My name is Nikki and I was born on April 12, 1978 in Naperville, IL. The greatest gift I have ever given myself is the practice of Bikram yoga. My journey starts the beginning of 2005 when I was dealing with the end of a 9 year relationship. I was not well, mentally or physically, to say the least! On the phone one day with my friend Julia, she told me of a woman who was a lot happier with her life since starting to practice Bikram yoga. I was willing to try anything, so we set a day to meet for class. On March 1, 2005 at Bikram Yoga Naperville I took my first yoga class with Julia and my sister Jenny. Immediately after class I felt alive, full of energy, happy, fulfilled, and excited. It's impossible to describe in words how the yoga affected me, but I can tell you I had never experienced anything so amazing. Still dripping with sweat from the class, I went up to the front desk and signed up for monthly unlimited. While I was at the desk I saw a book with one of the postures I just did on it, it was Bikram's Beginning Yoga
Class by Bikram Choudhury. I was flipping through the pages and read that he suggests practicing the yoga 60 days straight when you start to completely change your body and mind. I knew from that minute that I wanted to practice this yoga everyday so I made a promise to myself then and there. After I finished the 60 day challenge, I felt so good I just kept going! I practiced almost everyday until I went to teacher training where we practice twice a day. I survived training in spring 2006 and have been teaching since June 2006. Bikram's training was the hardest thing I have ever done and the most rewarding thing I ever achieved. It is still amazing to me how this yoga changed my life, mentally and emotionally. From the first week I started, family and friends could see an immediate change in me. Not only did this yoga give me mental peace, but as a bonus it completely changed my body! Before yoga, I had never really worked out a day in my life. I was never involved in sports. Because I took class everyday, I lost 43
pounds in just 2 months! I lost 70 pounds of fat in just 6 months, taking me from a size 16 to a 4. After I started to lose the weight, I was unrecognizable even to family and friends. Now I am building strength, adding 20 pounds of
muscle to my body. Bikram was right in the wisdom of his words, through his yoga I changed my body and mind. Now through teaching, I have the opportunity to give that gift to others. I love Bikram yoga and am fortunate enough to teach class almost everyday. Bikram says it takes 10 years to be a good teacher. That is where my journey will take me; I am on my way...