Heart Disease

I am a 40 year old male. I was diagnosed with a cadiac condition known as "Bradycardia" on September 17th 1999, and had a pacemaker installed to correct this condition. I began practicing your yoga with Lynn and Jeff at FUNKY DOOR YOGA on Polk street in San Francisco in September, 2000, a month or so after the studio opened. I could barely finish the class for the first month, but I noticed an improvement within about two months after I began.

Three weeks ago I returned to my cardiologist at Stanford and was informed that my atria (upper chambers of the heart) were no longer being paced by the pacemaker. Can you believe it. I'm also off all medication that I used to rely on for hyper-tension. I hope my progress continues.

I had consulted many cardiologists regarding my condition. And most agreed that I would be "pacemaker dependent" for the rest of my life. They told me that while my heart was strong, the elctrical system that regulates the impulses to beat in my brain had ceased to function. until I began yoga, I felt tired and depressed, emotionally drained at the thought that my heart would be controlled by some machine for the rest of my life. I gave up running (I was a marathoner for ten years when I lvied in New York) and started to rely on anti-depressants. Bikram Yoga gave me the courage to get stronger to get off the medication and begin running again.

topdraw94111@yahoo.com