Our very own Heather from SSHY has been sweating her tukas off in the Real Torture Chamber with Bikram himself for the past 2 months, but she is still smiling! And she's shared her experience after Month #1 of Teacher Training with us - keep reading! And get ready to give her a warm welcome in the hot room!

Letter from Heather:

"Hey Amanda and everyone else at SSHY!

I hope everything is going well back in Winnipeg! I have so far survived the first month of training!!! I thought I should let you know I am still fighting strong out here!

I am missing all of your familiar faces very much! There is something about practicing yoga with over 400 new people that really makes you miss home! Now that I know more of the people here I am starting to feel like I have yet another home! I am enjoying this experience so much and am already so sad it is going by so quickly!

The first week was very interesting! I got used to taking 2 yoga classes a day much quicker than I thought I would. By the middle of the week, I was already looking forward to the evening yoga class! I am also pretty good at not sleeping much anymore. I don't have to take as many naps now as I did the first week! Bikram is a very interesting character. He gave me some very nice compliments when I did my Half Moon in front of everyone.. he also said he never wants to go back to Winnipeg because its so cold. I will work on changing his mind though! :)

Pranayama breathing sounds so beautiful with so many people! The energy in and out of the hot room is like nothing I could ever have imagined! I had my first breakdown on Wednesday of week 4 during the morning class. I am not too sure what caused it, but I burst into tears at the very end of class and the love and support I felt from the people around me was incredible! We are all different ages, come from different corners of the world, and we are all here together because of our passion for yoga. It is very beautiful to be connected to so many yogis through this powerful experience.

I feel stronger every day! I am seeing so many improvements daily in my yoga practice! But I am seeing new strength not just in the hot room. I feel like this experience already has made me mentally stronger, has made me appreciate all the wonderful opportunities I am given each day, and has given me a much more positive view of the world and of myself. I have found strength, courage, confidence, and beauty in myself where I didn't think there could be any before. I also have found a passion like nothing I have ever felt before in teaching.

It is incredible to feel these changes in myself after only one month. I am so excited to start each day of Teacher Training. I decided to come here to do something for myself, and I think now I am finally realizing what it was that I was really looking for. I have found a way to love and appreciate the world, the people in it, and the eyes looking back at me in the mirror. I am so thankful I have been given the opportunity to come here and experience this and I couldn't have done it without you!"

- Heather Zarazun

We are thrilled to be once again hosting 5 time Western Canadian Hatha Yoga Champion, Ida Ripley. She will be joining us in April, the week before the Bishnu Gosh Hatha Yoga Championship.

Ida, who also placed 2nd in the International Championships in 2009, had a wonderful time her last visit at SSHY, really appreciating the yoga community we have built here in Winnipeg.

During her week stay, she will be teaching master classes, offering information and tips to the competitors and running a workshop dedicated to your most burning FAQ's about your own Bikram postures/asanas that all yogis, both competitors and non-competitors are welcome to attend!

Stay tuned to the News/Blog section of our website for more details!

Tannis and KaleeStafford Street Hot Yoga will now be hosting Open Houses once a month...

Kalee, Tannis and Amanda will be here to share information on the special healing arts of Ayurveda, Macrobiotics, and of course Bikram Yoga!

The first one is February 26th from 10am-4pm. We hope that you can join us!

If you know anyone who is afraid of or interested in Bikram Yoga, but hasn’t made it through the doors yet, this is the day to bring them! They can ask questions, take a tour and meet our lovely staff. Or if you have any questions/concerns and are looking for more information, come on down!

Warm welcome back to our two new teachers Jenn & Vicky who just returned from teacher training! They literally spent 9 weeks in Bikram's torture chamber and we are so excited to have them back as a part of our fabulous team of teachers!  

This is our receptionist Vicky who is rockin standing forehead to knee pose or dadayamana bibphaktipada janushirasana.