Dan relieves fibromyalgia pain through his daily Bikram yoga practice.

Last December, I bumped into Natalie (who I later found out is a longtime Karma Yogi at BYSJ) at a Garcia Birthday Band show. She stuck a buddy pass in my hand and told me I should go to yoga. It was a wild night and Natalie seemed like a cool lady, so I decided to check it out. I had no idea what I was getting into! At 65 I had never been to a yoga class. Now I do Bikram yoga every day...

In 7 months of daily practice, here is what Bikram yoga has done for me:

• My fibromyalgia symptoms of pain and fatigue have been significantly reduced. I used to be in pain just walking up the stairs for class. I didn't even realize I was in so much pain until I realized the stairs weren't hurting anymore. My knees are well on their way to pain-free. This absence of pain where I've become so used to it feels like euphoria to me.
  
• My mood is improved.
  
• Carpel tunnel syndrome is gone.
  
• The shoulder I fractured and dislocated in 2017 has regained almost full range of motion. I had tried physical therapy for this injury and it was just too painful. The heat and the stretching really did it!
  
• My balance and posture have vastly improved.
• I've lost body fat and gained muscle tone.
  
• I enjoy deeper, more refreshing sleep. I'm able to fall asleep faster and when I sleep have vivid dreams.
  
• For the first time in my life, I feel able to breathe myself into a state of relaxation.
• Food tastes better. Water even tastes better. All my senses are heightened, in a good way. I have a feeling of general well-being all the time.
  
• My empathy and compassion for others is stronger, too.
  
• I've made many interesting, warm and loving yoga friends in the BYSJ community. This place is so much my home away from home that I commute over 1 hour from across town every day to come to class.
  
• I've learned an incredibly valuable lesson about moderation. I'm the kind of person where I throw myself "full throttle" into everything I do. So when I started I was coming to yoga twice a day. I would push myself so hard in class that I was repeatedly getting severe muscle cramps that would knock me to the floor. I was drinking gallons of water before, during and after class. I would have to sit in my car for a long time after a session, waiting to feel normal enough to drive. It took one especially bad day and a lot of guidance from my yoga teachers, but I now practice in a more sustainable way. I come to class once a day and I'm much more moderate with my water intake during class. I rest when I need to and I also try to do the postures with less strain. These days I can stand up after my final savasana, shower and drive off right away feeling fine. I am now applying the same moderation and respect for my body in my daily activities outside of yoga. This is huge!
  

I wanted to share my story especially for other people with fibromyalgia who think there is no answer besides expensive medications with tons of terrible side effects. For me, Bikram yoga gives me relief of my symptoms without all of that other stuff, and it makes my life better in so many other ways too. You've got to give it a try!