Growing up my parents were both very athletic. So from a young age, and until I was in college, I excelled at team sports at a competitive level. That lifestyle eventually wore my body down to the point where I was unable to exercise without pain.

I've always been very peaceful, and through my new found yoga practice I realized that the job I was in was stressful and that stress had gone into every corner of my life.

The yoga room became my sanctuary. I began to see the "real me" as I looked at my reflection in the mirror and not so much the person my business card said I was. It was liberating, because I knew I was headed home. They say the longest journey you'll ever take is about 5 inches- from your head to your heart. Bikram yoga took me on that journey.

In January 2004, almost 40 pounds lighter, stronger inside and out and with the encouragement of Andrea, my husband Roy, daughter Samantha and my son Jonathan, I quit my corporate job of 10 years to become a Bikram teacher. Walking away from all the things that I thought defined me was scary. I now realize that I define myself.

My life since teacher training has been a blessing. I now teach exclusively at the BYI and I am the Studio Manager. I am lucky enough to call Andrea a mentor, teacher and my friend. I got to learn from the best, teaching with kindness and compassion. My marriage of 28 yrs is stronger than ever, and I have recently become a Grandma. The birth of Lily has opened up a new beautiful chapter in my life, one that I am excited to write.

I still have some physical challenges and life periodically sends me some emotional and spiritual ones, too. I know that it is by living and practicing our yoga that we evolve and come to a new place of understanding and compassion. I can teach it because I know it for myself. The benefits are real, just show up!

"Life is good!"

It was with this Bikram class that I recognized the child inside and made a commitment to take care of her, and so my yoga journey had begun. Had I realized the positive impact it would later prove to have on my life I would have been practicing this yoga much earlier.

I've made my yoga practice a priority and it has worked wonders for me each day. By the third month of my practice Andrea Griego, owner of the Bikram Yoga Institute in Scottsdale, Arizona, had offered one lucky yogi the opportunity to blog about their yoga experience in exchange for free yoga. To earn the job I went home that night and wrote a blog and emailed it off. And so from April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2010 I openly wrote of the experiences of my life and how my moving meditation transformed my weak, barely there soul, revealing a mountain of self discovery, which grew to extreme heights as I grew in my practice.

Within 17 months of steady yoga practice I had made positive changes, mainly changing my life's direction and outlook, leaping myself into a healing career, enrolling myself in Bikram's Yoga College of India. It was recognizing my strength and newly found self-love in the mirror week after week, month after month, that I was able to make these changes. And it is a great feeling to have learned from the BYI staff and now to be a part of it.

When I walked into the studio for the first time I didn't know the first thing about Bikram Yoga! I had done yoga before and figured how different could it possibly be. My first class was a whirlwind. I loved it! I found myself wanting more and I actually attended 26 out of my first 30 days. From here it turned into a regular practice. The bonus is that my asthma has improved and I no longer take all the daily medications. I'm healthy, and couldn't be happier. I finally found something that I can do forever...a passion.

With this passion came a desire to share it with others. What better way than to become a Bikram Yoga instructor! I completed teacher training the fall of 2008 and have been an instructor ever since. I love what I do and try to share that same joy and excitement I feel with each of my students. They are my inspiration and I am honored to lead them through their practice.

I mapped out all the studios that were close to my house. The closest yoga studio was a Bikram studio. Was it pure chance or fate? Looking back now, I think it was fate that I ended up in that Bikram studio. I took my first class and thought my head was going to explode from the heat. I stuck it out and finished the class. After, I felt great. I had never felt like that before. I was peaceful, relaxed and energized all at the same time. I didn't know that I could feel that good.

I continued going two or three times a week for about a month. I was concerned because I was not feeling all the wonderful benifits that the teacher was describing in class. So, after class I decided to ask him, "How do I get all these benefits that you describe?" He first asked me how many classes a week I was doing. I told him, "two maybe three". He then responded, "you are just playing with the yoga and not being serious about it." I was shocked. He said, "if you want all the benifits that I describe in class, you need to do a 60 day challenge." I asked, "what is that?" He told me, "one class per day for 60 days". I thought to myself, how am I going to do this with a full time job that is 30 miles from my house and the yoga studio. So, I asked my boss to support me in the 60 day challenge. Lucky for me, she was nice and supported me. She said, "If you and your staff get your work done each day, they you can leave work to attend your yoga class."

It was hard to do one class every day. There were some days that I ran in the door right when class was starting. But, it was all worth it. I completed 63 days in a row and would have done more if it weren't for the studio closing on Thanksgiving day. All I can say is, WOW! I felt like a new person after 60 days. I was no longer stressed. I felt relaxed and I could move like a teenager. My digestion was great, and I felt peaceful most of the time. I was sold.

In fall of 2002, I was laid off from my job. Scared as could be, I decided to go to the yoga training instead of looking for another job. I knew this was my chance to become a teacher. It was the hardest most rewarding thing I have done in my life. I loved teaching so much, that I did not go back to my professional job for two years. I was blessed with being able to be a Bikram yoga studio Director for two years. Unfortunately, the studio owner decided to sell the studio. So, I figured it was time to go back to my professional careeer. I was able to find a great job and now teach yoga and have a professional career.

