Bikram's Yoga Albuquerque, New Mexico

'After practicing Bikram Yoga for a year and feeling my body begin to change for the better I decided to start a great adventure: 60 days in a row of Bikram Yoga. The first 20 days went by for me pretty easily. I was psyched-up now and actually made progress. The middle 20 days were where the amazing wisdom of Bikram came to light for me. This was when yoga, Bikram's Yoga, began to visit and change every sports injury I had ever suffered. I had not been able to lock out my left knee and balance on that leg because of a torn ligament. In doing this yoga every day I became more and more able to balance on that leg. It was as if a genie were inside my body gradually reworking it. The torn fascia of one foot prevented me from standing on my toes but gradually I am getting able to stand on my toes. The mangled wrist that prevented me from using my thumb in many ways is actually straightening out and my dexterity is improving. That wrist is on the same arm where I broke the forearm. The range of motion in that arm was restricted but it is improving. The arthritis in my shoulder from rotating large martial arts weapons is bothering me less and less as the muscles become stronger. As a matter of fact , now that I think of it, all of these changes seem to be related to more muscle strength.

The middle 20 days were the hardest. This was when the mind began saying that this whole thing was crazy, and that I didn't really have to do this. However, during these days the genie was at work not only in my body but in my mind. Concentration and determination were building just like deltoids and biceps. The need for concentration during every minute of the classes in order to breathe was becoming fixed and long-term for me. This was a time when my usual zazen began to be replaced by single point meditation for 90 minutes of every day.

Bottom line, The 60 Day Challenge changed all of me for the better. I finished the last day of my challenge two weeks before my 71st birthday.

- Allen Ferrel, NE Heights

'I have been consistently practicing Bikram Yoga for more than three years now. In that time, I have seen amazing transformations in both my body and mind. I've been an athlete all my life, mostly as a runner. Before practicing Bikram I began to notice the wear and tear on my body, especially in my knees. My first few classes were brutal, but I kept at it. With every class I noticed how much more I could do and how much better I felt during the session and throughout the rest of the day.

Recently, I flew to Los Angeles to have a series of fitness testes done. The trainers who took me through the testing were amazed at my physical conditioning. They said that I am in the condition of an elite athlete. My resting heart rate is under 49. I told them it is due to Bikram Yoga!

At this point, Bikram is such a part of my life that I visit other studios wherever I travel and I always try to recruit friends and family to experience the same benefits I have from the practice.'

- Cecily Scott

"I decided to commit to take yoga class every day for sixty days as a way to prepare for the Bikram Yoga teacher training program. I had already practiced for 30 consecutive days, and I thought it would be good to do the Bikram Challenge - 60 days in a row!

I really liked having an excuse to go every day for sixty days. I appreciated knowing I’d have that time for myself. I’m at home full time with our two and five year old daughters, so carving out the time for yoga and setting up good care for them while I was in class was a challenge in itself. I’d like to keep up the daily yoga schedule but I know I can’t. One of my life challenges is balancing my time and energy and focus on the myriad of things I enjoy and love in my life.

Two years ago I left my career as a Manager at Sandia Labs to be home. I kind of lost touch with who I am – often only referred to as "Lauren's Mom", or "Halie’s Mom" or even just “Mom” by strangers. The 60 day challenge helped me reconnect to myself and what I need. I also learned that the days when I take care of myself through yoga I feel better prepared and happier to take care of my family."

~ Robyn Leland, Albuquerque

"It's said that the best part of a Bikram's Yoga class is when it's over. My husband and I have been practicing Bikram's Yoga for almost a year now, and we agree. But it's what keeps us coming back – we love the results. It's is the toughest thing we've ever done – this is not incense-burning, bell-chiming yoga, it's more like boot-camp yoga - a strenuous, full body workout, and the more you do it, the more you learn about yourself, your body and your capabilities.

"Allan suffered acute neck and back pain for years and tried drugs, chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, even whining, but nothing consistently worked. In March I tried a Bikram's class and was so impressed he agreed to go the next day. I never thought I'd see my fighter pilot/airline pilot husband try yoga, but he was at his wits end. After that first class he felt relief, and even though we don't come as consistently as we'd like because our jobs as pilots take us away, he is virtually pain-free and we've both been amazed at our progress.

