A challenge is the way to grow

Suguna Srinivasan

I have three children: one in Melbourne, one in Seattle, Sangeetha here, and I’m in India. The minute I land, I’ll ask Sangeetha to go to Bikram Yoga. I always look forward to visiting San Jose for Bikram Yoga and my grandchildren.

I have done a challenge twice. I was 93 kg when I joined, and now I am less than 70. After one year, I reduced and maintained it. I pretty much do all the postures. I’m happy. I’m giving my 100% whatever I can. And more than the teachers teaching, I look forward to the gems of knowledge they give. Sometimes, they give advice about life, comparing life with yoga; all those things are pretty illuminating.

Whether I’m in Australia or India, wherever I am, I look at the Facebook page, and when I see videos that show this room, I always feel that this is my spot.

Sundar Narayanan

Now I live here, it’s my second address, and this is my 16th time finishing a challenge. My goal was to do 1000 classes in 60-day challenges. If you cross 20 or 25 days in a row, it makes a difference. You have to come every day to see the difference because you get to the threshold of “I want to give up.” It’s like your body goes on strike.

The point is coming once a day. At some point, if you’ve done this enough times, you’re like, Okay, let’s take a break today. If I’m here and not traveling, I have no excuse not to come. So you have to push past that to say, “No, no, I don’t need to take a break.” I have nothing else to do today. Let’s get there and do it. It may be day 20, day 40, whatever it is, but going past that is the real lesson. But that helps you out in real life – so many times when the going gets tough, the tough get going.

Sangeetha Srinivasan

While Sundar was doing 16 challenges here, I was handling 16 challenges outside. This challenge is my third, but I did this challenge only because he signed me up without my knowledge, and then you mentioned the T-shirts.

Shida Tan

I started last year on November 20. I have always wanted to do this but have never committed to it. I saw the old studio every time I came to this shopping plaza, and because of the time commitment, I was never confident I could come consistently. I was in between two positions, so I thought, okay, there’s no better time to start Bikram Yoga. I asked my daughter if she would like to come with me, and she agreed, and we have been coming ever since. We encourage each other. Coming together really made it a routine, a mother-daughter routine for us. So it’s very special on many different levels.

I appreciate the teacher’s encouragement during the classes because one thing that sticks with me is that it’s not what you do but how you try. I started my new position six weeks ago, and it’s a challenging environment to navigate through. Sometimes, when I’m a little anxious about what is going on, I keep telling myself, okay, it’s not important what I do. I’m trying everything correctly. I don’t know where I’m going, but I know how I will get there.

Carrie Kari

Nirmal hates being hot. So I said, “You’re gonna hate it, but you’re gonna love it.” And you can see it in him. I laugh because he’s always quoting Sarah, and one day, he says, “You know what? I think I only have to do one of the poses. I don’t have to do both.” And what would Sarah say? All I have to say at the house now is, “What would Sarah say?” And he’s like, “Fine, I’ll do both.”

I’ve always had these stories about what I can and can’t do. Sarah says, “If you don’t give it a name, it will pass.” I’m learning that I’m a terrible storyteller. Just be quiet and do the pose. Don’t do anything except for what they say. And so I just stopped telling stories. Then, I realized the stories outside of the studio. And I began to stop that voice, stop giving everything a name. We don’t have to be terrible storytellers. We can just be quiet.

Nirmal Kari

I started on September 14, and I’ve done 130 classes since. The one thing that I can tell you is that I don’t think anyone is enjoying this more than me. The biggest thank you goes to the teachers. The first day, I stopped at 75 minutes and left, and I said I’m never coming back. Matt came to me when I was at the bottom, and he said a few things that are seared in my mind. And since then, every teacher has taught me one more thing.

