from Shelly's Desk

It has been a joy to be signing up students for almost all the trainings.

Answering the many questions about housing? roommates? about filtered water, grocery store, shipping packages to the location, I love my job, there is not even one email that I do not enjoy responding to, it is my privilege to be doing this , and after reading many times why do I want to become a teacher?, and say to my self this is cool, they are inspired for a new way of life, by taking the training , and after the first on line application is sent in and I reply starts the process of transformation,letter of recommendation, medical waiver, entire tt agreement signed and initialed,2 passport size photos, and 2 copies of id,and payment in full I receive this application, and it starts to happen all the ducks in a row on the application and the dialog goes out and a welcome letter.In the past I was somewhat a part of the training because it was in LA. and I loved it got to meet many students, and I would like for you to read the letter below this one. and that is why I love my job.

In gratitude of my life,

Shelly,tt registrar

shelly@bikramyoga.com

I WANTED TO SHARE THIS WAS AN INTERESTING EXPERIENCE, SHOULD I GO OR SHOULD I GO IN THE FALL, AND I HAVE PRACTICED IN ANOTHER COUNTRY FOR MANY YEARS, AND I HAVE NOT PRACTICED LONG ENOUGH IN THE NEW STUDIO IN THE NEW COUNRTY , THE SOLUTION FINALY WAS MADE THE DIRECTOR AT THE OLD SCHOOL WAS HAPPY TO SENT A LETTER OF RECOMENDATION AND THE STUDENT MADE IT TO THE SPRING TRAINING, BY SCANNING ALL THE DOCUMENTS AND SENDING THEM TO ME VIA EMAIL, AND WHEN SHE GOT TO THE TRAINING THIS IS THE EMAIL I GOT. I WANT TO SHARE IT WITH WHO EVER GETS TO READ IT. (042308)

Hi dearest Shelly,
I have been thinking about you every day since I arrived but as you know, we don't have much time to ourselves... I am loving it Shelly, thank you for helping me make the right decision.... it has been hell for the first few days as I was so scared I could not stop eating...and then one day I looked around and realised how blessed I am: practicing yoga twice a day, tought by Bikram and Rajashree themselves, going straight to the ocean after each class, living in a five stars hotel with a very sweet roomate and 290 beautiful friends, getting so much love from all the teachers and the students... the mexican people are so lovely and they offer first class service, it's amazing... on top of that, Luke announced today that there will be two AA/NA meetings at the weekend... life just can't get better... I am often crying just after class, getting in touch with some of those abuse memories but Rajashree adviced me to journal and I know I am not the only one to go through that... there is a great energy and everyone is here to help each other.... the funny thing is I cry, I look at that stuff, then I go to the ocean, to posture clinic, to lunch with every one... and all that stuff washes away... and than I cry more and then I am happy again....

Again, Shelly, thanks a million for helping me take that step when I was so scared... I just wish you were here...

Lots of love from Acapolco

Subject: Bikram Teacher Training healed me

My name is Jyo (Jo Lenhart). I was 42 years old during the Training
2002 Spring. I came to be healed of fibromyalgia like symptoms,
facet
syndrome, periformus syndrome, migraines, hypomobility in the neck,
depression from all that pain....I came not very able to tie shoes
or
pull on trousers. I could not do a sit up or hold my foot in
standing
forehead to knee.

I hated the training. It hurt like hell. It was the hardest thing
I'd
ever done in my life. For me, it was like a night mare. But I never
missed a class. Had a few breakdowns in the women's room. Shocked
by
all the "tough love."

But....it healed me. I came out with a new body.

For all his bravado and "bad-boy-of-yoga" image he meticulously
maintains, I found Bikram to be a powerful healer physically, and
metaphysically.

One day when I was sure I was going to fall to the floor in
exhaustion, I found the sardine formation in the room had
accidently
forced me to be directly in front of him, (but several yards toward
the back of the room) for the second class of the day. I cannot
explain it in any other way, but his energy seemed to cause the
people row upon row infron of me to split just enough so that there
was a direct , albeit small, path of open space between him and me.
Then, with pure energy, he held me up and renewed my strength pose
after pose...all the while playing to the room and saying the most
outrageous things...but that was just the show biz element.The true
thing he was sharing - for anyone able to accept it - was this
amazing energy - love energy, like that I had felt in the presence
of
Shri Swami Satchidananda, or Phra Ajahn Yantra Amaro. It was pure
and unconditional. It was a conscious emmanation on his part. At
one
particularly tough point in class, his eyes found mine and he said,
quietly, "You rest this one." As if he knew exactly what was going
on
with me, while also leading a group of over 300 people.

