Meet Our September Student of the Month, Heather!

Who says you can't breathe in a mask? We can all relate to challenges during Covid and in the hot room. Heather is no exception. She's been mask phobic, often battles the heat and has given herself excuses to skip class. But she knows what an amazing choice taking class is anyway. No on ever said it would be easy, but it's definitely worth it! Also, have you noticed our increased presence on social media? Thank Heather for that! (she didn't do this one) We've been social media challenged and Heather recognized it and wanted to help. Thank you Heather for all you do and for sharing your compelling story! Putting yourself out there is not easy for some of us. We're so grateful to have you part of this community!

"I came to Bikram Yoga Catonsville in early 2018 hoping to lose weight but what I discovered instead changed and saved my life. Practicing in this supportive community is such a joy. The diversity of skill, age, body, gender, and race is one of the things I cherish about Bikram Yoga Catonsville. And the teachers are wonderful. They just are. It's a nurturing environment and when they push me with gentle nudges I always feel safe and cared for. The teachers alone are worth the price of admission, and then some.

For 90 minutes almost everything in and out of the hot room melts away and I go into a meditative bubble. Because of the concentration required to keep my body in sync with the dialogue I usually lose track of the other yogis in the room and it becomes just me and the mirror. For reasons unknown I have a friendly relationship with the mirror which in itself is remarkable because I come from that generation who hate their bodies--no matter what we look like. But in the hot room I like what I see.

The heat took a long time to get used to and I still have trouble with the humidity. Now that we have returned to in-studio classes I feel like I am a beginner all over again. I struggle to make it through the standing series without lying down and some poses are harder than they used to be and some are easier. How does that make sense? But the hot room is a no judgement zone and I practice hard at freeing myself from self-judgement. Even when I skip a pose I try to focus on the dialogue rather than listen to my self-critical thoughts.

I am still a beginner and have so much to learn but I love the feeling when a pose suddenly becomes accessible, when my body just spontaneously moves into a new place, when it bends deeper into a pose, or when I am suddenly aware that I am doing a pose correctly for the first time, or holding a balancing pose for the entire set. These small milestones are exhilarating.

I have never looked forward to exercise but always enjoyed that endorphin high. I ran in my 20s and 30s and worked out at gyms in my 40s and 50s but Bikram Yoga is entirely different for me. I come as much for the general peace and ease that I feel for days after taking a class as I do for the flexibility and strength. I have never had anything in my life that boosted my mood in such a sustained and exciting way as Bikram Yoga. It's a joy to find something that I love that is good for both my physical and my mental health.

As some of you know, my husband Dave had a stroke in January and our lives were turned upside down. His left side is impacted--he is living in a wheelchair and a hospital bed. I use a machine to lift him out of bed. He spent five months in the hospital and rehab before coming home in May. The first few months at home were unbelievably hard. We both had to deal with a ton of grief, sadness, anger, basically the works. I am his primary caretaker and at times I worried that I couldn't do it. I truly believe that the two years of hot yoga before the stroke built up coping strategies and resilience that I wouldn't have had without it. And I know for a fact that as soon as Lynne reopened the studio I had to get right back in here no matter how hard, how hot, how humid, how many breaks, or how many masks I had to go through before finding the right fit. I know that hot yoga helps me in ways that nothing else in my life does. It provides me with respite and engenders a frame of mind that makes everything at home easier. I feel better day to day and week to week by coming here and practicing with a very loving community of yogis. As I said at the beginning Bikram Yoga Catonsville changed my life because it saved my life and I am oh so grateful. Thanks to you all. Heather"