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Introducing the BYC Heavenly Challenge - January 2014
Instead of a New Years resolution, why not set yourself a New Years challenge?
30 Bikram Yoga classes in 35 days.
The BYC Heavenly Challenge works like this:
Practise 30 Bikram Yoga Classes at BYC in 35 days.
This works out as 6 days of Bikram Yoga for a five week period,
with one day off a week.
(Please note: only 1 double allowed per week.)
To help you achieve your goal, we have added 4 extra days - totally FREE - to our One Month Unlimited cards purchased in January, so that's 35 days for �140!
And, to complement the enormous 'thank you' that your
body and mind will be giving you,
we will be offering, those that complete the challenge,
20% off their next class card purchase!
10 class card 45 days �110 - on completion of the challenge �88
10 class card 6 months �120 - on completion of the challenge �96
1 Month Unlimited �140 - on completion of the challenge �112
3 Month Autopay �130pm - on completion of the challenge �104*
6 Month Autopay �115pm - on completion of the challenge �92*
12 Month Autopay �99pm - on completion of challenge �79.20*
By next week, you'll be able to pop your name on the Heavenly Challenge poster in reception, so you can keep track of your progress daily, but, remember, you can get going right away!
The (not so) small print:
Ts & Cs apply. Offer excludes those on our Peak/Off Peak Introductory Offers.
Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers or discounts.
(Although we are extending the concession rate one month unlimited too!)
Yearly Unlimited members will get a free BYC Limited edition bag or Grip Mat Towel, while stocks last, instead of a discount on completion of the challenge.
Claim your 20% discount from BYC reception, once you have completed your Heavenly Challenge. If you are an Autopay member, please email us on completion of your challenge, so we can give you
20% off your following payment.
*Discount applicable to first month only.
Ready, Set... Yoga! Good luck!
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 Parking
The lovely people at Sainsbury's Chiswick have agreed to let BYC students park in their car-park, for a maximum stay of 3hrs!
Plenty of time to practise class and get all your shopping done!
So, this is how it will work from January 2014:
1) Spend a minimum of �5 on shopping in Sainsbury's Chiswick. This can be done before or after your class at BYC.
2) Practise a class at BYC.
3) After your class at BYC, collect an orange numbered BYC Parking Voucher from BYC reception.
4) Present your BYC Parking Voucher at Sainsbury's Customer Service desk, along with your Sainsbury's shopping receipt & white Sainsbury's Parking Card, for parking validation.
Please note: this is only valid during Sainsbury's Customer Service opening hours.
Maximum stay: 3hrs. �50 fine payable on exceeding 3hrs.
If the barriers happen to be up at Sainsbury's, please still only stay for a maximum of 3hrs. On these occasions, pop a BYC timetable on the dashboard of your vehicle, so it is visible to the parking wardens.
In order to keep this collaboration into the future, please always treat the staff at Sainsbury's kindly.
Please note: parking is the responsibility of students coming to practise. Please refrain from parking in the courtyard area outside the studio (this area does not belong to us) and please be mindful not to double park on the street outside, so that the market stall holders have constant access onto Essex place.
There are other areas behind the High Road, where meter parking is available, so you may also want to consider this option.
Otherwise, there are great transport links close by:
Tubes at Chiswick Park and Turnham Green.
Overground Trains at Chiswick Station and Gunnersbury.
Buses 27, 272, 237, 267, 391, H91, E3 and 440
pass right in front of the studio, on Chiswick High Road.
Namaste
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FedExpressed
From Fed's mind to your eyes.
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Get to know your BYC teachers and team a little better!
Each month, we will be introducing a new member of the BYC team. This Month....
Adrian: 
As a child, what did you want to be when
you grew up?
Fighter pilot, then computer games programmer.
What is your favourite/least favourite Bikram Yoga posture?
I used to really hate head to knee: my thighs would cramp I couldn't breathe etc etc. These days, I really do not have one I don't like. Favourite would be fixed firm: I have tight quads and this feels sooo good.
How did you discover Bikram Yoga?
Sciatica from a snow boarding accident. I was told it would help by an acupuncturist - which it did!
Describe yourself in 3 words?
Mountains, geeky, optimistic.
How would others describe you in 3 words?
Hmm tricky... people that like me - happy, easy going, patient? What is your favourite food? Mountain food... If you could have a Super Power - what would you choose? Easy and obvious - flying! What's the best thing about teaching Bikram Yoga? Having seen so many people's lives improve because of the Yoga. What is your guiltiest pleasure? Superhero movies. Best Bikram moment to date - personal or professional? The feeling after teaching my first ever class, which was at HQ. I didn't sleep all night and then drove to Yosemite and hung out with the mountains. Perfect contrast :) What's your perfect day? Impossible to say, there are far too many to recount! However, when I was in the mountains last season, there was one day where it had snowed all night, the morning was crisp and very cold. The snow was the lightest perfect powder. I knew exactly where to go, a black that is always closed after heavy snow, which then leads in to an amazing free ride through rocks and gullies. I managed to do it five times, before another person went there. Each time I laughed and whooped harder than the previous time. A big group turned up, so I retired to a cafe happy, drenched in sweat and grinning like a Cheshire cat. What did you do before you became a Bikram Yoga Teacher?
