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Greetings!
The Summer is officially here! As the temperature heats up outside, the fun inside is heating up too! We've got lots of fun for the kids on their school holiday, games and prizes for adults and a special intro to some of your friendly PURE staff! Read on hotties, read on...
I've reminded you already, here's another attempt. "Like" us on Facebook! You won't be disappointed! There's lot's of exciting chatter, important reminders, and new this summer, discussion boards with your favorite teachers and a special facebook challenge for the month of July!
Are you on Twitter? So are we! Follow us! Tweet, tweet, tweet!
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Recent Events
June
Spring '11 Teacher Training Graduation - June 17th
Congratulations to Olga Loban and Brent Boeker for completing Bikram's College of India Teacher Training! After 9 weeks of study and practice, they can officially say they are your Yoga Teachers! Brent taught his first classes Downtown on Wednesday, June 22! Look for his next classes on the schedule! Olga will be teaching her first and future classes in San Antonio!
 
Bishnu Ghosh Cup - June 18th & 19th
Did you watch the live stream on www.ghoshcup.com? It was amazing! Absolutely beautiful yogis and yoginis! Some of the postures were out of this world! The championships are such an inspiration to us all. Through others willingness to share their practice, we see the possibility that lies in us all to break down boundaries and limitations with grace and compassion. Visit the 8th Annual Bishnu Charan Ghosh Cup page to see a video recap of the event and photos of all the competitors!
Big CONGRATS to our lovely Gianna Purcell who competed in the International Championship! Here's her advancing routine from the USA Yoga Asana Finals, in case you missed it!
 | | Purcell, Gianna - 2011 USA Yoga Asana Finals |
Ladies and gentlemen, here are your 2011 International Yoga Asana Champions!
 | | Yukari Miwa (Japan) & Joseph Encinia (USA) |
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Upcoming Events
July
Posture Practice - June 25th, July 16th
1:45-3:00pm Downtown Studio
Kathy Durham will lead the Posture Practices! They are free and the room will not be heated. We have had an enthusiastic turn out at all Practices so far, and the attending students have had wonderful questions about the postures! The final Practice this month will focus on the KNEES and HAMSTRINGS! If you want help "locking the knee," don't miss the FREE session tomorrow!
Independence Day - July 4th
In observance of Independence Day, we will offer limited classes. 4 classe swill be offered as follows,
Westlake - 9:30am
Cedar Park - 9:30am
Downtown - 8:00am & 10:00am (NO Babysitting)
Bishnu Ghosh Day - July 9th
ALL STUDIOS CLOSED! Bishnu Ghosh was Bikram's Guru. He passed on July 9th 1970. In observance, many Bikram Yoga studios worldwide close their doors for a day of remembrance and thanks.
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Summer Youth Camp
July 18th-22nd, 2011 1:00-4:00pm at Cedar Park
LAST CHANCE FOR EARLY BIRD RATE!
You love yoga! Your kids can too! Susannah Dowling will lead a Day Camp for kids and teens! Susannah is an experienced teacher and counselor and has worked with children in therapeutic recreational activities. The camp will include confidence building exercises, stress reduction techniques, nutrition education and body balance and coordination through yoga practice. We will practice the postures you regularly do in your Bikram Yoga series as well as other traditional yoga asanas! Kathy Durham and Tyler Tanhoff will lead a segment in the Synergy style incorporating flying, partner stretching, trust and unity. Special guests, Krystalle and Jeff of New Earth Foods, will contribute for a nutrition segment. This camp will move beyond poses and will encourage kids to explore the unfamiliar with open minds, enjoy movement and experience the benefit of this 5,000 year old practice. We are going to have so much fun!
- Bikram Postures & other traditional yoga asanas
- Partner stretching and flying
- Yoga games for trust, communication, confidence and stress reduction
- Nutrition education and healthy snacks
- Fun, fun, FUN!