At our house, we quote the teachers all the time, such as “If you don’t give it a name, it’ll go away.” We share quotes from everyone and want to write them down. The person I want to thank the most is my wife. The year before, I had shingles, I had gout, I had arthritis. I was not feeling well. So she said, “Come with me to Bikram Yoga.” Since then, I have had no problems. Matt once told me, “Ignore every thought in your mind.” And I was like, that’s exactly what Carrie does! She ignores every thought in my mind. 😂

Priya Rajan

This challenge is my second. The first one was very hard to get through, I was counting down like crazy. I was at a very low point in June, trying different things. I wasn’t losing weight. I remember having a conversation with Michele. I was coming three days a week. I’m a foodie, so that’s not gonna give in, but this was not working. And Michele asked, “Can you make it four days like that?” Yeah. And then I took a 30-day challenge for myself, and let’s forget about the weight loss part of it, but it really taught me the yoga that you guys all talk about, where do your thing and don’t wait for the results, and that’s what I got out of it. And after that, I’ve not looked back.

I’m not coming here for results. The biggest thing yoga has taught me is that I can take outside the room: You just have to do it. That is the biggest thing I get out of this. There are so many things you get out of it. And somebody said, community, it’s a family. When I was going to India, everybody had such good thoughts for me. They send you when you send you off to your home with good thoughts. That’s how I felt with the challenge. Teacher Jeff said, “The only way you grow is through a challenge. There’s no other way to grow.” So, I stopped looking at the challenge, and instead, what is it that I’m missing? What’s the gap that I have where I need to grow? Let me look for the gap and see how I can grow. There are so many things this room gives us; I want to thank you.

Dana Hendricks

I started this practice 15 years ago in Berkeley, and I, like others, came for the first time, when life was “lifeing.” I will never forget. I was like, “This is it!” This year, I was determined that I was going to do a challenge. And so I came here to try Bikram Yoga San Jose. I have to be out here anyway; let me try it. It was several years ago, but I remembered Bikram Yoga San Jose: the community, the space, you’re very well-organized. I felt very welcomed here. And I remember the classes were hard. I was happy that you all were still here, and with the large number of classes, I’ve got 35 tries in a week. So I came down here for that; I’m staying in an Airbnb specifically for this challenge. And I’ve extended it because I knew, coming back here this year, that this is what I need in my life. The 90 minutes of silence, listening, and all the hard things we do.

For me, it is the foundation of life. What I do is very stressful, with people and their money. I wear all these different hats, and I’m pulled in so many different directions. It can be detrimental to your health when it’s too stressful, and the stress takes over you. Being here and coming to this studio has been life-changing for me. I had an injury, and teacher Sarah said, “Come to class without the brace.” I’d have never thought of that. Sometimes, we get stagnant in certain places where we may feel stuck. I would not have thought of that had you not led me to that place, so thank you.

I’m 85% back with this injury but 100% back in light and with a new attitude. This practice has been truly inside-out for every part of my life. I will never forget how Sarah said, “It’s not what you do in the last week of the Olympics. It’s how you show up in the first.” And I thank you. I thank the community.

Jo Ko

When I came to your studio for the first time back in 2015, I used Groupon – I didn’t use all of the 20 classes and just left; that was it. I was the worst yogi you can ever imagine. I was the one. I used to freeze water in the bottle, and then during savasana, I would rub it on my face, and I was making all these noises and didn’t respect anybody. I was so selfish. I didn’t like yoga at all. I remember Matt and Sarah because of their accent. I’m like, “Oh my God, just torture me with your British accent.” And I’m like, “Okay, after this is done, after this Groupon, I’m gonna make myself hot, and then I’m gonna leave, and I’m never gonna come back.”

But I did come back a year and a half ago. I got older and more mature. I’ve been through a lot of things, and my attitude changed. I’m a different person. I started to find something inside of me. Of course, the physical effect of yoga is amazing; you lose weight, and your health improves. But beyond that benefit, it’s a mental, spiritual kind of experience, for sure. It’s self-realization, self-discovery, a 90-minute meditation. And I started respecting other people.

