Zia

Certified Bikram Instructor

When I was in high school I read Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda.  I was thrilled by Yogananda’s assurance that the world that we perceive with the senses is but a tiny portion of reality, and that we are all capable of tapping into a much greater reality through meditation.  In my youthful enthusiasm I envisioned becoming God-realized in this lifetime.  Decades later, alas, I am not yet enlightened, but life has been more than good.
Although I’ve meditated for much of my life, I didn’t start doing Hatha yoga regularly until I was in my forties.  I then tried many styles of yoga and liked them all, but discovered my all-time favorite when our studio opened six years ago.  Besides being a tremendous physical and mental workout, I find that Bikram’s brilliant series truly can be a 90-minute moving meditation. 
So what have I done in this lifetime besides yoga?  I went to college at UC Santa Cruz, spent my junior year studying in France, and graduated with a totally impractical degree in French.  I joined the Army and was sent to the Defense Language Institute to study German.  With the exception of a stint as a Maintenance Platoon leader, I spent most of my Army career in Military Intelligence.  As a civilian I mostly worked as an instructional designer and trainer.  Along the way I got a Masters degree in Training and Development.  I’m more or less retired now.  Besides teaching yoga, I teach HeartMath, a system of stress management that also helps improve communication and intuition.  As a volunteer I have raised six puppies for Canine Companions for Independence.  I have been married to Dan for almost 20 years and still fall in love with him regularly.  Dan has only taken one Bikram class, but he is quite supportive of my practice and teaching and says that he especially appreciates my Bikram butt.
In my few months of teaching Bikram yoga I have noticed that students seldom smile.   I wonder why not?  Or, since I seem to be the odd one out, the more apt question might be “why do I smile in class?”  I’m not sure, but here’s a stab at it…  Each posture is a mini-adventure, a chance to explore inner territory and to re-map the boundaries in subtle ways.  And that’s honestly fun!
Over time as a teacher I would like to be able to help each student to find their own full expression of each pose.  I would like for many more students to smile in class, at least occasionally, or at least inwardly.  And I would like for everyone to feel the joy of Ustrasana, the Camel Pose.