I enjoy teaching yoga to help people feel good and maintain health. My first profession as a dental hygienist, showed me how teaching simple oral hygiene methods can keep people’s mouths healthy. And from years of maintaining people’s mouths I also became aware of how many prescription medications people take for different chronic conditions and observed many side effects from those drugs. I never wanted to become dependent on medications to maintain wellness, so I became devoted to exercise of all types, running, bicycling, swimming and finally yoga. After one class of yoga, I was a believer. Our entire family began practicing and discussing yoga.
I practiced for 4 years and decided I wanted to teach others the wonderful practice of Bikram Yoga. In 2008, I attended the 9 week, 500 hour Bikram Yoga Teacher Training. I liked teaching and noticed the positive difference Bikram Yoga made in so many student’s lives. In 2013, my husband Gordy and I decided to open Bikram Yoga Rolling Meadows. We are blessed to be owners of a business that generates positive energy and wellness. We are grateful for our amazing teachers and caring yoga community. Our yoga journey will continue under our new name, Meadows Hot Yoga, because we have discovered all yoga is good; and a variety of yoga is needed to help more people!
Active in some form of yoga since 1999, Gordy took his first hot class in 2005. To be honest he wasn’t thrilled but he soon discovered the therapeutic benefits of the 26 & 2. With relief from chronic back pain and some coaxing from his wife and grown children, regular attendance at the 105F studio in Chicago became a habit. It quickly became a family obsession. His wife Carla attended teacher training in 2008 and the two of them opened Meadows Hot Yoga in 2013. Finding himself in the unique position of owning a studio and being married to the boss, it wasn’t enough to be the guy behind the scenes. The opportunity for teacher training at 105F opened the door for him to take the next step. Gordy is thrilled to be sharing what he has learned from those years of practice. Using humor and subtle encouragement, his goal is for each student to get the most out of every class.
My yoga story began when I was 10, doing the Rachel Welch Yoga tapes with my mom. Fast forward 10 years and I found myself a student at Aurora University teaching yoga to senior citizens at their retirement center as a volunteer. It was chair yoga. They seemed to enjoy the interaction and definitely felt better moving and stretching their tight bodies. After graduating college, I began a career in television broadcasting here in Chicago, but life soon became too stressful and once again I sought out yoga. A boyfriend’s mom asked me to go to yoga with her, so once again I was excited to experience a new yoga class. She didn’t tell me it was Bikram Hot Yoga and I walked into the room and said, “Whew”, rather loudly, and everyone in the room looked at me like, what did you expect? As I did the postures, I seemed to know which posture was coming next, I thought, “Oh, my body just moves in those directions naturally”; come to realize later, the yoga I did with my mom was Bikram Yoga.
In the Fall of 2010 I graduated from Bikram Teacher Training and began teaching and since then, I haven’t stopped practicing and teaching daily, except for when my son, Carson, was born in 2015. And that’s another story you should ask me about someday. I practiced the Original Hot Yoga through my pregnancy, so I am very knowledgeable about the pregnancy series, and I can guide pregnant students through the Original Hot Yoga series with the proper modifications.
I have taught the Original Hot Yoga series plus some additional yoga games and postures to children. The class in not heated and 60 minutes long. I teach children of all ages and children with special needs.
In July 2017, l began teaching Rocket Vinyasa. I was taught the series by Gianna Purcell, the 2013 USA Yoga Champion, in a workshop in Chicago. I teach that class 2 times a week here at Meadows Hot Yoga.
I have competed in the USA Yoga Organization Regionals and have coached many athletes/participants (both adult and youth divisions) for this competition.
I love helping people improve their health, reduce their pain and improve their overall quality of life. It is a very fulfilling career. I love being a yoga teacher!
Shari took her first yoga class in Orlando Florida in 2004, and it was one of the most challenging classes she had ever taken. After practicing every chance she had, Shari decided to do her 500 Hour Bikram Teacher Training in Spring of 2007. She taught most of the time in Orlando until moving back to Chicago in 2016 and joining the Rolling Meadows team. In 2017 Shari did her Inferno Hot Pilates Training and is certified in level 1 and 2 along with Pilates Reformer.
Shari loves to watch the effects Bikram Yoga and Inferno Hot Pilates can have on people. “When people make goals and finally reach them...that is my favorite part of being a teacher.”
Thank you for taking the time to check out Meadows Hot Yoga. I’m Christopher and usually go by Chris. My practice started a little over 5 years ago when a friend brought me to my first hot yoga class. I was not impressed. The first year was a “take it or leave it” kind of attitude to which I probably only took about 10 classes.
