March 2011
Mimi Braun
Detroit Bikram is a large community of
healthy happy yogis and yoginis. One in particular is our
Student of the Month, Mimi Braun. Those who
have become regulars over the years know exactly whom I'm talking
about. She is the beautiful brunette that never seems to miss
an evening or weekend Bikram yoga class. Her deep love for
the yoga is seen in her strong practice, which is inspirational to
everyone who practices around her.
In April of this year, Mimi will have
been practicing Bikram Yoga for exactly 6 years! Upon
retirement, she plans on heading off to teacher training where she
will become a Certified Bikram Yoga teacher. One day her goal
is to move to a tropical location with her newly married husband,
and open a Bikram Yoga studio. With her determination and
commitment to her practice, anything is possible! Read on and
get to know your fellow student, you probably have practiced beside
her!
Congratulations Mimi from all of us at
Detroit Bikram for your recent wedding bells and for being such a
sparkling dedicated yogini in our yoga family!
"My name is Mimi Braun. I am a Spanish
teacher at the Detroit School of arts, a fantastic high school in
downtown Detroit. This past New Years eve, 2010, I married Al
Quinn, a sergeant for the Detroit Police Department.
I've always been involved in many
sports and forms of exercise including Running, Pilates, Ballet and
other styles of Yoga. For as long as I can remember, I've
been drawn to exercise that has a flow and a creative feel,
probably why I was hooked on Bikram Yoga from the first class I
took. I found Bikram Yoga because I would drive by the Farmington
studio back when it was located on Orchard Lake Road & 13 Mile,
right near one of my favorite Indian restaurants. I think at the
time there was an offer like 10 days for $20 or something like
that, don't quote me, but anyway, I decided to try it. I like to
try new activities, especially those that challenge me. From my
first class I felt challenged in ways I had never experienced
before! Focusing on myself, and on my breathing while doing
postures in the bright light, heat, and listening to unfamiliar
directions. I walked out loving it! After my first class, I was
hooked.
When I began Bikram Yoga, I came to
classes about 3-4 times a week and hadn't yet given up my other
activities. Without making any conscious decisions to stop my other
activities, each one slowly dropped off. It seems that I was
getting everything physically that I needed from the yoga and then
so much more that I wasn't aware of yet. In fact, I am still
learning how this practice affects me all the time. Now, I make an
effort to come to class once a day if I can fit it in and on
occasion, when my schedule permits; I try to do as many days
consecutively as I can without a break. It's like a personal
marathon. Some people might view that as excessive, but the
benefits are amazing and besides being the only regular exercise I
do, Bikram Yoga and our Bikram community have become essential
elements in my life.
I can try to explain how this practice
enhances my daily life, my relationship to myself and others, and
how I approach the world a little differently now, but as my fellow
practitioners know, the experience is individual and really can be
understood the best by trying a class or two for oneself.
On the physical level, I have never
been in better shape on the inside or out. In the beginning, I
experimented with eating differently in order to feel good for
class, and now I just eat right and drink as much water as I can.
In the last few years, my asthma has disappeared almost completely!
I sleep better, my menstrual cycles are regulated, my skin glows,
and I rarely get sick. I feel much more in touch with what is going
on in my body. Another amazing effect of this practice is that my
physical stamina has improved. In fact, I feel stronger than when I
was running regularly. I experience better mental stamina as well.
I have learned how to focus not only in yoga class but outside in
the world which can often be a hectic place. For instance, as a
high school teacher, there are moments that my ability to calm
myself through breathing has really helped me. My breathing and
ability to focus allows me to ignore distractions, listen better
and pay closer attention.
As I look back, I find that
spiritually I have grown also. Since I have practiced, I have
gained beautiful friendships with so many members of our Bikram
community. A few years ago, I had the unfortunate experience of
losing two siblings within a year and a half of each other. To this
day, I am deeply touched and filled with the gratitude and thanks
for the love, support and compassion that I received from my yoga
teachers and friends. There were times when I didn't know what I
would do without the peace that I felt within the comforting walls
of our yoga studio.
In addition to these wonderful
benefits, I find that I notice the positive things in myself and
others and I feel an even greater sense of compassion and
acceptance as well. Yah, people might read this and think it sounds
mushy, but it's all true. The respect and love I hold for each and
every one of our dedicated teachers are immeasurable. They work us
hard and sometimes force us to dig deep, but I tell you from my own
experience that it's for your own good!"
~ Mimi Braun
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