BE HEALTHIER.
BE IN COMMUNITY.
BE TRANSFORMED.

As we embrace the new year and consider the changes and habits we aim to adopt, Daina exemplifies someone who has already embraced these goals. Year after year, she consistently attends class. We first recognized her dedication during the pandemic when she continuously participated via Zoom. Even when she travels to South Carolina to visit her children and grandchildren, she joins the class from wherever she is, including from the bathroom there. It’s the daily actions that shape us, and Daina is truly an inspiration and encouragement for everyone!

“My yoga journey began 20 years ago with a religious devotion to Vinyasa yoga. I paired that with a daily run (a lot of exercise for a person on a given day) and I felt good. Every so often I’d ponder how long this exercise regimen would be sustainable, but I kept at it. I had been a runner since the age of 16 and imagined that I would continue running in my 60’s and 70’s at the very least (I just turned 60 this year). Eventually, my oldest daughter, who was on her own yoga journey, challenged me to explore various styles of yoga—Ashtanga, Kundalini and Bikram just to name a few. I enjoyed the exploration and continued to pair it with running. By the time the pandemic hit, Bikram had pretty much won out as my yoga of choice; the heat, the sweating, the undeniably good feeling after practice, and the solid night’s sleep after a Bikram practice kept me coming back, but it was Lynne and Kyle’s dedication to offering Zoom classes during those months (was it an entire year that classes were only on-line? Crazy!) that solidified my commitment. At some point during the pandemic, I was a student-of-the-month, and I’m pretty sure that the picture Lynne used in that newsletter was of me doing a semi-solid standing head-to-knee pose.

Recently, Lynne asked if I would be willing to be in the “Where are they now?” segment of the newsletter. So, let’s fast forward to today–Am I still a daily runner? No! Is my standing head-to-knee pose still semi-solid? No! Do either of those facts bother me? Surprisingly enough, no! Aging is a funny thing. What you used to fear or worry about when you were younger changes, and your Bikram practice has a lot to offer in terms of managing those worries and fears at any age.

It is osteoarthritis of the hip that has stopped me in my tracks. Runs got slower, then shorter. During yoga practice, it felt like a soft tissue injury of the groin was reducing my flexibility in some poses. An x-ray of the hip revealed the true culprit and I grappled to accept, as the doctor phrased it, I would “outlive my hip.” I haven’t yet had a hip replacement and I’m not sure when I will, but I do know that surgery is in my future. Meanwhile, I take every opportunity to soak up all the good Bikram yoga has to offer. My practice has taken on the markings of an older and perhaps wiser approach. I actually listen to the teacher when they say, “Listen to your body and honor where it is today.”

To sum it all up, I’ll offer you the nitty-gritty, bullet-point version of why I practice at Hot Yoga Baltimore:

*No matter how lousy I might feel, I get something out of every class

*There is no better feeling than sweating and detoxing in the hot room

*The teachers are fantastic!

*You, my fellow yogis, inform and energize my own practice (Thank you!)

*There is bound to be some humor during class (especially if Rosamaria is there)

See you in class!”