Featured Students
Thandi Pilkey
On May 26, 2005 at only 5 1/2 months pregnant, I gave birth to a baby girl. Unfortunately, she was not strong enough to survive in the outside world. Her passing stirred feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and shame. She took with her my drive, strength of mind, and will to succeed, which were previously my trademarks. The proverbial “icing on the cake,” was that I had the body of a new mother, sans baby.
I began to fall into an unhealthy pattern of lounging around, wallowing in self pity. When a friend suggested I try Bikram’s Hot Yoga, I figured I had nothing to lose. After my first visit to the “torture chamber,” I was hooked! The challenge that this Yoga presented intrigued me. Suddenly there was something worth focusing on, besides my grief.
Every day, without fail, I dragged myself into the studio to face myself in the mirror. That mirror revealed a person eager to heal and regain her former self. Before I knew it, 30 days had passed and then 60. I was feeling stronger, healthier, and more alive than ever. Before experiencing Bikram’s Hot Yoga, I thought that I would never recover from my loss.
At a time when I needed it, Bikram Yoga provided foundation, balance, and a departure from sorrow. I was determined to use the yoga to build a body strong enough to carry a child to term.
On Oct 12, 2007 I gave birth to a healthy baby boy! During the pregnancy my doctor's marveled at my steady blood pressure and textbook weight gain. Unfortunately, my pregnancy was high risk and I was not able to practice in the heat. Instead I followed Rajishree Chaudry's Pregnancy Series and was able to maintain some flexibility and avoid aches and pains associated with pregnancy. At 15 days postpartum, I returned to the yoga studio as a beginner once more. Over time Bikram yoga helped me cope with sleep deprivation and hormonal imbalance.
After five months, I feel strong, healthy, and as though I can do anything I set my mind to. I owe my speedy recovery to this yoga. The benefits for my family are immeasurable. My husband is happy because his wife is a little less crazy after each class and my son benefits, because his mother is calm, focused, and fits into her skinny jeans!
Sylvia Ratcliffe
Hi I’m Sylvie Ratcliffe and I am 71 years old. I started Bikram Hot Yoga in April 2007. At first I found it very hot and was unable to do many of the stretches. The encouragement I got from the girls and men who taught the 90 minute classes was very helpful. As I kept trying I found I was truly getting better and better as each day went by. I took my first 30 day challenge [30 days of yoga everyday] and found it was great. I was becoming more flexible and able to put my body in a posture I never thought possible. I have old injuries to my knees and back and yoga is really helping me with these problems.
I have belonged to the running club but found running hard on my knees as the ground was hard. I have gone to the gym for over 14 years which was good but I like Hot Yoga as it gives me the best hard workout ever!
I have lost 17 lbs. just from doing yoga. I am more toned up and feel better about myself. I love that we have someone trained leading us for 90 minutes. The teachers are great to give us extra help where needed. I have really learned to relax between postures. I can now sleep on my back without pillows. I feel stronger, and remember to have better posture. I am doing things I thought I could never do, like bending my whole body backwards, as well as touching my toes. When I first started I was lucky to just to put my knees on the floor (sitting kneeling style) Each day brings me closer to my goal and I will NOT give up.
You are never too old, or in too poor of shape to start. We only have one body, and we must take the time to exercise along with good eating habits. I have lots of customers at Cloth Castle tell me I look good and I honestly say "It’s Bikram Hot Yoga".
Thanks again for my new found freedom in my body, also for the new friends I have met and enjoy. Thanks again to Ken and all the staff at Bikram Yoga Langford that have helped make me feel Great about myself!
Wayne Melvin
Six months ago I had never heard of Bikram Yoga, or "Hot Yoga" as the catch phrase goes. A friend of my wife’s had been practicing for some time, and when she heard about my struggles with chronic shoulder pain she recommended I give it a try. Let’s just say the eye roll she received was significant. I grew up playing rugby and hockey, what good could yoga possibly do for me?
Now I have to admit, at 44 years of age, I was a long way from my "playing weight", and was ashamed to admit that I was now tipping the scale at a generous 250lbs. So what did I have to lose? I signed up for the introductory 2 classes in 5 day promotion Ken was offering. Now a word of warning, when they tell you to make sure that you hydrate before coming to class, they aren’t kidding. I don’t think I have ever perspired that much in my life. This is a workout, no chanting, incense or chimes here. When Ken told me the goal for my first class is to stay in the room for the whole 90 minutes I laughed. I mean really, how hard can yoga be? Be prepared, it is a challenge. I was impressed with the variety of people and body types in the class, everyone from teens to people in their 70’s. The great thing is you only worry about challenging yourself, to train your body to do what it can, not what someone else can do.