"We'd weight trained for years, but in the last year I haven't lifted a barbell. My muscles are still strong and my body is far more balanced. We feel healthy from the inside out. It's been a great thing to do as a couple.

"In my travels I've had the opportunity to take Bikram's classes in Australia, Hong Kong, Hawaii, and around the US. I love the worldwide accessibility of this discipline, but of course there's nothing like your home studio – David and Letitia, Shea and Brian have all been such great mentors. We're total converts."

"Everyone who walks through the door to take their 1st Bikram's class has some doubts as to whether this might be a good fit into their exercise program. For me, I was very concerned about my knees. Having had 4 sugeries involving both knees, I am left with advanced arthritis and a displaced kneecap on the right and surgical removal of my left kneecap. In addition to doubt, I had fear that doing this series of poses would result in another surgery. Thanks to the personal interest and tremendous encouragement from the staff, consistent practice of Bikram's yoga has healed my knees to a degree I never thought possible.

"I have had to learn patience, as healing 54 yr old arthritic knees doesn't happen overnight. One of the most challenging "knee" poses has taken me a year to see significant progress. I find it amusing now that my knees begin to ache when I miss more than 2-3 days between classes.

"Another wonderful benefit of Bikram's yoga that I wasn't even looking for is learning how to completely clear my mind. Like most people, my professional and home life are full of "multi-tasking" taking care of my needs and others' needs. For 90 minutes, I have the opportunity to empty my brain of everything and focus only on listening to the instructor and doing what is said. It is extremely difficult to keep the mental clutter from seeping in. When I get through a class with close to 100% focus, I feel overwhelmed with the accomplishment. It adds another level of discipline to my life that I can practice at any time. I look forward to ongoing benefits of this tremendous and consistently challenging class as I live my life."

"I had not practiced any form of yoga but I was intrigued and interested to learn more about Bikram's Yoga. However, I needed to be realistic about practicing in extreme warm temperatures because I have Multiple Sclerosis. I feared that my practice in a studio heated to 105 degrees would initiate one of many MS symptoms and I would have to stop my yoga practice. Given my fear and my thirty-five year history with MS I sadly let go of the idea of becoming a Bikram's Yoga student.

"One morning this little voice in my head told me to just try a Bikram's Yoga class. Yoga was unfamiliar to me but I cautiously stepped into the studio and began my practice. At first I attended class once or twice per week. Amazingly, I enjoyed my practice and wanted to attend as much as I could. After each class my body felt stronger and my mind was more at ease. I increased my practice to four or five days per week. Over time I observed changes to my body, a sense of strength, steadiness, flexibility, and I experienced less pain within my body. I fell in love with practicing Bikram's Yoga.

"One day David asked if I ever thought about participating in the 60 Day Challenge. I responded negatively because I felt I was doing enough yoga by participating 5-6 days/week and that served as my challenge. David was persistent and felt I should consider doing the Challenge. I pondered David's suggestion for many days and within that time I realized I was facing a couple of my fears; that the postures would be too challenging, and/or my MS symptoms would surface and halt my practice.

"October 2, 2004 I went to yoga and committed to practicing the 60 Day Bikram's Yoga Challenge. I had faith in myself and knew I could complete the Challenge, but as I began the Challenge something felt different. While I was cruising along, practicing yoga 5-6 days per week I realized that I was becoming complacent, simply satisfied with daily accomplishments. I began the 60 Day Challenge and noted that I had relaxed my yoga focus. I gained a new focus, used the yoga postures to achieve balance between my mind, body, spirit, and found that I could go deeper into some of the postures. I am a very proud, 60 year old yogini! Thanks David for your gentle suggestion!

"Many thanks to David, Shea and Letitia for their knowledge, professionalism, and compassion. They provided a unique experience for my first yoga practice, and more specifically, continue to guide my journey into Bikram's Yoga."

"I began my Bikram's practice in July of 2004, with the intent to heal running-related injuries caused from putting in so much mileage from the track season. After all of the physical therapy and seeing the athletic trainer, these injuries were still hampering my performance. I asked my mom, a physical therapist, what else I could do and she replied, 'Try this yoga called Bikram's.' At first I thought to myself, 'Yoga, come on, I need something that will actually work.' I had this stereotype in my mind that yoga was not something a twenty year-old male would do but was and only for older people. I decided to try it and in my first class, I just about killed myself.

