Instructors
Rima
Rima is a certified Bikram Yoga Instructor and is the Director of Bikram yoga Reston. Rima discovered Bikram Yoga after years of practicing various styles of yoga, martial arts and marathon running. Immediately, after her first class, Rima felt the benefits and decided to improve her health and wellbeing by practicing Bikram Yoga daily. In the Fall of 2002, Rima completed the 9 weeks intensive, over 500 hour, Bikram Yoga Teacher Training in Los Angeles, CA. Rima taught at various locations around the US before opening Bikram Yoga Reston in April 2005. Rima grew up in a multi cultural environment speaking four languages. She attended the French International School in Bethesda, MD and then completed Bachelors and Masters Degrees at the American University in Washington DC. She worked in the corporate world for a few years before making the complete transition to the “yoga world”. She continues to learn and evolve. She attended the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, the largest Nutrition school offering access to the world’s foremost leaders in Nutrition, wellness and personal growth. She is also a graduate chef and instructor from the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute, a school internationally known as the premier raw organic vegan chef school. Rima travels consistently to attend various yoga seminars and Advanced Trainings with Bikram Choudhury. In addition to attending seminars and trainings for her personal growth, Rima has assisted at most Bikram Teacher Trainings and continues to be extensively involved. Rima has been very committed to create a nurturing and healing space at Bikram Yoga Reston. She feels very grateful to be in a position that allows her to affect many peoples lives and to continue to witness positive transformations.To contact rima, you can reach her at rima@restonyoga.com
Julie
Julie began practicing Bikram Yoga in July 2006 to calm her nerves and keep her occupied after her husband was deployed to Afghanistan. Little did she know how much that first day walking into the hot room would absolutely transform her life. It was one of the best decisions she’s ever made and has been an inextricable part of her life ever since. She attended Spring 2010 Teacher Training in Las Vegas and began teaching in Las Vegas, where she also served as Manager at Bikram Yoga Green Valley. In April 2011, she moved to Virginia where she now teaches and serves as Manager at Bikram Yoga Reston. She loves teaching and practicing Bikram Yoga, surrounded by positive, bright yogis, sincerely delving into their practice and becoming better, truer versions of themselves in the process. Before teaching Bikram Yoga, she was classically trained on the french horn, received her Master of Arts Management at Carnegie Mellon University and worked in arts management for three years. Julie enjoys spending time with her husband, their wacky muppet dog, trying new restaurants, traveling and glitter.
Reggie
After studying various movement styles, Reggie began practicing Bikram Yoga while residing in New York City in 2000. He quickly discovered that the 26 posture Bikram Yoga series took him to deeper sensations of relaxation and self-realization than anything else he had practiced in the past. Also, his chronic back pain subsided and eventually disappeared altogether within weeks of continued practice. He also lost unneeded pounds and significantly lowered his blood pressure. Reggie was the 2004 Men’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Yoga Champion and represented the Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC area at the Bishnu Ghosh Cup World Yoga Championship in 2005 in Los Angeles. His students represent a wide diversity of people. He has taught Bikram Yoga classes in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC. He is also one of the founders of the award-winning Bikram Yoga studio in Cockeysville, Maryland. He has a Bachelor of Arts in History, a Bachelor of Science in Theatre and a Master of Fine Arts in Acting Performance. Reggie is also certified as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR). He has a certificate in Human Resource Management from George Mason University and is also an active member of the National and Northern Virginia Chapters of the Society For Human Resource Management (SHRM). Reggie earned his Bikram Yoga Teacher Certification in June of 2001. When teaching Bikram Yoga, Reggie uses his theatre skills often. One of his New York City students remarked, “Reggie’s instruction is positive yet firm, encouraging and focused. A great motivator and really knows how to get the best out of you.” He is available by appointment for private and group instruction. Reggie resides in Reston with his partner, Dave, and their rambunctious black pug, Lord Mugsley von Snuggles.
Ping
Ping began studying yoga in 2005. She graduated from Bikram Yoga Teacher Training in 2006. Within the first couple of months of practicing Bikram Yoga, her lower back pain of over 20 years magically disappeared. The following several more months, her asthma of twenty years was also cured. Ping enjoys sharing her experiences and guiding others on their own journey of yoga. Ping’s approach is warm and clear with an appreciation of the uniqueness between individuals. She also studied with senior yoga teachers in the alignment based style of Iyengar and Anusara Yoga.
