In the fall of 2008 I began to wake up with crippling pain and swelling in my fingers, hands, feet and ankles.  As the day progressed, the pain would subside but then return in the evening.  I began to walk with a limp.  In the spring of 2009, at the age of 30, I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis.  I did not want to start taking pharmaceutical drugs and instead changed my diet, increased my cardio exercise and bought some very expensive insoles.  My efforts did help somewhat with the limp and the pain, but I could tell my overall condition was worsening.  At times the pain would extend to my knees, hips and shoulders; my hands and fingers started to twist and deform.  Depression started to set in.

In October of 2009 a close friend started attending Bikram Yoga classes and invited me to come along.  My first class was painful.  I could not get my arms under my body in Locust Pose or sit Japanese-style.  Still, I returned for a second and a third class and quickly began to notice the changes.  The swelling in my joints began to subside and I was able to get my arms under my body and sit comfortably in Fixed Firm Pose.  

I began to practice consistently; in February 2010 I did started the 60 Day Challenge.  The improvements just kept coming. In March of 2010 I visited my mother in Florida.  She nearly began to cry when she saw how much I had improved.  Since beginning my Bikram Yoga practice the swelling has disappeared, 98 percent of my pain is gone, I no longer limp and my hands and fingers are straight again.  Also, my posture has improved, I unwittingly reached and maintained my lowest weight since my teen years and my depression is gone.  In its place is peace, balance and comfort even in the most uncomfortable situations.  Of course, the real test will be this December when I am due to give birth to my first child.   

It is scary to think how bad my physical and mental condition could have been if I had not been introduced to Bikram Yoga.  The RA crippled my body in only 6 months.  Thankfully it only took a few classes for Bikram Yoga to begin to reverse the damage done. Too many people do not know about it and so they go about their lives in pain, wasting money and energy on harsh and ineffective pharmaceutical and surgical options. Sometimes I feel like I am preaching, but I tell everyone about this practice. Bikram Yoga is truly a blessing.