Meet the Staff

My introduction to Bikram yoga came when I was very young because Bikram is my uncle (on my father's side). Even though it would be years before I joined his large community of practitioners and teachers, I was always familiar with how his yoga classes impacted the lives of so many people. So, one can imagine how honored I am to be a member of my uncle's other family. The only thing more exciting is bringing it to all of you here in Manchester. I will look forward to seeing you in class! Close

Christine looked at me and said "you know you can sit down if you feel dizzy" I sat down right away and was so embarrassed because I have always been in such great shape I couldn't believe that I felt like this. At the end of class I went home and thought to myself, "what was that??!!" The next day I was so sore I could barely walk and I knew that I was hooked! No workouts have ever made me feel so many different feelings at the same time. My practice was very random for a few months, but in January 2010 I started coming more frequently. I took Diane Ducharme's posture clinic in April and talked to Pubali that day about going to the next teacher training. I just returned from the Fall 2010 teacher training and have never been happier! It's amazing how much you think you know yourself until you go away for nine weeks to something like the Bikram teacher’s training.

I am very excited to be a part of all of this and can't wait to see you in class! Close

She hasn't been able to tear herself away since. She embraced the teachers, the hot, intense workout and the post-yoga high. It was the first time she realized her calves could sweat. After finishing college in 2003, Laura headed to L.A. to achieve certification as a Bikram instructor. She has been teaching in Portsmouth ever since. Laura knows Bikram will be a part of her life for years to come and welcomes others ready to take the challenge. Close

I decided to go to the Fall 2007 Teacher Training in Hawaii. I returned in the best shape of my life and reenergized. All I wanted to do is teach. I have been able to teach in many studios in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. I am a true believer that this yoga works your body inside and out because I have done it. Just keep breathing! Close

Those shorts weighed about twenty pounds after that first class. I was hooked from the start, but it still took me a few months to get a proper pair of shorts.

I had been living with significant pain in my lower back, neck and shoulders. Having attributed it to getting older, and the end result of years of lugging gear, I was surprised to find that Bikram Yoga was healing my body. It takes patience, and a commitment to practice consistently, but it works.

After about a year of regular practice, Mike was leaving the studio in Concord when he heard the words, “You should go to the training.” I thought I was too old, not strong enough… but I really wanted to do it. I was just afraid to try something new.

Mike completed his training on December 6, 2009, and taught his first class the next day. “Bikram Yoga is like a series of hard-fought miracles: accepting yourself, healing yourself and, ultimately, opening yourself up to the world around you. One day at a time, one posture at a time, one breath at a time. Close

The benefits from my practice are the reason I keep going, and hearing about others achieving benefits from their practice makes being a Bikram yoga teacher the best job ever! Close

All I knew was that it was yoga, something I could probably really use at that point in my life. I’d driven by the Portsmouth studio a million times and often wondered what went on behind those steamy windows and curtains! Finally, I would find out.

My first class was in April 2008. I will never forget it. I remember looking at myself in the mirror when I was done and laughing! I was beat red, like I had just come from the beach and I was completely soaked from head to toe. That night when I went to bed, I remember my body feeling so fantastic. It was such a great, relaxed, and warm feeling. What struck me the most was that I STILL felt the same way when I woke up the next morning! This was something I was going to do again; in fact, I headed right in the next day for my second class!

Over the next year and a half, I continued to practice as best I could and as often as I could. I remember when I worked up to practicing two or three days a week. I felt so accomplished! I thought other students crazy if they came in more than that. I mean how could they do more than this? Well to use Emmy Cleaves words (she is an 85 year old Senior Teacher for Bikram who teaches ONLY the advanced, yes, advanced classes…amazing) I began practicing with “frequency, precision, and intensity.” I would come to class as often as I could. The more I went, the better I began to feel. My mind became calmer and clearer, I felt so much more relaxed and less on edge. I could deal with life from such a better place physically and mentally.

