30 classes in 30 days, since I never come to yoga on weekends. However, I’d always wanted to try doing a double (two classes in one day), so I decided to make that my personal challenge sometime during the YOGATHON.

It took me a long time to get my courage up to give it a try. It finally happened about halfway through the month. I’d taken the early evening class, and was on my way out when I ran into Lonna. She was coming in to take the later evening class, and she said, “Why don’t you stay and do another?” Totally caught off guard, I said, “Why not?” So I did the second class, and felt both exhilarated and amazed that I had done it.

Later that week, I went out to lunch with Herb. We talked about challenges and goals, and all the buzz and excitement around the studio with so many people participating in the YOGATHON. As we talked, I felt sort of down that I hadn’t really made a commitment to be involved.

We also talked about monumental birthdays…I was about to turn 55 at the end of April. Suddenly, it dawned on me: I’d done a marathon for my 45th – how about doing the YOGATHON for my 55th? Then: Why didn’t I think of this two weeks ago? And: Oh well, too late, let it go – but for some reason, I just couldn’t!

I decided to do another double, this time back-to-back morning classes. I found it so interesting that the more yoga I did, the more energized I felt. That afternoon, my friend Pegi called and said, “Let’s go to the 5:30 p.m. class.” I quickly responded, “No, I’ve already done a double this morning.” But Pegi didn’t give up: “Oh come on, Shari, you can do it!” So before I had a chance to even think about it, we were in the car on our way to Bloomington. I kept thinking to myself, I must be crazy! However, I not only surprised myself by making it through the class, I actually felt good afterwards.

At the end of class that evening, Herb made an announcement that I’d just completed my third class of the day. “Four and one half hours of yoga,” he said. That statement put it all in perspective for me, as it was within five minutes of all my marathon finish times. Now, I was in the YOGATHON!

I looked at the calendar and knew it wouldn’t be easy…but it would be possible to complete the 30 classes by month-end. The rest is history. Doubles, triples, it was awesome. The more I did, the more I wanted to do. (However, I did promise myself that I would stop if I felt tired or burned out, as I plan to be doing this yoga till my 95th birthday!)

All kinds of good things happened as a result of doing the YOGATHON. Because I was going to different class times than I usually did, I met some great new people. I really stepped outside of my comfort zone. I tried new places in the yoga room. I even learned more about some of the poses by allowing myself to sit out occasionally and watch. As Julie would say, “It’s a beautiful thing.” The YOGATHON took my practice to another level.

This year I am doing the YOGATHON in a different way – by starting at the beginning and doing one class each day of the month. I want to see how that compares with what I did in 2006, and possibly take it further (like Kitty did last year), continuing beyond the 30 days.

When I completed the 2006 YOGATHON, my husband Jeff commented, “You are a slow-starting over-achiever!”

My thanks to Herb, Laiki, Julie, Kitty, Lonna, Pegi, and Jeff…and everyone else who encouraged, challenged, and supported me last year and continues to support me and my yoga practice!

Shari R., Prior Lake

“I have turned into a joyful person almost overnight…”

Dear Herb and Laiki,

I don’t know how to express the depth of my appreciation for the opportunity to learn and share at Bikram Yoga Bloomington. Today in class my muscles were weak and flabby – but I was fabulous. J I had to take a few breathers.

I have been on a spiritual quest my whole life, I guess, but all my spiritual notions were stuck on the intellectual level until I started to practice yoga. I love to read from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and Deepak Chopra’s The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga. I just finished Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and can’t wait to get a copy of Waking by Matthew Sanford. While I am at the book store, I’ll look for The Heart of Yoga by T.K.V. Desikachar too.

I have read a lot of spiritual books for years and nothing is new (it is all very old, isn’t it) but I kind of get it now. And I’m excited to see where it takes me. Life is still a struggle, of course, but a new kind of struggle these days. At least it is my struggle. I am finding out who I am, and what I think, and how easy it can be to discard those old ideas that don’t suit me well. I may find them utter nonsense –if I observe them in the present moment.

I love it that you started the yoga talk at the beginning of class. Meditation will come in time. I still find it difficult, even impossible at times, to sit still when I'm so used to doing many things at once. However, I, a perfectionist, discontented, worrisome person have turned into a joyful one almost overnight. Who will I be years from now? I have had a great adult life but my childhood was not so good. It is kind of scary to think what I may have to work out to get to the other side but I am willing – I think. J I want to face anything creepy that comes up.

Thanks for everything.

LYMI (Love ya, mean it)…

Rita C., Lakeville

“Worlds of improvement” noted in tennis – and everywhere else!

Dear Herb and Laiki,

I'd like to thank you for setting up the Bikram yoga community in Bloomington and teaching in such a loving and compassionate manner. I have gotten so many benefits from practicing Bikram yoga beginning in 2004, and especially at your studio since April, 2006. I'm still the same ME that you guys know, but the physical-emotional-mental aspect of my manifestation in the world has shown worlds of improvement. Hee, hee. I'm not sure I know what I'm talking about here.

However, since starting yoga:

I have been able to reduce the number of medications I have to take.
My flexibility has greatly improved. You should have seen my stiff body three years ago.
I sleep significantly better.
When I'm awake, I'm more aware of what's outside of me and what's going on inside of me.
My memory has improved.
I'm physically stronger, especially my hands, although I don't work out at any fitness center.
My stamina, both in yoga and in doing projects that require a lot of muscle around the house, has gone off the charts.
I'm not sure if I've lost any weight, but I've lost several inches off my waist and have gotten my muscle tone back to where it was when I used to work out at a fitness center some years ago.
I've been able to learn tennis and become a pretty good tennis player, not just from playing many hours a week but because of the increased flexibility, balance, strength and focus – things I've gotten from doing yoga.
I feel more connected to other people, and that is particularly a biggee for me, since I've never felt that since birth until now.
My eczema is pretty much gone.
I'm happier.
I've learned how to back off when my life is not going as well as I would have liked it, instead of pushing forward.