A daily healthy snack is included and the yoga room will not be heated. The final day of camp will include a full Bikram Yoga class to be shared with their parent(s)!
Day sessions will last 1pm-4pm at the Cedar Park studio with optional 4:30pm Bikram Yoga class to follow.
Tuition:
Early Bird Special (by June 30th) $99
Regular Rate (after June 30) $125
*$10 discount for additional children
CAMP SCHEDULE
Monday
1pm-1:15 Arrival, Circle
1:15-2:00 Yoga warm up and games
2:00-2:30 Yoga stories, Education (translation of common sanskrit, types of yoga, introduction to mindfulness)
2:30-3:00 Snack Time (Provided by New Earth Foods) and Discussion on what stress is and how to reduce it
3:00-3:45 Posture Practice - Bikram Series
3:45-4:00 Cool down, Savasana
Tuesday
1:00-1:15 Arrival, Circle
1:15-2:30 Synergy Yoga with Kathy and Tyler - partner yoga, flying
2:30-3:00 Snack Time (Provided by New Earth Foods) and Discussion on how mindfulness can help every day in school, with friends and at home
3:00-3:45 Posture Practice - Bikram Series
3:45-4:00 Cool down, Savasana
Wednesday
1:00-1:15 Arrival, Circle
1:15-2:00 Yoga Warm-up and Games
2:00-3:00 Super Foods for Super Yogis Discussion and Snack Time with Jeff and Krystalle
3:00-3:45 Posture Practice - Bikram Series
3:45-4:00 Cool down, Savasana
Thursday
1:00-1:15 Arrival, Circle
1:15-2:30 Synergy Yoga with Kathy and Tyler - partner yoga, flying
2:30-3:00 Snack Time (Provided by New Earth Foods) and Discussion on mindfulness and change
3:00-3:45 Posture Practice - Bikram Series
3:45-4:00 Cool down, Savasana
Friday
1pm-1:15 Arrival
1:15-2:00 Yoga warm up and games
2:00-2:30 Yoga stories, Education (Benefits of meditation, deep breathing, mindfulness)
2:30-3:00 Snack Time (Provided by New Earth Foods) and Discussion on insight and mindful self-care
3:00-3:45 Posture Practice - Bikram Series
3:45-4:00 Cool down, Savasana
Registration and payment may be done online through MINDBODY Online. Sign in and click on the Special Events Tab. If you do not have a log in, Sign up on the PURE Bikram Yoga website. Sorry, we can not provide the additional child discount online. This can only be done by one of our lovely Front Desk Yogis!
e-mail susannah@purebikramyoga.com for more information!
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Adventure Kids Playcare
Next to PURE Bikram Yoga - Cedar Park
Opens mid July!
Heard the ruckus next door? It's almost complete and we are excited to welcome our new neighbors! They would like to share a kind introduction and hello,
Adventure Kids Playcare is happy to be under construction next to the PURE Bikram Yoga! We are planning to open in mid-July and are excited to provide drop-in childcare and entertainment for children ages 6 weeks to 12 years. Your kids can play, explore, and learn while in our safe and secure environment. We will have a fun playscape, separate infant and toddler rooms, as well as playhouses, computer games, air hockey, train tables and toys! Stay tuned for more information on our grand opening as well as discounts to the PURE Bikram Yoga clients!
We look forward to meeting you!
Kim and Steve Vacek, owners of Adventure Kids Playcare - Cedar Park
512-458-KIDS (5437)
Parents, it couldn't get any easier to catch your favorite yoga class!
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Facebook Check-in Challenge! July 2011
The Social Media Age is upon us, and PURE Bikram Yoga will not be left behind! You've probably "liked" our Facebook page, PURE Bikram Yoga. You may have even "liked" our individual Places for each studio - PURE Bikram Yoga - Downtown, PURE Bikram Yoga - Westlake and PURE Bikram Yoga - Cedar Park. Kudos to you if you "liked" them all! What's next? The CHALLENGE! Don't fret, this Challenge is only 31 days! If you "check-in" to the studio Place page 15 times during the month of July, we'll give you a free PURE Bikram Yoga T-shirt with a brand spankin new design by Mardy Chen! Stay tuned for check-in instructions through Facebook Deals so that you can redeem your check-ins! Get your smart phones ready and start practicing!
