Lynne has been practicing Bikram Yoga for an incredible 14 years now. Before Lynn began practicing, she would work out at the gym and take yoga classes that they offered there. She says, “I have always been a small person but with almost no muscle definition and strength. I never achieved that until I started at Bikram.” Then came Bikram Yoga!
She became interested in Bikram Yoga because her roommate at the time took her along to class one day. She stuck with it because she finds it to be the most rewarding of any yoga that she has tried. “It is like the Mount Everest of yoga,” she says. “I feel if I am going to take the time to come I should get the biggest rewards.” And rewards it gives! Lynne attributes her focus to Bikram Yoga, stating that it gives her a plan instead of just having random workouts. Her mind tends to wander very easily, but it has kept her healthy and strong. She used to suffer from asthma and sinus infections and with regular practice she no longer suffers from either ailment in the past 10 years! Lynne has been a hair stylist for many years and she also suffers from having “horribly tight shoulders” due to her job, but Bikram Yoga keeps her functional at work and her back and feet strong. She says, “I had broken my leg 2 years before and wore a cast for 10 months. I had a lot of atrophy in my foot and ankle from that. My foot used to swell and ache if I tied my shoe too tight or if it rained. Bikram Yoga has broken all that scar tissue up over the course of maybe the first year and it hasn't bothered me since.”
When asked what the most important pose to her was, Lynne says, “The most important pose to me is half moon. It wasn't always but just a few years ago during class the teacher said the harder you work in this pose the better and easier class will be. As soon as I heard that I started to actually work harder during that pose, not just get through it and I really excelled after that. It really was true.”
As for new students, Lynne offers, “Stay focused and listen to the teacher's words and don't rush to the end result without doing the setup properly. Also don't be afraid of the front row.”
Lastly, Lynne leaves us with this beautiful statement that her mom would always say, "Love Light and Peace.” She says, “It has always stayed with me and I have it tattooed on my foot. It's my mantra in life.”