Please note - we accept testimonials by email and every month we choose to highlight a new one - we'll
give the author a 5 Class Pass! Send an email to the studio
with the subject heading 'Testimonial'!
Click on any of the links below to find out about some of current students' experiences....
Marnie McBean Olympic Athlete
Back Pain & Stress
First Hot Yoga Class
Quitting Smoking & Losing Weight
Mark Popvic Professinal Athlete
Recovery From Cancer & Pain Management
Stress Management
General Health & Wellbeing
Bipolar Disorder
Menopause & Hot Yoga
Depression & Trauma
Anonymous
For the past few years I have been randomly coming in and out of yoga
studios trying everything from anusara to vinyasa, but nothing ever felt
right or really stuck with me. Taking moksha yoga for has not only ended my
search, but I've gained something far more then I ever expected. I look
forward to the classes each week knowing that for an hour I can step away
and release the outside world and all my worries.Moksha yoga is helping me
find my inner peace, and i feel that it is enabling me to become a more
focused, relaxed and a confident individual, not to mention it has change my
physical appearance in a way no other form of exercise has ever done. I am
stronger, more flexible, toned and in better overall shape!
I believe that Yoga is truly a personal journey and unique for everyone.
These classes have a wonderful group of individuals to share this new found
energy with! In the time that I have been practicing moksha yoga, I have
strengthened myself, deepened my knowledge of yoga and most importantly had
fun! Namaste.
I rowed full time for 15 years and while my body became very familiar
with the motions of rowing, I was ultimately at risk of injuring myself doing almost anything else.
Core strength has since become the central pillar of performance in any sport
and for me the environment of Moksha Hot Yoga became the place where I could focus on
both my core health and stability as well as over all muscle tone and strength.
I suffered a major back injury at the 2000 Olympics before I practiced any kind of hot yoga. After suffering this injury I used the classes at Moksha Yoga Uptown to work through scar tissue and to reestablish the core strength that my body could use for acceleration AND stabilization.
Moksha Yoga offers rowers an opportunity
to work on strength, balance and focus while also ensuring the development of flexibility,
core strength, and muscle health. There is nothing else that frees up my muscle tissue (quads, back, shoulders) to work so fluidly as a regular practice in the Moksha Uptown studio! 6 years later, I no longer compete internationally but I do still race and ... I'm still collecting some hardware!
My best friend, Anna, and I and tried Moksha Yoga at the St. Clair studio for our first time last week. I suffer from upper back pain from working long hours and sitting in front of the computer every day. Given my hectic work schedule, I have tried many ways to destress, including swimming, running and doing regular cardio, however, nothing seemed to have helped over the years.
I was thoroughly surprised to find out how invigorating and stress-relieving Moksha yoga can be! Following the first session, I already felt significant improvement to my energy level. My back also felt stretched and relieved. After the first week, I experienced further improvements in my posture and flexibility.
The St. Clair uptown studio is clean, comfortable, and the staff are super friendly and amazing! I look forward to coming back more often and to cure my back pain for good!
I wanted to thank you for class last night. I'm the new girl that couldn't relax and couldn't breathe in your 8:30 class. I'm sure when I left you were thinking 'that girl is never coming back!'. I couldn't share it at the time I was leaving but towards the end of the class and during my walk home I had tears streaming down my face. I didn't feel anything in particular, just the sense of release. I just recently moved to the city and started a new job, and really haven't taken the time to breathe since I got here. Last night I slept better than I have in weeks.
I wanted to share my experience with you and thank you for providing my release. See you again soon.
Healthiest regards,
Anonymous
Five years ago I finally managed to quit smoking after 20 years of a pack a day habit. I was thrilled with my progress but at the same time shocked and dismayed at the rapid weight gain that I was experiencing. When all was said and done I had gained a whopping 30 pounds in less than 3 months. It was just horrible. I had been slim my whole life and for the first time I found myself at an unhealthy weight. My clothes didn't fit any more and I felt sluggish and tired all the time. I hated the way I looked and hated the way I felt even more. I took up running in the hopes that the weight would melt away but, surprisingly, it didn't. I lost a mere 10 pounds and got "stuck".