I truly believe that Bikram yoga has changed my life. I can now balance a stressful job and teaching yoga. For me, this was only possible through the practice of Bikram yoga.

I was practicing ISHA Yoga but it needs a lot of discipline to practice at home and I was never that disciplined. I was also going to the Bikram Yoga Studio but again never that seriously. Meanwhile, I have lost my only brother in 2008 and that was a shocker. To come out of the depression, I sought the shelter of Yoga. I started going back to the studio. I loved spending time with fellow Yogis, practicing together, sharing their positive energy, understanding that the problems that we complain about are mere hurdles in our lives, etc. The bright side side of all the time I spent at the Yoga studio was getting rid of the stress disorder medication I was on and feeling good in my body and mind.

I decided to go for teacher training in 2009. I was burning with the desire to share my experiences and the benefits with others; encourage them to find ways to heal themselves using their own body as means. It took sometime to get the approvals for the 9 week long break - both from my family and employer - but I finally got to go in April 2010 at Las Vegas. I quit the training only after 3 weeks of training due to an infection I had developed but that did not stop me from wanting to become a teacher. In fact, my desire to become a teacher was so serious that I returned to training against the wishes of my family, friends and employer. I went back for training again in Oct 2010 and helped by people across the board to complete my teacher training.

I love teaching and I love sharing. I consider myself to be a learner and there is so much to learn. My students are my teachers. I wish I can teach a bit more but I still feel lucky to be where I am now.

I have been always been an athlete, starting with swimming long distance competitively through High School and College. I later began to develop a love for running. I ran marathons and really enjoyed it. In the fall of 2009 while training for the local PF CHANGS marathon I lost my husband of 20 years to a massive heart attack. My love for running suddenly stopped.

And that is when I found Bikram yoga. It became my therapy, my physical workout, and my passion. It was different then any other yoga or exercise I had ever done. It was challenging, exhilarating, relaxing, and therapeutic all at the same time.

This yoga has truly connected me through the mind, body, spirit connection. In 2003 I was in a car accident. I was driving, and in a matter of seconds a tire blew on our SUV and everyone on the right hand side died. My husband, my youngest daughter who was 11, my oldest daughter (who survived the accident) her best friend also died. This yoga has helped center me, still my mind and yet gives me strength, determination and willpower to continue through this journey we call life.

Physically this yoga has helped me gain the strength back in the left side of my body. I was told by doctors that I probably would not survive the surgeries that I needed, due to the loss of blood and the severity of my injuries. Little did they know, I had already crossed over with my husband and daughter and was told it was not my time, I had to go back!

To me though, I had never even heard of yoga and ignorantly believed that it was only for people that liked to sit around chanting and burning candles and incense. I had no idea that yoga was something designed to connect the body and mind. It was exactly what I needed, my mind and body seem to be on different planets.

Honestly the only reason I walked in the door was because I liked the way the lotus flower looked on their sign. I was skeptical and doubtful and resistant for about 85 mins. I fell in love with yoga that day only after class was over. Decided I was just gonna come everyday for 60 days just like the teacher recommended. It certainly wasn't easy and there were days that I actually cried because I didn't want to go. About four months into my practice, I just decided to surrender. I heard the instructor say she had the best job in the world. She gets paid to do what she loves and change peoples lives. That was it for me, I wanted to do the same thing. So here I am now loving my job and passing my yoga knowledge on to my family.

I decided to go to Bikram Teacher Training in Fall of 2007. I took time off at ASU where I was studying Kinesiology. The courses I have taken, especially anatomy and physiology, have only deepened my love for this class. The human body is so strong. I am amazed, however, at how intricate each system of the body is...so much more delicate than we think. And it is only when these systems are working properly together every second of the day that we can live healthy and happy lives.

Out of pure peer pressure I found myself at my 2nd class. I started to enjoy the intensity and challenge of wanting to be as good as the students on the front row! It wasn't long before I was there and in 7 short months had enrolled for the Spring Teacher training 2011 in L.A.. This was a difficult challenge in so many ways but managed to convince my husband that he would do great with our 5 kids by himself for 9 weeks......I did not venture this journey alone, I went with my (evil) best friend who has 6 kids!

This gave a whole new meaning to the phrase "If there's a WILL there's a WAY". I learned a very precious lesson during that time; We are SO much stronger than we give ourselves credit for. My mom taught me from a young age to do one thing everyday that scares you!

Coming to do a Bikram Yoga class for the first time might be a little scary. Just remind yourself you have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain. You will discover things about yourself in one class than you would never know in a lifetime. You will finally discover what you are truly made of. How can you ever make improvements in your physical, emotional, and spiritual life if you don't know what lies beneath your exterior? There is nothing more fullfilling than to complete a 90 min. class in 109 degrees with 40% humidity, working every muscle, joint gland, cell in your entire body.