Hot Fun In The Summertime! by Pam Goldberg

Having reached my 300th class after starting at RHY in November, 2013, I have had the opportunity to practice hot yoga in every season. And as a person who is ALWAYS cold — frozen hands, icy feet, always requesting extra blankets at a hotel, I find the heat of the yoga room to be heaven at any time of the year.

There truly is nothing sweeter than coming into the room on a cold January morning and feeling that blast of heat as I hurry into the changing room. As spring 2014 came around, I thought I would find hot yoga in hot weather to be uncomfortable and kind of icky. Boy, was I wrong!

 
Hot yoga in hot weather is a whole new experience.Not only does it take less time to get heated up and sweating away, but it is energizing in a different way. The transition from a hot outside to inside a hot yoga room is easy, and I find I acclimate quickly. The big benefit is the increased flexibility that comes much sooner in the practice. 

And then there’s the earlier experience of the “swimming pool effect.” That’s the point in my practice where I am drenched.and sweat is rolling down my face, my legs, my arms, and dripping onto my mat. When the weather is cold, this point is usually at the end of the warrior series, or during the balancing series. But when the temperature outside goes above 80, I’m in the deep end of that pool by the end of the second half moon sequence. It’s a wet one from there out! 

I like sweating like a pig. (Even though I don’t eat pork!) It means that all that toxic gunk is coming out of my body and falling onto my long-suffering Yogatoes towel which is not even close to it’s original shade of teal blue.My skin is pushing out all that oil and dirt that floats around the world and sticks to it. My innards are moving around, and I’m stretching all of me, inside and out. 

I’m so pleased that RHY has returned me to my full height of 5’8”, instead of the 5’7-1/2” that I shrink to when the world is weighing me down.That move down to the mat for the spine strengthening comes at just the right time and savasana is as lovely as ever on a hot summer day. 

Is there such a thing as a bad savasana? 

But the best part of all is leaving the studio, sweaty as can be, and settling into that steamy car. It’s just not that hot! It’s temperate. I don’t want the A/C — it would make me cold and probably bring on a sick feeling. Instead, I’ll open the sun roof and get some breeze blowing while I look for a song on the radio that resonates with my endorphin high and toxins released state-of-mind. 

“Hot Fun in the Summertime,” indeed!

Pam Goldberg with wax Madonna.

Go to RHY website

Not Just Going Through The Motions Anymore

I first tried hot yoga because a friend found a groupon and encouraged me to try it with her. I had previously been to a regular yoga class at the gym where I was a member but found it to be too low key and not enough of a challenge for me.

But hot yoga sure did! After that first class, I had muscle aches in places I didn't even know I had muscles - and loved it! That particular studio was out of the way for me, and it was hard for me to get class regularly. A year or so later, I went to a closer studio because of another groupon special. For some time, I did attend classes there with more consistency.

Just after Revolution Hot Yoga (RHY) opened, my fiance bought me a gift certificate for Christmas. Even though it took me almost 6 months to go in for my first class, I was surprised and happy to find Rebecca (Jordan-Turner) sitting behind the desk. At the previous studio, I had taken and enjoyed her classes.

Yoga has become the most consistent fitness practice I have done in years. I like to try new forms of exercise but have a history of giving the latest new thing my all for a short period of time and then losing interest. I either don't see the results I want to see physically or I get bored which isn't the case with hot yoga. RHY has kept me totally engaged over the last year.

With hot yoga, I find everything challenging and engaging. Some days, it's a challenge just to show up. On other days, the challenge is to stay present and focused. Every class seems to bring a new challenge but overall it's always to push myself to progress just a little bit, but also honor my limits.

I've been practicing regularly for just about a year now. When I first began at RHY, I wanted to go into the full expression of every posture right from the start and thought that not being able to was a sign of weakness or being out of shape. But I've learned that the slower I take things, the better the results in the long run. Slowing down and taking small calculated steps is a continual challenge for me. Yoga also challenges me to show up, stay engaged, focus on myself, do what's best for me that particular day - building on where I've been and focusing on where I can go.

Every class over the past year, I would just go through the motions of reclined hero pose with my bottom nowhere near the floor - and as far as I was concerned, it was never going to get there. I was convinced that this was the one pose that I would just never be able to do. But one class a few months ago something clicked and down I went. My butt was on the floor! I have never been so happy to have my rear end on the ground. It's the small victories like this that keep me coming back.

I find evening workouts are hard for me to commit to and have always had more success sticking to a morning workout routine. If I can roll out of bed and show up at a class or the gym before having the opportunity to talk myself out of it, that's always best.

I LOVE the 6am class and the low lights and the calmness of the room. I love that its usually still cool outside and the room is so warm. When I leave class, I love the natural high I feel and how that stays with me through my day. When I've done yoga, I sleep better, eat better, and have a better attitude.

I like the vibe at RHY. I like all of the teachers and how they bring their own unique styles to each class. I like that every class is just a little bit different. Not different enough that you don't know what you are doing or what you have stepped into, but just enough to be challenging and fun. I love that the teachers know me well enough to know my abilities and show me how to take my practice just a little bit further each class.