I discovered, now that I was in my mid-thirties, that my metabolism was at an all-time low. Four years later I was still "stuck", in fact I had actually gained back a couple of the pounds I had lost. I was getting more depressed with each passing week of failure until one day on my way in to work I noticed the Moksha Yoga sign just up the road from my office. In desperation, I negotiated with my boss to be able to extend my lunch hour 30 minutes a couple of days a week so that I could take the 60 minute class.
To my absolute amazement the pounds began dropping away. Not only that but I have found that I feel "cleaner", "less toxic" and almost unconciously I find myself reaching for healthier food options and smaller portions. I thought that I would be tired after classes but instead I feel absolutely invigorated! My afternoons fly by.
I've been losing weight at a steady pace of about 1 1/2 pounds a week for a six weeks now and it doesn't seem to be slowing down at all. I'm SO excited I can't imagine ever going back.
Two-time member of Canadian National Junior Hockey Team
At the end of last season I had incredibly tight hip flexors and a strained lower back. My sister introduced me to yoga and I immediately found the benefits of the hot room enhanced my ability to loosen up. I was able to feel the heat faciliate a deeper stretch than I was used to and helped to release a great deal of muscular tension that I was holding in several areas of my body.
In addition, the emphasis on alignment has had a surprising impact on my posture and spinal curve. Prior to attending my first Moksha class I respected the benefits of yoga but was never interested in the chanting and spiritual aspects that I assumed were present in yoga classes.
At the Moksha London studio I realized that each student was there for their own personal reasons, whether they be physical, mental, or spiritual, and the teachers and Moksha class could embrace each of these needs without impinging on the other students reasons for taking yoga.
Over the last four months I have integrated yoga classes into my weekly training routines and untilized the stretches I learned both before and after workouts, on and off the ice. After the first month of training camp I realized that this was the first year I completed the entire pre-season training without experiencing any muscular strain or pulls. I attribute a great deal of this to my yoga training over the summer and plan to continue with my practice throughout the season.
The operation to remove my prostate went very well with relatively little pain and discomfort compared to what eventually happened later on that summer.
Due to complications during my recovery I had to be catheterized three times post surgery because of a stricture in my urethra at the surgical site. Having to be catheterized was not too much of a problem the first two times, but the last time I had to have the procedure done, it proved to be almost impossible.
With my wife holding my hand and with no pain medication the doctor was required to insert wire into my urethra followed by a dilator to open up the stricture. I had never experienced such pain in my life.
I said “OK, doctor, can you get the catheter in now?” I hadn’t urinated for about 8 hours by this time and I really had to go! The doctor said “No, not yet. I’ve got 4 or 5 more dilators to use and they each get larger! This is really going to hurt.”
“Wait a minute.” I said. “I do yoga. I can deal with this pain. Let me do my breathing and when I say “go”, insert the dilator. When I say “go” again, remove it. Then we will go on to the next one.” One by one the doctor inserted larger and larger dilators into my urethra until he could insert the catheter.
I heard the doctor exclaim, “This is amazing! I usually have to have 4 or 5 orderlies holding you guys down when I have to do this!”
To celebrate that I am now free of prostate cancer (I hope) and that yoga helped me get through a long painful summer, I got the Moksha flame tattooed on my left shoulder. It is a reminder to me that yoga helped me get through a difficult time. My wife really likes it as well!
Thanks to all of the teachers and fellow students for your love and support!
Namaste,
Jamie Procunier
I am an entrepreneur with a North American business in a highly competitive technology sector. I live a very busy life and am consumed with my work all the time. When not working I think about work and the things I have to get done. I live with constant stress and tension that has manifested itself in a variety of physical and emotional ailments over the years.
I began practicing hot yoga regularly in November 2002 and since that time my life has changed. Literally. I am more self-aware and have learned to listen to my body. I am able to concentrate longer and more deeply. I am able to detach myself from things and let them go in moments where I used to hold on for hours or days. Physically, I am stronger, my balance is much improved and my flexibility elevated. Moreover, the vast majority of the aches and pains have minimized or disappeared altogether.
