Lori grew up in southern Illinois, just four hours north of Memphis. As an alumna of the University of Missouri at Columbia, Lori traveled to New York City where she began working at the William Morris Talent Agency, on the fast track to becoming a talent agent. Following a Screen Actors Guild strike, Lori found time to reanalyze her path and direction. A lifetime of mood swings and sugar addiction eventually found her searching for the cure. Though an avid jogger and martial artist, it was Bikram Yoga that became her saving grace - it has regulated her blood sugar and as Bikram says, "tightened up the loose screws." When her father became ill with brain cancer, Lori turned to the yoga for guidance and peace - she was not let down. Lori lost her father in 2003 and her commitment to Bikram's Yoga has only grown stronger. With each class, Lori rediscovers the yoga's powerful message and hopes she can help all of her students find similar meaning within their own practice.

Lori would like to extend a special thanks to her many teachers, mentors and friends including: Bikram, Rajashree, Seini, Hope and everyone at BYCOI Headquarters, Troy Myers and Aiko Nakasone of Bikram Yoga Brooklyn Heights, Otto Cedeno of Bikram Yoga Union Square, Carol Stocks and Erin Stack of Bikram Yoga St. Louis, and Letitia Watts of Bikram Yoga Santa Fe, as well as her amazing and dedicated teachers and students here at Bikram Yoga Memphis.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration, major in Accounting, Shannon earned her CPA designation a year later.  Although her 10 years of working in the field of accounting had its challenges and rewards, she was never quite satisfied with working in the "white collar" world.  Always being active and interested in overall health, fitness and nutrition, she wondered how she could incorporate that as a larger part of her life.  She started practicing Yoga in 1998 and throughout the years has practiced various styles of Yoga.  She's had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of instructors and especially enjoyed her 1-year one-on-one tutalage working with Yogi Ram in Hyderabad, India during her husband's 2-year exchange tour with the Indian Air Force.  With exposure to various styles throughout the years, Shannon was finally exposed to Bikram's Method of Yoga fall 2004.  After having moved to Memphis in January 2005, she was very excited to start practicing at the brand new Bikram Yoga Memphis studio.  One door after another opened and she's very excited for the opportunity to now not only pursue her personal interest in Yoga, but to be able to share that with others as a certified Bikram Yoga instructor.  "I can finally meld my personal pursuits with my professional and I feel truly blessed and honored to have the opportunity to share Bikram's Method of Yoga with others."

Suzanne Shelton entered the world in the mid seventies via Tulsa, OK. Prairie life afforded many opportunities for young Suzanne to learn the values of patience, discipline, and hard work. Concluding her formal education with a master's degree in electrical engineering from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX, Suzanne shortly thereafter entered corporate oblivion working as a patent engineer in the telecom industry.  "I hated everything, my body was a wreck from all the years of self-discovery, and I still had no idea how to control my mind. I knew what I wanted but had no idea how to get there."  Life in the bell jar quickly took its toll, and Suzanne's friends noticed a rapid decline in her sense of humor and willingness to participate in life. Disillusioned, depressed, and unable to touch her own toes, Suzanne took her first Bikram yoga class, thus beginning her alternate mode of existence at the age of 25.  "After one year of standing on the line with my toes and heels together listening to the relayed guidance of Bikram Choudhury, I realized everything I knew was wrong."  Seeking experience in all things new, she promptly moved to New York City where she continued her Bikram experimentations until enlisting in Bikram's Teacher Certification in Spring 2005.  Suzanne now lives in Memphis and hopes to teach others how to effectively operate their brains.

Tony has lived most of his life in the River City. While residing in NYC in 2003, he was introduced to Bikram Yoga. After his first class, he swiftly realized the benefits and restorative effects of Hatha Yoga. Over the years, his physical fitness has been tested through many genres and found Bikram's Yoga fulfilling a vital aspect. "Just because you are physically active does not mean you are automatically protecting the integrity of your well being". His involvement with BYM began with work study positions and has grown into his appointment as an Assistant Manager. At this time he is not a certified Bikram Method teacher but both he and his wife Kristin, also a practitioner, are both diligently exploring the likely possibility. Tony has a B.A. in Journalism/ Public Relations. He currently works in Real Estate and as a Firefighter/ Paramedic in Shelby County.

