Bikram Yoga Austin Yogagroove
7950 Great Northern Blvd. 512.537.6866

I attended Bikram Teacher Training in the Fall of 2002 to learn more Bikram and about myself. I teach Bikram Yoga because seeing others change and improve is a great gift. I know the benefits of Bikram Yoga and I know that everyone who does this yoga can make a difference with their own body and mind.

My massage practice and studio ownership are part of my continued progress and understanding of the human condition. My balance is always shifting. This is my tiny way of doing what I can to help others. None of this is "easy," but since I started managing a business, teaching yoga and doing massage full time, I haven't "worked" a single day.

As a business owner, I am interested in promoting my path to others who might be interested in lasting healing, weight loss or a more intense workout. I can't tell anyone how my challenges will help their feelings because I can't know that what I experienced will have the same effect. Bikram Yoga requires a lifestyle change. It takes more than just coming to yoga once or twice a day to have a beautiful life, but maintaining my yoga practice is a beautiful start. Namaste.

First a bit of what I hold dear: My family, my teachers and friends, the planet, the animals, nature, plants, photography, music, water, and especially, love.

In 1999 I took my first Bikram Yoga class in Austin, Texas. It was tough, challenging, and rewarding. During my first class, as I lay in savasana, I felt hopeful and calm. As I struggled to breathe and kick, and push, and reach, and stretch, I felt stress and pain leaving my body! I knew then that I was going to practice yoga for the rest of my life. I believe that all yoga is good, and the simple practice of surrender to whatever lessons are being offered keeps my practice fresh and rewarding year after year.

Practicing and teaching yoga gives me permission to forgive, skills to survive, and compassion for peaceful living. Over the last 9 years I have enjoyed the benefits of feeling better, staying healthy, and living happily, and it’s only getting better!

I am really happy to be in Austin and at Yogagroove. See ya on the mat!

Dana Monson is 24 years old and was born and raised in Kirkland, Washington. In 2009, she graduated from Washington State University (go Cougs!) with degrees in Sociology and Communications.

In the fall of 2010, after working in an office setting for a year, she made a major life change and decided to follow her passion for yoga and attend Bikram Yoga Teacher Training in San Diego, California. She had been practicing for five years and, after training, she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life teaching people Bikram Yoga. After teaching for six months in Washington and loving it, Dana wanted to travel somewhere new and continue to teach and share her passion. She is very excited to be living here in Austin and teaching at Yogagroove and cannot wait to see you in class!

My favorite Bikram Quote: “If you can, you must. If you cannot, you must try.”

An accident in 2003 left me with a broken pelvis, fractured femur and C2 vertebra. After a partial hip replacement, a rod insertion to stabilize my fractured leg and 4 months of physical therapy, I was incredibly fortunate to be able to walk away from this accident, and eventually into the practice of Bikram yoga.

Because running was too painful to continue, I decided to try something new. I had no idea how much this practice would change not just what I did for physical activity, but for my overall health and well being. I quickly realized that the commitment and effort I put in to practice would be met with equal healing and health. This began with simply drinking more water and eating better on days when I took class, to taking more care of myself overall, and wanting to support others to take better care of themselves as well.
I came to realize that my story was one among many regarding the positive impact Bikram yoga has had on people from all walks of life. Simple. Safe. Intelligent. Scientific. A yoga for everyone.

I have been a Certified Bikram yoga teacher since 2001 and have been around the world to teach and stretch it out in the hot room. I fell off the Bikram wagon about 4 years ago as I immersed myself in the wonder filled world of raising two little girls, Lucca and Clementine and pursuing further study in nutrition, yoga therapy,and fitness training. But a chance meeting with Cosmo on the trail in our neighborhood has me charged up to share the Bikram Yoga love again! I don't know who's more excited, my husband or myself! He's an avid cyclist and Bikram Yoga has revolutionized his ride!

My current focuses outside of motherhood and teaching Bikram yoga are nutritional counseling, personal training, and private yoga therapy through my company Glow Yoga Nutrition and Fitness. Additionally, this year had been a blessed and fulfilling year as I launched a program that teaches Cognitive and Creative Yoga Therapy to at risk youth and foster care children. I can't wait to see your fabulous selves at the studio! Bring on the yoga love!

The yoga changed my life. All for the better. In every aspect imaginable. And my life wasn’t so bad either. But that’s the beauty of this yoga. You transform without knowing how and when. I just trusted the process. Trusted the dialog. Trusted my teachers when they said keep coming back. 6 years later, I’m a better person. I’m healthier. Fearless and more aware. And every day, with every class, more clear about the person I’m supposed to be. I’ve been teaching since 2007.

