February, 2002
A friend told Magi Aoyagi about Bikram’s Yoga. Having lost interest in a range of exercises she had pursued, Magi gave it a try. Her first class was difficult, she reported, but she found the experience unusual and, therefore, intriguing. “I was curious, so I tried it again,” Magi said.
By trying again, Magi unknowingly launched herself into what she calls a “spiritual voyage.” “It’s beyond words how I feel about it,” she said. “Bikram’s has had a profound spiritual impact on me.” Since practicing Bikram’s, Magi feels as though she ahs “befriended” herself, making her “kinder and gentler” to herself and therefore “kinder and gentler to others.” “It begins with yourself,” Magi now believes. She says that struggling with the postures has taught her humility and that practicing alongside others who are also struggling has taught her compassion. In addition, Yoga has taught her how to manage physical challenges—including “weight management problems” and problems associated with old injuries. “I’ve learned how to hold on loosely,” Magi reports.
Even though Magi has practiced yoga for a year—and for six months out of that year she has religiously practiced five to six times a week—Magi feels that yoga has taught her that she has “a lot more to learn.” She feels her “voyage has just begun,” and we in the studio are happy to be continuing that voyage with her.