Everyone get ready for the 2nd Annual Bikram on the Beach!!

Our very own Todd is putting it on for the 2nd year in a row and we can’t wait after the great turnout last year!

When: 1-2:30pm, Sunday, July 15th
Where: Gimli Public Beach, Observation Deck by the Canteen
Who: Everyone from Beginners to Seasoned Yogis & Yoginis
Bring: Mat, towel (or both), water, sunscreen, hat, beach umbrella and a friendly attitude!
Cost: FREE!!

*Event is weather permitting.

Click here to see photos from last year!

Winnipeg’s 1st Ever Hatha Yoga Competition took place at the end of April and we are still vibrating from what a success it was!!

And man did you yogis from Stafford Street Hot Yoga REPRESENT! 6 out of the 7 men competitors, more than half of the 14 women competitors, & the single youth competitor were all from SSHY!!  Not to mention all the lovely smiling faces in the crowd, thanks for showing your support!

Bikram yoga is hard as it is, but imagine being up on a stage.. with no mirror.. no heat.. out of the series.. all eyes on you.. this is not for the faint of heart! We are so proud of the courage & dedication shown by everyone who participated; you are an inspiration to us all!

We’d like to extend a very special thanks to our teacher, Todd Miller, who put in hours and hours of time and support to get everyone prepped for the competition. It couldn’t have been done without you!

And finally, a big CONGRATS to Amos Bridgman who took 1st in the Youth Division, Nolan Thiessen & Sarah Tichborne who both placed 3rd in the Men’s & Women’s Divisions, and John Gietzel who placed 1st in the Men’s Division!! John not only took the cake here in Winnipeg, but he also placed 3rd in the Western Finals in Edmonton AND participated in the Internationals in Los Angeles!

What an experience! We’re so proud of you!

Click here to see more photos from the competition!

By SSHY student Norah

"You can grow flowers from where dirt used to be."
- Kate Nash, 'Merry Happy'

"I attended a free yoga class that Amanda taught at Lululemon in early 2011 and was blown away by her talent, knowledge, and compassion. I wanted to learn from her. It took me a few months to summon the courage to try hot yoga because I didn’t think I would be able to do it well. I am physically impaired and I struggle with everything yoga demands of a person: flexibility, agility, stability, strength, and stamina. I attended my first Bikram yoga class in May of the same year and it was a boost of detoxifying and peaceful energy. I attended a few more classes sporadically throughout the summer but found that I compared myself to other people too often. It was difficult to leave my ego at the door. I did not make my practice consistent until I decided to take on Amanda’s Rejuvenation Challenge in February of 2012. I attended twenty-five of the thirty classes and was tested in every possible way. I expected (and
wanted) the challenge to show me a linear progression in my ability with the poses, but I found myself on a physical and emotional rollercoaster.

I would have a few tough and humbling classes, then have a comparatively ‘easier’ or ‘better’ class, and then the next few classes would be hard again. There were some days where I felt I nearly fell into the bow pose on the floor and other days where I couldn’t even stretch far enough to grab my feet. On my fifth day of the challenge, I experienced the first of three consecutive pain free days. I had been in chronic pain for nearly three years, and just four yoga classes in a row gave me an unbelievable reprieve. I’d forgotten what it felt like to live without pain. The ache has since returned and practicing yoga helps relieve it, but for those three days I felt like I was free of an abusive relationship.

Two thirds of the way through the challenge, I had a frustrating class and wanted to cry. I lay on my back thinking, ‘I want to cry but I can’t cry. The tears aren’t there.’ A few days later, something inside me broke. I finished class in tears. I went into the change room and, as I was getting changed into my street clothes, I started to cry harder. A couple of minutes later, everything hit me all at once and I sat down and sobbed. I’d been carrying around so much frustration, resentment, sadness, worry, depression and exhaustion. I had tried to keep everything to myself and deal with it alone. Yoga finally forced the feelings out of me. I didn’t want to draw attention to myself, but I surrendered to the moment and bawled. I went home and cried for another hour and a half, but I knew then that I’d needed it.

Just before the challenge ended, I had the best yoga class I’d ever had because I shifted my expectations and stopped berating myself when I couldn’t do the poses to their full or correct extent. I realized I had to stop fighting against the limitations of my impairment and work with and through them instead, so I stopped equating ‘I can’t do this pose correctly or as deeply as other people can’ with ‘I’m a bad person’ and the entire class was better and easier. I decided to apply this paradigm shift to every yoga class and every other form of exercise I do.

Five days after the challenge ended, I went to England for the first time in nearly two years to visit friends I’d made in graduate school. Four people whom I met up with told me that my walk was better, I carried myself with more assuredness and confidence and I seemed happier.  I will definitely take on another challenge in the coming months. I still don’t feel that I am very ‘good’ at yoga, but the challenge helped me realize that I can develop a consistent practice that I can maintain for life. Self-care isn’t a matter of endgame. It’s about well-being and holistic happiness every day."

- Norah, Winnipeg, MB

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

(effective June 11 - September 21)

Sunday     9:30am,  5:00pm

Monday     6:00am,  9:30am,  6:00pm, 8:00pm

Tuesday    *6:00am*,  10:00am,  12:00 "Hot Lunch",  5:00pm,  7:00pm

Wednesday   6:00am,  9:30am,  4:00pm,  6:00pm

Thursday    10:00am,  12:00 "Hot Lunch",  5:00pm,  7:00pm

Friday     6:00am,  9:30am,  6:00pm

Saturday     9:30am,  5:00pm

      *Tuesday 6:00am* is the pre-recorded class.  Supervised but not taught - some experience necessary!

      "Hot Lunch" is a new class concept ... a one-hour class taught Tuesdays and Thursdays from Noon until 1:00pm.  These classes are ideal for beginners with extreme health conditions, or those with a limited lunch break.  Class is based on the Bikram series, with the temperature slightly reduced.