The Olympics are over resulting in 37 medals for USA, the most ever for any country and Canada swept up 14 gold medals for their homeland including the dramatic Hockey Gold win over the US in overtime to the whirlwind games. An unfortunate fatal accident and a host of extreme falls coupled with record breaking speeds, spins and heights made this Olympics full of emotion and jaw-dropping, “see-it-to-believe-it” feats. Viewership was one of the highest in Olympic history. Not only do the athletes and all participants have memories to sustain a lifetime, but so do we who watched in amazement – what these individuals accomplished.

Similarly, the Yoga Competition is over. During Valentine’s weekend, two new champions were crowned. Congratulations to Kasper Van Den Wijngaard and Brandy Winfield. I made it to the yoga finals on Sunday and had the chance to witness the Top 10 Youth, Top 10 Men, Top 10 Women from competitions completed two days prior. This was the best of the best. One by one, each participant got up on stage to perform their seven postures in three minutes and like watching the Olympics, you were drenched in emotion as each athlete had your adrenaline rushing as each pose was executed flawlessly and with such grace. It was another “I feel so lucky to be here and watch this,” kind of a day – something pretty special.

The 60-Day-Challenge is almost over. Over 130 students participated and well over half will finish. That is our most ever. If you are not familiar with the Challenge, it is 60 consecutive days of yoga. If you miss a day, you need to make it up the next day and take two. It’s not easy. It’s taxing on the body, but also a challenge to one’s schedule (despite all the classes that we offer.) Some of you are doing this for the 3rd or 4th time – and, to my delight, many of you who were ready to quit are finishing!

Several years ago, a very good friend of mine was in a car accident that sent him through the windshield of his car. Luckily, he survived but had to have over 100 stitches across his face. He was very handsome and despite his humble character, the disfiguration was a blow to his ego. I remember how he suffered and finally took measures to seek therapy. In time, he accepted his situation and decided to write many of us who were close to him a letter of gratitude and forgiveness. I recall in that letter his profound words, “I realize now that I can choose to make my world smaller or make my world larger from this experience. I am choosing to make my world larger.” I know that today, after several years of plastic surgery, he is just as handsome as before the accident but the person he has become is far more beautiful than the one he was before.

Didn’t we hear that kind of story over and over again watching the Olympics? How about the Chinese Ice skating couple and the 18 years of training and competing together that included four Olympics and despite the injuries, setbacks and personal sacrifices, persevered for one last run at Gold and, got it!

Or our own Bode Miller. I remember the Olympics four years ago in Torino, Italy – and the huge disappointment being the American favored to win Gold in several skiing events only to come away with no medals and a reputation for partying and “just giving up.” Now, four years later, married and with a two-year old son, as well as a renewed commitment to his passion with better training, a better attitude and an appreciation for his gift on the slopes, he has become one of the most inspirational stories of the Olympics. Watching him win gold was a testimony to all of us to dig deep, and take a real look at healing those bruises – both physical and mental – that can hold you back, and make up your mind to be the best. Bode certainly took the high road and made his life larger not smaller.

The story of Apollo Ohno was also classic. His coach father saw both the potential and the lack of discipline his son had in his sport, losing heats and training with a laid back attitude. Apollo recalls his dad asking him to take time off and really think about what he wanted to do with his life. Apollo’s soul searching connected him again to his love of skating and he finally called his dad and said, “I want to skate.” The rest is history – literally.

In our yoga realm, Kasper Van Den Wijngaard, winner of the men’s 2010 Yoga Championships, came in third place last year. He made the decision to train harder and traveled here to the States sacrificing much to leave his life in the Netherlands to train and receive coaching from Bikram Yoga Senior Instructor Mary Jarvis. His performance at the Championships was breathtaking and you’d never know that he suffered from a pinched nerve in his neck.
Another of our members’ brother passed away unexpectedly just as she was beginning the 60 Day Challenge. She shared this with me as she wanted me to know that her brother was encouraging her to do this challenge. I know her schedule. She is a teacher and has kids and other responsibilities that have always kept her away from attempting this challenge. But I’ve seen her lately doing doubles to catch up and finish, just as the world watched Jeannette, the gorgeous and courageous women’s ice skater win Bronze skating with thoughts of her mom inspiring her performance as her mom too, died unexpectedly a few days prior to her Olympic run.

