Something For Everyone

About three years ago, I started doing hot yoga after my third Marine Corps Marathon.  I had fractured my pelvis ligaments five weeks before the marathon.  Although surgery was needed, my recovery was amazingly fast (the doctors thought I was a freak of nature),  and I ran the marathon with some pain, I felt I needed to strengthen/lengthen the muscles/tendons.  I knew that I needed a new and different challenge.

That's when a friend introduced me to Bikram Hot Yoga.  Before that, I'd never done yoga of any kind.  I LOVED it from day one and have been a regular ever since.  I was amazed at how mentally and physically challenging the practice was in a completely different way than any of my other sports endeavors. I have been a swimmer, runner, and cyclist for most of my life.   

I am continually amazed at the diversity of people I encounter in yoga: young, old, men, women.   Yoga has something for everyone which I find so inspiring.

Yoga has helped me tremendously, both physically and mentally. I have avoided injury while running when I had some significant ITB (illiotibial band) issues before practicing yoga.  Yoga has helped me with balance, discipline, and flexibility.  The practice has also taught me to relax and spend time focusing inward allowing my mind to chill out.  It’s my me time.

I have found that I enjoy the inner experience of doing yoga as much as the physical challenge.  While I have had great days and not so great days, I have NEVER had a bad day practicing.  Yoga has taught me how to enjoy and celebrate the best that I can be on any given day and not compare it to past days or anyone else’s ability.  In a yoga class, I don’t feel that I have to compete like I do when racing. Every practice is a learning experience, and I always feel satisfied and content after. 

A couple of weeks ago, I finally got dizzy doing camel pose and thought, "Oh, that’s what the instructors keep talking about."  Interestingly enough, I have experienced the feeling a few times since. Because I'm going deeper into my postures these days, I get thrown off balance sometimes.  Laughing, I just tell myself, "It's always a journey."

I LOVED Rebecca’s (Jordan) instruction and always attended her “Sunday Morning Yoga Church” at Bikram.  When she left, I tracked her down to Revolution Hot Yoga (RHY).  I love RHY.  I find the classes so much more challenging and interesting and have learned something different from each instructor there. The yogis at the studio are in tune with each other and are a supportive community.  I like the interaction in class and feel I have grown more in the last few months at RHY than I did in two plus years at the other studio.

This is Lori Stresemann's (right) yoga story.
Her and a friend after the 2012 Boston Marathon.

Go to RHY website