I started with Bikram only two months ago, and have been taking about five classes per week. I have been simply amazed at what its done for me. The immediate effects were startling and a bit unexpected.

For months, I had been waking up in the middle of the night with acid reflux. I would also routinely get the hiccups whenever I ate too fast, and had been told that that was also an acid reflux related problem. After a week, the hiccuping had stopped, and I was sleeping through most nights without any reflux problem. I haven't had any heartburn now in over a month.

I also had been on Blood Pressure medication for about 3 years. Without the medication, my blood pressure was typically about 135/100. Out of perversity, I stopped taking the medicine a couple of weeks before starting yoga. I had read that some of the backbends were contraindicated for people with high blood pressure, but since I wasn't flexible enough to really do them, I wasn't worried about that. Two weeks after starting Bikram, my blood pressure was normal. I've been to the doctor once since then, and he commented on how well my blood pressure was under control. I said "So what I'm doing is working?" and he said it was. I didn't bother to tell him that I had taken myself off the medicine.

A third major problem that went away almost immediately is plantar fascia-tis . I'm not sure what stopped this. It might be improved posture, increased flexibility, increased strength in my arches. But I don't have the shooting pains anymore.

From a vanity perspective, I've lost 30 pounds. My waistline has gone from 42" to almost 36". I've lost the weight without dieting. The major change I can see is that I now actually "hear" a signal that I am full. Before, if there was still food in front of me, I would eat it. The idea of being full simply didn't register before.

All of the above would make this yoga more than worth it. But I have an inkling that it is only the crack of the door. I haven't even mentioned what this yoga has done for my energy level and my outlook on things. And in those aspects, I suspect that the changes are just beginning. I'm really looking forward to what I might have to say after having done this for a year.

- Duffy Pratt

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