After your first Bikram class, what was your impression?

WOW!!  I'd been practicing yoga for over 10 years and excercising regularly for 20 years.  Bikram yoga gave me strength in areas I didn't even know I had muscles.  And a bonus was I saw muscle definition QUICK!

What drives you to continue to practice?  What keeps bringing you back? 

I like how it is led by those motivating & knowledgable teachers. It is definetly meditation in motion...I don't think about anything except being in my body & what my body is doing for the hour and a half.

What are some of the benefits and changes you've seen in yourself?

It's made me more balanced in my hectic life, yet it is also energizing.  I find myself more focused.

What is your favorite posture?

Believe it or not, maybe I am the only one who loves the Cobra Series!!  I love opening my chest and heart and digestive system and feeling my kidneys flush out.

What is the greatest challenge about the yoga? Yourself?

My greatest challenge is listening to my body and not pushing myself beyond it's limitations.  When my ego leads my practice, my body feels & I feel drained after class.  When I allow myself to let go and just be/do, I feel amazing & invigorated!

What advice can you give to a 1st timer after they complete the class?

Listen to your body and not look at what everyone else is doing in the class. Also...definetly do several classes in a row.  It's easier the more frequently you do the class.

Additional:

I love it when the instructors give you tips during each pose...those micromovement instructions.  It really helps to give imagery to how the body should be alligned in each pose.