It was nothing like what I had expected. I must have sweated out a gallon of fluids and I left that room dizzy and my extremities were tingling. Besides the fact that it was the most intense hour and a half of stretching I had ever done, it gave me a serious muscular workout. I was sore the next day! Continuing my practice on a regular basis has provided me increased flexibility, strength and definition.

"More important than strength and flexibility is the mental strength that I get from Bikram's. I am currently in the Navy going through BUD/s (Basic Underwater Demolition/ SEAL Training) in San Diego, CA. I have gone through some of the most challenging moments of my life at this training and there are surely more to come. I could not have made it through Hellweek and do what we do everyday if not for the way Bikram's has shaped how I conduct myself. One thing that David said to me that I think about when I am in a tough spot is, 'your greatest source of strength and stamina is your own breath. When you're in a tough spot, follow your breath deep inside, slow it down, and build the internal sense of peace that is the true source of your strength'."

"Doing the challenge, coming to the studio consistently, finding new friends, learning to be more open to differences, is teaching me that strength alone will kill me. I need to add flexibility and balance to my life - physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. Each day as I begin my practice I question why I am doing this, when will this torture be over - yet each day I come back. If these questionings do not disappear after a few postures I remind myself why I made the Bikram commitment in the first place. The commitment came during one practice when I was so unhappy with myself that I was thinking I should just leave. But I did not because I decided that I only need one reason to show up and to do my best - and that one reason is my family. The only gift I have control over is how healthy I can become. My commitment is to do all I can to be healthy (no strokes) so that I can be present for Jane, my children, their partners, and my grandchildren - to not be a burden - to be energetic - to be caring - to be the person I want to be."

~ Meg Cox, 62, Bernalillo

"I started practicing Bikram's Yoga over a year ago to supplement my karate classes. I recently competed in a Karate Point Fighting Tournament in the 40+ black belt division. Several people commented on my flexibility and the height of my kicks, which I don't think my competition appreciated much. I have to admit I did spend the next day recovering, but not from aches and pains but from just being at a tournament 12 hours. I look forward to continuing to improve. I have a long way to go but have made a lot of progress too!"

~ Brent Shipp, NE Heights Albuquerque

"When I first contemplated starting Bikram's yoga several months ago, I did so with a good deal of skepticism and trepidation. Skepticism because I felt I could not do it because of a serious back problem and trepidation that I would hurt my back. When I was 15, I had a major operation to correct a severe case of scoliosis. My spine was fused from my chest to my hips and a fifteen-inch metal rod was implanted in my spine. Since the operation, I have had constant back pain and frequent headaches. If I lifted something heavy, or exercised too rigorously, I would experience excruciating shooting pains in my head. Since I have been doing Bikram's yoga, my back pain has virtually disappeared, and I have not had one headache. This summer I went camping a number of times and for the first time since my operation, I did not experience any back pain. I rafted, mountain biked, hiked, and lifted very heavy equipment and ice chests, with no deleterious effect. I am still exploring my limits in most of the postures and need to make some accommodations, but my back feels better than it has for 45 years. My tennis elbow and two sore knees have also improved significantly"

~ Holbrook Mann, 59, NE Heights, Albuquerque

"In January of 2005, I made my personal resolution using the motto 'Looking Great @ 48!'. Many aspects of my life have changed due to my resolution. But the change that had the most impact on my overall health has been my practice of Bikram's Yoga. At the beginning of the year my blood sugar level was within the diabetic zone. It is now in the safe zone. I was having hot flashes and other lovely middle age womanly symptoms - I don't have these anymore. My weight is at its lowest point since I was 30. I am wearing a size sometimes 2 sizes smaller than I was at the beginning of the year, fitting into some clothes that I thought I would never wear again.

"I am stronger physcially and mentally than I have been in years. My stress level is balanced - I am so calm at times, especially after class, when I am almost comatose. I don't have regular need for chiropractic or massage therapy, although I still do them as part of my overall health maintenance program. I feel so cleansed and toxin-free and have had no illnesses in 6 moths. Besides all of these physical and mental benefits, I have also increased my social realm with the circle of Bikram Yoga friends, as we all support one another with energy through our practices along with motivational words of wisdom from David.