I like the vibe at RHY. I like all of the teachers and how they bring their own unique styles to each class. I like that every class is just a little bit different. Not different enough that you don't know what you are doing or what you have stepped into, but just enough to be challenging and fun. I love that the teachers know me well enough to know my abilities and show me how to take my practice just a little bit further each class. 

This is Stepahnie Lehnhausen's yoga story.

Go to RHY website

Yoga Is My Little Secret

In September 2007, my marriage ended and I was angry, tired, and needing something new in my life. I has always wanted to try yoga but thought that it would be too chill and hippie for my hard core exercising self. A friend mentioned she went to Bikram Hot Yoga with her brother and didn't like it, but commented, " You should try it, I bet you would like it." What an endorsement! She went on, " I'm not going back, but you should try it." So, I went in January 2008 and haven't missed a week since. After that first class, I was hooked.

Even though I originally thought of hot yoga as a workout, I find that yoga is exercise for my brain more than my body! The many benefits my body experiences are a BONUS. Yoga means ME time, no kids, no emails to return and no laundry that needs to be done. Yoga is like a good friend that I talk to once a week but know it's always there for me in a times of need. Yoga clears my head and allows me to think straight just like a nitty gritty conversation with a good friend. So, if you see me practicing more than once a week, it means something is going on, and I need it!

For seven years, I practiced at Bikram until 2015 when my daughter started volley ball practice for two hours from 8:00-10:00 pm on Tuesday nights. After driving her to practice, it was too far for me to go back home and too loud there to get any work done or read. I thought, "There has to be some better way to use this time." and searched for yoga studio's nearby. That's when I discovered Revolution Hot Yoga (RHY), and it was like it was meant to be. I walked into RHY and there sat Rebecca (Jordan-Turner) who lead the class I attended every Monday morning at the Bikram studio.

It was like seeing an friend I had lost touch with and all of the sudden my new yoga experience wasn't so scary anymore. Once I did my first class at RHY, I was hooked and never have been back to the other studio. I love the coziness of RHY and that each class is the same but always different. The instructors have a way of speaking right to ME which I like so much better than having them standing in the front of the room calling out commands.

I STILL have never done yoga in an non-heated room and can't imagine yoga any other way at this point. Hot yoga is something that is all mine. It's my time to be still and focus. I tell people about the wonderful benefits, but do not beg them to come with me.

After all these years, I still find relaxing into the posture and being easy on myself when I cannot get to full expression challenging. Yoga reminds me to be gentle with myself in and out of the room. So much of the lessons I've learned in the hot room can be applied to so many areas of my life.

For example, Rebecca said to me just the other day, when I told here that I wish I was as flexible as another member, "Don't be envious of others' yoga practices." When I"m wishing I was as good at the stretchy poses as the balancing poses, it remind me to extend myself some GRACE and appreciate what I am good at and continue to work in the areas where I'm not.

I feel like hot yoga is a hidden treasure that many people haven't discovered and especially this great little studio right here in Greensboro and that so many are missing out by not making yoga a regular part of their life. On the other hand like any good secret, I want to keep it to myself.

If you would have told me 7 years ago, that I'd give up cardio and weights before I would give up yoga, I would have told you that you were crazy. Since starting yoga, which coincided with a new single chapter in my personal life, I've really tried hard to achieve BALANCE. I love my girls ( 17 and 14 ), and have a good demanding job and wonderful friends and family in my life. I'm the happiest when I can enjoy all of them in healthy doses. Same applies with my exercise habits, running and hiking gives me time to enjoy the outdoors, weight lifting is an investment in my future maintaining muscle mass, and yoga is my own wonderful secret time just for me.

This is Beth Pfister's yoga story.

Go to RHY website.

Yoga Is "THAT" Thing I Was Searching For

You know the kid who is always dancing down the aisles of the supermarket, knocking down everything in sight? Yep. That was me. So, my parents put me in dance class at a local studio in my hometown as soon as they could. Dance eventually became a huge part of my life, and I decided at 13 to pursue professional dance training at a prestigious school in New York City.

As part of our curriculum, we were required to take yoga classes every week for cross training, which was my introduction to yoga. Back then, I thought of yoga as more of a way to balance out my training as a dancer, rather than it being something I could do for my well-being. In ballet, I experienced many challenges and bumps along the way: injuries, intense competition, and pressure for perfection.

When the time came to decide whether I wanted to pursue dance as my undergraduate major at a university or choose to leave the dance world, I not only chose to leave dance and pursue something I really love, teaching special needs children, but I decided to spread my wings and move from New Jersey to North Carolina - on my own. I'm currently pursuing my undergraduate degree in Special Education with a concentration in English at UNCG.

  

At UNCG, I met Tina (Romanelli) when I was taking her writing class my first semester there. After class one day, she and I chatted about my background in dance and my wanting to get back into yoga. She told me about Revolution Hot Yoga (RHY) and encouraged me to try a class, but I never did. Six months later, I ran into Tina again, and she was now teaching at RHY. After expressing the stress of undergrad expectations I was feeling, Tina again encouraged me to try a class at RHY thinking that I might really enjoy the environment and find some peace of mind.

So, I got my act together and showed up at a restorative yoga class that she taught, and I've been a regular at RHY ever since.

  

I started off doing the restorative yoga classes to just get a feel for what my body felt like doing yoga - not as a means for cross training this time. I found that I really enjoyed the stretching aspect of yoga because of its similarity to dancing.  For the first time ever, I'm learning to really listen to my body.

