Meet our Student of the Month, Paul!

He’s our December Student of the Month! Paul is the closest thing we have to Santa. He is funny and friendly and jolly and generous. He makes friends with all the students, welcomes the new ones and often will buy a round of coconut waters. With Paul in class, there’s always a laugh, even if it’s just when he puts on his headband. Just like the rest of us, he struggles in class but comes back day after day because he sees the amazing benefits Bikram Yoga offers. He’s an integral part of our amazing community and we’re so happy to see his smiling happy face everyday. Read more in his own words:

“I started doing Bikram Yoga approximately seven years ago after I had injured my back. I was 52 at the time and was doing quite a bit of mountain biking but was not doing much to strengthen my core muscles. As a result, I was having some lower back issues which came to a head when I was playing a pick-up game of basketball one Sunday afternoon at the local YMCA with my son Mark (23) and a group of pre-teens. I was trying to make a basketball move that I done thousands of times (but not in over 10 years) and as a result I injured my lower back and lost much of my mobility. My wife Kelly was taking Bikram Yoga at the time and she suggested I come to a class with her. I took class regularly for several months and little by little I was able to get my mobility back as a result of coming to class regularly and executing the 26 postures to the best of my ability as a beginner with a lower back issue. As a result of that experience, I continued to attend classes but must admit that there were periods of time when there would be a couple of weeks between classes during the spring, summer and fall months when I would mountain bike as my primary form of exercise. However, when weather did not permit me to bike I would seek out a Bikram Yoga Class locally or wherever my work and personal travels would take me including 8 different studios in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C area; Orlando and Miami, FL; Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Minneapolis, MN; Seattle, WA; Denver, CO; and Columbia, SC.

As mentioned above, Bikram Yoga gave me back my mobility after injuring myself. Bikram Yoga has also provided me with a more accessible way of getting the same and more mental and physical benefits than I was getting when I would go for a long mountain bike ride. That same high and feeling of relaxation that I get from four or five hours of biking could find from one 90 minute Bikram Yoga class. I have also noticed that when I practice Bikram Yoga regularly that my performance on the mountain bike was greatly improved. I am also less susceptible to injury when I am biking when I practice Bikram Yoga regularly as a 90 minute class works all the muscles including my core which I have learned is critical to balance out my leg muscles which get a lot of work on my bike.

More recently, 22 months ago I had taken on new client responsibilities at work and was working 12 to 16 hour days for a period of 14 months. As a result, I did not have much time for riding my mountain bike or taking Bikram Yoga Class. One day I had a bit of a meltdown and after some personal reflection and talking to my wife realized it was a result of not taking care of myself. It was the middle of January and biking was not an option due to weather and so that day I went to a Bikram Yoga class at a local studio and signed up to participate in a 60 day challenge which required I attend 60 Bikram Yoga Classes in 60 days and I was starting on day 7 of the challenge so I had a bit of catching up to do. However, I had a lot of encouragement and support from all of the instructors at the studio as well as a number of students who were also doing the challenge, and my wife Kelly. I really didn’t appreciate what I had signed up for at the time but can say that it was exactly what I needed. 53 days later I successfully completed that challenge and it was not easy. However, the benefits of making the commitment were instrumental in helping me change my life and included: handled stressful situations at work much more calmly and positively; my wife now enjoyed spending time with me; my diet improved as taking care of myself became more of a priority; I met some wonderful fellow yogis and instructors who are such wonderful people; I lost nearly 30lbs and felt so much better about myself; my energy level picked up significantly and so I was more productive in whatever I was doing, After those 53 days I continued to try and go to class as much as I could to continue reap the benefits of Bikram Yoga both physically and mentally. That was 22 months ago when I first started that 60 day challenge and while I might miss a class here and there due to a commitment at work or personally, however, my goal is to go to class each and every day as I am a better husband, father, son, friend, co-worker, and person when I make and keep the commitment to go to Bikram Yoga regularly. This is not to say that I don’t have ups and downs and don’t let the stresses and demands of work and life get the better of me from time to time. However, I am now better equipped to deal with it and know what I need to do to get balanced and strong and that is to get to a Bikram Yoga Class and reap the benefits of executing the 26 postures and the strength that comes by practicing in a strong vibrant Bikram Yoga Community.

I have practiced in many Bikram Yoga Studios both in the Baltimore-Washington area as well as throughout the U.S. While each and every studio is different in terms of the facilities, you can generally count on all Bikram Yoga Studios providing a class each day of the traditional 90 minute 26 posture class and an instructor who has the appropriate training and experience to lead the class. However, what I have noticed in my travels is that a lot of studios have made a decision to provide more variety in terms of different types of classes and fewer of the traditional Bikram Yoga classes. However, Bikram Yoga Catonsville, which I joined approximately 16 months ago, is one of the only Bikram Yoga Studios in the Baltimore-Washington area that I am aware of that has made the commitment to only offer the 90 minute traditional Bikram Yoga classes which is my preference. As a result, I have a lot of different class options to choose from on a daily basis which helps me to be able to practice on a regular basis. One of the other challenges that I have noted that Bikram Yoga studios have is keeping the studio at the appropriate temperature and humidity level throughout the 90 minute class to maximize the benefits to the students. However, the temperature and humidity levels at the Bikram Yoga Catonsville studio are the most consistent of any of the other studios that I have attended. One of the other big differences that I have noticed at Bikram Yoga Catonsville is the sense of community that you feel when you practice there on a regular basis. I consider the instructors and my class mates my Bikram Yoga family who are there to support me and I am there to support them. Last but certainly not least are the quality of the instruction. Bikram Yoga Catonsville’s instructors range from professionals who are very seasoned with over 15 years of experience to those who have recently completed their required training and are just starting out as instructors. All are highly skilled and each brings different strengths. The less experienced instructors are provided significant guidance from the more seasoned instructors and the more seasoned instructors are continuously working to improve their teaching skills and knowledge so that they can provide the most current guidance and instruction.

In closing, I am so grateful that I was first introduced to Bikram Yoga seven years ago and am so grateful that I have a local studio, Bikram Yoga Catonsville, that is within an 18 minute drive of my home, that offers so many traditional Bikram Yoga classes on a daily basis, where the instructors are of the highest quality, and the community spirit is such that no matter how stressful my day might have been when I walk into class and look around at my fellow yogis I have that feeling that “I am home”.

Namaste!”