Anita Jo Lenhart, known as "Jyo", has been training actors in somatics (body wisdom) since 1983. In 1987 she began studying yoga as taught by environmental theatre pioneer Richard Schechner. Drawing upon the techniques of Alexander Training as well as yoga, Lenhart began to work on healing her own spinal and muscular injuries incurred over years of strenuous performance for the stage. In 1998 she began her certification process in Lessac kinsensic body therapies. This in turn led her to Bikram Yoga. Bikram Yoga turned out to be the culmination in her quest for healing through postural reconstruction. She earned her Bikram Yoga Teacher Certification in 2002. Lenhart, an Associate Professor of Theatre Performance, currently uses Bikram's principles in training young actors and singers at The University of Memphis, helping them to develop stamina, flexibility and somatic awareness. In her own work as a professional singer and actress, Lenhart has found Bikram Yoga practice to be indispensable. "My spine and body overall feels younger than it did 20 years ago. I can do things that my medical doctors said I would never be able to do. Most of my 18 year old students cannot match me in stamina, balance, and postural health. I am so grateful for the gift that Bikram has given me. And I love sharing it with others who are seeking to become truly alive in their own bodies."

Leah started doing Bikram Yoga halfway through a Master's degree program and found that it not only reduced her stress level but gave her more energy and a more balanced life.  After having done vinyasa yoga for four years, Leah - a Cecchetti ballet veteran of 15 years - began practicing Bikram Yoga in February 2005 and completed teacher training in November.  Encouraged by the internal and external benefits of doing Bikram Yoga and the positive impact she has witnessed in her own life and in others' lives, Leah believes that yoga brings balance to mind, body and spirit, training the mind through the physical body.  After a lifetime of being "ridiculously exothermic" she has found that the hot room also helps to regulate her body temperature as well as alleviate the frequency and intensity of her migraines.  She currently holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Linguistics from Georgetown University, a Master's degree from The University of Memphis in Political Science, and is a Reiki master who has been studying healing arts since December 2000.

Kerri Snead moved to Memphis in 1996, from Virginia Beach, VA, to attend the Memphis College of Art. After graduating in 1999 with a B.F.A. in photography, Kerri worked at a local coffee house and practiced freelance photography for many local bands. Working at the coffee house led to her next adventure in life as a full-time nanny for two fabulous little girls. During a phone conversation with her sister about yoga and pilates, Kerri's sister suggested that she try Bikram yoga. On first description of the "yoga in a heated room," Kerri thought to herself that there was no way she could ever do that! With Bikram yoga written on a little sticky note stuck to the computer, it was only a few months later that the studio opened here in Memphis. "I had to see what the big deal was, and after the first week, I told Lori I wanted to be a teacher!" Now teaching Bikram yoga, and still working as a nanny, Kerri feels absolutely overjoyed that she found this practice. "I have the best jobs in the world, taking care of children, and teaching yoga!" Still practicing photography and her love for art, Kerri feels that this gift of teaching has enriched every aspect of her life more than she could have ever imagined. "It is amazing to watch countless numbers of different people walk through the front doors of the studio. When I get up and start teaching I can't help but smile, knowing we are all in one room with the same intentions, to take care of ourselves."

Renée first discovered Bikram Yoga in Sydney, Australia in 1997. She immediately fell in love with the yoga and knew from the beginning that she would teach it one day. After relocating to be near her family in Ohio, Renée discovered that the nearest Bikram Yoga studio was a minimum of two hours away! For the next seven years her "yoga studio" was a steamy bathroom with a space heater and an extra layers of clothing. After completing her master's degree in music in 2005, Renée did not have a doctoral assistantship to continue into for the next academic year. She quickly realized that it was finally her time to go to Bikram Yoga Teacher Training. During Bikram's rigorous Teacher Training, she received the doctoral assistantship offer that brought her to Memphis. Now she is working towards her doctorate in vocal performance as well as practicing and teaching yoga here at BYM. "After all those years of home practice I feel incredible gratitude for Lori, this yoga studio and the yoga community here in Memphis... There is desire, direction, inner guidance, whatever you want to call it within each of us. One of the many powers of this yoga is to connect us to that which is within us. I have experienced healing through this yoga. Not only physical, but mental, emotional and spiritual. Health and healing are a pro-active choice. There is healing, love and joy within as our essence. It is waiting there for each of us to put in the work in order to let it blossom from within."