Do YOU have a testimonial to share?  Please email it to suzie@namaspa.com. 

Thank you!

 

"I am a 63 1/2 year old male with good health, but had somewhat high blood pressure (132/90).  I began taking yoga at Namaspa two years ago.  Last September I joined the Yoga Teacher Training program doubting that I would be able to keep up with the much younger trainees.  I kept up with the trainees for six months of grueling but very fun training and graduated a few weeks ago.  At the end of the training, I had my annual physical.  The nurse taking my blood pressure looked puzzled as he took my blood pressure and pulse and asked if he could do it again.  He did so, and asked if I had problems fainting and being dizzy.  I said no.  He took my pulse a third time and said "You have a very strong pulse" but he still looked alarmed and rushed out of the room. I began to worry - "Was my body finally giving out?".  A few minutes later, my doctor came in and asked what I had been up to.  I replied that I just finished a 6-month yoga teacher training and he said "Ah-ha, that's it" and tapped the blood pressure reading on my chart.  My blood pressure had dropped to a startling 88/62.  My doctor said "We rarely get a 63 year old in here with the blood pressure of an 18 year old" - James, Bend OR, YTT 2014-15

 

 

“There is no doubt that yoga has improved my golf game and my body!
With more flexibility, I am better able to turn on the ball and have gained distance. Learning mountain pose, has helped me truly be grounded with my feet for a better base for a swing. And, mentally, I am much more accepting of my bad play! I can especially see this calming effect on my husband. He no longer throws clubs!
And,as long as I keep up my practice, my IT band does not hurt! I am a believer!
Thank you!” - Ethel D, Bend

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“I’m writing to share how inspired I was, and continue to feel, by the entire event you co-created and by (visiting teacher) Phillip Urso’s masterful teaching.  I had only made it to 2 classes during my intro. month membership before Thursday and was seriously thinking of not showing up!  Ha!  I was scared the class would be “too hard”.The most significant learning and experience I had through Phillip’s teaching was how staying connected to the flow of my breath truly floated me into the flow of the pose.  With ease!  This was amazing to me during the times I stayed connected to it.  And of course, when I lost that connection, I could feel the difference and the effort that I was using to get into a pose.  I’m grateful for another whole new experience and level of flow in my life.  Ummm, yummy! I also deeply appreciated the silence and length of savasana.  As a student new to yoga practice, but with experience and love of silence and stillness, I look forward to the benefit of silent sharing in the larger field offered through savasana in the Namaspa studio. Thank you for the creation.  It was a lovely event.  Already looking forward to the next one!” – Janice C., Bend

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“I just completed my 30 day intro to Namaspa and wanted to share my experience with you. I was relatively new to yoga and was at a point of going through some very difficult times. I was also a bit apprehensive! I want you to know that I found your studio and every single teacher (I had 5) to be so warm and inviting.  In a fairly short amount of time I feel that I grasped the concept and am on my way to developing a practice that will become paramount in my life.  Your instructors are caring and nurturing and I am sure they had no idea the profound effect they had on me. Thank you again.” – Lynn H., Bend

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“I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998, and had multiple surgeries, chemo, and six weeks of radiation.  All of this was followed by eight years of meds  that are hormone-modifying treatments.  It is now known that these treatments can lead to bone loss.  When I started my cancer odyssey I stood at 5’6″.  Eight years later I stood at 5’4″!  Dexa scans showed a decrease in bone density (osteopenia–the thinning of bone mass that can lead to osteoporosis). My oncologist suggested weight bearing exercise, as well as calcium/vitamin D supplements, and drugs to halt bone loss.  I had reactions to the drugs, and sought an alternative.  After starting power yoga with Suzie Harris in the spring of 2007, I was retested by Dexa scan in December of 2007.  The technician noted a 1/2 inch height gain!  The scans showed no further bone loss, and my oncologist said that’s as good as a gain, since I didn’t lose more bone.  Baptiste power yoga is not easy for me at age 60, but the strength and flexibility that I’m working toward have really improved the quality of my life.  Thank you Suzie!” - Susan B., Bend

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“My wife and I celebrated our collective 120th birthday this past year so we weren’t  on the younger side of the yoga population when we decided to go for it anyway…my logic was that it would make me more limber, improve my golf turn, allow me to hit the golf ball further, and hence improve my game. During the past year yoga has somewhat improved my “limberness” but what really surprised me…it was not what my golf game really needed. I have always been able to hit the ball reasonably well but consistency was my issue…too many bad shots along with my good shots. Yoga has dramatically improved my ability to focus (call it concentration or in yoga parlance call it being in the “present”) on each shot and it has remarkably improved my golf game. The number of solid golf strikes has increased dramatically…and my corresponding handicap is down about 5 strokes as a result of being able to “focus” on each shot. So my hat is off to Suzie Harris…for putting up with my still fairly non limber body (but better than it was)…being patient with me (not laughing)…and working me hard (but not to the point of any injuries). I can recommend, without hesitation, that you try Baptiste Power Yoga with Suzie…” – Fred B., Bend

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“I have been an avid snowboarder for eight years.  Each season I attempt to find the workout plan that will prepare me.  I’ve done weight training preparation with a focus on snowboarding, mountain biked, bounded, lunged and even one year, I trained for and ran a marathon prior to the season.  And every season I had the same early-season pain in my feet, cramping in my calves and burning in my thighs. “I’d almost given up on really being “ready” for the season.  Then I saw this mysterious class offered at my gym, “Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga.”  I knew I liked Vinyasa and the Power part sounded nice and so I went for it.” “I started “training” with Suzie about two months prior to the season opener on the mountain. On the first day of the season, I headed to the mountain expecting nothing different that my usual pain etc.  I hadn’t even thought of the class as my preparation for the season (I’d given up on that), just a challenging and uplifting yoga class I enjoyed going to.  That day I took five or six runs, no pain in my feet, no cramping, no burning.  Each day I kept pushing myself harder thinking I’d hit the burn. Just last weekend on my fifth day of the season, I went 15 runs straight. Same story, still no pain! Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga was my mainstay in preparing me for the mountain this season and that it did.  I have never felt so strong and powerful!  Thank you Suzie for making this snowboarding season a great one, already!  See you in class.  Namaste.” - Janette S., Bend