Teacher Profiles

1. When did you first start practicing?

7  years ago in Wellington when I was in a post-baby/life/body crisis!

2. What brought you to Bikram yoga?

I found a flyer and thought it sounded interesting; I had been practicing various types of yoga for years but had never heard of Bikram yoga before.

3. What effect has Bikram yoga had on your life?
I love Bikram yoga because I have a new life in every aspect. I get to be one of those annoying people who loves their job! I know some people deride Bikram yoga for not being as ‘spiritual’ as other types of yoga, but the whole point of Bikram yoga is to access your inner life by putting your body in order first. Who can be calm if their body is a mess? You can sit in Lotus, chanting and burning incense all day long, but if you are not able to face yourself and all your craziness in the mirror then you will never really be free.
4. A few words on your practice and where you hope it will take you.
I accept that my practice changes daily. Physically of course I would love to open my shoulders and get deeper backbends, but really, I just hope to calm the chaos in my mind for 90 minutes a day!

Angie Lole

1. When did you first start practicing?
My first class ever was the day Donna opened the studio in August 2009.
2. What brought you to Bikram yoga?
I’d moved to Dunedin six months before the studio opened and I was going crazy for some warmth – and what could be better than heat AND yoga?
3. Your favourite and least favourite posture, and why.
Standing Head to Knee! I love it because it’s such a diagnostic posture – physically and mentally, this posture shows you exactly where you’re at right now. It’s such a difficult posture that holding it all the way through is a rush! And, it’s also my least favourite because it’s brutal – no other word for it!
4. What effect has Bikram yoga had on your life?
It’s changed literally everything for me. When I came to this yoga I was pretty depressed: I had a mess of injuries from running; I was struggling with the Dunedin climate; I’d gained weight since quitting running; and I had spine problems so painful that I couldn’t even bend down to tie my own shoes. I had no energy and was sleeping all the time. Then I came to Bikram yoga … and straight away I was bouncing off the walls again!
5. A few words on your practice and where you hope it will take you.
Just like everyone else, some classes feel incredible and some classes less so – but the effects are so amazing that even if every class was awful I’d still keep coming!

Adrienne Roy

1. When did you first start practicing?

3 days after the Bikram yoga studio opened in August 2009, at the age of 46.
2. What brought you to Bikram yoga?

A friend dragged me along with her. I literally knew nothing about the yoga I had just signed up for, I had never even heard about it. Although my first class was horrendous and I was totally inappropriately dressed, I came back day after day for the next 43 days, and everything changed.

3. Your favourite and least favourite posture, and why.

I don’t have a favourite or least favourite posture. I see the series as a whole and that is how I approach my practice: one class at a time.
4. What effect has Bikram yoga had on your life?

Before I came to Bikram yoga, I often struggled to find balance in my life. Physically, years of sport and a very physically active lifestyle meant that I was fit, but thanks to a life of sports I was often in pain and had limited mobility. But within just a week or two of Bikram yoga, everything changed. Straight away, I could move more freely than ever before. My pain all but disappeared. Everything feels brighter and lighter!
5. A few words on your practice and where you hope it will take you.

My practice, along with my body, will always be a work in progress. Mentally and emotionally, I’m much more centred: I don’t sweat the small stuff any more. As for the yoga itself, it works. I am still constantly amazed at how this yoga can truly benefit everyone, regardless of age, health status or level of fitness.

Wyatt Shutt -current NZ yoga Asana champion bio to follow

Shaun Kerr- bio to follow