60 Day Challenge
This challenge is all about YOU! Sign up for our two annual Yoga Challenges commit to practicing 60 consecutive days of yoga. Make it your intention to lead a healthy lifestyle and commit to this challenge that will help you to lose those unwanted pounds, tone up your body, increase your energy and create and sustain healthy habits towards a longer, fuller life. Don’t hold back. This challenge is for anyone willing to try.
This challenge requires each member to take class every day consecutively for 60 days. On your travels, you must take a Bikram yoga class and bring back a receipt proving that you kept up the practice each day and if you did miss a day, you can make up a class by taking two in one day. And, while the challenge is tough, it is our community of members that make attaining this goal easier and fun.
Challenge rules and sign up sheet at the front desk.
Challenge is going on now. There are over 130 members in the middle of 60 days of yoga. Keep it going! 60 Day Challenge Party is the last Saturday in march… Save the date.
60 Day Challenge Testimonials
“The yoga works for me mentally, spiritually and physically. I am on my 87th day in a row. I dropped 4 waist sizes from 38″ to 34″. I am influenced by all the teachers. There is one word to describe me in class, “drama”. I am working to get rid of that in my life. Puja asked me to stand tall and proud and act as if I was meeting my God when looking in the front mirror.” - Jeff Bowler
“There are two dates that I remember in my life: my wedding day and the first day I took Bikram Yoga. I have been doing the yoga every day since. I am now up to 83 days.” - Harsh
“I have been doing this yoga for 5 years and this is my first time doing the challenge. My higher self inspired me to do this and no matter what I told myself that I can do this. I did and feel that at age 62, I know how to care of myself and I can take better care of others.” - Zoe Zane
“It took two years for me to walk into the yoga room of BYSJ. I now wonder what took me so long? I am so glad I did and am now committed to this for life. The challenge taught me to believe in myself and I think more positive of myself.” - Patricia Antoni
“I became stronger, more disciplined and confident in doing things that I would not have otherwise. Everyday in class, I kept discovering something new about myself. It strengthened my belief in the human spirit,” – Sathya Maturi
“The 60-Day Challenge was a great lesson in dealing with adversity, distraction and discipline. I am more positive and more confident. If you have never done the challenge, then break through that barrier in your mind. Starting the challenge is harder than finishing it,” Jason Sandstrom
“Yoga is assisting me in my spiritual search for peace of mind, respect for living in the present and letting go of a judgmental mind,” – Bill Decker
“Everyone has the potential. It is all about conquering your limiting beliefs, limitations on the self,” – Ernie Reyes
“I felt stuck in a body and a life that didn’t reflect my full potential. Somehow I knew that yoga was a way out. In countless ways, it gave me the confidence in the power of my will to achieve anything that I set my mind to. I came to truly learn that yoga is the best medicine for many things that I was feeling bad about,” – Cindy Lau
“The benefits of the 60 day challenge really helped my mood and combat depression. The challenge has really made my legs stronger. My advice to anyone thinking about doing this challenge, is to not think so much about it but just do it.” Iris Ataee
“This is my 2nd time doing the challenge and it was more challenging this time as I had more things to deal with in my family life. I came away from this one feeling more mentally strong and was able to stay more balanced during a tough time.” Jeff Alvord
The studio impacts me mentally outside the studio. I live a scattered life. The past year, I have felt a belonging that keeps my mind in a more positive state. This is a place to work through my negative thoughts. I just sweat it out. The 60 day challenge gives me the motivation that I need to be here. This is my second one. People say that I have lost weight, but I haven’t weighed myself in 20 years. I have lost inches.” Cyd Foley
“The summer 60 day challenge was my second! The first, in winter, was done to help shed a couple of holiday pounds. Instead I discovered how powerful it can be to come everyday and experience the 60 day challenge with the same group of people. It provided a much needed sense of community. A pleasant surprise!
The summer 60 challenge was done to help me prepare for the new school year. I wanted to begin the year as healthy and strong as possible – physically and mentally. I definitely found the strength that I was looking for the second time around!
I started the challenge at a studio in Massachusetts. I followed that first day with a week of back-to-back doubles. I knew that I was going out of town, so I wanted to be prepared! When I got back I had a more doubles to do because I knew that I had another out of town trip scheduled. At some point during all this I had the pleasure of attending two of Jason’s classes, his seminar and one advanced class. Jason made a couple of simple comments about focusing on tightening our cores and tilting our hips. These two little comments were a thread throughout my practice that made huge changes. My strength and balance improved tremendously.