Our 60 Day Challenge party is coming up soon; March 21st. It is one of my favorite events at BYSJ and as much like the closing ceremonies of the Olympics listening to the collection of memorable moments created in those 17 days, we too will get to hear the inspirational stories of all our members who finished the 60 Day Challenge complete with the adversity each one had to overcome to get there.

For the Americans to have beaten the Canadians in the playoff rounds of their Olympic run was an unprecedented accomplishment. Hockey royalty belongs to the Canadians; not the Americans. The Americans were complete underdogs to everyone but themselves. Congratulations to the entire team, especially goalie Ryan Miller making save after impossible save. Ryan Miller’s gift in stopping the puck failed him in the blink of an eye during overtime and Canada won. I bet if that play had a second chance, he’d stop that puck.

Emily Carpenter is one of the most beautiful yoginis you will ever see on stage. She has a presence along with her strength and flexibility. She and her terrific husband, Bel, own a well established yoga studio in the Aspen area. In that time, they had two beautiful children. Bel and Emily both compete and this year, Bel, came in third place. Emily too usually places. However, this year, she didn’t. In her final posture, both her legs are supposed to hook and stay hooked with her feet under her hips. She’s done this posture hundreds of times. In that one moment, her foot slipped. Like Ryan Miller, repeat that play one more time and I bet she sticks it.

I’ve intertwined all these stories because of how all illustrate the resilience of the human spirit. We enter into a competition or a challenge for a purpose and in that personal journey we are given lots of information to sort through. It’s the decision to focus in on a single task at hand that helps us learn and absorb valuable lessons. You can take your physical preparation to new levels and even sharpen those mental tools but where do you go when you just can’t seem to give your best in Triangle on your 47th day of the Challenge? What do you do when the skier before you takes a big wipe and your record breaking run is stopped midstream for safety reasons? What do you do when you are the first ever Korean ice skater to potentially win Gold knowing the pressure of your country is on your shoulders? These questions take more than tangible qualities. The personal quest you have put yourself on has stimulated new sources of strength far beyond the exercises you’ve done to strengthen your body and mind.

Our Hatha yoga practice is only one of the eight limbs of yoga. This physical practice bonds with another limb of yoga called Raja yoga. Raja is our mental component and that too is being exercised the more we partake in our Hatha yoga exercise, increasing our levels of patience, will-power, determination, self-control and tolerance. Physical and mental prowess alone can’t create a champion. You must optimize both to enter the real realm of champions.

Today is the 12 year Anniversary of my mother’s passing. It is a huge day for me each year and I can’t help but to reflect on the impact her life has had on me even in those four “dying” years. It’s nice to write with her in mind and in heart as I celebrate the lessons she bestowed on me at a time when I feel the influence of the Olympics, the yoga finals and the 60 Day Challenge. My mother was the ultimate champion as she “fought” dementia rising above the deterioration of her body and mind to still find life in the power of each moment. She couldn’t remember a name, but she had a feeling of knowing you and gave a smile so huge that gave you goose bumps. She was the kind of person who would stop at a toll booth and ask the operator how their day was going. She kept my friends company when I was late coming home from school and she never tired of the words, “thank you,” “please,” “you’re welcome,” “may I” and other manners of kindness. She defined “special” not because she was special or that we were all special, but really because no one was special. It’s a paradox really. I honor it today because I witnessed it everywhere this past month.

Despite not being American, how can you not root for Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway winning slalom instead of Bode Miller? Despite Americans losing in final moments of overtime in one of the all time greatest hockey games to date, how can you not feel good for the Canadians and what they’ve given to their country? Every single one of those top 10 competitors in the yoga finals got my vote. Each member who tries the 60 Day Challenge to the best of their ability deserves a trophy. Remove the color, the language, the religious beliefs, the opinions, and judgments and instead see faith in the human spirit rise to the occasion – that’s special.