As life continue to unfold I found I was out of balance. Mentally, spiritual, and physically. Always diving into something full force and leaving so many other things unattended. And with that I started attending more classes. The more classes I took, the more relationships I started to build. The more classes I took, the more I began to “see and feel” my priorities in life. The more classes I took, the more my diet and lifestyle become increasingly healthy. At the end of Oct. 2016 I received my RYT 200 in order to share my experience and to encourage others to find their own yoga journey. Soon I will be adding another 40hrs to certify in Nidra Yoga. Trying to overcome expectations and judgments is a very constant challenge for most, with which I am all too familiar, however, my practice is the number one tool which I find peace and balance. I hope to meet you soon and share a part of your yoga journey.
I have always been an endurance junkie. I ran marathons, rode century rides, and completed a Triathlon in Wisconsin. After my second marathon, my doctor told me if I didn’t stop running, I would be the proud owner of two new knees. At this point, I couldn’t walk down the stairs without awkward motions and I was in a lot of pain. I stumbled (literally) upon Meadows Hot Yoga through a Groupon. I soon realized that the more hot yoga classes I took, the more mobility I gained; I was also in a lot less pain. I then started taking Inferno Hot Pilates (IHP) classes and I was hooked! I took every class I could and gained strength that I never was able to gain before I started taking classes.
In March 2019, I began to teach IHP classes and was certified in levels 1 and 2 later that year. I love helping people discover their own strength and to see their own capabilities. My class style is full of energy and encouragement. I truly believe in each person that walks into the room. That they will achieve whatever goal they have set for themselves. One of the best pieces about teaching is seeing people grow stronger and gain more confidence in themselves. It is truly a joy to see people achieve their goals that they never thought was possible.
Outside the studio, I spend a lot of time with my family watching baseball, movies, and just hanging out together. I work as the Behavioral Coach for District 118 and I’m also in a graduate program for Behavior Analysis.
Athletic as a kid and competitive swimmer for 12 years, Amy realized the repetitive motion was causing shoulder and neck tightness, that eventually developed into debilitating neck and low back pain.
That, and some personal struggles in her 20's led her to search for a new physical activity.
"I found yoga while living in Texas in 1999 and credit this practice with giving me access to my inner balance and strength."
Amy attended teacher training 2002. She has taught and practiced mostly Bikram’s Beginning Series in Austin, Chicago and suburbs and in northern New Jersey.
Time and experience have increased her appreciation for the hot room, seeing the positive results in her herself and her students, "I still find the practice challenging and rewarding." She became an RN in 2013.
Married and taking care of her young son, she finds value and joy in all types of yoga and physical practice for optimal health.
In 2016 when Kamila turned twenty, she decided to take a leap of faith and move to the United States to start a new life. Since then she has maintained an active lifestyle, although had trouble finding something new that she could consistently be active in. That is until she came across Meadows Hot Yoga in 2018. After attending her very first Inferno Hot Pilates class, she had found her new passion.
Growing up as a kid my training was very disciplined and it took a lot of hard work, but at the same time it was a lot of fun. That's the same exact feeling I got when I took the IHP class for the first time. I started taking classes a few times a week, I felt great and I was having fun while meeting great new people. After a year I started thinking about the Gabby Walters course, but I was afraid because I felt like my English was not good enough. After some time had passed, the opportunity knocked on my door yet again. This time I knew I had to at least give it a try.
Born in Krakow, Poland. Kamila has been involved in sports since the age of five, when she first started doing Rhythmic Gymnastics. As she got older she had a change of heart & fell in love with the sport of VolleyBall. Specifically chosen to attend a VolleyBall School, Kamila trained for the next 10 years.
I am so happy that I took the chance to learn, It was one of the best decisions I have made. I love being a teacher and I look forward to introducing more people to Inferno Hot Pilates and continuing my training.
A former journalist, currently a college professor at NIU (Northern Illinois University), department of World Languages & Cultures, and Pilates instructor at Meadows Hot Yoga, the common thread among these is my passion for sharing experiences with people through writing, language learning, and fitness.
Yoga and Pilates have captured my heart when I started my yoga journey in fall, 2017. This is a community whose member strive for strength, harmony and humility. I have actively practiced Bikram yoga, hatha, rocket yoga, and Pilates ever since.
I have always been fascinated by older women who carry themselves with confidence, grace, and humility, and I have met women as such in yoga and Pilates community. I am inspired by these older women and I want to share and inspire others, that is why I have decided to become a Pilates instructor. This is the journey we can support, applause for each other.