Hey everyone! I am originally from upstate New York, moved to Austin in August 2009. I took my first Bikram yoga class in January of 2010. I instantly fell in love. I am a former gymnast and had been looking for something to help get my strength and flexibility back, as well as get a good work out. And this is it!

I went to teacher training in Fall 2010 and have been teaching since then. I also work at the Daily Juice and enjoying eating and preparing lots of delicious health conscious foods. I have been enjoying teaching all of you, and helping you along your journey.

I became a Bikram teacher because I believe in this yoga. I've practiced Bikram's yoga since 2001. During the course of my practice I have been all over the board with my levels of dedication; teaching me that I will always only receive back what I put into it.

It's through hard work and dedication that this system is designed to work. It is meant to challenge us, it is meant to build on our strength and expose our weaknesses, thereby giving us deeper understanding of our authentic selves. And it is meant to be experienced differently each and every practice as our mind-body-spirit goes through changes each and every practice.

I love that any persons, any age, any fitness level, any body type can do the yoga and can be challenged to grow with it for a lifetime. And I highly recommend exactly that.

Maintaining balance can be difficult, whether in class or in life.
I started practicing Bikram yoga at Yogagroove in 2007 and learned that my balance needed work. My standing bow pulling pose wobbled. So did my personal life due to my habit of volunteering too much. Practicing Bikram yoga slowly taught me to bring each one back into balance. I finally found something that was good for ME, head to toe, inside out, bones to skin. As my practice started to develop, I started to think more and more about teaching. I admired the teachers I had and the grace they possessed both in and outside of the classroom and I really wanted to learn that. So, teaching began as a selfish activity but, once again, there were lessons to be learned about balance and I started to think more about how teaching could benefit other people. Bikram yoga is an integral part of my life because it teaches me balance in so many ways. I try to give 100% to every class I teach and every class I take but I've learned to be patient. Neither can be forced – it must be a balance between effort and time. I'm happy to share this journey with everyone who steps into the room.

Yogagroove is my favorite place in the world but when I'm not there, I'm balancing being mom to Conner(14) and Claire(11), wife to Dave, PTA President to Claire's elementary school, daughter, sister and friend.
See you in class! Namaste!

“Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.” - Thomas Merton

I began my Bikram yoga journey on January 3, 2008. I was a group fitness instructor and personal trainer and often taught multiple classes/day as well as maintained my own workout regimen. While I was fit, I was NOT flexible! My 40th birthday was impending and I knew I needed to do something different! Years ago, a friend had tried to recruit me to take a Bikram class. I told her that I would never go into a room at 105 degrees and sweat my butt off! Of course I would pass out...right? Well, never say never!

I found Yogagroove and from the moment I walked into the studio I felt welcomed and as if I belonged. I remember my first class being challenging, but I loved it. This was exactly what my body and mind had been missing! I practiced 5-6 days/week to start and after just 3 weeks, there was a visible improvement in my flexibility. Would you believe that I could not squeeze my biceps to my ears in Half Moon? All of those years of weight training had made my muscles so tight! This yoga really works! What's more is that I felt so balanced, at peace, rejuvenated and sometimes invincible when I left class. Who wouldn't trade 90 minutes of hard work in Bikram's torture chamber for those feelings?!

After hearing constant praise about the hot yoga experience from my Mom, Colleen Stroup, I attended my first Bikram Yoga class with her in the year 2000. During that first class, I wanted to flee the hot, sweaty room for some fresh air, and just couldn’t believe that I was being asked to do such challenging, yet funny, postures. What kept me going during that first class was my Mom, I thought, if she can do this stuff, so can I! Soon after my first class, I found myself back in the hot room for more yoga. I kept coming back day after day, month after month...and now, year after year. At some point I realized,"It's a lifetime practice."

I've been practicing Bikram Yoga for over 10 years and teaching now for for 8. During these years I have taken my yoga practice to an advanced level. I've participated in regional, national and international yoga asana championships. In 2003, I represented northern California in the very first Bishnu Gosh International Yoga Asana Championship and won sixth place. I won the Texas Regional competition in both 2008 & 2009, and placed 10th in the US division in 2010. I am very grateful and blessed to have been an active participant in the yoga championships. The experience has led to much travel, meeting others in the international Bikram community, and has taken my personal yoga practice to a deeper level physically, emotionally and spiritually.

I'm happy to be teaching at Yogagroove. I appreciate the positive atmosphere at the studio: the staff and students are wonderful! I look forward to a lifetime filled with yoga, and within yoga, there is always something new to learn!