Wyo Hot Yoga - The Bikram Way

Super Human: Sarah

From: Philadelphia, by way of NYC

Started practicing Bikram Yoga: 2005

Favourite posture: Tree Pose/Toe Stand and Half Moon Pose

Why practice Bikram Yoga:

I started practicing Bikram Yoga in 2005 - I was 22 years old, living in New York City, and had just graduated from NYU. Unfortunately, my first real boyfriend (acquired during my senior year) had also just graduated from me. Looking for a distraction to ease the sting of the breakup, I signed up for a 30-Day Challenge at the Flatiron studio and was instantly hooked. I soon found that a regular practice somehow enabled me to emotionally self-regulate in a way I was otherwise unable to do, back in my early 20's. Where some of my friends found it repetitive, I found that the repetition and rote memorization actually helped me to sink into a trancelike state as I moved in and out of the postures. When I left the country a year later, I took the yoga with me, practicing everywhere from Wellington, New Zealand to Cardiff, Wales. Anytime a life crisis caused me to feel the need for change, I hit the reset button by undertaking another 30-Day Challenge. I sang the 26&2's praises to literally anyone who would listen, and even to some who weren't really listening.

As a former competitive gymnast I have a severely hyperflexible lumbar spine (sometimes called a swayback) and because the vertebrae are so compressed, over time the muscles, joints and surrounding fascia have all become contracted, causing daily pain starting in my mid-30s. I know of no other practice or system of rehabilitation that has been so beneficial to my back and my body as a whole as the Bikram Yoga system. With regular practice my core strength, alignment awareness and improved breathing technique have all improved my posture and average pain level. This improved awareness of the position of my body in space reminds me to keep my pelvis level and to lengthen my whole spine throughout my daily activities.

I am a skeptic at heart - I'm originally from Missouri and I rarely "take people's word for it." So when I manage to convince novice friends to give the hot room a try ("No one cares if you have to sit on your ass for the whole 90 minutes, the only thing you have to do is to stay in the room, and if you absolutely hate it then I promise you never have to come back") [edit: they ALWAYS come back tho, lol], it is because I have seen the results of a regular practice with my own eyes and I know that Bikram Yoga Works every time. I committed the last 15+ years of my practice to this yoga because it offers a practical and logical foundation for physical wellness that is based firmly in the sciences of anatomy, physiology and kinesiology.

I understand the world of yoga is much broader and deeper than a single methodology (and I have tried many different styles throughout the years, from Jivamukti to Kundalini) but I always find myself craving the heat, the dialogue, and the thoughtfully-ordered posture series of the Bikram Yoga sequence.

Classes by appointment only. Please pm to set up.

Thanks for looking in! Shortly after this FB page was set up the yoga was stopped. No worries. Check back, it will be on by the end of the year. Any questions, please PM me.

WHY at Square Top

One of our students, Salamat is now standing on her own!

Salamat, in her 70’s, came to the studio for the first time, doubled up in pain and almost in a wheelchair. She opted for the 10 day introductory period to begin her Yoga journey.

One of our teachers, Alex, familiar with the type of back surgery Salamat had endured, took her under her wing demonstrating that Bikram Yoga is for everybody and every (type of) body.
On the 3rd day Salamat came in with a smile of gratitude and relief for the first time in years.
By the end of the 10 day trial,Salamat proved to herself that the only limitations she thought she had were her own making and only in her mind.
She is now walking upright again without a cane, a testament to the regular practice of Yoga.

I have found 38 different ways the regular practice of Yoga improves health, the key to experiencing these, is to stay with what may feel uncomfortable in the beginning and know that with time, the discomfort will pass and be replaced with ease.

Has this inspired you? What would you like to get out of your practice?

Pattabhis Jois, the father of Ashtanga Yoga stated “ Yoga is 99% practice and 1% theory “.
We all have what it takes within us!

--See you on the mat Yogis!
Namaste

Superhero Student of the Month Challenge

Check out Ryan Henriques, our July "Superhero" of the month.

Ryan has shown profound dedication and commitment to improving himself through his practice from the very beginning.

During the month of July, Ryan must come minimum 4 classes a week and will be working closely with Adam and Eva to improve on 3 postures, Backbending, Balancing Stick and Half Tortoise Pose.

If Ryan successfully completes his challenge, he will receive an awesome prize!

Let’s all cheer for Ryan as he takes on this challenge of personal growth and development! YAY Ryan! 😄💪👋👊🌟🔥

Adam is flying back from Acapulco today! Practice everyday and one day your feet won't touch the ground. First we learn to crawl, walk, run, levitate then fly.

This can happen for you, too.

Signed by an agent at the age of 15, she made her acting debut at 16 on television and her feature film debut the following year. The rest is history. Happy Mother's Day!