"So what's next? I will continue to commit myself to Bikram's Yoga with the purchase of an unlimited one year membership. I will continue to tell all my friends, family, co-workers, students and whomever else will listen about the benefits of Biram's Yoga. And for my 2006 personal resolution I will use the motto, 'Super Fine @ 49!'."

~ Julie McGarahan, 48, Bernalillo, New Mexico

"By forcing me to make time for my yoga practice every day - even when my life felt too hectic to handle it - the challenge helped me to rearrange my schedule and priorities, so that they now accommodate a regular yoga practice. It is also an excellent way to become familiar with the Bikram series.

~ Anita Parmar, 28, Nob Hill, Albuquerque

"I have noticed significant strength and flexibility improvements in my body since I started Bikram's Yoga. It has also provided me with a sense of emotional and spiritual stability in a trying time. I look forward to practicing for years to come. This is just the beginning. Thanks, Bikram's Yoga!"

~ Jeff Cohen, 35, NE Heights, Albuquerque

"One year ago I would have denied vehemently that it was physically possible for me to carve out two or more hours a day for yoga, or for anything outside of my home, family and career. Working my schedule to get to the studio was really the challenge. Once I was there, the energy of the studio, teachers and fellow practioners took over, and I felt lucky and happy to be doing this amazing practice. I felt physical improvements daily. I overcame pain and limitations from injuries that were still present after years of body work and other therapies. I have not felt this close to 25 since I was 30. Bikram Yoga has truly taken years off my body's history, making room for a fuller experience of my life.

"Completing the Bikram Challenge helped me begin a lifestyle of yoga
practice integrated into my life, creating balance, health and
well-being."

~ Patricia Knighten, 46, Hidden Hills, Albuquerque

"As the days went by I felt so much stronger, both physically and spiritually. I felt more confident, and during stressful moments my yoga practice helped me find a deeper calm to replace the tension. I am now grateful for the painful experience because it brought me to practice yoga and to learn the lessons I needed to learn. Thank you so much to all 10 teachers I have had class with: David, Bruce, Molly, Letitia, Radhi, Tara, Tina, Siri-Om, Shea and one from Arizona".

~ Lea Anderson, on her Bikram 60-Day Challenge

"Completing 60 days of Bikram's Yoga has dramatically improved the quality of my life. Some of these improvements include more strength, flexibility, balance and energy. Through this process I've tapped into determination and focus. I'm also seeing more possibilities now in life."

~ Shea Rollins, 46, Nob Hill, Albuquerque

" Bikram's 60-Day Challenge has tested my determination, discipline, endurance and focus. Successfully completing it has given my body new flexibility, strength, and a higher level of energy. It has also helped me gain deeper present-moment awareness, giving me more access to inner stillness and the joy of being. Highly recommended!"

~ Brian Claytor, 41, Nob Hill, Albuquerque

"Marathon training teaches you patience. Bikram yoga has taught me to be even more patient with myself. When you're running and feel lousy, you can put headphones on to distract yourself. You can't do that in Bikram yoga. It's just you and your concentration and breath... Bikram yoga makes me humble, too. Every class is different. One day I can execute a flawless awkward pose, back straight, heels up, slow as molasses. The next day I'm bobbing and weaving like I went 10 rounds with Mike Tyson... I have experienced lots of thrilling breakthroughs in Bikram yoga. My body is strong and flexible. I have made many new yoga friends. I am learning to be patient and humble. Oh yeah - one more thing... Completing 100 Bikram yoga classes has me fitting in size 6 clothes!"

~ Lori Christ, 48, Far NE Heights, Albuquerque

"When our Bikram's studio opened I had been doing other types of yoga fairly regularly for several years. I gave Bikram's a try out of curiosity, liked it more than I could have imagined, and have been coming several times a week ever since. At first I thought that doing the exact same sequence every class could become boring, but I have found quite the opposite. The healing that I experienced in the first few months, especially in my knees, was quite remarkable. Since then the changes have been much more subtle and gradual, but still satisfying. On good days the whole class feels like a moving meditation and I come away both relaxed and energized. Even on the tough days I feel certain that I have done something good for myself."

~ Zia Telfair, 54, Sandia Heights, Albuquerque

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