I decided to brave it out one Monday morning and showed up for the 6am regular hot yoga class. I really thought I wasn't going to make it through that first class, but I just kept telling myself to breathe through it. And I did, in fact, make it and have never let the fear of the heat keep me from classes since.

Yoga turned out to be THAT elusive thing that I'd been searching for since leaving the world of dancing. I love that the yoga is a combination of a choreographed sequence, a means of discovering something new about myself, and learning to be at peace with the process and not feeling like I'm competing with myself or anybody else. Yoga has become a tool of learning self compassion, acceptance, and combating the pressures and stresses of college life.

My yoga practice is still fairly new and evolving each day, but I've gained more confidence as I keep practicing. I'm learning to trust myself and my body and starting to come out of my shell. The most challenging part about yoga for me is developing patience needed because I'm a perfectionist and starting something new is always a huge challenge for me.

As a dancer, I never could touch my toes in seated staff pose, odd for a ballet dancer. But through yoga. I finally touched my toes last week, which was mind-blowing to me!

Coming to RHY was probably one of the best things I have ever done for myself. From the amazing teachers, to the wonderful people I've met on the mat; it's like one big family. I've learned so much from those around me in such a short amount of time. I'm so grateful for Tina, Jane, and Rebecca for their endless patience, support, encouragement, and reminding me to just ‘be.’

Getting to be a part of the RHY family as well as the work-study team is an honor!

This is Victoria Budesa's yoga story.

A Yoga Class Can Be A Challenge Or A Treat

In 2006, I was first introduced to yoga by a co-worker who invited me to a Bikram’s class in Greensboro. I had never practiced yoga of any kind before. I was a bit put off by the heat because I really don't like to sweat, and the appearance of the other students made me uneasy because I don't have that “I practice yoga” look. However, I liked the experience of doing the actual yoga and continued going for a while until work and travel took priority.

My opinion changed when I came to Revolution Hot Yoga (RHY) where I felt a sense of acceptance and comfort from the moment I entered the studio. Yoga has since become a way of life as a means for me to connect with my “better” self. 

My yoga life is still in its infancy and there is so much to experience, I don't see an end in sight. Usually, I like setting goals and having definite deadlines, and I never would have imagined that I'd enjoy something with such infinite possibilities. For now, my yoga life has an enjoyable “long way to go.”

Surprisingly, I like the warmth of the room and find that I can do so much more in the increased climate, but I still don't like sweating. It makes me smile when I see my face all sweaty during class because it is so out of character for me.

Taking a yoga class can either be a challenge or a treat. The challenge may be getting my heels to the floor in Down Dog while the treat may be escaping from a long workweek. The joy is that I get to choose depending on what I need and how I feel that day. 

Yoga has given me a newfound confidence in my physical body. Over the years, gaining weight left me feeling depressed about my external appearance, yet I still felt gorgeous inside (what a struggle!) When I was first instructed to “Greet yourself in the mirror” during a restorative yoga class, I was actually pleased with the strong women staring back at me. Yoga is helping me to see beyond my exterior and remove the limits that I once placed on my physical being.

Yoga helps me realize just how strong I am because I've never had to work so hard to hold in a fart as I do when in wind removing pose. I'm proud of myself each time I succeed! :)

I feel like I belong at RHY and connected to the instructors, other students, and studio. I like that the instructors call me by name and acknowledge my progress. I enjoy practicing in a judgement free atmosphere with supportive classmates and instructors. 

It is my ABSOLUTE pleasure to be a part of the work-study team, and I truly am blessed to be a part of RHY.

This is Vivian Grice's yoga story.

Go to RHY website

Yoga Is My Happy Place

About 10 years ago, I started practicing yoga semi-regularly when a family friend, who was an instructor, held classes in my mother-in-law's home for a small group of gals. It was a gentle and restorative practice, and I found that I just loved how relaxed it made me feel. 

When we moved to Greensboro 3 years ago, I continued practicing at home but really wanted to be around other humans. I tried another hot yoga studio in town and just didn't feel a connection to it. The idea of the heated room made sense to me though, so I decided to try it again at at Revolution Hot Yoga (RHY). Walking in, I remember feeling nervous, down on myself, and just not sure what was going to happen.  BUT despite all that, I promised myself on that first day that I'd go to at least two classes because I knew the first class would probably be pretty rough.  I was right, but there was also something deeply familiar about the sequence which felt really natural to me.  

The only time in my day (or life, it seems) when my mind is truly quiet is in a yoga class, and it's 75 or 90 minutes of just breathing, not thinking. Having struggled with anxiety and depression for most of my adult life, I find that in a hot yoga class all of the self-judgement, analyzing, sadness, and stress seem to melt away. Sometimes, I even visualize that I've left it all in that puddle of sweat on my mat!  When I know I'm going to yoga after work, I tend to drink more water and eat healthier. The day AFTER yoga, I'm so much more relaxed at work and life just feels more manageable.

Most of the time, I feel like I rush through life without actually showing up in it. But when you're so focused on just breathing (as you have to be when it's SO ho in class!!), I feel like I'm very present in each moment. Outside of yoga,I struggle with that, but on my mat, it comes so naturally. No matter how bad my day was, when I go to yoga, it's like some cosmic magic happens while I'm in that room and when I leave, it feels like everything is right where it belongs: my back, my brain, my soul, and the world.