One day, I was taking a shower. They’re talking about how Sarah’s learning Korean. And I’m like, what? I used to teach Korean at a Korean Catholic Church, and then she became my best friend. We are talking in Korean. So sweet. Then I wrote a Story of a Yogi, with all these things in it. I’ve tried to be part of this beautiful community. I got more committed and signed up to be a Karma Yogi. This is my life now, and I really love it. Michele’s the best boss I have ever had, and Tonni’s the best manager I have ever had. I’m really happy to be here.

Recently, I got involved in playing lots of pickleball, so I have to figure out this pickleball/yoga balance thing. My pickleball friends are like, “Play one more game.” I’m like, “I gotta go to yoga.” And then they say, “Jo, you’re doing yoga too much. Pick one: yoga or pickleball, dude.” That’s the hardest question I’ve heard since I was five when someone asked me, Do you like your mom or your daddy?” Yoga is kind of like my mom, to take care of me if I get injured. When you get sad, you run to your mom. Yoga is physical and mental healing.

Doug Robin

I would just say it’s such a privilege. I started coming every day, probably in November. I wanted to do this challenge, but I didn’t want to have the pressure. A few people asked me if I was doing the challenge, and I said no, I’m just coming every day. I wouldn’t put a sticker up until I finish. But one important thing was that I gave myself permission every day. And it’s interesting because I have all these different stories, like, you’re so self-indulgent if you come here three hours a day. But it’s just the opposite. This practice is a foundation for me: taking care of myself just awakened so much joy.

I told Matt I had come up with your new ad slogan. It should be “Bikram Yoga, better than therapy and cheaper.” There’s something that I have appreciated that people have touched on. I’m less attached to thoughts. There’s so much less anxiety and anger. One of the things I love the most about the practice is it’s a path to anywhere. You can cultivate or strengthen any value. Stillness is one so prevalent here. I love not wasting any extra movements. I heard on this podcast that attention was a form of prayer. Yeah, there’s just so much.

Minal Kala

Somebody said that Bikram Yoga is like the mother. You go back when you need more. I have done other things, such as hiking, walking, running, and running marathons. But whenever I’m not feeling good inside, I come back. My practice isn’t consistent. When I come here, I come for 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, and then I take a break, and it’s always difficult for me to return. I returned on January 10 and signed up for the 60 Day Challenge because that’s the only way I can do a consistent practice.

When I do a double, I tell myself, Okay, I will do it! Take it easy. Take it easy. And when I see Michele’s smiling face, I’m like, Okay, I’m gonna do my best, whatever I can do. And then when I’m doing class, I’m like, Okay, I need to give my 100%. I’m gonna give my 100%.

I like to spend most of my time at home, and then the second place – this is my home. I’m thankful for everything you guys do, all the wonderful teachers, and the community, and I’m so excited and happy that I will join as a Karma Yogi. I want to do this thing very consistently. I feel just so happy, so relieved. When I go home, my daughter says, “Yeah, looks like you went to yoga.” She can feel the difference.

Linda Chuang

This challenge is very unique, even though it’s my tenth one. I did a self-evaluation and self-reflection at the end of last year. I wanted to work on humility and how to be more humble. So, for a year, I practiced in the first row; it was hard, and why not? This challenge, I tried to detach from that. And so I was moving around in different parts of the room. I’m very blessed that I had my mother-in-law practice with me, too. She was here with me for 75% of my challenge. That was very incredible. I want to also shout out to Katya. She was 100% with me. Katya and I have practiced side by side for 10 years. She is incredible and always tells me, “Linda, keep on coming, keep on coming to class.”

I have to thank my husband and my family for being supportive and cheerleaders and for being there for me. When I’m home, I’m a much happier person. Being a mom, working full-time, and doing the 60 Day Challenge is possible. I didn’t do it before having children; I started once I had a family, and I knew I needed that to keep me grounded and centered and keep me going. So all you keep me going so I can be an awesome and better person. Thank you.