Doing Bikram Yoga is not all fun and games like playing tennis. It has been and continues to be a journey, and like most of us – except for Volkswagen – I prefer getting to my destination to feel satisfaction. But I've stayed with it. I injured my rotator cuff and had surgery to repair it about a year after I started yoga. My body had never been fast-healing, and my surgeon had told my getting back to yoga and tennis would be four to six months and full healing time up to 12 months. I was back to playing tennis in just six weeks and practicing yoga again in only two months. I'm left-handed, and the strength in my left arm has always been much greater than my right. Now they are equal and I think a lot of it has to do with the left/right balance we do in the postures, not just from the surgery.

As my body has shifted toward more flexibility, strength, and balance, of course the "traveling miseries" have been traveling from head to toe. However, I have grown accustomed to it happening and don't "freak out" as I did when I first started practicing and had to stop for a few days or more. I accept it as part of the process and just do whatever I can in the room that day.

Your loving student,

Marty P., Edina

Give her an inch…

I began practicing Bikram Yoga in April, 2006. In January, 2007, my height was measured prior to a doctor’s appointment. The nurse said, “5’ 6,” and I corrected her, telling her I’d been 5’ 5” all of my adult life (it’s on my driver’s license). She checked again, and I now am 5’ 6” tall. My physician questioned this, and still isn’t sure it’s from yoga – even though there is no other explanation for my “growth.”

In terms of growth, I think I’ve gotten taller in other ways, as well.

Mary W., Minneapolis

“I feel lighter and more patient with the most important person in my life: myself.”

Where do I begin? In February, 2006 I first came to the studio in Bloomington, Minnesota. I had no expectations, no real previous experience taking yoga, but was in need of help.

My stress level was so high that in January, 2006 I had seen a doctor for heart palpitations, and had been to the emergency room once because my heart was not beating properly. I was sent in for an EKG, and then a second EKG. Other than the irregular heartbeat, I was very healthy, so my doctor suggested I find a way to relax. I didn’t even know what relax meant.

I’d read an article in Runner’s World that mentioned Bikram Yoga, the heat and the challenge, so I said, “Why not?” I searched online and found a Bikram studio in Bloomington run by an interesting-looking couple. Looked friendly enough, so I went.

I was scared that first class, so scared that I didn’t notice the heat, and didn’t remember much about what I did. But I do remember my experience after that first class. I felt “lighter.” Stress can do some scary things. Not only had it worsened my irregular heartbeat, but I had effectively shut off my feelings and emotions. I had been on empty so long emotionally that most of the time I felt nothing, but after that class felt “something.”

Stress from work, family, past pain, past failures made me shut down. But after that class, something started running again. And, I have been less critical of myself. I was my worst enemy, beating myself up over every little mistake I perceived I had made. I still am overly critical, but now I can look in the mirror and not say so many negative things that it was like walking into a boxing ring with myself…and both fighters would lose.

I feel lighter and more patient with the most important person in my life, myself. I would never have been able to say that a year ago, NEVER. Oh, forgot to mention, I feel physically better too!

Thank you, Herb and Laiki. I could write much, much more, but for now, this is enough.

Carla M., Minneapolis

Yoga’s physical benefits were “just the beginning”

Practicing yoga has changed my life in both subtle and profound ways: emotionally, physically – and spiritually and mentally as well.

In my first six months of practice (I began in December, 2003), already I had gained amazing strength, balance, and confidence in my body. My two kids were ages three and five at the time, and I amazed myself – and a whole park full of moms – when I pushed them up a very steep hill at a steady jogging pace, and was hardly winded at the top! I could ride my bike “no-handed” up and down hills and curbs and around corners! I was astonished to see how much my balance and stamina had improved.

And that was just the beginning…now, three years later, I have written a novel, something I’ve visualized since I was eight years old. Yoga helped me develop the confidence and discipline I needed to approach and accomplish such an undertaking.

I not only have come to see the vision I’ve sculpted for my life as a real possibility, but I’ve also stepped out of my secure little sphere to make it happen. I see the world around me in a whole new way. Despite all the suffering, tragedy, and horror in the world that could drag a person down if she lets it, I now actively seek the joy and beauty that exists in infinite ways all around me.

Yoga is such an inspiring way to approach living, and for me, there’s no turning back. I don’t see how I would ever cease to do yoga. It continues to transform me in deeper ways every day, with every asana.

Jenny M., St. Paul

Competitive rugby player finds Bikram Yoga best for training

Why I Started

I’m a competitive rugby player and have been playing for 12 years. Slowly started noticing a decrease in flexibility, agility, and coordination. A friend invited me to a Bikram Yoga class and I thought it sounded like fun.

Improvements/Changes

Increased flexibility, balance, coordination, lung capacity
Heightened sense of well-being
Improved ability to handle and respond to life circumstances

I no longer need to do any extra fitness activities as training for rugby; the only preparation I now do outside of rugby practice itself is yoga.

Additionally, in my work as a Network Spinal Analysis chiropractor, I have found that this practice enhances what I am already doing for the health of my nervous system in every way. Thanks!

Tonnie W., Hastings