Harsh, one of our treasured members at BYSJ, is just about done with his 60 Day Challenge. Recently, he came up to me and said that this last week was supposed to be his easiest but instead he has had challenges in health and in his travels to make it here. I can hear him now. “Michele, you believe in God right? Well, just when I was about to cross the finish line, he picked up the ball and moved out a bit farther for me to catch.” Like the final poses in the Bikram series, like the final run on short track, like the three minutes on stage in front of Bikram, you are fully conditioned to conquer the goal you’ve longed for. Use your patience, will power, self-control, determination and tolerance to reach that finish line and make room for spirit to fill in those gaps when adversity is still lingering. What a feeling we all share. A common bond that we can all relate to when we accomplish something that gives us more than just the goal we’ve asked for. Your world becomes larger. I’ve witnessed some miraculous moments this past month. You may have too. Don’t let it go to waste and use it to fuel your next aspiration.

Congratulations Bikram Yoga San Jose instructors, Nicole Duke and Paul Knisely, for placing First in the Women’s and Men’s Divisions respectively of the Northern California Yoga Asana Championship, January 9th, 2010: and to Bikram Yoga San Jose instructor, Shawn Taylor for placing Second in the Men’s Division. It was an amazing day for Bikram Yoga San Jose. All 12 BYSJ participants did absolutely incredibly including: – Cori, Huong, Shoko, Yuka, Baldo, Ban, Chris, Jason and Michael. It was a culmination of months of training, all coming together on stage for three life-changing minutes seven postures, all with impeccable technique and grace. What courage! And, If that weren’t enough, BYSJ instructor and yoga champion, Cynthia Wehr, along with current yoga champion Courtney Mace performed a stunning eight minute yoga routine that was recognized with a standing ovation.
Having a deeper yes burning inside us gives us the courage not to run away from our fears but rather to run away to “something better,” including our dreams and the principles we stand for. – Everyday Greatness, Stephen Covey.
Congratulations also to all our 60-Day Challengers. It’s our most ever with over 130 of you coming in day after day to accomplish a very challenging goal – 60 consecutive days of yoga. Yes, it takes courage, physical endurance, mental discipline, will power and more to keep this goal alive. But, it also takes a surrendering and a vulnerability to rise to the emotional challenges that present themselves during this 60 day passage. It’s hard but necessary. Your job is to not only pay attention to sore tight muscles but also to catch yourself during those “ugly” moments when inner conflict arises, and to do so with compassion and unconditional love towards yourself. Questioning your anxiety and tending to it with newly acquired insight and understanding reaps rich rewards. At the end of 60 days, you’ll not only have a clean, healthy, lean, yoga body but a crisp, loving, and attentive mind.
Some of life’s greatest lessons suggest that before we can attain a success in the world around us- our communities, workplaces, homes – we must first achieve success within ourselves. The most important element we put into any goal or relationship is not what we say or what we do or what we have, but who we are. – Everyday Greatness, Stephen Covey
BYSJ recently celebrated seven years as a powerful yoga community on Saturday, January 23rd. Each year, the festivities get more meaningful as we become more closely knit as partners in our yoga journey. Each year we offer complimentary yoga during the day, enjoy a huge pot-luck dinner at night, followed by entertainment, that for me, keeps a smile on my face and a glow in my heart for weeks to come and I hope it does for you as well. This year was exceptional because it included so many of our talented members: thank you Loren Wright for your gifted humor; thank you Cindy Lau for your talented voice; thank you Mike Johnson for your hilarious improvisations; thank you competitors for allowing your fellow members to see your competition performances; and thank you members for your hugs, your stories, your families, and your love. As I look back on January, I see how the month perfectly captured what has been maturing these last seven years. It may have started with my own search for meaning in my life after the passing of my mom 11+ years ago, but it has resulted in so much more not just for me but for all of you who have contributed to the growth of BYSJ. I was lucky enough to find a vehicle which enables me to not only know myself but to also express myself. And you have too – as competitors expressing yourselves on stage, as members expressing your talents at our anniversary party with humor, song, and homemade favorite dishes; as our 60_Day Challengers expressing your courage and dedication; and – our new students expressing desire for change in mind and body, are all manifestations of a passion simmering within each of us. As one member put it to me the night of our Anniversary, “we have become one big family.” Yes, our environment has given us a place to discover that which gives us meaning and test drive it until we feel a sense of comfort and fulfillment in our outward expression. But it starts with a long journey from within and the yoga is “the way.”
Here are just a few of the thoughts shared by our members about our community.
God, I love my yoga studio! How can I focus on one aspect? I have found a way to make it mind over matter and that changes e-v-e-r-y-t-h-I-n-g. Thank for having us. – Nola
I still remember my first class, the first day that this studio was open – 7 years ago. You’ve changed my life. Thank you. – Lana
Thank you for creating this space! Yoga has allowed me to open my third eye, reconnect to my higher self and manifest the divinity within. Yoga has taught me the true power of mind through breath to channel S-P-I-R-I-T. – J.P.
The yoga has taught me that there are no limits, that I am powerful, that I am one that I don’t exist outside of or separate from the rest of the universe. Thank you for creating such a uniquely vibrant, precious source of wisdom and community. Congratulations on seven years. – Cindy
I sleep better, my mind is calmer, I’m skinnier, my skin feels cleaner, I’m more bendy, I neck and back pain has almost disappeared, I am happier, I love yoga – Jane
From bones to the skin, everything is better four years and counting. Thanks for a great space to practice, work and grow. – Jonathon
We are one spirit, one humanity with the power to bring peace into the world through our practice – Lisa
Thanks for the opportunity. Today was my 118th day out of 128 days. I have only missed 11 days. The experience had been transformational in all aspects of my life. Thank you – Shahin
Yoga is my health insurance. This studio and my practice has transcended my life. – Bill
Our responsibility together is to keep it going and to welcome in more to the yoga. “You are his highest creation – what are you doing to reach beyond yourself? – Yogananda
Thank you to over 17,000 of you who have come into the yoga studio. ALL of you have played an amazing role in making our studio the success it has become. If you missed any of our events, this newsletter and this month’s website are committed to giving you the full experience through videos, links and blogs. Be inspired as if you were there. See all links below.
I am so grateful for YOU and for my life. I acknowledge and appreciate you who are with me now and know that seven years is simply the beginning of many more years of collective and individual expansion.

