Leslie's Testimonial:

When David and Karen asked me how I felt about being Student of The Month, my first thoughts were "it's too soon and I'm unworthy". I haven't managed to "master" anything yet. I have barely started my journey. As I've thought about this further, I've realized that we are all still at the beginning of the journey no matter how long we've been doing Bikram Yoga and no matter how good we are at it. The journey is personal and the path is different for each of us.
The path that brought me to Bikram was my old college friend Arcy (or Luz). She's seen me through two back surgeries and has heard me complain of all the other aches and pains that the doctor's want to perform surgery on. Bikram Yoga has been a lifesaver for her so she urged me to come.
Bikram Yoga is a major commitment for me. It takes 3-3.5 hours each time out of my very busy life (mainly because I have to drive from Plano). I've been doing it as religiously as possible since I started. At first I was coming twice a week and now I'm averaging three times a week (if I'm not traveling). I felt guilty taking all this time for yoga because I have constant demands from my five children (ages 16-22), husband, grandbaby, fulltime job at IBM, synagogue cantorial and teaching duties and 7+ private Hebrew students. But I'm over the guilt (no small feat for a Jewish Mom). This time is for me! All my life I have taken care of myself last (if at all) and I've made a commitment to get my health back!
And, I am slowly getting my health back. When I started the sessions I couldn't even get on my knees without extreme pain. I had a thick foamy mat I used and I would roll up towels for cushioning. When I started, I couldn't balance on my left leg for any length of time (due to nerve damage and weakness). For "Standing Bow", David had me at the back bar, trying to grab my ankle which was at least a foot (12 inches) away. Now I can touch my ankle and, with the help of a strap, actually balance on the one leg while my body bends forward (amazing). After about six months of steady mental and physical reaching, I am able to grab my heels in "camel". I've done it four times now, but I still get tears in my eyes. I am the largest person I ever see coming to the sessions and no one has ever made me feel bad or uncomfortable about that.
But, the best testimonial of all is that when I started, I had been taking muscle relaxers, anti-inflammatories , and pain pills daily for years to manage my pain. I am off all of that medication. I am looking forward to the new developments and successes as this journey continues. Thanks for celebrating these beginning accomplishments with me.