 After a long day at work, I usually have this mental argument with myself whether to go to yoga or directly to the glass of wine waiting for me at home.  I ALWAYS feel better when I make the decision to show up on my mat.  The reward of a yoga class is far better than the wine.

I used to think that being a yogi meant having a perfect body and being able to do the full expression of every asana. Now, my practice is much more about finding those moments of mental clarity and peace. The physical benefits are icing on the cake for me. My skin is softer and glowier, My body feels bendy, stretchy, healthier, and stronger. 

RHY is my sanctuary. It's a place where I feel I can just BE, without having to BE anything or anybody in particular. There's a quiet energy there that is just so welcoming and accepting. RHY has truly become my "happy place."

This is Stacy Ruter's yoga story.

Go to RHY website.

  

Moving Forward With Yoga

Before coming to Revolution Hot Yoga (RHY), I had only tried yoga a few times in the past, and it never spoke to me on a deeper level or inspired me to practice regularly. However, upon trying hot yoga at RHY last year, I felt compelled to continue.

One of my close friends mentioned that RHY was offering free classes as part of their one year anniversary celebration. I knew on a gut level that I needed to go, even though I had never done hot yoga before. Since then, I have become a regular student and can say that my yoga practice has been a crucial part in my own transformation.

Not long before visiting RHY, my spiritual teacher committed suicide, and I subsequently escaped from an emotionally abusive relationship. It became very clear to me that if I was to progress through the poses (and with my own life) I would have to face my discomfort and pain from these recent experiences.

The crux of working through my discomfort was strongest in the Camel pose. When first attempting the posture, the lingering trauma from the suicide and destructive relationship surfaced, and I collapsed face down on the mat in submission. This pattern continued for several classes: the demons of my past made me collapse.

Yoga is very effective in bringing up any issues or glitches within the body, as well as past trauma. Early in my practice with RHY, it was overwhelming. Sweating in a room full of people and looking at myself in the mirror made me feel completely exposed. The poses brought up the "stuff" I had been struggling with, and in my early classes, it was terrifying. So much so that one time I had to leave the room.

In the beginning, it was difficult to face my own body in the mirror, let alone be comfortable with the fact that my body was so vulnerable in front of other people during the class. Along with the emotional discomfort, there was the physical aspect of asking my body to do things I never thought it could do.

I am very grateful that Rebecca (Jordan-Turner) gently coached me by encouraging me to breathe through the discomfort, and eventually, the power of my old fears faded. Being able to do the Camel pose was a huge milestone for me and represented the conquest of my demons.

Physically, I've noticed that my body is completely at ease after each session. Over time, my core has gotten stronger, and my flexibility has increased. The strength I've gained in yoga has translated into the rest of my life by confronting fears, embracing vulnerability, and finding a richness that was always there!

My spiritual teacher always emphasized how important it is to be in your body and trust its wisdom, and I feel that I'm honoring her teaching by practicing yoga. Hot yoga has given me a tremendous amount of peace and the ability to move forward.

Thank you, RHY!

This is Anna Sibley's yoga story.

Go to RHY website.

Hot Yoga Leads To Healthy, Not Hurt

My first experience with yoga was a very basic restorative type practice while working as a college basketball coach in Poughkeepsie, NY at Marist College. With a ruptured disc in my lower back and the physical nature of my job, I was searching for anything that could help. The yoga practice did help my back feel better, improved my body alignment, and lowered my stress level.  

Three years ago here in Greensboro, I tried hot yoga for the first time. My first class, after about 30 minutes, I felt like I couldn't stay in the room a second longer which felt like the combination of claustrophobia and holding your breath under water for as long as you can. But I did, I couldn't quit my first time.But I did because I didn't want to quit the first time I tried it. Occasionally, I still have those moments when I literally physically and mentally feel like I can't stay in this room for another minute, but now, I push through them because I have a sense that those moments make me stronger and absolutely make me feel better afterwards and over the next couple days. 

My sleep after a practicing is always calm and without restlessness. I'm not sure that I would sleep that well if it wasn't for the freak-out-can't-stay-in- the-room-a-second-longer moments.

I find that hot yoga has the same beneficial qualities as basic yoga did, but at a higher level making me stronger while increasing my endurance. For me, the challenge of the practice is why I like it so much. In the past, with basketball, mountain biking, or even swimming, I would push myself to the point of injury. Because of my past injuries and the fear of new ones, I needed an activity that forced control and patience while making me feel like I was really working myself. 

When I push myself to make strides in my hot yoga practice, I am healthier for it not hurt. I'm confident that I'll be able to strive to be healthier and stronger for the rest of my life with hot yoga. I am a college strength and conditioning coach at UNCG now and work with the Men's Basketball team as well as both golf teams. Fitness is an important part of my life. 

I came to Revolution after running into someone with which I practiced at the first studio. He told me I had to try out Revolution Hot Yoga. When I saw that Rebecca (Jordan-Turner) was one of the teachers, it was an easy choice. After taking a class with her, I was sold. 

This is Chris Parson's yoga story.