I can only intuit I wasn't the only one who had this sort of
realization and experience with him...

There is more to Bikram than meets the eye or the ear.

Like all the rest of us, I came to Bikram with my problems. He
taught
me that they were indeed MY problems, not his. All he asked me to
do
was fight for health and freedom from them, with the practice that
he
had created - his gift to Americans like me. He asked me to learn
my
body, its limits, and be my own teacher.

He fought his way out of his pain - the knee injury and pointed out
the way for the rest of us. But he cannot take even one step FOR
us...WE each have to fight back through all the pain we created for
ourselves until it is all undone....Pain!

It's the only way OUT of pain.

But when anyone, like me, fights through that pain with everything
they've got, and says to hell with anyone judging them or comparing
them, Bikram will "hold you up" with his lion heart. It's not that
I
believe this. It is beyond belief or disbelief. It's that I KNOW
it...because I was there.

Thank you, Bikram.

Jo Lenhart

I'm a singer. I've been pursuing my career as a solo artist for the past seven years. During this time, my health and wellness became increasingly important to me because I needed to be able to work long, hard hours and still look and feel my best.
I became certified as a holistic nutritionist about 6 years ago in order to be able to help myself to do that. It was enlightening to learn how much food affected us and how it could sometimes even control us negatively or positively. Through this study, I got control of my poor eating habits and that really helped me so much. I realized that even if I worked out every day for hours at a time, but didn't put the right things into my body, I might "look" great, but I certainly didn't "feel" great. In fact, everything got better, my mood, my voice...everything; But I knew there was still more work to do.
Then one day, a friend of mine invited me to attend bikram yoga with her. She knew I had always been into working out and ready to try most any type of fitness trend. Whether it was having a personal trainer, going to spin class or kick boxing; so she figured I would be interested in Bikram Yoga. She was right! After one class I knew "this" was what I was looking for.
For a girl who is strong and fit and usually able to do anything I put my mind to, it was incredible to step into class and actually not be able to do something. Unlike other things in life however, it was not defeating though, it was strangely empowering! I wanted to keep going, I wanted to try again, I wanted to make this part of my life; one day having an amazing class and then the next having a terrible one, but BOTH being of equal value! It wasn't just a physical challenge, it was a mental challenge; a challenge to quiet my mind for 90 minutes and not allow all of my outside garbage to invade the peace of that room. To be able to reflect on why it was an easy class, or why it might have been a hard one, on any given day. The reflection and inner perspective carried with me long after each class was over and I think the word 'quiet' or 'peace' is the main thrust of why this has become so important to me.
When I go to the gym, I always need my iPod playing in the background in order to have a good workout, but in yoga, I was allowed peace and quiet, except for the voice of my teacher helping to push me along of course! That for me, meant so much. My life is stressful and frustrating at times. I have a million people telling me to who to be, how to act, how to look. But when I enter that room, that all goes out the window. The only goal is to make me better, even if it's just for those 90 minutes. It was time that I so looked forward to having with myself and I was always so proud of myself when I'd made it through a class.
It's always a funny thing when I speak to someone who does bikram yoga. Suddenly the conversation gets so intense and passionate and everyone else at the table wants to know what we're talking about! But it just ignites something inside of me. I love how it makes me feel mentally and physically and I want to share that with even more people.
Being a singer, I'm used to being on stage and I think that I'll bring that energy with me as a teacher. I've decided to take a break from my singing because the music industry just isn't what it used to be. I need more. I need to do something for myself and for the world. And I think as a teacher, I'll be able to help spread goodness, which is all I ever really to do wanted anyways. As a singer I was able to help people through my songs, and as a teacher, I'll be able to help them through sharing my knowledge. And I think that's an amazing and beautiful thing!
I think many people walk through this life filled with raucous energy, loudness and chaos. I would like to do my part in sharing a means to quiet this noise, create a little more peace, and also find that still part of myself, and be happier for finding it.