I did various jobs in the film industry.
Liz:
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I have it on good authority that when I was very small I wanted to be one of two things: Chinese or a Saber tooth tiger. I was about three years old and had a neighbour friend who was Chinese, and I thought she was really cool. My mom tried to explain to me that I couldn't be Chinese. I didn't understand why, and got very cross with her. So I told her that if I couldn't be Chinese, then I was going to be a Saber tooth tiger!
What's your favourite/least favourite Bikram posture?
I know it's not terribly original, but my favourite posture is Standing Bow.
There's that moment when you feel that all the cogs are spinning correctly at the same time and that "ah ha, I OWN this bow" moment is amazing! I've actually felt the skin stretch on the back of my kicking-leg knee a few times. Unfortunately, this still instantaneously sends the message to my brain to bring all the cogs to an immediate, screeching halt. But I will get there one day! My least favourite is Awkward; more specifically, the second part of Awkward. I should fear that I am outing myself, but all my colleagues at BYC seem to already know this and are doing their best to help me love this posture. Thanks guys, with your help anything is possible.
How did you discover Bikram Yoga?
I had been practising Ashtanga yoga for years before moving to England. I had been commuting into the city, when a Bikram studio opened within walking distance of my home. I had heard about these "crazy" yogis, and
literally circled the block for weeks, before mustering up the courage to go in. I am so glad I did.
Describe yourself in 3 words?
Work in Progress.
How would others describe you in 3 words?
They wouldn't dare!
What's your favourite food?
I'd like to say a Spirulina Smoothie with Kale and Wheatgrass, but, at the moment, it's a tie between the avocado and the cheese and pickle sandwich. I don't think I could live without avocados, but the pickle and cheese sandwich is absolute genius! We've only just met, as I come from the land of peanut butter and jelly, but hats off to England for the pickle and cheese sandwich!
If you could have a Super Power - what would you choose?
Flight. That would be awesome! However, invisibility would be a close second. I would be happy even if only to have it briefly; something really quick, like the second part of Awkward during Fed's classes. That would be enough.
What has been your most embarrassing moment while teaching?
When you start teaching, there is a certain level of fear (actually, sheer terror) of what may or may not come out of your mouth. One day, during the set up for the second set of Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee, instead of a quick and snappy "lift your toes, twist and pivot".. "Pissed and Twivet" came out of my mouth. There was that brief moment when you inhale, savour the silence and hope (Dear Lord, please) that no one heard what you just heard. Exhale: and there it was: laughter all around, including myself. That day I learned how to deliver dialogue and giggle at the same time, and more importantly I learned that it just doesn't matter. I'm genuinely looking forward to topping that tongue twister one day.
What's your guiltiest pleasure?
Champagne and Karaoke. They seem to occur at the same time.
Best Bikram moment to date - personal or professional?
There are so many favorite moments. The final exhale of Kapalbhati breathing of last class at teacher training was pretty darn good. Here too, a close second: I had been practicing almost exclusively at one studio, and the "vibe" at the
time was very serious. I wanted to try out some other studios and see if it was the same everywhere, or if other studios had a bit more levity. I had practiced at BYC a few times, but not recently, so I thought I'd give it another try. I happened to stumble in the day when Helen and Mandy were tandem teaching a charity class in feather boas and stilettos. Levity you say? Ask and you shall receive!
Your Perfect Day?
That's hard to say, but I'm pretty sure we could get very close on a yoga retreat to Brazil with, of course, champagne and karaoke!
What did you do before you became a Bikram Yoga teacher?
Before my "baby break", I was an account exec in advertising: bossing people around and meeting deadlines.
Not too much different from what I do now, except that I'm not as good with meeting deadlines. Work in Process ;)
Tim:
What's your favourite/least favourite Bikram posture?
My favourite...? Hmmm, it's a toss up between Standing Bow and Toe Stand. Standing Bow is always a challenge - if I'm a little tight it looks horrific; if I'm feeling more open, it can be great. It's a beautiful posture to look at when it's done right (in general, I mean, not just when I do it - I'm not that egotistical!), which is probably why I beat myself up when I'm not at my most flexible! But I love the ongoing challenge of trying to perfect it.
Toe Stand is one of the postures I felt I really mastered when I was still relatively new to Bikram. For some reason it feels like one of those postures that kind of screams yoga - the balancing on just five toes is as close to levitation as I think I'll ever come.
As for my least favourite... I don't really know. It used to be Standing Head to Knee but I've really started to embrace that now and look forward to doing it. I think my rabbit needs work, so we'll go with that. But ask me again next week and I'll probably say something different!
