Bikram has changed my life, I have learned to be a lot calmer in myself, learned also to apply the sense of calm in my life, learned to love that little person doing the postures in the mirror and learned to appreciate my body. One of the greatest things about Bikram yoga is the many great nights sleep I get from doing yoga, I wake up feeling wonderful, stretched, clear headed and ready for life. I am also more disciplined about what I eat. Recently I had surgery and I believe that the yoga before and after the surgery helped me to heal quickly.

  I had had muscular skeletal issues for as long as I could remember, and had always in the past spent a small fortune on physios and chiropractors and the like. I started practising Bikram Yoga about five years ago in London and always felt the benefits straight away, and knew that it was the right exercise for my body, and have stuck with it ever since. Earlier this year, I was having some persistent neck & back issues which saw me seeing a chiropractor sometimes twice a week. They advised me to stop doing Bikram as they said it was not good for my body. I knew in my heart that this would not be the right decision. So I decided to listen to myself more and keep up with my Bikram practice, and do so very carefully, to make sure that I was doing it in the correct way for what my body needed to progress in its own way. This involved letting the teachers know my situation, and ask for their support in my body realignment - to put these issues to rest once and for all! The teachers were all very supportive and helped me take it easy, whilst progress at a good pace. On my part, I had to leave my ego at the door (and really, really leave it there) and take myself to the back row (for I had always been a front row kind of a gal before) and practice very carefully so as not to put a strain on my neck. Then, Ro's workshop came up - practising Bikram with injuries. I jumped at the chance to do it and am very pleased I did. There were some very significant learnings for me which, as far as I am concerned, have revolutionised my practice and my body! I feel so great and really do not experience that pain any more - I feel comfortable and flexible in my body and have amazing energy most days. I haven't seen a chiropractor in six months and have no intention of doing so. I really can't tell you - I feel I am finally practising Bikram in "the right way" - for me. This does often mean sacrificing depth for form - and I know that this is always given in the instructions - however, now I know what it really means to do that, for me. My core stability muscles are strong and the whole of my mid-back has opened up, which means no more neck pain or lower back pain for me. This is of course, is in conjunction with a good diet and a well-balanced life style, and my Bikram practice plays a huge part in that balance. So, a huge thank you to those teachers that supported me at the Wellington studio, thank you for helping me to realign my body - finally - and for your patience and support. Keep up all the good work helping people practice Bikram compassionately. I am very grateful that you brought Bikram yoga to Wellington!