Meet our March Student of the Month, Aphaia!

We love the diversity of our studio, and that also includes what you might think of a typical yoga girl when you look at Aphaia. But like everyone, she has her own unique story. And like many others, she has a similar story of not thinking this class is for her after trying it once. There is a unification in what we all experience in those 90 minutes. Underneath all the layers of diversity that come to the studio, our common humanness connects us. This is one place where, from the outside you might see differences or some religious routine, but stick around, and you see the unity of humanity, diversity of experience and creativity of each individual class in this amazing system.

"I took a Bikram class for the first time on a very cold day while I lived in Burlington, Vermont in 2014. It wasn't for me at the time, and I went on with life. When I moved to Catonsville in July of 2020, I was looking for a local studio to jump into and that's where I found Bikram Yoga Catonsville. I took one class in the summer of 2021, but didn't return until January 2022. Since then, I have been hooked on the practice, its challenges, and the sense of peace and reset I feel each time I walk out the door. I would be remiss not to mention I am a Kyle groupie, her teaching style and presence are a big part of what keeps me coming back.

Initially, Bikram felt like a way of returning to a regular yoga practice while challenging myself physically in a whole new way. Now, it is all that and more- it is a way of returning to my authentic self. Kyle once described the final breathing exercise as a "skull cleanser." I wrote that down the next day because it captured the feeling I had been experiencing. Every time I finish a Bikram class I feel cleansed in one way or another- there is no other practice I've done that gives me that feeling of freedom. I've practiced vinyasa styles of yoga since I was in high school, but I've found a deep sense of connection to Bikram.

I feel very grateful to have Bikram as a foundational part of my health and well-being. During my years in Vermont I was having a lot of fun, sometimes too much fun, and it’s really thanks to coming home to Maryland and finding this studio that I’ve begun to find a real balance in my life. The work continues in this area and all others. But I know I can show up better for myself and for others in my life thanks to this practice.

I remember during my first class my goal like many others was simply to stay in the room. I recall Kyle instructing me personally throughout the class to adjust my form- that this was not like other forms of yoga. It was refreshing and puzzling all at once to reconsider my abilities and just be present. Like others, I value the need to be present in the practice each and every time a healing practice in itself. The practice asks us to leave behind the inner chatter and be there in the room, to do so with ease, and to treat each practice as its own. You may not feel as flexible or as strong as you did a day or week prior but focus on the now. That's the lesson I feel grateful to relearn and practice every time I go to class.

I cherish this studio and community and feel blessed to be a part of it. Thank you Lynne, Kyle, and all the teachers who show up for us everyday."