Go to RHY website.

At Revolution Hot Yoga, It's About The Yoga

I took my first yoga class in my 20's at a gym.and attended on and off for a over a year until I stopped going to the gym altogether. After my oldest son was born, I took a "Mommy and Me" yoga class which I really enjoyed, but when he started crawling, I had to stop. 

Then three years ago after my third child, I tried hot yoga for the first time. Even before taking my first class.I purchased a 10 class pass because I wanted to commit enough so that it would be hard to back out of after just one class.  

At first, the classes were tough, and I wasn't very good, but I stuck with it for about a year. Eventually, the time commitment for a 90 minute class became too much, and I looked into a new yoga studio, Revolution Hot Yoga (RHY), that was closer to my home. When I saw the schedule, I got excited because the 60, 75, and 90 minute class options were exactly what I needed and I welcomed  the opportunity to practice under Rebecca (Jordan-Turner) again..Although I have started and stopped several times over my yoga life, I enjoy yoga and feel like I'm at a point in my life and at a studio where I'll be able to continue my practice regularly.

With three kids, my biggest challenge is finding time in my life to be consistent with my yoga practice. I started the year with the goal of getting to yoga twice a week, but I usually make it to one evening flow class weekly. Even with that, I've seen noticeable improvements in my well being. 

The skills I develop in my yoga practice carry over into many aspects of my life. I have more energy and eat healthier. I use my breath to help me focus and calm myself. Heart disease runs in my family and is something I've always been concerned about. Recently, I had my cholesterol tested, and my HDL, good cholesterol, is at a a level that is a negative risk factor for heart disease. At RHY, I feel that I'm part of a community that motivates me to make healthy choices. 

Currently, I'm participating in the green smoothie challenge and have to admit that I was a little apprehensive about it at first.  But with some encouragement and shared knowledge, I gave it a try. I'm happy to report that to my surprise, I really like it, and will continue after the challenge is over.

What I love most about hot yoga is that when I walk into the studio, I leave all my thoughts at the door and focus on the present. For me, that makes it better than any other workout I've ever done. That was as true for my first class as it is for the last class I took. 

When I first started practicing hot yoga, I had to focus with 100% concentration and a class was all about survival. In the Bikram classes, I found comfort in each class being the same routine because, to be honest, it was how I knew how far along in the class I was. I felt relief with each pose and success upon getting through the 90 minutes. 

When I started at RHY, I instantly loved the flow of the classes and the fact that no two classes are the same which forces me to stay in the moment instead of focusing on what's coming next. It wasn't about just getting through the class anymore. At Bikram, I enjoyed the challenge. At RHY, I enjoy the yoga. The instructors and members at RHY create an environment in which I feel comfortable and at ease. The only pressure I feel is that which I put on myself to do my best. 

Because my sons are getting older, I'm starting to find some balance in my life and am able to make time for my family, volunteer at my children's different schools and church, and only starting some hobbies, quilting and photography, but also improving my health through yoga.

This is Christin Morasco's yoga story.

Go to RHY website

Practicing What You Preach

I've been physically active my whole life. Since I was 15 years old, I've been a weight lifter, and have played soccer and tennis my whole life. I ran track in college and as an adult, I continued running and added biking, mountain and road, to the mix. My motivation has always been my health.

I look at it this way: We are all given only one body and might as well take the best of care of it. Always, I want to be the healthiest my body can be.

As a physical education teacher, I preach what I practice which not many people get to say. I love that it's my job to motivate kids and people to want to be healthy. At the end of my PE classes, I use yoga sometimes when the kids are high strung to help them calm down, stretch out, and just take a moment for themselves during their day. When I show up for their class, the kids look at me as their break and release from having to do class work. I'm glad that I can provide that for them and that I"m at least trying to instill healthy practices that they might continue over their lifetimes.

In college, I was first introduced to yoga in a gym class which I thought was pretty much a waste of my time. Having always been interested in yoga,  I was curious about hot yoga and tried Revolution Hot Yoga last summer. In that first class, I thought I might die from the heat, but before long, I was acclimated to it. It's amazing what your body can do in a short time if you just try.

After each yoga class, I feel relaxed all over, and my mind is de-stressed. I even think I can stand up taller because my muscles have elongated back to where they should be.

As a full time working mother of a toddler with a husband who travels weekly, I'm often in a hurry to get to class. One time as I was running out of the door, I grabbed my yoga towel from the dryer (because who really has time to fold laundry these days....ever!?) and when I got to class I threw my towel on my mat - only to see not one but two pairs of underwear clinging to the towel. Embarrassing! Hopefully no one noticed. ;)

This is Jennifer Dreyer's yoga story.

Go to the RHY website

Yoga Is A practice, Not A Sport

In college, I took a Yoga/Thai Chi class to fulfill my PE requirement. The instructor was actually a Thai Chi master so his yoga background was limited, but I liked my introduction to yoga and took yoga classes at a nearby studio a few years later. While I enjoyed the classes, I wasn't ready to make the commitment to fit yoga regularly in my schedule and stopped. 

Fast forward many years, a friend reintroduced me to yoga, and I found a great instructor in Greensboro and practiced weekly with her for about three years. During this time, I fell in love with yoga and loved my practice. When the instructor left that location, I decided it was time to explore various studios and instructors in town because I knew I wanted to practice more frequently. After attending a few different classes at different places, I came across a special for one month of unlimited hot yoga classes. I figured that I could do anything for one month. 

