Bikram Yoga Decatur

Eric Jennings

My background is largely in theatre and performance art. I started practicing Bikram Yoga in Spring 2000. I became certified in the Fall of 2001 and opened Bikram Yoga Decatur in November of 2002.

I absolutely love our studio and I feel blessed that so many wonderful people have chosen to practice here with us. I still find the practice challenging and I continue to see myself growing deeper into it year after year. My biggest hope for our students is that they stick with it long enough to realize that the benefits will continue to accumulate at an exponential rate. When people ask me if this practice is good for beginner's I reply that we are all beginner''s. Every day is a new opportunity to embrace the challenge of self development.

Ivey Claire Eldridge

I graduated from Medical College of Georgia in 1982 with a degree in Dental Hygiene. I am married and have one daughter, Claire, who is 23 years old. I ran my first marathon in 1999. After my third one, I was taking time off to heal from the wear and tear when my daughter got me to go to a Bikram yoga class. I was completely hooked after one class. I found it so satisfying that I didn't go back to marathon running. In fact, I loved the yoga so much, I decided to retire after 21 years of practicing dental hygiene to go Teacher Training. I became certified in March 2004. I Iove the challenge of the Bikram yoga both physically and mentally. I also get lots of satisfaction watching our students (the best!) get excited about their practices.

Susie Fryer

In 1999, I was severely injured in a car accident. Although I recovered from most of the injuries, I was in pain 90% of the time. I went through all sorts of different techniques prescribed for dealing with this pain: Chiropractors, Massage Therapy, Reiki, Acupuncture, and the list goes on and on. After graduating from UGA in 2002 with a BA in Religion and Philosophy I moved to Maui, Hawaii where I discovered Bikram Yoga. I Loved it! Finally my pain began to diminish. I noticed that as long as I practiced, I was pain free.

I believe that Bikram Yoga heals the myriad of pains that we as human beings experience in life. This includes physical, emotional, and spiritual pain. If you truly want to feel better in your body and in your mind, come and practice this yoga. You will not regret it!

My studies of body awareness and the mind body connections have broadened, and am now a certified Reflexologist. Despite the changes that go on in my life, I have found a beautiful consistency within the framework of the Bikram Method. Every time I practice I find something new within myself through the consistency of the series that continues to facilitate that growth.

Rebecca Rumpf

It was at the gym there that I first discovered yoga, and had a teacher who told me I should try Bikram's method in the hot room. I took my first class at the Atlanta studio and was immediately hooked.

In addition to teaching, I've just started working as a section editor for allthingshealing.com. My section features stories on nonprofit organizations that work to the heal both individuals and the planet at large. I believe that practicing Bikram Yoga contributes to both. As I sometime say at the end of class, taking good care of yourself is one of the best things you can do to change the world. You are your most important asset. When you take good care of yourself, you can give so much more to everyone else in your life.

Rebecca Hurlburt

I first came to know Bikram Yoga as just something my dad did, so naturally I had no desire to try it. After graduating from NYU with a degree in Philosophy and Russian Literature I finally took the Bikram plunge by trying out the 30 day challenge. After I completed my 30th day, I found myself wanting to go back the next day and the next day... I was hooked. The yoga was the only thing that helped me manage the stress of a high intensity job. When my work hours started to cut into my yoga time, I quit my job to attend the Bikram Yoga Teacher Training in Spring of 2008. I wanted to know yoga inside and out, and I also wanted the honor of learning straight from the source -- Bikram himself.

While at training, I fell (not doing yoga) and injured my knee to the point that it was difficult just to stand up straight on two feet. I found this experience very humbling. I had to let go of my ego. I had to be patient. I had to be aware and respectful of my physical limits. Those lessons of humility, patience and awareness became a vital part of my practice. As Bikram says, "Yoga is just a tool: you can use it to build a house or to break your thumb."

Don't let your injuries be excuses not to come to class -- let them be the reason you come. Bikram teaches that we are "healing the body through itself -- training the mind through the physical body. And the longer it takes, the luckier you are!"

Meah Wyatt

Beginning in early high school, I struggled with depression and anxiety. At 16 years old, I was put on medication and there was no real follow up with my problems. I started college at Georgia State University at 17. About a year and half into school I dropped all my classes in the middle of an anxiety attack and found myself back in front of the shrink. I can still hear her saying, "You need to find a way to relax... have you ever thought of trying yoga?" And so my Bikram Yoga journey began...

After one class I was immediately hooked. The more I practiced the more I noticed changes in myself both inside and outside the room. For the first time I found myself in an environment where my mind could actually be calm and I could start to feel comfortable with myself. In just a couple of months, I was able to take myself off of medication and get back into school. It was fabulous to watch my body grow stronger as I came day after day, but it''s the changes in my mind and my whole outlook on life that still keep me coming back. As long as I do the yoga, I feel good and stay calm no matter what kind of chaos is going on in my life.

I attented the Bikram Yoga Teacher Training in Fall 2008. I was so eager to share this practice that I dove into teaching and taught my first class the day after I returned home. I feel so lucky that I have been given the opportunity to guide students on their yoga journey and I truly believe that no matter what brings you into the door, you will find some benefit from this yoga.

Tarah Plavac

I am honored and deeply grateful to have stumbled upon one of the very best things in this world, Bikram Yoga. It was the spring of 2005 when I walked into a Bikram studio for the first time. That ninety minutes left me in a sweaty daze, but I immediately started feeling it's magical effects. My "week introductory package" quickly turned into a "year unlimited package". I was hooked. Nothing I have ever done gives me the peace and true satisfaction that practicing Bikram Yoga does.

When my work schedule started interfering with my time to practice yoga, I decided to live my dream and go to teacher training. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I graduated from the intense nine week course in the spring of 2008.

Bikram Yoga has dramatically changed me, physically, spiritually and mentally. Equally as important, I am grateful to witness and be a part of helping others create miracles in their own lives with this powerful yoga. There is no greater joy than helping others change their lives in such a positive and uplifting way.

Randy Smith

During my thirty years of service in the military, I''ve served in a variety of career fields including Logistics, Human Resources, Medical, Military Police, and Information Technology. While serving in the military, I obtained advance degrees from Georgia Military College, the DeVry Institute of Technology, and Central Michigan University.

I started practicing Bikram Yoga a few years ago when a friend invited my wife and I to attend a session at the studio in Decatur. I can''t say it was love at first sight but I did find that first class so challenging and demanding that I decided to come back for more. I signed up for the 10 day Intro and during those first classes fell in love with the yoga. I began practicing almost daily and when I retired from the military, it just seemed natural for me to focus more on my yoga practice.

After completing Teacher Training in 2009, I've returned to the Decatur studio to teach and share my passion for Bikram Yoga. I am so thankful to all of you for sharing your practice and welcoming me into your yoga family.