*The only catch is that the Facebook check-in software can be hit or miss. Do your best and try to check in every time you come to the studio! It only counts if you check in the exact Places listed above, please do not create a new Place if ours isn't found on your smartphone - just try again for your next class!
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Facebook Discussion Boards
Now that you have been reminded again about our facebook page, PURE Bikram Yoga, log on, because there's even more to see! We now have three extraordinary teachers leading discussion boards!
PURE Boards
Ask Mardy
Mardy has been practicing Bikram Yoga since 1998 and received her certification from Bikram Yoga College of India in the Spring of 2002. She opened our Westlake (Davenport) location in 2003 and Downtown in 2009 and is excited about our newest Cedar Park location - Now known as Pure Bikram Yoga.
Mardy is committed to teaching and directing a studio dedicated to bringing Bikram Yoga, the original "Hot Yoga," to Austin in its purest form. The greatest reward of being a studio owner is witnessing the startling transformations in beginning students and helping them motivate themselves to develop long-term yoga practices to reap and maintain the health benefits of this unique system of hatha yoga. Mardy is a true inspiration and unique gem of experience and expertise. Go ahead, ask Mardy anything!
Ask Nurse Jackie
Jackie was headed to Eastern Kentucky University on a full basketball scholarship when a serious accident left an injury to her leg that ended her hopes of a professional athletic career. Instead, she received a BSN in Nursing working with dialysis patients, mentally challenged adults, and as a paramedical in the insurance business. She kept herself athletically challenged by teaching spin classes and maintaining a low handicap golf game. Jackie discovered Bikram Yoga in 2001, then became certified to teach in LA Fall 2006. When she is not leading class, practicing nursing, or teaching spin she heps tend to her husband/high school sweetheart, three children, and her 150+ rose garden. Jackie credits Bikram Yoga as a savior to her both mentally and physically - teaching with compassion, kindness, hope, and playfulness befitting her personality. My favorite phrase - "What doesn't Kill you will make you Stronger." Simply put - "Never Give Up."
Have a medical question? Need help with hydration? Ask Nurse Jackie! You might get a joke in return, but there's a lot of knowledge in this lady to be uncovered!
Ask Mamma Teresa
Teresa began practicing yoga while living in San Francisco after many years of triathlons, marathons, and bike racing. It only took a week and she was hooked! She became a permanent, six day a week fixture at her favorite Chestnut Street Studio in December of 1996. Soon she was on her way to Teacher Training. In June 2000, she graduated from Teacher Training and headed to Austin. Teresa decided to leave the corporate world, and in January of 2001, opened Yogagroove in Austin. Fast forward to present, she is now married to her wonderful husband Paul, has three young boys, and a very busy life that happily still has yoga at its center.
Teresa practiced Bikram Yoga through all three pregnancies and has a wealth of knowledge about Rajashree's Pregnancy Series as well as other concerns related to taking your baby belly to yoga! Ask away!
PURE Boards
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PURE Lottery! 
Toss your business card into one of the vases at each studio for your chance to win yoga goodies! We will raffle off free yoga and boutique items at the end of the summer! Consider it the PURE Lottery! Prizes are good for you or as gifts for your friends! Take a chance, what have you got to lose?!
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PURE Front Desk Staff
You see their smiling happy faces every day, they see you sweat it out in your teeny yoga costume, but what do you really know about them? It's time to expose our staff!
