Dear Lorraine, Bill and Elaine, First of all thank you from the bottom of my heart for creating two wonderful studios here in central London and filling them with kind hearted, caring and inspirational people. Your space, these people, this yoga has undoubtedly changed my life and I am still transforming as I go.
Within six months of practising at Soho back in 2009 I started looking in to how to be a Bikram Yoga Teacher, but always thought it would be something that happened in 15+ years time for me.
I changed a lot over the years that followed – physically and emotionally – in ways that I never expected or imagined. I never saw these changes in myself until two years down the line, but friends, family, my teachers, tell me it happened sooner. I realise now how intense and powerful this yoga is, and the huge impact it has on the lives of those who practice it.
In the last year in particular I’ve encouraged people to come try Bikram yoga, who have then succeeded in altering their bodies, opening their minds and hearts. I have also been very fortunate to watch complete beginners start from scratch and get immersed in the practice. To be a part of their change in shaping their lives and their bodies, talking with them about yoga and answering their questions. All of these encounters have inspired me to want to bring this yoga to people through teaching, and I am very passionate about working with people.
Bikram yoga allows me as an individual to unlock myself from all the things that I think and do to hold myself back. It allows me to be the person I always wanted to be. Calm, kind, positive, strong, brave and patient. Ultimately though, it allows me to be happy and at peace with myself and others.
I believe compassion and understanding are essential for teaching this yoga – not every student can perform every asana, due to injuries or even fear. I understand what that feels like 100%. People assume that being under 30 means you can do every asana without difficulty. For me it’s the opposite. I have injured my knees, a misaligned pelvis, tight hips, and pulled muscles frequently. Even now, I still have fear of certain asanas involving the knee (tree and toe stand in particular), but I know I will overcome this through regular practice. This training is not about perfecting my own yoga practice – I hopefully have a lifetime to work on my personal practice. This training is to teach me to help others and guide them through their own transformation that has happened to me, and to help them overcome their injuries and fear as I am still doing in my own practice.
I am a committed student of Bikram yoga, practising over 330 times in 2010, including when on holidays in New York, Paris and Spain! I have worked out my options for financing my teacher training, and the next step for me to gain the support and approval from you guys, my studio owners. With this note I would like to express my intent that I plan to participate in the Fall 2011 Bikram Yoga Teacher Training programme in Los Angeles mid September, and hope that you can encourage and assist me along the way as and when I’ll need it.
Thank you again,
