The Hot Yoga Challenge is over. According to Yoga 101 owner Jenni Juhl, 110 students (nine men and 101 women) accepted the challenge to complete 40, 50, or 60 classes in 60 days, beginning April 12. Forty-four students beat the heat! Two students completed 60 classes and two students completed 50 classes. The rest of us hit the 40 mark. I completed 47 classes!
During the challenge a community forms — I noticed several women who work at 14 WFIE taking classes. After congratulating them, I asked them to share their stories, and with great yogi spirit, they had fun with my request.
Laurel Rawden (in runner’s lunge, Anjaneyasana) introduced me to hot yoga nearly 15 years ago; she was an early adopter at the original Yoga 101 studio in Newburgh. An account executive, Laurel has practiced hot yoga regularly, but never had completed the challenge. Laurel says, “I accepted the challenge to better myself! Mentally and physically challenged myself and I beat the heat! I will continue my yoga journey. I get strength from my fellow yogis.”
Erin Meyer (in standing bow pulling pose, Dandayamana Dhanurasana), Sunrise anchor, is a Yoga Challenge veteran. She completed it last year, too. This year she took her 40th class on the final day of the challenge, June 10. Erin says, “The yoga challenge has changed my body — I’m much more toned and getting stronger (I hope) all the time! There wasn’t any blood, but there was a LOT of sweat and almost some tears. I’m very proud to have made it!”
Jamie Bremer (in tree pose, Vrksasana) an account executive with the station, had a special challenge during the challenge — the former Jamie Pinkston married Nelson Bremer on May 16 in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and honeymooned in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, taking a two full weeks off of the challenge. “I was scared I wouldn’t get the challenge completed — but I did,” says Jamie.