Christa Mares
Sculptural Crochet
My work is a product of celebration and an exploration of my visual, social culture and personal life. Although many different processes contribute to my art making, crocheting has come to be an important part of my methodology. It is something that my grandmother taught me and that I continued to do leisurely until I began to incorporate crocheting into my art work. I enjoy the intimacy of making something small and beautiful that can be appreciated in numerous ways. Some of the crochet pieces I make are straightforward and hold tight to the traditions of craft such as a doily but of course it is not limited to this. I am fascinated by handmade objects, their beauty, purposefulness and the human need to create.
I am also part of Handmade Austin Women. Handmade Austin Women is a collective of locally and nationally recognized women artists based in Austin. Dedicated to unique design and the highest quality in handmade work, HAW represents women in the business of art.
The Handmade Austin Women Spring Show is an annual market that presents unique artisan design and outstanding handcrafted art. We organize our show to promote the profound benefits of sustaining women artists at work here in Texas. We support Austin's cottage industry and the growing character of our local, independent economy.
T-Bird
 
I work as an independent contractor. I use organic materials to create floral designs and am passionate about creating original pieces for people and the spaces they want to illuminate.
In this first newsletter blurb I aspire to tell you how I make arrangements for the studio. It seems only fair that I tell you from the top that we may not be able to get there from here. Before you sigh about my tap dancing around what seems to be a pretty direct topic, I offer two words: Yoga and Form. Here are a couple of many definitions for these two words :
yoga
from the Sanskrit root yuj, which means to join or to yoke
The Oxford English Dictionary offers this for the noun, form
the visible shape or configuration of something...arrangement of parts...the body or shape of a person or thing...a particular way in which a thing exists or appears...
These two words and what they imply underlie each effort I bring to the various counter spaces in the studio downtown. I gather up and load pieces and parts onto my bike and bring them into the studio with the wish to join them into a whole. I aspire to join them together in a form that may reveal each specific element in relief against the whole they become. Is it Ikebana? Sure. Is it English Country Garden? Yes. Is it Minimalist? Andy Warhol? Anime? Marvel Comics? Absolutely. It is everything you see in its form and relationship to the studio as you enter it after a long day or before one. What you see and what you sense is everything, and neither is so concrete as to be finally pinned down for posterity. I offer that that is the point. The most beautiful moments of these arrangements are when people express with or without words what they feel when they pass by or pause in front.
I have some experience in the forms attributed to Japanese floral design and I have experience in the urban landscapes of Chicago and New York and in the backcountry trails in Arizona. These forms I have in my experience are flavors I bring to the present. With them, I join the flowers and vegetables and stones and branches into something that is both the things together and the things alone.
This is a lot of words to say that form is a way to ground something without definition into something tangible. The point of joining individual elements and associated forms is to create something that communicates the essential nature of ourselves beyond the limits of our current container. All of the arrangements, if I have listened well and paid attention to what was in front of me, reach beyond my involvement and become a canvas for each individual who sees them. In the arc of all the classes that assemble and leave, they become focus for a community on a given night. They are pure expression. They offer physical reality to the definition of the word yoga.
This is the same energy it takes to gather up and load your clothes and drinks and towels and mats and phones and scan cards and keys and headbands and somehow get them across the studio threshold to assemble the form of yourself in front of a mirror for 90 minutes. The tipping point for both efforts holds all we aspire to join with in each form. We are all alone together in the studio: an arrangement of varied experiences and shapes come together for 90 minutes as one effort. Each posture is a tangible container to fill and reach beyond. Same with the arrangements out front. The edge of what you see is only there as a starting place for what extends beyond.
To go beyond, contact teresah@purebikramyoga.com.
Terry Robertson-Baker Does your daughter have a birthday party coming up? Give your child the royal treatment!   I am a princess for hire in Austin and surrounding areas. The princess of choice comes to your little girl's birthday to play games and sing songs, for tiara decorating, face painting, a mini magic show and a photo opportunity around the cake, and more! My websites have extensive info on what a princess party is like, personal options to choose from, and photos. If interested, please contact me by website or email, terry@purebikramyoga.com.