So here I am six months later, and Ken has asked me to be a featured student. The results have been nothing short of amazing. I feel great, and my chronic shoulder pain has disappeared. I started off challenging myself to practice 3 times a week, which in all honesty has resulted in 2 times a week (I figured that was better than aiming for 2 and only going once). I have to say there has been one other significant side effect to my "Hot Yoga" practice, and that has been weight loss. In six months I have shed 35lbs. Yes 35lbs, and the only change I have made to my diet has been volume. Smaller portions at meal time, we really don’t need to fill those 12" dinner plates. When the game is on, I still enjoy my beer and chips, but now it’s a bowl instead of the whole bag. So if you have been wondering if "Hot Yoga" is for you, give it a try. What have you got to lose?
Tara Moore
Roughly 4 years ago I did my first jump and absolutely fell in love with Skydiving, I have approx 350 jumps now. I was jumping at a Drop Zone down in Hawaii on June 28th when the winds picked up and I was blown into the power lines. The transformer blew up on impact catching my chute on fire and ripping it off. I went back into freefall a landed 40 ft away on the freeway, NO reserve parachute out! (No cars hit me and there were no accidents)
911 was called and fellow jumpers were on the scene almost immediately. I traveled half way to the hospital via ambulance but where most of my bones came out of the skin when they broke I had lost a lot of blood, they had to have a helicopter come meet us to get me to the OR. (Ironically enough, it's ALWAYS been a dream of mine to do a Skydive from a Heli….but that's another story.)
So, I was rushed in for surgery with 2 broken legs (Tib, Fib and Femur), broken hips, pelvis and I had lost my left (dominant) arm. I also had a big cut on my forehead….oh, and the small things like broken toes and fingers and 2 black eyes. Ken, I was in hard shape buddy!! (LOL)
The medical team on call that day in Hawaii were amazing! I didn't lose consciousness once from the time I thundered in 'til I arrived at the hospital in Honolulu, I even told the surgeons to make sure I was under and to do a good job. (LOL) I thought I had lost my left eye because the skin was folded down over and I couldn't see. I had been asking people what my face looked like but no one would tell me. I had no idea how salvageable my arm was, or the severity of my legs.
I will never forget the feeling of hearing from my Orthopedic Surgeon say that (although it would most likely be with the use of a walker or a cane for the rest of my life) I would walk again. I was within millimeter's of doing spinal damage that would have left me paralyzed from the waist down. My Rehabilitation has been remarkably fast and my surgeon's are still amazed at my ability to "bounce back" (No pun….ha ha!!) I know there are many factors that have helped with the healing process: love and prayer's, my family and my wonderful boyfriend Jason for being SO strong for me when I didn't have the strength, and my Bikram Yoga!! The hot Yoga I do now as my full time physio to help rehabilitate, the Yoga I will do for the rest of my life to help prevent arthritis and whatever else these rods and screws and plates might throw at me as I get older, and the Yoga I have done. There is not one doctor I've met since this accident (and there have been a lot) that doesn't look at my chart and tell me, without a doubt, that had I not been in the physical shape I was prior to the accident I would not have come away so lucky.
I still have a few more surgery's ahead, one possible hip replacement, depending on my blood supply, and I still don't have full use of my left arm due to nerve damage….that I'm sure I'll worked through though!! Everyday I can feel myself getting stronger and stronger both physically and mentally. I've never been one to think everything happens for a reason, I believe we create our own reality. I lost my mother to cancer a few years ago, she had a quote framed and when she passed away I took it from her hospital bed. It said "OUR DESTINY IS SHAPED BY OUR THOUGHTS AND OUR ACTIONS. WE CANNOT DIRECT THE WIND, BUT WE CAN ADJUST THE SAILS." And don't I know the power of wind now!! Life is short man, it can change in an instant, or the better or for the worst…..one day you could be a middle income family and the next win the lottery and be a millionaire, or, one day you could be flying through the air one minute and crashing on the freeway the next.
Tara Moore has been nominated for the 2007 Courage to Come Back Award in the Physical Rehabilitation Category. For information about the Courage to Come Back Awards please go to www.coastfoundation.com/courage/courage-nominate.html