Christiane
Christiane took her first Bikram class with her sister in New York City shortly after September 11th, 2001. She fell in love…while fear and sadness overwhelmed the streets of New York – there was magic happening every day at Bikram Yoga. Christiane began a work/study position at Bikram Yoga NYC weeks after her very first class, and after her move to LA in 2005 worked at Headquarters directly with Bikram and Rajashree and the rest of the amazing HQ staff. Having trained to become a professional ballerina - Christiane had numerous chronic injuries, all of which she has healed through her daily practice of Bikram yoga. Prior to attending teacher training in Spring of 2011, she was an actress, a singer-songwriter, and a producer. Christiane has had music featured on compilations around the world. Her debut album, Saltwater, garnered her a record deal with UK label Urban Angel for the UK + Europe and was licensed by several TV networks. She has a BA from Duke University.
Sywann
Sywann attended her first Bikram yoga class in November 2005 in which a love affair began. Prior to the new found love she lived her life in what author Mary Beth Jones calls the Sprinkler Phenomenon of Management. The grass immediately surrounding the sprinkler head is brown while all the energy and drive goes to the outer reaches of the yard. The grass closest to the source is water is left dry. When you focus all your energy on things outside yourself you are doomed for a mental, spiritual, and/or physical breakdown. The healing that came from her yoga practice inspired her to want to share this gift with others. She attended teacher training in Hawaii in 2007. Sywann feels there is no greater calling than serving in love.
Francisco
For four years Francisco managed Cultural Diversity programs for the National Parks working with Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, Latinos, African Americans, and Asian Americans. His work was made up of creating programs to preserve their various traditions so that we can continue to learn from our past. The biggest lesson that he learned was that while we have much to learn from our pasts and about one another we are very thirsty to feel the healing of yoga and the path to get to know our selves. Francisco’s mother Maria introduced him to the practice of yoga on his birthday at an ashram in which she resided at the time. But it was not until he was in San Francisco for work and took a Bikram yoga class that he was overwhelmed by it’s healing. Upon his trip to San Francisco he decided to dedicate himself to the teachings of yoga. He left his job and his practice of the Afro-Brazilian martial art of Capoeira Angola to attend Bikram’s teacher training in Los Angeles. Today Francisco teaches Bikram yoga, partner yoga and Thai massage in Virginia and Washington D.C. His yoga teachings stem from his studies with Bikram Choudry, Mary Jarvis and Dharma Mittra. He studied Thai Massage yoga with Kam Thye Chow. He leads retreats to the Sacred Valley in Peru and the Yucatan in Mexico that intertwine the teachings of yoga with the traditional teachings of the Incas and the Mayans. He was born in Lima, Peru and that is where his family resides.
James
In 2006, a running friend encouraged James to try Bikram Yoga for the first time. At that time James had been practicing Anusara Yoga for 7 years, was a competitive runner, a triathlete and a distance running coach. The first couple Bikram classes didn’t win James over. However, after a knee injury and subsequent knee surgery brought his running and racing to a halt, James realized that the quickest way to regain full range of motion in the knee was to get back into the hot Bikram studio. Since then, James has found that the benefits of a daily practice of Bikram Yoga have transformed his life for the better in countless ways. He discontinued practicing other forms of yoga, gave up running and, in the Spring of this year, even retired from his job as an Air Traffic Controller in order to attend the Spring 2010 Bikram Yoga Teacher Training course in Las Vegas. James’ passion for Bikram Yoga continues to grow. As a Bikram Yoga Instructor James is most appreciative for, and humbled by, the opportunity to share his passion and hopefully, infect others with his enthusiasm for Bikram Yoga.
Kristen
Kristen loves to share the bikram practice with so many who are students of life and loves how the health and wellness of the physical being attributes to our spiritual being. Also, she loves how we are all perfectly human.
Lucas
Lukas is currently instructing at five Bikram Yoga Schools inthe District of Colombia and Virginia. He was introduced to Bikram Yoga in 1999 and graduated from Bikram’s Teacher Training Program at the end of 2001. Visit his website www.yogiluk.com.
Jayna
Jayna completed the Fall 2010 teacher training in San Diego, California. Whether in politics or athletics, she has always been active and enjoys giving 100% of her strength to meet personal goals. When she stepped into her first Bikram class 3 years ago, she immediately felt at home in the Bikram community. After finishing her graduate studies in 2009 in the townships of South Africa, she learned to integrate her love for people while maintaining her Bikram yoga routine. Jayna soon realized the only way to continue her passion for health and well-being was by sharing it with others.
After years of being actively involved on Capitol Hill, Jayna looks forward to helping students focus inward during stressful times. She will push you to meet personal benchmarks while keeping a smile on her face for positive encouragement. Her careful attention to students ensures that each individual is safe while progressing towards their mental, physical and emotional goals. If Jayna isn’t sweating on a mat next to you at Reston, she enjoys running on the lakefront in Chicago or traveling to a new foreign country in her free time. Her next adventure is scheduled for 2013: Mount Everest, a lifelong dream.
Frankie