Happy Anniversary BYSJ. It seems fitting to celebrate an Anniversary after celebrating the holidays. It was the first time in years that I went home to Chicago to visit my sister and her family. Growing up in the Midwest was challenging, especially with regard to the weather, which was a major reason I left that area. But, on this trip I filtered out the wind chill factor and instead felt more of the warm, heartfelt connection of family and friends. It was beautiful to witness the close-knit relationships my sister and her family have built over the years, not just with me but with their neighbors, kid’s coaches, teachers, friends they grew up with, co-workers of past employers and more. It was a moving experience how well they knew each other, no matter how much time had passed. I see it now as a form of community.

My mother passed away 11 years ago and one of her favorite holidays was Christmas. She made so much food and was famous for the abundant variety of sweets she would make to ensure that there was something for everyone. My sister carries on that tradition to the last detail – when I first arrived, we sat at her decorated dining table viewing the inches of fresh snow piling up outside her bay windows eating lemon bread, apple pie, frying pan cookies and peanut butter bon-bons. Tradition. Not only was this a welcoming gesture for her big sister but a token of kindness that happens all the time in her “community.” Neighbors exchange cookies, babysitters come over to have some holiday goodies, and even other family members come in from out of town and get plates of food wrapped to take home with them. Not that this is unusual behavior but I felt something very endearing about it which seemed to inform other aspects of their lives like watching local sports on TV together, attending a nephew’s basketball game or calling up friends and family to arrange to see the latest blockbuster movie together. These are important rituals. It’s “community” Mid-West style.