As my practice progressed, I began to hear more. It was as if my ears opened up finally. It was amazing to me how much I could improve my practice by simply listening to the teacher more intensely. Finally, I began to really try harder and harder every class. Once in each posture correctly, I would just give it all I had. I was holding each posture as strong as I could, being aware of my breathing during each posture and respecting my body’s edge on that given day. It is true, that each day of practice is different. Some days were better than others. This still holds true today. I just went to class and accepted myself and my practice for what it was on that day and did not judge it against other days. This was a great lesson learned by practicing Bikram Yoga and it has spilled over into my daily life as well.

At a certain point, when I was up to practicing six days a week and giving the advanced class a whirl, I remember thinking, I would love to be a part of something that made people feel this good about themselves. I began to think about the possibility of teaching Bikram Yoga. It had transformed me and is still transforming me, and I wanted to be able to lead others into the same. So with the blessing of my studio owner in Portsmouth, off I went to the Fall 2009 Training in Las Vegas. It was nine weeks of the most amazing experience I have ever had in my life! I worked hard, but enjoyed every minute of it. To study this yoga with the Master himself, Bikram Choudhury, was simply an honor for me. It has changed my outlook, my mind, body and spirit, it has simply, changed me. I am grateful for my experience and the strength my family has because of it.

I look forward to teaching every class. I am always trying to get better and better. You never stop learning. It is a journey of a lifetime that I am thrilled to be on. Close

She competed at the national level, winning numerous awards, scholarships, and even a spot on the World Dance Team. It seemed only natural that she start performing professionally. However, years of dance and two ankle injuries were starting to take a toll on her body. The cast mate promised that along with a great workout, Bikram yoga could heal her body and actually make it stronger to prevent future injuries.

Mindy started practicing in Nashua where she instantly fell in love with the yoga and made plans to one day go to the Teacher Training and become a certified instructor. Those plans took much longer than expected! Six years later, she's finally made it!!! She will tell you the benefits of Bikram Yoga are endless. Keeping one's body healthy, strong, and free from injury. The yoga has also helped her to find a healthier body image after struggling with the sometimes unhealthy lengths dancers will go to, to stay thin, as called for by industry's standards.

The body is such a wonderful and beautiful instrument. One that must be diligently cared for and maintained. Bikram says his yoga is like the fountain of youth, and Mindy hopes it will keep her dancing and practicing yoga for the rest of her life. Close

Then almost three more to make that dream come true. I finished my training in November, 2011, after having practiced in Manchester for two years. Bikram Yoga continues to inspire me and challenge me to grow in so many ways. Sharing this experience with my students has been such a joy. I feel blessed to be part of the wonderful Bikram yoga community here in New Hampshire. Close

I had been seeing the doctor in Boston every 5 months since 2009 to receive Synvisc injections, which would help relieve the pain I received from bone rubbing on bone. I was constantly in pain my senior year.

My surgeon wouldn’t clear me to run, bike, hike, etc. The next plan of action would be a bone and cartilage transplant in June 2010. I became restless and anxious. Having been an athlete my entire life and a college basketball player at the Division II level, stopping all exercise took quite a toll on me mentally, physically, and emotionally.

In October of 2010 my best friend invited me to go to an open house at BYM with her. I knew it was a great workout and that the heat would be good for my tight knees and hips, so I bought a one-month unlimited. Though I didn’t fall in love with the yoga at first, I kept coming back almost every day because I knew inside that my body (especially my knees) appreciated this practice. I practiced 5-7 days a week. I could feel my knees healing, slowly but surely.

After 8 months of practice I heard about teacher training. I knew right away I wanted to go to the Fall 2011 session. First I needed to see my doctor to see if I still needed the surgery. He was so thrilled when he looked at my knees and did some tests. No need for surgery, at least not now! I could stop the injections as well. He told me to keep doing the yoga. I returned from teacher training November 20, 2011 (one year from the week I started my practice). It was the most amazing life-changing experience I have ever had. After experiencing the healing benefits of this yoga and witnessing the changes it made in so many people’s lives, I knew I wanted to teach.

This yoga changed my life. Through consistent practice, I noticed a change in my patience and my perspective on life. I began handling high-stress situations better than I ever had before. For the first time in my life I felt like I was really discovering myself. I feel so blessed to have found this yoga at such a young age and even more blessed to have the opportunity to teach this yoga to others. I look forward to sharing this gift with as many people as possible. Close