Denis D.

Hi my name is Denis. I was introduced to Bikram Yoga in 2005 in Vancouver due to some back issues I was having at that time. Little did I know how much Bikram Yoga would change my life!

Being a strong and able bodied young man I had the world in my palms and took full advantage of it. Having cycled 3000 kms in 2007 from Vancouver Island to California in just 35 days, I felt invincible! It wasn’t until May 2008 when I was faced with one of the most trying events of my life, the universe showed me otherwise.

After just having bought a new motorcycle, going on a ride with no idea what was about to happen. Due to weather conditions and inexperience I lost control of the motorcycle and had to dislodge at high speeds to avoid hitting the car. The car I was trying to avoid hitting ended up running over my body.

This accident left me with a lengthy list of injuries ranging from a dislocated hip to broken femur in three places, broken knees, broken tibia/fibula, broken ankles, and broken shoulder; over stretched ligaments and tendons… And if that wasn’t enough, I had a nasty head injury with bleeding inside the front lobe. I was a wreck!! At that time the doctors didn’t think I was going to make it due to the intensity of my injuries and the amount of blood lost. They suggested my brain wasn’t going to recover. They contemplated amputating my left leg. At one point they didn’t know if I was going to be able to walk again, they told me for sure I would never run again!

7 surgeries and six and a half months in a wheel chair, my optimism and positive attitude persevered and I took my first steps just 6 and a half months after the accident.

Having attempted multiple methods to gain my full range of mobility and strength, I finally settled into a comfortable Bikram regime.

On the one year anniversary of my accident I walked the road to Santiago in Spain… the gruelling 810 kms walk reminded me that there is so much to live for and though it was painful and potentially even dangerous I successfully negotiated the walk with a great sense of accomplishment. With 45 days of nothing but silence and my own thoughts I had come to the decision that I was going to incorporate Bikram Yoga into my life even more.
The next year being 2009 I saturated myself into yoga and came to decide to take the Teacher Training, one of the best decisions I have ever made!

Today, besides the visible yet ‘stylish’ scars on my legs, you would have no idea I had any previous injuries! Not only am I walking, but I also ran for the first time while at Bikram Yoga Teacher Training in San Diego.
Now fully certified I look forward to helping other people who have lost hope and want to make positive changes by pushing themselves further. Bikram quotes: “Never too late, never too old, never too bad and never too sick” and I added “never too broken..to start from scratch once again.”
Namaste~

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