When you walk into my sister’s home, you immediately notice all the photos she has everywhere, of people and events – past and present. I mean everywhere: on bookshelves, the refrigerator, any available wall space, even the bathroom. Not just of relatives but friends as well, old and new: a storybook of experiences of the last four decades put together to create tradition. The same rituals year after year carry the same content but gain more meaning as time goes by. I felt it being in her house. While I don’t visit often, I felt very included in the “community.” I felt special being a small part of their traditional ways. This human connection was also a very yogic connection as it felt very non-separate with a genuine interest in each other’s well-being. There is a collective history there which harvests, a wealth of growth for each on their journey. The result is a feeling of Oneness.

BYSJ open January 19th, 2003. Over the years, we too, have created a similarly colorful tapestry of experiences and connections. In the seven years of our history, we’ve introduced yoga to over 17,000 people. We’ve doubled the number of classes scheduled, brought in over four dozen teachers, added staff and created events that have blossomed over the years to become a part of our brand: the 60 Day Challenge; the Anniversary Party; Charitable Holiday Gift Giving; Posture Clinics and more including the York Peppermint Patties, the fresh cut and arranged flowers, the almonds, the inspirational quotes in the bathrooms – even to the way we sign in. All of this also adds up to rituals in our BYSJ community – tradition. We, too, have a collective history. We, too, have harvested a wealth of experience together resulting in Oneness.

In the last year alone, we’ve welcomed over 2300 new students. We’ve introduced yoga to kids and our most recent class brought in the most kids ever. We have welcomed dozens of new babies over the years and in the last year worked to establish routine pregnancy seminars for new moms. The 60-Day Challenge continues to expand bringing in more and more participants each year with well over 100 students on the tracking board January 2009. Over the years, a few members from BYSJ competed in the yoga competition (now in its seventh year) led by our own yoga champion, Cynthia Wehr. This year we have 13 members competing in the Regional Competition – the most of any studio. All of this tradition is threaded together by you, our colorful group of students of all shapes, backgrounds and sizes. Our community is a sight to behold and admire.

I live in the area so it is not uncommon for me to bump into many of you around town. It’s nice to see you all dressed up (and not so sweaty ☺) especially when you how yoga has changed your life. How often the very reason you started yoga is no longer the reason you continue to come back. That there was something answered and something more discovered. I know it is not easy. Being in that hot room doing intense postures is flat-out hard. Even looking at yourself in the mirror for those long 90 minutes is hard. But-you do it and you do it gladly in spite of the suffering. Our ritual of pain is also a ritual of joy for us. It’s Tradition as I define it now because it won’t change. It will keep going.

Be met with smiles and know that you matter here. This is so much more than exercise. It’s a feeling of confidence, a place where you can be exactly who you are –It’s a coming home to ourselves. Show up to heal, show up to sweat, show up to grow. Be supported in making positive changes in your life with the best yoga available and watch the same life you’ve lived, become more of the life you’ve imagined. Join our vibrant inclusive community and add your smile to ours. Welcome to Bikram Yoga San Jose.

Let’s keep our flower petal blooming. Continue to empower me with your feedback. Continue to inspire each other with your practice. Continue to spread the yoga with your character. Our responsibility as a collective whole is to bring more into the yoga practice. We don’t need to be persuasive. We just need to be examples. Our tradition is special because it is all inclusive.
Thank you for your extra patience during this busy time at the studio. It’s exciting to see so many new people and so many new challengers starting their 60 consecutive days. The energy is electric despite some of the sacrifices we make when classes are full. Hopefully, you will enjoy as I do the feeling the energy of those around me knowing they too have their own story and despite the differences in our bow pulling posture, we are very much the same.

Here is to another great year of tradition.
Michele