Sometimes You Just Have To Kiss The Giraffe

My yoga story begins about three years ago when I read an article in Oprah Magazine about someone’s experience completing a thirty day Bikram Yoga Challenge.  Being a person that hates sweating in the summer, I was fascinated yet also somewhat repulsed by the whole idea.  I'd driven past the Bikram studio several times, looked at the sign knowingly every time, but was reluctant to venture inside.

In September 2011, a friend and co-worker told me that he'd tried a new workout, Bikram Hot Yoga.  I was intrigued by his comments about the people and environment.  He said that it wasn't just for young, cute, skinny women and that there was people of all sizes, shapes, and ability levels.  I decided to try a class, but wanted to go by myself, almost undercover, to avoid embarrassment if it didn't go well. 

During my first class I had a mix of emotions, and, yes, I was the biggest person in the room, but no one seemed to notice or care, other than me.  I didn’t feel like anyone was paying any attention to what I could or couldn’t do.  In fact, everyone made me feel great for just coming to class.  When I called my husband on the way home, he asked if I enjoyed the class.  I said, “I don’t know.  I think, I was in too much shock about the heat to know whether I enjoyed it or not.  I'll have to go again to figure it out.”

And that was how it all started.  Before I knew it, I was hooked.  I knew the yoga was having a positive impact on me when, a few months later when I got stuck in an elevator at work by myself.  The elevator just stopped and, as I waited for help to arrive, it got quite hot and stuffy in there.  I began to sweat.  Rather than panicking, my immediate thought was, "If I’m sweating, I may as well do yoga."  I started with pranayama breathing and worked my way through the standing series.  No panic for me.  My co-workers that weren’t stuck were panicking while I was doing yoga!

I started looking forward to leaving work so that I could go to yoga and see my new yogi family.  A few months in, people started talking about a “30 Day Challenge.”  A new yogi friend, Carmen, was coming down the home stretch of her challenge and encouraged me to give it a try.  I wasn’t sure that I could do it, but with the support of my yoga friends, I decided to take the plunge. What a huge sense of accomplishment I felt as I made my way through each of the thirty classes.  

Not only did my practice improve tremendously, I really started to feel like a yogi.  When I finished my challenge, I was so proud.  Wow!  I was on top of the world.  I did it!  Before long, I could get all the way down in Fixed Firm, extend my leg in Standing Head to Knee, and see, not only my toes coming over my head in Standing Bow, but my ankle too!  Woohoo!!

As time and my practice progressed, I really enjoyed the specific feedback I would get from Rebecca.(Jordan-Turner, lead teacher at Revolution Hot Yoga)  Sometimes, I would hear a distinction she pointed out and think to myself, "I've never heard that before" and make an adjustment.  Of course, she probably said the same thing all the time, but I was just then ready to focus on the next step and hear it.

When Rebecca opened her home studio, I was excited to continue to grow my practice in a small, intimate environment.  I thought I was just going to continue the Bikram series, with more attention to detail.  But NO!  That wasn’t what Rebecca had in mind.  She exposed me to a whole new world of yoga with different opinions, approaches, and poses.  I must admit, my mind did a double take, at first, "What do you mean I don’t know what's coming next?  What do you mean we're going to try something different?  Oh heck no!  I'm comfortable right here." 

Well, a few classes later, I loved the new yoga series.  The variety, the experimenting, it was all good!  Then later, when I tried the standard 26 postures of Bikram, I found that my practice had improved!  Go figure?!

This transition in my yoga life came at a difficult time in my work life.  I found that my practice helped me cope with the stresses of changing jobs. When I was on the mat, I was only focused on my practice.  My “monkey mind” was forced to be quiet, and I just was.  I believe that yoga kept me sane during that difficult time.  

Unfortunately I've had a bit of a setback with a knee injury and surgery.  I had to stop my practice for a while and boy did I miss it!  I had no idea how addicted I was until my husband started giving me subtle hints and saying things like, “Honey, when can you go back to yoga?” or “I can tell how much you're missing your practice.” 

My recovery from knee surgery has been slow, but steady.  I've worked my way back up to practicing five days a week, and I know that with patience (something I am learning through yoga), some day I will be able to get all the way down in Fixed Firm with my arms over my head again.

The love, compassion, friendship, and family that I've found through yoga is a HUGE part of my life now.  A yoga class is my time to control my focus, BREATHE, and just be me.  The acceptance and openness of Revolution Hot Yoga makes the studio a very special place.  I feel honored to be a part of it.

Yoga has taught me that I have to get comfortable in my uncomfortableness, face my fears, be gentle with myself, and just keep going.  Sometimes, you just have to go ahead and kiss the giraffe!  ;) 

Namaste.

This is Tammi Thurm's yoga story.

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