Testimonials

January 2006
Five years ago I went to my first Bikram yoga session. At age 53, I was feeling minor aches and pains beginning to creep into my life so my sister recommended I try yoga. I found a class schedule on the Perfect Knot website and off I went. Well, walking into that hot room the first time ( did I mention I was a 53 year old female? - heat I didn't need!), I thought I couldn't endure 90 minutes of lying down much less strange movements my body had never done! After struggling with balance and trying to contort my body into positions it had never been in, I made the decision to never return. However, after a phone call to my sister, I found myself promising her (and myself) I would try at least a few more sessions before giving up. Well, since this is 5 years later, you know the ending to this story. I soon began to get my balance, feel stronger, and lose the nagging aches and pains! Now I can't miss my Tuesday and Thursday morning classes! Thank you, Carla - teacher, mentor, friend.
Dianne

October 2004
I recently have been participating in your Bikram Yoga classes. The main reason for my joining your classes was to become more flexible which in turn would assist my marathon running.

This past Sunday, I completed my 33rd marathon in Milwaukee, WI. My completion goal was met and I attribute this to you. Of all the marathons that I have run, this was by far the most pain free and gratifying. I attribute this to good breathing, relaxed upper body and stress free muscles all taught by you. I plan to continue with your classes as I prepare for future marathons.

Thank you again for your professional assistance helping this formally stiff sixty-nine year old man.

Sincerely,
Jim Schnitzler

May, 2003
This is my two year anniversary practicing Bikram's yoga with Carla at the Perfect Knot. In March of '01 I attended a conference where we practiced yoga each morning before we began our work. I loved it so much that I promised myself, and a friend, as she recently reminded me, that I was going to "take up yoga".

When I got back to Madison I made a few calls and started attending classes at three yoga centers in town...including the Perfect Knot. I tried Bikram's ,Astanga, General Hatha, Kundalini, and probably several other forms. I must have experienced 7 or 8 teachers during the first several months ....while I was exploring the different forms 3x's a week.

I found myself gravitating back to Carla and Bikrams....why?? I'm not sure...the hot room, Carla's gift of teaching, the thorough mental, physical and sometimes even almost spiritual workout, the other wonderful people practicing, the little box we put our money in, the colorful mats, oh...I love my eye pillow during savasana.

It's probably because I have yet to achieve, but am making progress towards, something that Carla raises during her teaching: "just because your body is struggling it doesn't mean your mind has to struggle". It seems that this is one of the many things that yoga can illustrate and help me work towards. It has been a wonderful two years...yoga, Carla and the Perfect Knot have become a joyful part of my life.......thank you.

Carla....Namaste
..........LH

April 2, 2003
Dear Carla,
If you remember me from my first yoga class last night, my name is Carol.

For the past year I have been taking heavy tranquilizers to get to sleep at night due to enormous personal stress. My friend Sara suggested a yoga class for relaxation.

And guess what? Last night is the first night in almost a year that I did not need any kind of chemical assistance to get to sleep - and I'm not even sore (yet :-))! Thanks so very much - I will be attending as many classes at the Perfect Knot as my schedule allows!

Sincerely,
Carol

June, 2002
According to Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now, almost everyone is a compulsive thinker. He believes that incessant thinking is the reason for humanity's "suffering and continuous conflict within and without." I am an incessant thinker. I live my life thinking about everything: analyzing, fantasizing, and remincising; only recently realizing how detrimental it is to my life.

I started going to Carla's Bikram's class because I needed to start exercising. I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only did I love the physical aspect of Carla's class but I was very intrigued with Carla's suggestions to focus on your breath and be aware of what your mind was doing during your practice. But being the thinker that I am, I had a really hard time focusing on my breath and found that my mind wandered more than I wanted it to. A couple of weeks ago, Carla made a couple of suggestions in class about ways to focus your mind on your breath. The one that I really liked was the mantra "so hum"... "so" on your inhale and "hum" on your exhale. I have been practicing with it for the last couple of weeks and have found that it makes a huge difference in my ability to focus on my breath and quiet my mind.

My unquiet mind has a long way to go, but using "so hum" gives me a tool for thinking less, at least during my yoga practice. Thanks Carla.

CMH

October, 2001
I came to yoga to quiet my mind....what I found was a wonderful beginning of that journey and a terrific strengthening and stretching meditation. Yoga is much more strenuous and wonderful than I thought it would be but something I have come to look forward to as the best part of my week.

The real surprise for me came on a regular yoga day when I was suffering one of my migraines. (Something I have had the opportunity to experience since I was 16.....that would be 30 years.) Nothing in all of that time, except for my most serious medication, has ever interrupted the course of my migraines. They essentially take me out of commission for up to 3 days. It was very tough to keep going through the practice that day because I was feeling so poorly.....but I kept going and 10 minutes after the session....my migraine was gone. For me this is unbelievable..and so exciting, the idea that yoga could actually help me manage my migraines........thank you Carla for bringing the Bikram's form into my life.

L.H.

If you are inspired to share a story about your experiences with yoga, you can send it to mail@perfectknot.com.

It can be of any length and about anything having to do with your practice or ideas you found valuable that you want to share. If we have any questions about printing your story, we will contact you. Nothing would be edited, though the font would probably change.

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