Francesca
I love that we teach breathing and asana as a beginning for many students, but that it is only a beginning, the very tip of the iceberg.
2010 was a tough period in my life. I was working full time as a performing musician, which involved irregular hours and lots of traveling, and the stability and rhythm of normal life was difficult to find.
My doctor suggested that I should do some yoga to calm down and find a routine. There happened to be a Bikram Yoga school around the corner from his office, so that was where he suggested I go.
First class was in 2010 and I really suffered through it, but I went back the very next day to try and again and the rest is history. It had an immediate impact on my life. Right away it gave me stability, and quickly improved my concentration and focus (which is quite essential for a musician). It helped me breathe and stand up straight. It made me more aware of my body and my needs at the time.
From student to teacher
Since it had made such a huge impact on my life straight away, I felt I had discovered something so special that I wanted to do it all the time, keep working at it, and learn more. The next natural step seemed to become a teacher and pass on this enthusiasm. I attended Bikram’s teacher training program in Los Angeles in 2013. Since then I have enjoyed teaching at some of the Bikram schools around the Netherlands: Amsterdam, Haarlem, Utrecht, Den Bosch, Den Haag and Rotterdam.
Continued inspiration
I love everything about teaching! It allows me to serve others, to help students change or stabilize, whichever they need, and to accept their beautiful selves. I’m a yoga nerd and I love the technical details of teaching, but I also love that sometimes we can throw everything out of the window and make a complete U-turn. I love that we teach breathing and asana (posture) as a beginning for many students, but that it is only a beginning, the very tip of the iceberg. I learn from the students every time I teach, and I’m so grateful to them for that. Teaching is absolutely a two-way process.
Bikram Yoga beginner’s tip
Thank yourself for coming to take class. Be kind to yourself in the hot room. Being kind isn’t the same as being nice. Give yourself what you need at any particular time, and be OK with not knowing.