23 Years – Faithful

On January 24, 2026, the BYSJ community celebrated its 23rd anniversary. Owner and founder Michele Vennard gave a speech and presented the annual Rise Award to Juni Sanoyca. We had some fun posture contests, and our yoga sport athletes gave a demonstration. See the full video below.

Congratulations, 23 Years!

Significant on so many levels. 23, each year is worthy of its own book!

Wrapping my head around 23 years, I thought of our 5:30 and 6:00 a.m. classes we’ve been holding just about every single day – for 23 years. In fact, 9:15 am too; 4:30 pm for sure…Same times.
Same 90 minutes.

When you do the math, that’s over 8,300 days.

That’s just one illustration…
of Consistency, for sure.

We’ve endured different locations over the years, and we will again – and honestly, that feels almost trivial now.
That’s back-page news.

Because 23 years is not simply an achievement of a business.

What we’re really celebrating…
is a relationship.

A relationship between you and your yoga.
Between this organization and the community that feeds it. Between all of us, moving in the same direction – together.

That relationship has stood the test of time.

We’ve developed endurance.
Stamina.
The ability to keep running our race.

The lungs of an entity, it breathes life into thousands of us –
because of the oxygen you, in return, give to it.

Consistency is the track we’ve been running on.
Ninety minutes at a time.
Day by day.
Week by week.
Month by month.
Year by year.
Decade after decade.

It’s formed now…

And with that comes confidence –
confidence to move through obstacles that got in the way…
and those that will get in the way.

We don’t know what the future holds.
And honestly – it doesn’t matter.

Because something else has happened here.

We’ve transcended time.
Some of you have come up to me recently, just standing with me in some unplanned silence, in awe of these 23 years.
Even a lifelong friend who came to what was supposed to be the opening of our very first studio (2002) recently texted me about our anniversary – “Time is an illusion.”

Maybe it is.

Because what exists here now feels everlasting.

Words don’t quite fit anymore.
Descriptions fall short.

It takes something deeper – almost supernatural – to truly know BYSJ…and the specialness it carries.

And there’s another word that shines alongside us –
one that very few communities ever truly earn.

Faithful.

As I look back – honestly, with tears in my eyes –

There were years when I didn’t know
if we’d even open that first studio.

Years of not knowing what was next
after losing our manager, Chris, and facing financial strain.

Years of uncertainty during – and after – COVID.

Years of financial unknowns stacked on top of each other.

Here’s something important:
Faith is only recognizable in hindsight.

In scripture, it says, “Now faith is the confidence in what we hope for and the assurance about what we do not see.”

Only now can we look back…
and see the proof, the evidence.

This faithfulness we’re talking about gives us evidence of things to come –
not yet seen.

That’s not blind faith.
That’s mature faith.

In 2023, while visiting teacher training, there was a small evening gathering – maybe ten or eleven of us – during recertification. Bikram sat with us.

And he spoke – not casually – but with purpose.
It felt more like a lecture. (Teachers Claire and Kerry were there with me)

He first specifically commended Bikram Yoga San Jose for upholding the gravity of what this yoga can do for mankind. He wasn’t flattering us; he was serious…
He repeated something, too, that he commonly talks about…

He said the number one enemy is our own mind –
because the mind lies when it’s not under control.

And he outlined the five steps we iterate in class at times, to make the mind your best friend: do you know them … let’s see …

Self-control.
Self-discipline.
Determination – never stop until you reach your goal.
Concentration – ninety minutes where your name doesn’t exist.
And patience – the hardest one of all.

And then he came back to the first one.
“Faith.

Faith in yourself.
Faith in your God.
Faith in others.”

“In faith,” he said, “you will find God.”

Furthermore, he adds, “Three percent is given – because you’re human. Ninety-seven percent must be proven; you must earn.”

BYSJ has stayed faithful to its part –
faithful to the dialogue,
faithful to how we stand on the podium,
faithful to the heat, the lights, the delivery.

Faithful to doing one thing in this building –
and repeating it – every day – over 8,300 times.

Faithful to hearing your testimonies.
Faithful to centering ourselves around this one thing – intensely.

And you know it comes from the faithfulness in the people that work here – staff and volunteers. Can we applaud the many, many people on staff, your teachers, and karma yogis that uphold these actions of Faith!

Even outside of the studio operations,
There have been distractions.
There IS Noise.
There are several nudges that try to pull us away.

Let me repeat – 3% yes is given in faith, but faith that has been earned, tested, that 97% has been proven with our character and behavior – 23 years of it!

And many of you thank me for not falling prey to those distractions – but every single staff member here, along with me, will tell you the same thing:

This isn’t because of our strength.
It’s because of yours.

Let me say this clearly:
BYSJ did not create the faithful.
You did.

You kept the faith.
You tended to your parents – and you kept the faith.
You broke your leg – and you kept the faith.
You lost your dad – and you kept the faith.
You had another child.
You moved.
You lost a job.
You traveled farther.
Your drive here got tougher.
This became too much, too tough, too confrontive
All of a sudden, I can’t find the time…

During Covid, you lost your studio; you lost your motivation, you lost your yoga friends, you lost the heat, the community.

You kept the faith.

Whether it was:
Injury, loss, parenthood.