My first hot yoga class, taught by Rebecca (Jordan-Turner), was quite an experience! By the time 90 minutes were finally over, I thought that was probably my first and last class - what an expensive class that would've been. Thankfully though, I went back (I'm not even sure why!) and ended up taking 10 classes in the month. 

A few weeks into my hot yoga practice, I heard something in the dialogue that struck me. The instructor said that this one pose could help with carpal tunnel and prevent or cure other wrist injuries. Hmmm… For years I'd had wrist pain from cartilage damage, but hadn't noticed it in a while. I thought, “Maybe this pose is helping, and I didn’t even realize it.” 

After my one month was over I realized that I had missed my last chiropractor appointment and had just forgotten to reschedule it.  Over two months had gone by since my last appointment.  In the past, that lapse would usually have meant regular headaches would start back up which I would need to rely on pain medicine for relief. Instead of rescheduling that appointment, I kept going to yoga.

In the beginning of my hot yoga practice, my mind wouldn’t quiet down during class. I was constantly thinking which makes the practice even harder.  Now, my mind is much quieter I find once I’m on my mat.  My mind still drifts, but I know that all I have to do is focus on the present moment and the pose I’m asking it to do right now, and it calms down.  Unfortunately, all the stresses outside the yoga room still exist, but for those minutes on my mat they disappear.   

I love that yoga is a practice and not a sport.  I love that I’m encouraged to work with the body I walked in with that day because every class is different which depends so much on what else is going on in my life. Some poses are easier than others every class while others feel good in one class and not so much in another. Rather than getting frustrated with myself, I try to evaluate why that might be.  This happening has definitely made me appreciate what I'm capable of doing in the postures - and even more so what I'm not capable of doing another day - and spurs an ongoing discussion of keeping my ego out of my practice countered by giving everything I've got to a posture. I’m humbled when I cannot do something today that I did yesterday.  

When I’m running and logging more miles week after week, I find that my muscles tighten up and coming to my mat helps stretch out those muscles that have been overworked.  I find that focusing on my breath and strengthening my muscles during hot yoga helps my running. In yoga, I've learned to balance being kind and accepting of my body’s limitations while simultaneously giving everything I have to each posture.  

My son is nine now. He and I have practiced yoga off and on at home since he was very young. He’s taken a few classes geared towards children and families. I love watching him experience new things and see him enjoying yoga.

When work or vacation takes me out of town, I try to find a yoga studio and take a class. It’s always so much fun to practice in a new environment with a new instructor. Those classes are often very challenging and exciting because I don’t know the series or the rhythm of the instructor’s class.  I always pick up something from those classes, a phrase or a different approach to a posture and now have yoga memories from different cities, but RHY is my yoga home.

This is Christine O'Brien's yoga story.

Go to RHY website

Yoga For The Right Reasons

About 7 years ago, I was introduced to yoga when I started attending Vinyasa classes at the local Y with my sister. I remember being surprised at how hard it was, and wanting to get better. At 17-years old, I wasn't at all in tune with the meditative aspect of the practice. I really just wanted to look cool and be good at it :)

When I was in college at UNC Wilmington in 2011, I began going to hot yoga during a troubling time in my life where I was often performing to try to live up to what I thought others' impressions of me were. I was at the height of my addiction to drugs and alcohol and was obsessed with hot yoga in an unhealthy way to lose weight. 

After getting sober in 2013 and moving to Greensboro, I didn't practice yoga regularly for about a year. I'd gone through treatment and had a lot of issues about myself and my life to sort out. Luckily, I did figure some things out and intentionally decided more and more who I wanted to be and started changing my life accordingly. These adjustments have been meaningful and integral to improving my life and getting better. 

A few months ago I decided I wanted to get back into yoga as part of those changes. After visiting another hot yoga studio in town, I tried Revolution Hot Yoga (RHY). After practicing at RHY regularly for a couple of months, I've found hot yoga to be very beneficial both mentally and physically in a totally different and much healthier way than before. I think having had both perspectives has taught me the importance of taking care of myself for the right reasons. My practice has changed because I've grown up and figured out more about what works for me. 

After the initial feelings of wanting to keep up with the other people in the class went away, the yoga room has become a place where I can tune into my body and breath and tune out the world. I find that it's all too easy for me to expect more and more out of myself and to want be at a certain place in life or be something I'm not. Instead of practicing yoga to lose weight or be something, the yoga and meditation practice help me accept where I am and who I am that day. 

Hot yoga has added to my recovery in many ways that keep me coming back. Making my thoughts hush and connecting with my breath is harder on some days than others, but a yoga class always helps me tremendously by slowing down my brain. I've noticed that I also have more gratitude when I'm practicing regularly. When I make it to a class, my body feels better and my mind is more sound, and I leave feeling more serene and at peace.

I liked the feel of RHY - the atmosphere, the people, and the size of the studio - right from the start. Rebecca (Jordan-Turner) took me under her wing in a kind, supportive way. RHY is calm environment which provides an internal experience of peace for me.

This is Megan Carroll's yoga story.

Go to RHY website.