Hot yoga is helping me to push the outer limits of what I can accomplish mentally and physically. It forces me to look at myself, and in the end, that's where all the stress, tension and judgment come from in the first place.
Eric Yuzpe
Vice President
Kaboose Inc.
When I first tried Hot yoga, I was blown away by the intensity of it. It was such a perfect challenge for the mind and the body. As a training actor, Hot yoga has helped me be aware of my body, move consciously, focusing the mind, finding stillness, staying centered. After my first class, I was absolutely hooked. I love how each class is a challenge. I love how the challenge brings growth. I love how the growth brings peace.
When I started, my mind was so quick and active, and my life was taking that form too. With hot yoga, I started to take the yoga out of the studio and into my daily life. I am more focused and try to remain in the present as I am talking to people, truly listening. I now use the 'letting go' that we do after a posture in my day-to-day life. When I feel frustrated or angry with something, I just let the frustration wash away, and start with a clean slate.
I also look for that joy in things that I do that seem tedious, or boring or frustrating. And of course, I am more aware of my physical state, and am less abusive to my body. I give it food it wants, not something that will fill some other kind of void. I just feel a lot healthier, more energized. I feel like I am using my potential rather than burying it.
All I can say is that I love it. I feel so grateful for my practice, because I feel it's saved my life.
Serena
I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder three years ago. I take a combination of medications that help me manage my moods. But it is really practicing Hot Yoga that has enabled me to manage my illness. I started practicing Hot Yoga two years ago. I have experienced difficult side-effects from various medications, including weight gain, apathy and difficulty waking up. Aside from helping me control my weight, practicing Hot has helped me to motivate myself when I am feeling apathetic, and slow down when I am feeling manic. It also helps when I am feeling down. Through practicing Hot - I quit smoking (used to be a pack a day) and stopped shopping (used to be a thousand dollars or so per trip); two unhealthy addictions that often come along with manic depression.
I have come to see the practice as a microcosm of my life, in that if I can get through difficult postures I can try my best to get through difficult days with the same focus and optimism.
Taking up the practice was challenging at first, but it has become nurturing and fulfilling. I would recommend Hot Yoga to anyone as a stress management tool, an anxiety management tool, and an overall great addition to any mental health program.
All the best to you. Namaste.
Unexplained emotional intensity, lack of confidence, sleepless nights and hot flashes are only a few of the challenges that menopause has presented to me. On some days a simple decision can be as challenging as programming my new cell phone! On some days nothings seems to be clear.
About 6 months ago my daughters introduced me to Hot Yoga and my life took a different turn. Standing for 90 minutes and looking into my eyes has given me the opportunity to feel my own strength. Each day the yoga presents new challenges that I am shocked my body has met. There were so many postures that I was sure my 56-year- old body would never be able to do. It was a slow process but gradually, I started to strengthen and my muscles started to stretch. My hot flashes slowly diminished and are now gone. Both the chronic pain in my toe and that in my shoulder have disappeared. All these benefits have given me a great sense of confidence and a feeling that I am invincible.
On top of all these physical benefits, and the confidence that accompanies them, I find I sleep better. And best of all I feel more connected to my personal abilities. I highly recommend that every woman experiencing these menopausal times try at least a few classes to see how they go. The rewards are astounding.
Janet Robertson, Teacher
I will get straight to the point. I was molested as a child and raped when I was in grade 9, and by the age of 15 a childhood friend had been murdered and my best friend had committed suicide. To say the least times were tough.
Most of the time the toughest challenge was just getting out of bed. Sleepless nights filled with anxiety and fear made mornings overwhelming. Some days I physically was unable to get up out of bed.
In the thick of my depression I found Hot Yoga. I went into class skeptical and came out wide-eyed and hopeful. It was the first time my mind had stopped thinking and spinning for as long as I could remember. My body and mind felt amazing. I became completely hooked. I started sleeping through the nights, waking up well rested, began being interested in trying new things. I even became excited to wake up.
Not only did Hot Yoga keep me from drowning but it made me fly above the waves. To anyone who feels depressed, tired, uninspired, etc, I so suggest you try this. I truly don't think I would be here today if I hadn't found this yoga.
Anonymous, Toronto
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