Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Michele Lloyd.  I am a life resident of Oswego; I have been a Math Teacher at Oswego High School for 20 years.  I received my bachelor's and master's degrees  from SUNY Oswego.  I have two grown sons, Nick(27) and Tim(25), who live in Pittsburgh and Hilton Head Island.

My husband and I will celebrate our 29th anniversary on July 1.  We like to travel to warm places, visit our boys and golf, both at home and when we travel. Our boys grew up playing ice hockey so we keep up with the Oswego State Lakers and the high school team.  We also enjoy  watching SU sports, football, professional golf, hockey and baseball.

What brought you to the Bikram yoga practice?

One of my girlfriends was raving about it and my sister wanted to try it.   I'm always looking for interesting ways to take better care of my body since it gets so much harder to stay in shape when you get to be my age.

How often do you practice and what specific physical issues, if any, did you have before taking your first class?

When I first started in January, I came 5 to 6 times a week.  Since April, I have been coming 3 or 4 times a week.  I actually feel a little better when I skip a day or two in between.  I used to feel a little achy when I got up in the morning before I 'got going' and I occasionally felt like I just moved slow. 

What are the greatest benefits of your practice?

The first thing I noticed was better posture.  I felt myself standing/sitting straighter (without really making an effort to do so) .  I definitely feel a difference in just the little things.like bending over to pick things up, reaching above my head and even walking with more bounce.  I also feel much more energized throughout the day.

How has this practice changed your health and life? Any emotional or other benefits?

I find myself eating smaller portions.  I definitely make it a point to drink more water.  On days when I plan to practice, I eat very light and then when I am done practice, I eat a smaller meal.  I really have never sweat to the extent that I do in this class.  When I get out, I feel drained but so accomplished at the same time.  I even attended a Bikram class when I went to North Carolina on vacation in April.  It was very interesting to see other people practicing just like me.  You can't help but be proud of your efforts when you leave as it is so physically demanding so, yea, I feel really good about my decision to practice when I do. 

What is your favorite part about Bikram Yoga Oswego?

Like I said, I attended a class out of state.  They didn't give me that cold scented washcloth that Bikram Yoga Oswego puts on our forehead after each practice.  Just thinking about that towards the middle of each practice makes me keep going.  I also like seeing different people and the location is perfect for me - great parking, beautiful, clean studio.   Not to mention I feel welcome and no matter what I can/can't do with my body on any day, I have still accomplished something.
For anyone thinking about Bikram Oswego Yoga, I would say:  "give it a try -- at least for the first ten days.  You will be surprised at how fast 90 minutes goes by and you probably will never have felt like you do when you get through those 90 minutes."