Magic Mirror On The Wall

Magic mirror on the wall, whose leg extensions are the most tall? Whose waist and thighs are the most small? Who has the highest fouette turn count of them all?

As a ballet dancer, my relationship with mirrors and my body during my teenage and early adulthood years were complicated - at best, destructive - at worst. I often felt perplexed that something in my life that could give me such joy could also cause such pain. I got to the point that I thought the best thing to do at the time was to turn around and walk away from my reflection. Through a series of typical “trying to find oneself” life choices, I learned what we all discover at some point: we are reflected back to ourselves off of many other surfaces than just mirrors. I couldn’t turn away from my reflection, and I couldn’t turn away from dance.

I began investigating other styles of dance and fell in love with contemporary. While I have made peace with and still enjoy ballet, contemporary is my home sweet home. It was through contemporary classes that I was first introduced to yoga. Elements of vinyasa flow and meditation were used as warm ups or cool downs. For years, that was the extent of my yoga practice and knowledge. I had no interest in pursuing yoga any further as I perceived it to be a practice that was too slow, too bohemian, and way too get-down-with-your-inner-feelings for me.

Thankfully a roommate of mine in graduate school got me to see my past uninformed judgments came from fear, and I took her up on going to a Bikram hot yoga class in 2012. As someone who danced a few hours five to six days a week I figured it would be a piece of cake. I walked (as best as I could with legs of jello) out of my first class looking and feeling like a drowned rat and wondering how I made it through that hour and half of sweat infused torture alive.  Incredibly, that feeling was swiftly replaced by the same alertness and aliveness that radiates through my body after a great dance class. I was hooked. I kept going to the Bikram studio as many times as my schedule would allow for the next two years. 

At first I loved the physical challenge of moving in a different way and exploring different muscles than my dance training. But I soon found past habits of unrealistic expectations, negative self-talk, and physical overexertion from my ballet past sneaking up on me every time I stepped in front of the mirror for my practice. So I did what I had done in the past - I walked away. 

Shortly after I stopped practicing yoga, I graduated with my MFA. Being out of the college bubble meant less class opportunities, and I found myself feeling increasingly fragmented, constantly trying to pull, push, and mold my mind, body and spirit together like a jigsaw puzzle pieces that didn't quite fit together. The same roommate who convinced me to try Bikram was teaching at a new studio called Revolution Hot Yoga (RHY).  From her description of the teachers, community, and vision of the studio, I knew I needed to take a class there. I had a hard time getting over the fear that no one could promise me this would be any different than my last experience, but I needed movement exploration back in my life.

I fell in love with RHY and the teachers immediately. I loved the flexibility, creativity, and personal attention that occurred in every class. At first, it was all about moving in a calm yet challenging environment, but the day Rebecca (Jordan-Turner) sensed I was ready to go further and shifted my hips forward in camel pose was the day my practice shifted into meaning so much more.

I am most at home in a primary curve. Back bends scare me physically and emotionally, so when I was shown how to open up even more into the posture that day, the vulnerability was excruciating. I came back to child’s pose and stayed there for several postures collecting myself. When I finished cursing Rebecca in my head and re-joined the class, I realized that being vulnerable allowed for more connection within myself both in a physical and emotional sense. It amazes me how this simple shift has created a ripple effect throughout my practice of yoga and dance as well as my work as a choreographer and teacher.

It's hard to explain how profoundly practicing at RHY has impacted me. My practice there has increased my flexibility and stamina for dancing and has given me a place to focus on myself. But there is something greater – a sense of wholeness - a wonderful feeling that it's okay to just be present, trying, being.

So, magic mirror on the wall, you don’t seem so intimidating anymore, nope, not really at all.

This is Michele Trumble's yoga story.

Go to RHY website

I Never Regret A Class

Back in college, I did a couple of Hatha yoga classes in a gym. I remember it because the instructor was fascinated by my long, lanky feet and called me "monkey feet" in class. While I've always been flexible, doing yoga in a cold gym really didn't appeal to me or do much for me.  So, I didn't stick with it.

When I was 20, I tried Bikram yoga and was scared during my first hot yoga class.  The heat was intense, and having to look into my own eyes was unnervingl. In the middle of the class, I tried to hobble out of the room when my hands cramped up from dehydration - pretty sure that my life was over, but the super nice instructor herded me back into class and convinced me everything was going to be ok. In my whole life, I've never been as sore as I was after that class.  I worked and stretched muscles I didn't even know I had! But, I kept going back and was hooked on hot yoga after those first couple of classes.  Strangely enough, I wouldn't change a thing or one drop of sweat!

When I first started yoga, I did it for the physical experience and in every class, I would beat myself up if I couldn't get into the full expression of a pose - just like in my life.  I was hard on myself, rigid, and always expecting perfection the first time I tried something. Over my years of practicing without even realizing it, yoga has turned into a much deeper, meditative practice for me. It's not about the physical aspect anymore. I've learned how to let things go, and how to laugh at myself, whether I'm falling out of a pose or busting my butt on the sidewalk. 

I have generalized anxiety disorder which means my brain is constantly going going going and always worrying about things that I know I have no control over. When I step onto my yoga mat, all of that melts away. Some days, it's harder for my brain to slow down than others, but I always leave class feeling lighter, like the worries and stresses have literally melted away with the heat. Yoga is a release for me. 

