Dona Lee Kelly

Testimonial-Dona Lee Kelly’s 30-Day Challenge at Bikram Lower East Side-4-5-08

"Everything you need is in this Room": Tricia often says, “everything you need is in this room…” and she is right on so many levels. Bikram LES is a joy to come to and partake in the journey and practice of yoga. Tricia inspires a wonderful community and encourages the highest standards of teaching and practicing. Thanks Tricia! The teachers—smart, fun but serious, knowledgeable, dedicated, and the fellow students— disciplined, focused, with some of the best tattoos in town—are just a few reasons why this Bikram studio is very special. LES is certainly a place that provides encouragement and support with lots of heat, sweat and the reduction of fears. It is a place that I am continually “finding what I need” and the courage to do it. The positive atmosphere and detailed training at LES had given me the confidence to take on the 30-day yoga challenge which I successfully completed during the month of January 2008.

Starting Bikram Yoga at LES: Just to provide a little context, I had been practicing Bikram Yoga on and off (more off) for about 4 years and I came to LES about 2 years ago. By the time I walked into LES, I had not taken a Bikram class for about 6 months, and had an array of chronic problems including strained knees, painful plantar fasciitis, aggravated sciatica, pulled abdominal muscles, and a stiff ankle due to surgery several years prior. In addition, I had gained over 50 pounds in recent years and had lost a lot of flexibility and strength when I changed my career focus in the mid-90’s from a performing artist to a producer. So all the basics upon which the classical yoga postures are based, such as bending, compressing, arching, balancing was, well, very challenging.

Before the 30-Day Challenge: For the 2 years I have been at LES, I was able to heal many of my chronic problems mentioned above. The healing powers and health benefits from practicing Bikram Yoga really works for me. I really made strides in gaining strength, flexibility and joint mobility. However, practicing on average 2 days per week made it difficult to move forward in my Bikram practice. More often, I found myself struggling during class and it was harder to work consistently in the postures. I came to the conclusion that I needed to “jump start” my practice and decided that the 30-day challenge was the best way to do it.
During: Perhaps it was the fact that I just entered my 55th year, but I figured it was now or never. Either I get myself together or continue to plod along the same way I did before. I never imagined that I would be able to do Bikram Yoga for 30 days in a row! It seemed a daunting and an impossible task, and I pictured being in a perpetual overheated state. However, just the opposite occurred. During the challenge month I felt better than ever, both physically and mentally. I began to eat better, sleep better and live better. Each day in the yoga studio was like peeling an onion. The luxury of daily time and attention allowed me to delve fully and deeply into the work as my awareness of the details became clearer.

After: Since completing the challenge I have been on a roll. The first month served as a warm-up for the second and subsequent months. At present, I am beginning to see and feel dramatic changes in alignment, balance, and posture set ups, as I improve core and knee strength. The challenge has put me in a great frame of mind as it has also helped me trim my frame, so to speak. Getting into good habits and establishing a consistent routine has been one of the best gifts of this experience, as in affirming each day that “everything I need is in this room!”