We are changing our name!
Here we are stuck in this strange phase where time seems to be flying by so fast but at the same time dragging on so slowly. It was more than a year ago that I had announced I was busy with a rebrand and name change for the yoga school. We had enjoyed 14 successful years and it was time to embrace a name that could carry us forward for the next chapter.
It is important to me that the name reflect who we are and what we value; to be a place that people are proud to call their yoga school. We are a safe and welcoming yoga school that provides no nonsense quality instructions and fosters empowerment and transformation. We envision a community of people inspired by their personal development through their regular practice.
We are MyYoga; One Word, Two Y’s. This name reflects that it is the person that practices the yoga that is important, YOU. We, as teachers, are here to guide and inspire, but it is you, my yoga friend, who is on the path of transformation. We look forward to many more years of success where the bikram series remains the core magic of what we teach and offer.
Many of you (including me) might be saying “what took you so long?” I had the idea of the re-brand in 2018, the name picked out late 2019 and even the logo finished in March 2020. So what on earth could the hold up be? I learned that when “Fear of Failure” is paired up with his best friend “Paralysis of Perfection” it is the best way to kill motivation and achievement and when all thrown into the background of the pandemic, it was going nowhere in a hurry.
So here I go: let’s get it done and change the name! How can it fail if I put my heart into it the same way I have and all the teachers have for the past 15 years? And that nasty thought of perfection… I just let it go. I will figure it out along the way.
I am reminded of my own story; of how I got here, why this yoga changed my life and why I continue to be excited by the idea of helping others find it too. Click on the photo below to see the movie clip of my story.
Part of our campaign in changing the name to MyYoga is that everyone has a ‘MyStory’; how did you get here and what keeps you coming back for more? And to those that have not yet found their story, transformation or benefits from a regular bikram practice; we are excited to guide you along the way.
So in the next few months you will notice a morphing of our old name going away and the new one coming in. I hope you are as excited about this new chapter as I am. I am grateful for all the people that have made up this community for the last 15 years and look forward to a bright future!
Next crucial step is the website makeover – so I will get back to work with my Chief Technical Officer, 😺Angel. Now if I could only get a group of people together for some nice new photography for the website during this lock down? But somethings will have to wait.
Thank you for your continued patience, motivation and support.
With love, light & gratitude,
Lydia
Owner, Founder & Fearless Leader (forever in training)
Bikram Yoga Den Haag
and as of today officially
MyYoga
P.S. If you want to read my statement concerning the man Bikram Choudhury and how it relates to this evolution. Click here
Statement concerning Bikram Choudhury
<p class=”p1″>When I (Lydia) opened my 1st yoga school, Bikram Yoga Den Haag in 2006 and my 2nd yoga school, Bikram Yoga Rotterdam in 2008 the idea was simple. Create a safe and welcoming space to teach and practice Bikram Yoga.</p>
<p class=”p1″>Since opening the 1st school, I have witnessed 1000’s of people give this yoga the dedication it requires (which is not easy) and experience profound life changing results. Bikram Yoga, in it’s simplicity of 26 postures, 2 breathing exercises done in a heated room for 90 minutes, was and still is the best tool I have found to have a healthy and profound impact on the lives of so many people, regardless of age, size, ability or health conditions.</p>
<p class=”p1″>Over the past few years there have been unpleasant revelations about Bikram Choudhury (BC), the man who introduced the 90 minute 26 posture series known as Bikram Yoga. Accusations include abuse of power, sexual misconduct and assault.</p>
<p class=”p1″>To be clear, I unequivocally condemn this behavior. I support the women and men that were victims of this abuse. I do not financially contribute to Bikram Choudhury in any way, nor have either one of my yoga schools ever been part of a franchise or sent Bikram Choudhury any money from the daily operations of either school. As for the names Bikram Yoga Den Haag and Rotterdam, there was no payment whatsoever.</p>
<p class=”p1″>In 2012 rumors about misconduct at a Teacher Training surfaced, though the details were murky. In 2013, Sarah Baugh went public with her story. I made the decision to inform students interested in Teacher Training about the accusations, and to no longer write the required recommendation letter for admission to Bikram’s teacher training.</p>
<p class=”p1″>Since opening my 1st school I followed the same strong procedure for new teachers that was started by my predecessors at Bikram Yoga Amsterdam. When yoga students showed interest in the teacher training, they all received the same criteria: practice for 2 years minimum, 5 classes per week. The reason for this was simple, to develop a team of strong, enduring and dedicated people to become teachers at my yoga schools.</p>
<p class=”p1″>The name of Bikram Yoga Den Haag refers to the practice that is taught there. I and all the other Bikram schools in the Netherlands have worked very hard and diligently to create a strong and positive reputation for the yoga series. ‘Hot Yoga’ has become an umbrella term for all yoga practiced in a heated environment. The name Bikram Yoga differentiates us from all the other ‘hot yoga’. What we do is a specific series with specific conditions that have fantastic results. At Bikram Yoga Den Haag, we only teach the Bikram Yoga series, hence the name Bikram Yoga Den Haag.</p>
However, as moments are ever changing I would like to share my thoughts and feelings with you about the current publicity about the founder of Bikram Yoga. To be clear again; I condemn his behavior and I as a business owner and teacher distance myself from him.
I have decided to change the name but that doesn’t mean I am going to rush this, since I have already been working on a rebrand for a while. Therefore it will take a little longer before I can share my ambitions with the school and the name with you.