How did you discover Bikram Yoga?
I had a car accident in April 2009 where I was sitting stationary at the tail end of a traffic jam and was hit from behind by someone moving at high speed. I ended up with a pretty bad whiplash injury that resulted in the muscles in my back and neck going into spasm. I was left with constant headaches, backache and an inability to turn my head to the right. Months of physiotherapy did nothing, so I decided I'd try some yoga. I hated the idea of anything that involved chanting or meditation, which ultimately led me to finding out about Bikram, which I'd heard described as 'Rock 'n Roll yoga'. I was working in Hammersmith at the time, so it was easy for me to get to BYC on my way home.
I took my first class on a Saturday morning in June 2009 (it was with the lovely Fran Rytlewski) and I was blown away. I felt incredible afterwards - like I'd had a really good work out that left me energised rather than worn out. I made as much use of my introduction offer as I could, and within two weeks virtually all signs of the whiplash were gone. I decided I would do one more month of Bikram before getting back to running, but then it turned into an addiction ... and four and half years later, I'm still doing it!
What did you do before you became a Bikram Yoga teacher?
I'd been working in publishing ever since I left school, and was managing editor at small publishing company in Hammersmith. By the time I started the yoga I was beginning to get a little bit bored; I was too comfortable, I could do the job in my sleep, and I was tired of sitting at a desk for eight hours a day. And then in the summer of 2011 I was made redundant. Around the same time, Mandy and Hels told me that they were planning on opening Bikram Yoga Surbiton in the spring of 2012, and everything just kind of fell into place, like it was somehow meant to be. It's kind of spooky how it all worked out, but I'm incredibly grateful it did, so I won't question it too much!
Best Bikram moment to date - personal or professional?
I'm going to be cheeky here and list three. Probably my most memorable was during the first week of Teacher Training when I got up in front of Bikram to present the Half Moon dialogue. It was nerve-wracking, because not only was I standing up in front of the guy (the legend!) that created this series, but also the 400 or so other people who were with me on the training. So anyway, I get up on the stage grab the microphone and, pretty certain that I'm going to forget *something* important, rattle through Half Moon. When I'm done I turn to face Bikram, who's sitting there stony faced on his orange throne glaring at me while I turn increasingly deeper shades of red. Then he opens his mouth and - I'll never forget these words - says: "Excellent. Faultless. No correction. Thank you Boss. NEXT!"
But there's always some new best moment when you're teaching. It can be an expression on someone's face mid-class when they have that breakthrough in a posture that they never thought they'd have, or that moment when people come out of class all hot and sweaty, looking like they've just run a marathon and they just look at you and mouth the words 'thank you' like you've just saved their life. It's truly humbling, each and every time.
And finally, the best Bikram moment for me personally was the day I met Mandy Free and Helen Currie. They fixed me when I needed help, they welcomed me wholeheartedly into their lives, and they have nurtured and encouraged me to be the best Bikram Yoga teacher I can be. They are two of the most incredible people I've ever met and they literally changed my life.
Describe yourself in 3 words?
Cheeky, loyal, charming.
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Thank you so much to everyone who came to our News Years Day Charity Class in aid of the Philippines and thanks also to those who couldn't make the class, but donated anyway - if you'd like to bolster our support of the work
DEC (Disasters Emergency Committee)
are doing in the Philippines, we will be accepting donations at the reception desk till mid-January. A special thank you to our dynamic duo Kat & Fed, for donating their time and to such a worthwhile cause.
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Yoga Weekend
28th-30th March 2014
Plan a healthy 2014....
Immerse yourself in a weekend of YOGA.
A chance for you to escape the demands of everyday life to the beautiful and stylish Sparkford Hall in Somerset, set in 23 acres of parkland, orchards and gardens.
Join BYC's founder and owner, Helen Currie, for a luxury weekend of yoga and relaxation.
Participate in two daily yoga classes, taught by Helen Currie, one of the most experienced Bikram Yoga teachers in the UK.
Personalised instruction and hands-on adjustment.
Advice on how to deepen your practice and answers to your posture-related questions, to gain a greater understanding.
The bedrooms have big, cosy beds, thick duvets, quality bed linen and luxurious bathrooms.
For some extra pampering, massages are available; please add your request to your booking form. 
See website for more information and prices.
For all enquires, please contact: dawne@hotyogaweekend.com
Please note this weekend is not being organised by BYC.
Please direct all questions and enquires to Dawne.
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We wish you all a wonderful start to the year. Let's make 2014 great! and the entire Team at BYC
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Check out our Limited Edition BYC Bags.
ONLY �12
 Featuring wonderful words from your fellow yogis about their practise & BYC, as well as famous inspiring quotes.
Printed in the UK. Fair Trade.
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"For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice."
T.S. Eliot
"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day."
Edith Lovejoy Pierce
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