In the early days of my practice, there was a month that I would cry like a baby after every camel pose....and I mean sobbing hot mess, alligator tears. Now, I realize that I was probably doing this because I was going through a lot during that time in college. The experience taught me that if I need to cry, I might as well go ahead and let it out because I'll feel better afterwards. Better out than in! 

Yoga helps me live healthier overall. I eat healthier because I don't want to feel like I've got a belly full of crud when I'm in class. Because of yoga, I also stay better hydrated, which I find difficult during the winter. Yoga has helped me with my body image as well because I see that I am so much more capable and beautiful than my brain allows me to see on its own. 

When I took Bikram yoga in Charleston, SC, they gave out soaking wet, cold cloths after each class which literally felt like they had been dipped in an ice bath.  While I was laying in savasana, the instructor would come around the room and place it on my forehead. I would almost have a panic attack at the end of every class because it was shocking to be so hot, and have this FREEZING cold cloth thrown on me. When I came to Revolution Hot Yoga and found hat they gave out lavender cloths at the end of class, I was not thrilled. I was so grateful to have them place the clothe over my shoulder. It's the little things, right?

I love the community of hot yoga.  It's a very personal practice, but the fact that all the people in the hot room are going through the sweaty mess together is a fabulous feeling. I love experiencing the highs and the lows of the poses and classes as well. One easy, calm pose one day can turn into hell of a challenge the next day. 

You never know, and you learn to just breath through it. 

While I do love yoga, there are some days when all I want to do is go home, curl up on the couch with a glass of wine and a book, and be done with the day. On those days, I literally have to order myself to drive to the studio. And of course, I never regret that I went to yoga, and I always feel so much better afterwards.

This is Natasha D'Amours' yoga story.

Go to RHY website.

Yoga Is A Lesson In Mindfulness

A friend introduced me to Bikram hot yoga about 3 years ago, and I was hooked right away.  I love sweating, getting rid of toxins, being physically challenged, and have tried all kinds of fitness classes.  I even taught Pilates several years ago, but running is my favorite and what I do most. 

Surprisingly, I didn't start running until I was 26 years old, after I had my 2nd child and wanted to shed the baby weight. I quickly realized that running was much more than just a way to drop pounds. I fell in love with it and began going further distances.  In 2007, I signed up for my first race, the Atlanta Half Marathon. Upon finishing, I felt great and immediately signed up for a full marathon which I ran the following summer. 

As of today, I have completed 9 marathons, lots half marathons, 5k's, 10k's and everything in-between - even though I'm a distance runner at heart. Marathon #10 for me is coming up this spring, the Boston Marathon which I will be running in for the 5th consecutive year. I'm so excited! While I do have a goal in mind for the race, I'm trying not to put too much pressure on myself. When I don't run as well as I'd like or don't win a race I was hoping to, I do get discouraged and frustrated, but there's always something to learn from it.

I find the same quality in hot yoga.  There are days when a class feels effortless, and other days when every single movement feels like hard work. Yoga helps me be mindful of what my body needs. When I'm having a high mileage training week, my body tends to feel broken down, but when I finish a yoga class, I feel like my body is healing and being strengthened again. Another thing I enjoy about yoga is that there is no finish line, no stopwatch, no competition, and no prize to claim. It's just me and my mat.  

In hot yoga, all I have to do is give my best effort on that particular day, and my mind and body are going to benefit and be renewed.  Over the years, I've grown more relaxed in yoga., and I try to not be critical of myself, but simply accept what my body feels like it needs on any given day. 

Yoga definitely makes me more calm and relaxed outside the studio. "Mindfulness" is one of my favorite words lately, and I never really understood what it meant until recently. I'm reading a book about being mindful and being present in each moment, accepting the moment for what it is, good or bad, and not wishing it away. 

Life is hectic and goes by quickly.  Mindfulness is teaching me to savor the little, every-day moments, which is especially helpful in being a Mom to my three children (ages 7,9, and 11). It's easy to get so busy taking care of kids that some days inevitably go by without even realizing what a gift it was. Being mindful, for me, is much easier said than done; I have a lot of improving to do, and yoga helps!  While practicing yoga, I work on focusing, breathing, being present, and just doing the best I can in that moment. I want to savor each one, in and out of the studio.

As a result of running, I often feel like my muscles and joints are worn out, but yoga allows my body to recover and prevents injuries.  Yoga has positively impacted my life mentally and physically. As a result of doing hot yoga consistently, I feel stronger both emotionally and physically. 

My favorite yoga pose is tree pose.because it's one of the few I feel like I can actually do correctly, and I love how I feel my spine lengthening, as if I'm actually getting taller when I do it. My spine tends to be weak and my back is prone to hurt, but I notice a huge difference when I'm practicing consistently. Yoga strengthens my spine and improves my posture, and makes a big difference in the way my body feels day to day. 

I came to Revolution Hot Yoga (RHY) because I had practiced under Rebecca's (Jordan-Turner) instruction in the past, and I wanted to learn from her again. At RHY, I was excited to get to practice with some familiar faces that I had not seen in a long while. Thank you RHY :)

This is April Irwin's yoga story.

Go to RHY website.