Archna Panwar

This challenge was my seventh time trying and my fourth time completing. My first two days were double classes because I knew I would miss some. Planning was the main part. I knew that I wanted to complete it on time. What I learned in this one is that every challenge is unique. With everything going on in the world, this is the safest place; it’s where I find myself. I think I’ll keep on trying. I’m a full-time mom and full-time working professional. I block my calendar from 3:00 to 7:00 pm; this is me-time, and everything can wait. It’s working, even though I have to wake up at 5:00 am to make it work.

Roger Chen

Doing a class every day, I started getting out of my head. A lot of it comes from having the concentration. Every Friday, we have yoga athlete practice, and I have to have some resemblance in my postures when I’m in class. So I’m trying to do it the right way. Having this yoga is more of a strict framework for how to exercise versus going out and running a couple of miles every day. I realized I’m slow to process; I have my own way of thinking, which sometimes gets in the way. I really appreciate this community, and working on what we do in this room makes my thinking a little bit more flexible.

Jeff Aragon

This challenge was the first time I tried it while I was teaching. Whenever I’m teaching, it blocks the practice. There was no chance to finish the first couple of 60 Day Challenges I did after my teacher training two years ago. I was so anxious to get out and start teaching and get as much experience as possible. I had to find a way to bring teaching and practicing together; it was my challenge to do that. I taught 97 classes during the 60 days that I took classes.

Something that I did notice in my practice is I had some breakthroughs. Finally, with my floor postures, all of a sudden, the locust pose was easy, like, what the heck happened? I had breakthroughs so many days where it was one or two inches more, and it wasn’t going any further. It didn’t matter how I thought. And then, one day, it just did it. So this thing about doing every day, you’re reminding the body more often, and eventually that breaks through, one way or another.

Bikram says, you know, it’s like going to the toilet. You do that every day. You do this every day, cleansing the body. It’s all part of your daily process, no different from anything else. When I’m teaching, I try to think of something that will help people think of a different way of practice, a positive way. So I say things here and there, and then slowly realize I have to take my own advice. It was fun to realize how that actually helped.

Uma Mannarsamy

I joined the challenge after returning from an international trip, and I came here with a lot of jet lag. So I said, okay, I’ll try for a week or so, and if I’m unable to do it, I will stop. But then I came for seven days and I just thought, every day, when I got up, which class am I going to come to? In the middle of the challenge, I’m like, okay, what are you doing here? Just quit, because my legs were hurting. I talked with Matt and Sarah, and they told me what to do. So, after the 50th day, then it was a breeze.

It was a great experience, and the consistency is why I started, but most of the time, I focused on listening to the words. People often ignore the words, but that’s what you should focus on. I always try to listen to every word the teachers say. Jessica says, “No expectation, no history.” Matt says, “Relax everything, everywhere.” Sarah says, “Get into the savasana; that’s what you paid for.” It’s been a great experience, and I’ve become stronger.

Michael Wickler

It was eight years ago that I found Bikram Yoga San Jose. Around that time, I wanted to change up my life and make it all about yoga. This studio has been fantastic for getting that started in my life and carrying me through. I needed to devote my life to my practice, which then grew into the ability to bring my skills here for marketing, and then to become a teacher was a long-standing dream. It took a while, but I got there, and it’s been fantastic.

There’s an opportunity, both in the practice and the teaching, to focus and be present. We could be present in our lives all the time, but it’s in the yoga room that we have that opportunity to really make it happen, and then we can carry it out into the world.

I first heard of Bikram Yoga San Jose many years ago. I lived in San Francisco and didn’t have a car, so it was a world away, but it was in the back of my mind. Eventually, I came down on weekends while still living up there. From that moment on, it was a big draw. At other times, I’ve been traveling around the state and practicing in different studios, and I would drive hundreds of miles to get here, spend a weekend, and practice. So, BYSJ has always been a real focal point.

Living in Monterey now, I practice and teach in two places, and it’s a challenge, but I have a great life down there, and yet, this studio and this community, and working with Michele, is just the best. As Jeff said, finding that balance as a new teacher can be hard. But it matters so much to how you teach, to have a regular practice, to be more connected with everyone.