OmStar Stories of How Yoga Changed Their Life!

DJ Princess Superstar's Story:
" I used to drink, do drugs and smoke AND be an athiest!!! Going to yoga totally changed my life as I am now sober and believe in a higher source. I also used to eat meat and now am a vegan- one of the things my beloved teachers Sharon Gannon and David Life teach is that we must practice ahimsa, non-harming and non-violence, as a way to heal ourselves and the planet. I am on a very spiritual path now and dedicating my life to uplifting others- I am forever grateful to Jivamukti. I think there is a common misconception in my music world that Yoga is this hippy thing. But I work in nightclubs and rock out harder & go more crazy than ever! Yoga is total liberation on the highest level. Also I want to highly recommend studying Patanjali's Yoga sutras. This changed my life as well. "

DJ Princess Superstar practices Jivamukti in NYC and also in her hotel rooms around the world with Jivamukti DVDs (since she is on the road djing most of the time). She has also done the Jivamukti teacher training program and visited the Tree of Life Retreat Center with Gabriel Cousens. Her favorite pose is Shirshasana (Headstand).

Rob Beilfus (Web site Manager for Kristin McGee) - Washington DC
"I weighed 230 pounds in August, 2005 when Kristin Mcgee started teaching me yoga and Pilates. Since then Kristin has taught me 2 yoga and 2 Pilates classes a week, until August 2006 when I relocated to Washington, DC. This was to strengthen my back and stomach as I have a herniated disc. On August 13, 2006 and I reached 180 pounds and have stayed at that weight, the picture on the right was taken November 2005 when I was down to 187. I have not changed my diet nor was the intent of taking classes from Kristin to lose weight. I did not think to take a "before picture," but I was able to find this picture from May, 2004 when I weighed 230 pounds. I credit my weight loss to Kristin's amazing teaching and ability to encourage. Thank you Kristin, you have me a life-long fan."

Kat Robinson - Missouri
"I had been a real state broker for several years and lived a very high stress live on the edge mentally lifestyle. Lots of coffee and cigarettes!!! I seemingly woke up one day and said no more of this "I quit!" I closed my real estate office and went home to bake cookies for my three children, with no regrets. I found however, that the stress had been such a part of my life I couldn't shake it. SO...... I took up yoga. I started with Yoga Zone on the health network and feel in love immediatly. I thought about teaching as there are no teachers in the area I live, but didn't really pursue it until my son enlisted in the USAF 3 weeks prior to 9/11. Again the stress meter peaked and when he went off to basic training I did started a certification program with AFPA. My son is now out of the Air Force and happy and well all of my children have grown up and ALL of them do yoga and my husband. I also love to sew and I developed a therapeutic yoga program called Sewing Yoga that has taken me to conferences and expos all over the country to teach. I have a DVD on the market as well and it has just been picked up by Nancy's Notions, one of the largest sewing retailers in the world. It is such an awesome responsibility to be able to bring yoga to a population that may not have ever known about it's healing effects. I only took up sewing a few years ago but it didn't take long to realize how this is a very physically stressful hobby or profession.I have been in several magazines including Fit Yoga and Healing Lifestyles and Spas, Sew News (cover story January 07, pretty proud of that), Threads, and Sewing World in the UK. Yoga changed my life, I also don't smoke anymore although I still enjoy the occasional cup o' java. "

Amy Browne - Chicago, IL
First, I would like to comment how if nothing is going right in your life that day or if you are in a psychologically blocked time in your life, Bikram and Vinyasa yoga has really helped me become 'unblocked'. These types of yoga have been very beneficial to me. I have not taken that many classes, but the classes I have shown up to have been a godsend to me. Second, in additional to the physical benefits of losing weight, becoming more flexible and stronger, emotionally and psychologically, yoga has made es my head clear. It has calmed and tamed my anxiety. There is nothing like going through a Bikram hot yoga class and you see drips of sweat rolling off your body. One knows completing the set or just staying in the class is a real accomplishment! It is not easy. People say yoga is a spiritual, mental and physical discipline. I think it is more of a mental marathon than anything else. Some people get freaked out when they walk into the bikram studio. The humidity and all the 26 poses gets them scared, but if you learn to breathe, focus and relax. The practice of yoga will change you from the inside out. If I am having a bad day or if I feel 'stuck,' I go to my class. Just showing up is half the battle. When I feel I have completed a class I can go forward and know I can keep climbing the mountain. "