Amanda Napolitano I am a babysitter for hire with over 7 yrs child care experience. I have cared for children ranging in age from 3 months to 4 years old. I Love to read books, play games, & go for walks. I promote Learning in a fun & safe environment! I have experience with all age ranges. My families assert that I am trustworthy and loving with their children. Please contact me at the front desk or by email, amanda@purebikramyoga.com, if you need a babysitter!
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Community Classes
Does your office need to blow off some steam? Does your running team need a little stretch and a bend? How about your alumni meet-up, social group or even just skeptical friends? We want everyone to try Bikram Yoga! What better way to try out PURE Bikram Yoga than with your fellow friends and co-workers?
Contact susannah@purebikramyoga.com to find out about scheduling a free community class for your group!
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The Yoga Team
PURE Bikram Yoga |
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High Blood Pressure from Work Stress
By: Jim Smith
Problem: During 2000, 2001 and 2002, my doctor noticed that my blood pressure had begun to "drift" upwards. The results of my last blood pressure test in 2002 were 140/90. My doctor said this was border line and that if it continued medication would be in order. Doctor Advice: Life-time medication if there was no improvement. The long-term result was that my elevated blood pressure was greatly increasing my risk of a heart attack and/or heart disease. Benefit Description: 1. My blood pressure slowly decreased over the last three years that I have been attending Bikram Yoga. To me it really seemed to go in stages. First, I got a hold of my breath in Bikram and this enabled me to be calmer during the classes. Then as this calm became more automated it spread to other areas of my life therefore making me calmer in general. -BP: 135/88 2. Then, after the breath, I became better able to attain the positions which seemed to bring me to the second phase. A more lifted chest (with an increased air flow capacity), increased stamina and calmer more relaxed personality. -BP 128/87 3. Finally, through the patient efforts (and it required patience) of the Bikram trained instructors at Bikram Burlington - Kelly, Mindy, Mandy, Marla, Betsey, Adam, and Mary, I began to be able to "flow" with the yoga and quiet my sometimes exciteable mind. I am now at the begining of the path but I am squarely on the path. This is the final BP testing I will talk about. It occurred in December 2005. To set the stage I will explain a little about myself. I am a busy executive at a software company. As part of my agreement with shareholders I am required to purchase "key man" insurance. This million dollar policy is to insure that the company will not collapse if I die. Now, to get this insurance you must submit to a lengthy medical exam and, as you can imagine, insurance companies are not in the business of insuring border line healthy people. This exam involves a medical technician, an EKG machine, Blood Pressure Tester and several other blood assay tests. The insurance company's technician took my blood pressure three times and then looked at me with a quizzical gaze and said "you don't have much stress in your life." I asked him why he said this since the exact opposite is true. He said the three readings of my blood pressure were: BP: 114/78, 114/77, 116/77. No one with stress in their life would get readings this consistent and this low. Then he took my standing pulse, which was 64. Then my resting pulse on the floor, 46. He then hooked up the EKG machine to me and put sensors from my feet to my neck and read the difference between the pressures at the various parts of my body. All readings were exactly the same and all excellent. In science, there is the concept of "hold everything else equal." This is a powerful concept because it enable a scientist to watch the changes caused just by the agent that is being added to, modified or deleted from the process. Well, I want to add this conept to my testimonial. In other words, the changes I listed were only due to Bikram Yoga because I changed nothing else in my daily processes. I held all other things in my life equal to their state at the starting of my practice. Kelly, this is additional information: Today, my insurance agent, Jim Handy with National Life of Vermont called. He said that he had some great news for me but that he was puzzled. The great news was that he often quotes executives on what Prudential calls their Preferred Best rate. This Preferred Best rate is the highest health category for an individual and therefore the individuals that achieve this rating get the lowest