Just as I was in the final stretch of my 60 days, my grandfather passed away. I missed a few days of yoga, but I had some doubles banked, so I didn’t get behind. School started just as I was approaching day 50 – my mental strength and balance would definitely be tested. Then…hip hip hooray…I’m still waiting for the parade… in my 52nd class I touched my head to my knee (or upper shin…) in standing head to knee and then actually came out rather than fell out of the pose. This actually came…of course…shortly after I decided to let it go – I just decided I didn’t care if it ever happened or not. Perhaps a larger lesson here? This pose truly has been a big motivator in both challenges. It was my Everest in terms of strength, balance and concentration. The other thing that I leared to do this time around was to control my breathing even while my heart was beating wildly. This helps when “taking yoga into the world” to quote Mary Jarvis! One last benefit, I have TONS of energy. Great for teaching those third graders!” Betsy Fitch
“When I started this 60 day challenge, people would say to me “how can you do it?” My answer from the beginning was “I can do anything for 60 days.” Before I knew it, I had 16 yoga days left in my challenge. At this point, I have an alert mind, toned body, and an uplifted spirit. Thank you for giving me this opportunity.” – Judy Lazarri
One of the biggest benefits for me on the challenge is that I actually require less sleep. We’ve all heard that Bikram sleeps very little, but I’ve always required quite a bit of sleep. When I was doing my usual 3-4 times a week, I still could frequently take naps (if my schedule allowed.) Maybe I napped to relax my mind too. But, now I just relax my mind every day in yoga.
One day after yoga – about mid-way through the challenge – I came home and actually stained my fence in 100 degree heat for a couple of hours.” – Jan Serra
“The 60 day challenge definitely lives up to it’s name. Since the challenge I’ve noticed a body reformation. The 60 day challenge has helped me become more focused, accepting and healthy all at the same time. I can’t wait to continue on this path and see more changes within myself.
Bikram for me has been:
B beautiful
I inspiring
K knowledge that is
R rewarding
A and
M meaningful
The challenge came to me at a perfect time in my life and I am grateful.” - Bianca Carn
“Everyday, it was hard. Everyday, it was difficult. Everyday, it was challenging. Everyday, it was different. But, I learned something new everyday, and I discovered something new about myself everyday.” Yumi Iwasaki
“You and Bikram yoga have had such an influence on the rhythm of my life, I feel like after the 60 days I can say I “get it.” I’ve been doing Bikram for 1 1/2 yrs and I never thought I could do the 60 day challenge, I thought it would be too time consuming and really, just too much yoga! Once I made it a priority I got stronger and better at poses very quickly. I had been going to yoga 2-3 times per week but only when I could fit it in, it was not a true practice. With the 60, my body changed, my poses improved and I became more peaceful and patient at practice and at home, which has a big impact.
As with many things it was the small things that gave my practice in 60 Days more meaning, so if you don’t mind I will share that too: I was going so often I began to get to know people better and feel really comfortable at the studio and with the instructors. A few fun things to mention, at a class on my day 10 where I was struggling you said “for all you challengers out there, around day 10, it gets a little tough, hang in there, you will be so glad you did.” It was good timing, I could not imagine day 11 at that point let alone day 60.
On about day 20, in Standing Bow, you told me “Body down, head up….Marybeth you need to look past your fingertips, it’s time.” That had an impact on me, it’s time. In Rabbit pose Yulia told us “You are little bunnies in a field of tall green grass…with a cool breeze blowing all over you..” Very fun, love her.
After many weeks I was proud of my solid standing bow, and Francoise in her gentle way told me to turn my chin to make it straight in the mirror, it was the slightest correction and it was perfect. I never thought I’d find where my chin was that important.
The great Lalena gave a few of us a brief foot massage one class by standing on our feet during a floor pose, that was fantastic.
And the incredible Cynthia, she is such an inspiration. I can go on and on if you are still reading this, with the entertaining Mike, and how Khalil is such a superstar, I would swear he has groupies! I have to say your instructors are the best. Marialena always gives some tiny instruction I’ve never heard before, and Linda and John and Meredith, I get a lot from all of them.
I did 4 doubles, very hard. I did a double on the day the heat broke, that was a little bit of a bonus for me.
Last thing, on day 60 I was doing Standing Head to knee, and I never thought I could get beyond kicking out my heel, I just thought well this is pretty good, I can hold my leg out there the whole pose, that’s where I am and that’s enough. But, that last day of the challenge I decided to try to bend my elbows and I did, it was effortless. I wondered how long I could have been bending my elbows!
Thanks for your encouragement and bottomless uplifting spirit Michele, I am constantly wondering how you and Cynthia and Lalena maintain such clarity of purpose and positive energy, and when you have more of that to share I will gladly take it in.”- Marybeth
“The 60-Day Challenge has made me realize that I am capable of doing anything, no matter how hard mentally or physically it is. Bikram yoga changed my life five years ago, but the 60-Day Challenge only affirmed my belief that I will be doing this yoga forever”, shares 60-Day Challenger and four-year BYSJ member, Mary Ann Kempner.
