Darren Ma

I started doing Bikram Yoga in 1998 to complement my training regime as a Chinese dragon boater. I have done a lot of training over the last 20 years. It started with little athletics as a junior, and then lots of cross country as I grew older. Then hours and hours of gym work and paddling to gain a place in the Australian Dragon boating squad. I have competed in 5 Australian Championships winning the rights to go to  4 World Championships, winning a bronze in the recent Shanghai competition.

With all this training I could see how the Bikram system could work wonders on my shoulders and back by keeping me loose and helping me to avoid injury. When I did my first class the girl at the desk said "this is going to be the hardest training session you have ever done". I'm thinking to myself... "Lady you have no idea what I have already been doing".  The first class wasn't so bad. Sort of fumbled my way through. Went back the next day and the class was a fair bit harder. And then the next day the class was amazingly hard. The fourth class was mind numbing and I walked out because it was so tough. I figured if is this hard it has got to be good for me. So I bought a 1 month pass and started practising every day.

I attended the 1999 World Dragon boat championships in Nottingham , England. And then straight after went to teacher training in October of 1999. I thought I was pretty fit and strong. The teacher training near on killed me.  Upon my return I ran the school in Harbord with my then partner, Jodie Robertson. About a year after, with change in the wind I come into Darlinghurst where I am today.

I am still always learning about Yoga and I know it will be life long. It is one of those things that will never end. There is so much to a yoga practise. I have also practised Astanga since my return from the training and I find the knowledge I have picked up there is universal and adds to the quality of my Bikram teaching.

I love the effect this system has on people. Be it mentally, physically, spiritually or emotionally. I have taught around 12,000 newcomers this series and I have seen it have a profound effect on so many of them.  Like Bikram says, "your never too old, never too sick, it's never too late, to start practising Bikram Yoga".

Come down to my school and make yourself known to me. Let me know what your goals are and I will do my best to see that you achieve just that.

See you in the hot room,

Darren

2nd Place Aust Bikram Asana Championships 2005

4th Place Bikram International Asana Championships 2005

1st Place Aust Bikram Asana Championships 2006

Equal 1st place  Aust Bikram Asana Championships 2007

3rd PLace  Aust Bikram Asana Championships 2008