Bikram Yoga Annapolis / Severna Park Student of the Month

Bikram Yoga Annapolis & Severna Park are proud to present five Students of the Month for September. These are the five students that will be going to Bikram's Teacher Training, located in San Diego, in the fall and will return to us to teach in November!

Bikram's training for his teachers is very intense. It includes over 500 hours of class time, posture clinics, and various studies done over a nine-week period. All trainees take eleven (yes, eleven!) classes a week and some classes last for over two hours! This is not your average weekend seminar with incense, lava lamps and sun salutations!

Katy Dolan

Katy Dolan is an Anne Arundel County native and has been practicing Bikram Yoga since May of 2008. She graduated from Towson University with a BFA in Dance Performance and has been working at CityDance Ensemble, Inc. in Washington DC.

Phil Vendemmia grew up on Kent Island and graduated from Berklee College of Music with a BA in Music Education. He has been practicing Bikram Yoga since November 2007 and is currently a musician in Maryland and Washington DC.

August 2010 - Robin Bright

In May 2010, my dad, my brother (Ronnie), and I flew to Missouri to attend my niece’s high school graduation. My other brother (Darryl) told us about Bikram Yoga and how he had been practicing for about 3 months. He suggested we try it on the morning before our return home. I had never even heard of Bikram Yoga. Of course, the only workout gear I had with me was a T-shirt and long spandex pants, yet we decided to give it a try. The first thing I noticed when entering the class was the wonderful aroma. However, after the class, I was hooked. As soon as I arrived home, I found Bikram Yoga Annapolis - ten days later I took my first BYA class and haven’t looked back since!

As a trial attorney, there are many periods of stress and tension. Yet, Bikram Yoga enables me to channel the stress and not let it control me. Throughout the class, the instructors remind us “to find comfort in uncomfortable situations.” That is the best and most practical advice that applies to everyday life. I am more balanced and centered. This enables me to have more patience and make better decisions.

In my practice, the most challenging postures are Bow Pose and Eagle Pose. I just cannot seem to get my stomach off of the ground and, one of these days, my legs will wrap around. My favorite postures are Camel Pose and Half Moon Pose. Although I am not able to fully reach my feet in Camel Pose, the posture forces me to remain calm although I am struggling with the posture. I also enjoy Half Moon Pose because my waist, hips, and thighs are tightening and strengthening.

It is so difficult to explain to friends and family about the Bikram Yoga experience. Trying to motivate someone to attend a class where the temperature is 105°, there is no talking, there is no music, it’s 90 minutes long, and you do the exact same thing all the time is a difficult task. Yet, everyone who has trusted me enough to attend has loved the class and some have even continued practicing at BYA.

I am honored to be chosen as Student of the Month and am thankful to all the instructors whose instruction and compassion makes practicing a joy. Bikram Yoga is now a part of my life….and I even appreciate the aroma!

July 2010 - Marianne Taylor

I went to Bikram Yoga at Martha's Vineyard at the end of a trip to visit my grandchildren. My daughter, Debra, said that she had to get to yoga class, and that I should come with her. I went reluctantly, knowing how I hated the heat. I managed to get through the class. I quickly showered and had to hop a ferry to take the journey home. I arrived home much more refreshed than before. I felt fantastic and promptly joined Bikram Yoga Severna Park within the next few days. I find that the yoga is not easy, but so very good for my energy level. My life-force streams in strong after class and also throughout the day. I am more calm and have an abundance of equanimity. I can face problems in a more balanced way. Even though I am 72 years old, the youthful teachers and students surround me with support and joy. Bikram Yoga keeps me fit for tennis and golf as well. Although I am commited to taking class 3 days a week, I would like to get in the studio more often. I have 8 beautiful grandchildren and 4 girls of my own, all who practice Bikram Yoga. I would like to share my yoga experience with other seniors, but I have not figured out how to do that yet. Despite this, our yoga experience is always shared with others if we hold compassion and kindness with others on our daily path. By strengthening our inner core in Bikram's Yoga, we find our true selves. It is then that we can endure big waves by surfing them. Formerly, I was an educator- an English Instructor at Martin Spalding and at Anne Arundel Community College. When I retired, I wrote a book called "My River Speaks: A History and Lore of the Magothy River." Now I am retired, and loving life!

June 2010 - Lauren Mueller

While in college, I started teaching group fitness classes and continued to do so following graduation. Another instructor at a local gym told me about Bikram Yoga and encouraged me to give it a try. In July 2008, I started the work study program at BYSP; I've found the benefits of Bikram Yoga to far exceed the experience I previously had with any other fitness regimen. I feel more energized and love that yoga gives me a full body workout in 90 minutes. My favorite posture is standing bow because I really believe that "eventually, in the future" my kicking leg will actually lock.

Being pregnant and practicing Bikram has been a great experience. Even though I've had to cut back on how often I practice, I find that after each class I still get that "yoga high" that keeps me coming back.

Aside from all the physical benefits of yoga, I love the community of yogis who practice at BYSP and BYA. There is so much support and encouragement from other students and the teachers!

May 2010 - Doug Shapter

I started Bikram yoga at the suggestion of a friend and massage therapist. I am an avid biker and skier and had NEVER stretched before. Years of tensing muscles without stretching had definitely taken their toll.

I had my first Bikram class with Ann Marie Paul about 2 years ago. I took class off and on until last spring when I got a bit more serious. I usually try to take the 6am class at the studio 3 to 4 times a week.

I really noticed the positive effects of Bikram this spring when I took a ski trip to Breckenridge and Vail. I hadn't skied out West in a few years and was a bit anxious about the altitude and the longer ski runs. Once I got out there, I noticed my skiing had vastly improved: I was fast and much more centered. I also had no issues with altitude.

I highly recommend a good steady practice of Bikram for athletes, or to anyone who wants to improve their flexibility, strength and balance. Most people envision yoga practice as incense, new age music and sitting lotus, but Bikram is so much more. Even after a couple of years of practice, the 90 minutes session still wears me out.

I think it's important for beginners like me to focus on the small steady improvements. I tended to rush my postures when I first started, trying to get to the full expresion at the expense of correct form. Now, I work on getting the correct form and progressing from there. This has helped immensely with some postures that give me fits, like standing head to knee. My favorite asanas are Half Moon, Triangle and Camel.

We are blessed to have such a wonderful studio and great teachers. It has been a real treat to watch Emily and Phil grow the studio and bring something unique and beneficial to the Annapolis area.

April 2010 - Wes Delong

Hi, for those of you who do not know me, I'm Wes. I've been practicing yoga for about a year and a half now. I first heard about Bikram Yoga in a newspaper article in the Sunday Sun. It sounded interesting and I thought that one day I would like to try it. One rainy weekend in September 2008, I heard about the open house at the Severna Park studio and decided to check it out. Up to that point, I was a runner. I had been running pretty steadily since 1992, but I have not ran since my first yoga class. I feel I am much calmer, and have much more patience since I have been practicing, not to mention a better awareness of my body in general. I find Full Locust to be my most challenging posture. I find it difficult to elevate my torso & legs at the same time. It feels like I am never quite off of the floor far enough. My favorite posture is Half Moon, which I used to despise, but it is finally starting to fall into place.

I am a Landscaper, which means I constantly use my muscles to make a living. Any Truck Drivers or Equipment Operators with bulging discs or Sciatic nerve problems should try Bikram Yoga before resorting to painful surgeries. It's not easy, but with a steady practice it will put your body back to what it once was.

It's quite an honor to be chosen as Student of the Month when there are so many Hardworking Yogis in class everyday.

March 2010 - Marney Mederos