Aloha,
M y name is Conrad.
I have been practicing Bikram's method of Hatha Yoga since 1999, when my sister introduced Yoga to my friends and me at a small time share on Maui. I had the pleasure of working in corporate America until 4/11/2001 and then attended Bikram's teacher training in the Spring of 2002. After a car accident in 2003, I was diagnosed with a disc herniation in the L5-S1 (lower back) region of my spine. I could not sit in cars or chairs at this point. I could only lie on the floor with my feet elevated. My neurosurgeon and radiologist both agreed that back surgery was inevitable.

I didn't like the sound of back surgery. I had fallen out of my yoga practice with no studio near by. My body's immune system was not functioning at maximum capacity, and I had become lazy and tired. Everyone was telling me something different. My chiropractor said I needed adjustments, my physical therapist said I needed to do elliptical running, my neurosurgeon said I needed to make an appointment to cut out the disc and my Yoga teacher was telling me to LOCK THE KNEE!!

Yoga was the only remedy with lasting results. The stronger and more flexible I became, the more the pain went away. I am to this day self treating my injuries with the help of Bikram's method of hatha yoga. We opened a studio in Naperville, IL on Jan. 24th 2004 so we could practice everyday.

While attending Bikram's lecture in Minneapolis, MN Rajashree Choudhury convinced me to compete as an exhibitionist for the MN Regional Competition in 2003. Since then I have been competing, coaching and judging yoga competitions around the world.