cost for the insurance. Jim said that no one he has underwritten (submitted) passed the health tests required to achieve this rating. That is, until today, when he received the underwriter's approval for my application. The savings between what it would have cost given a lower health score and my 'Preferred Best' rating has paid for my Bikram classes this year. (Thanks, Kelly of Bikram Yoga of Burlington, Vermont, where I practice: I owe you a debt that will be impossible to pay back.) Jim Handy is no longer puzzled about how I achieved this health. I told him - Bikram Yoga. To Bikram and Rajashree, I thank you. To everyone at Burlington Bikram I say thank you. Without Bikram's expertise in designing the Bikram series, Bikram's and Rajashree's leadership and skill in training and certifying teachers and the dedication of these teachers upon graduation to helping each student excel, I would be just another bad medical statistic. Regards, Jim Smith President EQ2, Incorporated |
Testimonials
Wouldn't it be nice to read about the students you know and practice with regularly? At PURE Bikram Yoga, we are aware of the astounding benefits and life changing results of this practice. We see them every day! Please consider writing a testimonial about your experience that we can share with our community. No story is too big or too small, worthy or unworthy. Regardless of injury or medical condition, you all practice this yoga for a reason. Share it. Inspire someone.
Testimonials can be submitted through
testimonials@purebikramyoga.com
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Ghosh Cup Girls!
 | | Ghosh Cup Girls |
Top left: Chaukei Stefanie Ngai - China (3rd)
Top right: Gloria Suen Singapore (2nd)
Bottom left: Sarea Hidskes - Netherlands (6th?)
Bottom right: Yukari Miwa - Japan (1st place, new women's champion). |
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Bikram Yoga in Times Square to celebrate the Summer Soltice!
 | | Raw Video: Times Square Yoga for the Solstice |
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Jason Bateman did Bikram Yoga!
 | | David Letterman - Jason Bateman's Yoga Hell |
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See the Fox 7 Austin Tx News coverage at PURE Bikram Yoga!
 | | Bikram Yoga Designed to Heal Body |
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Congratulations AJ!
AJ Joe was a Finalist in Austin's Fittest Entreprenuers! The voting is over, but you can still see her individual video here!
http://fittestentrepreneurs.org/vote-now/
Watch this one for an overview of al the finalists!
 | | Austins Fittest Entrepreneurs |
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Check this one out,
Bikram Yoga: a fast way to shed pounds?
Straight from Manila, Philipines! Bikram Yoga is everywhere! |
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Jeff and Krystalle, who run New Earth Center which supplies our
delicious raw foods at the downtown studio, are exploring Bikram Yoga at PURE Bikram Yoga with a 30 Day Challenge! See their video blog!
 | | Jeff and Krystalle's Bikram Yoga Challenge! |
Way to go, you two! Thanks for the info about coconut water!
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Massage Need one? We have a massage room on Oakland Ave. and 3 wonderful massage therapists who also happen to be Bikram Yogis! Treat yourself. Call for rates and to schedule an appointment: Edy Bailey (512) 633-7421 Shelley Kaplar (512) 934-1101 Carrie Peruchi (512) 563-8496
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Health/Fitness Network
Are you a health or fitness professional? We are interested in building an accessible network of students in this area to better serve our community! Please send your name, profession and business info to community@purebikramyoga.com if you would like to be involved!
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Community Calendar
Are you active in our Austin Community? Do you know about happenings that might interest our students? Email
community@purebikramyoga.com. We are working to create a community calendar to share and explore each others outside lives in and around Austin.
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Testimonials
We are still collecting testimonials
and before/after photos from any students who wish to tell and share their Bikram Yoga stories. Available at the front desk are short questionnaires to fill out if you are interested! Pick one up today. You may also e-mail your story to testimonials@purebikramyoga.com.
Will you be featured in next month's Newsletter? If you would like to share your story, but do not want to be featured, no problem! We would still be happy to hear how your life has changed through this practice.
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