Or just responsibility after responsibility after responsibility after responsibility; the chaos of life; the temptations to stay in comfort mode and more …

And still –
You kept the faith.

It no longer matters who is at the helm.
Faith surpasses personality.
Faith survives generations.
Faithful is not a person.
Faithful is an energy.
Faith is truth.

Recently, I took a Bikram class from his popular CD class from years ago – completely spontaneous thanks to Matt and Sarah thinking of it.

And the message felt almost prophetic.

Listen to this verbatim,
“The number one human problem, Bikram says,
is always an excuse – too poor, too skinny, too something.

But if you do a good cobra…
a good locust…
a good bow…

You will have a healthy life because “a healthy spine = healthy life”.

He adds, “Total control of the spine – then, control between mind and body and the rest of the world.”

He’s telling you, you will form new habits.
And in faith, transformation happens.

He goes on in the CD class,
He asks a simple question: you’ll hear the teachers say this in class, especially Sarah –

Do you want to suffer ten seconds –
or ten years?

Ninety minutes –
or ninety years?

Then, he adds subtly,
“you are thinking right.. making the right decision
yoga has cosmic powers to think and perform right things”

We might giggle or brush off, but what is happening IN you,

In faith, revelation happens.
In faith, you awaken.
In faith, you become something new.

Recently, we asked you to take a survey – our first of its kind.
Two hundred twenty-four of you responded – thank you.

You told us curiosity brought you here.
Challenge keeps you coming back.

You told us things like:

“I’ll feel better / I’ll heal / I’ll sleep better”
It was “hard” but “felt…”
“two classes and my back was significantly better”
“how much I valued it so quickly”
“it delivered what it promised”
“that you actually get used to the heat; the horror of the first class doesn’t last”
“It is my friend.”

These are faith statements.

Faith is why you walk through the door before the results arrive. You don’t know the answers yet. You’re not fully certain.

And that quiet miracle – of showing up anyway –
is faith lived in the gaps.

Yoga is faithful to you.
You are faithful to the practice.
And BYSJ holds the container – faithfully.

I want to close with this – from one of you responding to a question on our survey:

“Thank you for being a stable presence in my life.
I appreciate the space yoga brings to my wellbeing and the community of the studio.
I am very shy, but there is always someone friendly and familiar to meet me at every class.
The lessons in the yoga room follow us off the mat,
and inspire us to be better people –
for our families and our community.”

That is faithful.

Thank you – for 23 years.
23 years of Happy Smiling Faces

2025 BYSJ Rise Award recipient – Juni Sanoyca

Recipients of the Rise award are those who embody what we stand for – what BYSJ stands for. We see them; we know they are a solid representation of what BYSJ is. Their practice and longevity as community members may not be readily visible, but unbeknownst to you and me, they’ve inspired us in our own practice and in our ways of being. These people walk as ambassadors of a cause and a belief, and when we see them, we too feel a little power in our own purpose.

This year’s recipient, you will agree, 1000-fold, owns up to our core values: integrity, compassion, gratitude, community, passion, and joy. She can be seen frequently around the studio, exemplifying these attributes in full fashion – speaking of fashion – she’s got it on the outside as well as on the inside – her nails, her sunglasses, her hats, and her natural smile.

More seriously, if you haven’t guessed, I’m referring to Juni Sanoyca.

At the age of 39, she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. In her story of a yogi, available on our blog, Juni quotes, “My best friend told me to try Bikram Yoga – I immediately felt so much relief after only one week of practice. The numbing, tingling pain in my palm went away by the time I finished the 10th class. After three months, my chronic pain almost disappeared. I thought to myself; this is truly a miracle!”

Doing more than five 60 Day Challenges, in which two of these were doing doubles for the 60 days – whoa – Juni, as of now, starting in July 2009, is about to hit 5000 classes!

Behind the scenes, and over the years, mind you, I’ve met with Juni regarding our business, as she and her sidekick, Rich Etheredge, have kindly given and offered financial support and advice. Rich and Juni would often meet at Peet’s, a place that I frequent, and you could see them talking business, having worked together for years at various places in Silicon Valley. A pleasure to have both of them contributing to our best interests.

Juni brings in oranges, is the lead salsa dancer at all BY Fire dinners, and, like Sundar, a former recipient, befriends everyone coming into the yoga studio, acting out those values of joy, compassion, and passion. You can see it IN Juni.

With gratitude being her currency, she (and Rich) have taken on another big project together to help our member Mon move a mountain of a farm filled with rescued animals to another location ensuring the animals and Mon are properly treated and cared for – this IS the heart of this woman.

Now retired, Juni chose to fill her time to be one of our “carpet heroes” vacuuming and lint rolling our flooring 3-4 times each week – you may have caught her video on our monitors, salsa dancing with Mr Hoover – making such a chore fun and joyful.

Lastly, Juni chose to be part of USA Yoga and join in on competing this past year. This commitment means more practice to include YAP (yoga athlete practice) each Friday, run by Cynthia Wehr. Like all she does, Juni excelled in this task – coming in first place in the women’s 50+ division – clap.

What it did, however, was expose what is inside Juni: her calm way of being, her positive nature, her silent way of staying the course no matter the distraction, and, in so doing, Juni brings people together.

I love that about you Juni, I see you, we see you, but you make sure that we see others. Congratulations!