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BILL BUTCHER, OWNER

Originally from Jersey City, New Jersey, Bill moved to California in 1974 after serving in the Marine Corp in Vietnam as a liquid oxygen plant operator. Once in California, he began his career in construction as a carpenter, ultimately becoming a general contractor with his own business in 1984. An avid runner for 17 years, Bill completed 5 marathons, 3 of which were accomplished in the year 2000!

Interested in staying physically active and curious about yoga, Bill took his first Bikram yoga class in Santa Rosa, California in January 2001 at the age of 52. He fell in love with Bikram yoga instantly.  Bill found that Bikram yoga helped lower his blood pressure, and decreased his stress symptoms. In 2003, Bill became a certified teacher after attending training at the Bikram Yoga College of India in Los Angeles, California. He then purchased the exact studio where he took his first Bikram yoga class in May 2004! Under Bill’s ownership, Bikram Yoga College of India, Santa Rosa has changed quite a bit from when he first attended class, as he has extensively expanded and remodeled the studio, adding showers and separate changing rooms.

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JACKIE BUTCHER

Jackie was born in Riverside, CA in 1982. Her family moved shortly after to Northern, CA where she attended Santa Rosa Junior High as well as Santa Rosa High School and Santa Rosa Junior College. She took her G.E.D at an early age, and moved to Taiwan at 16 years old where she taught English and studied the Chinese language. After returning home, Jackie's father Bill, took her to her first Bikram yoga class at the age of 17! She is now 25, and has been practicing ever since! After graduating the Bikram Yoga Teacher Training in 2002, she got married and has two little boys (Jaden, 2 and Tyler, 6 months) whom she continued to teach and practice throughout both of her pregnancies! Her father Bill owns the Santa Rosa studio in which she now teaches and helps manage. 

BLANCA

Blanca was born in 1983 in Petaluma, CA. She has been a local to Sonoma County and attended Bernard Eldredge Elementary, Petaluma Junior High, Petaluma High School and the Santa Rosa Junior College. She took her first Bikram class from Jackie. After taking her first class and noticing all of the benefit's and changes in her life she decided to become a teacher and graduated from Bikram Teacher Training in 2006. Now with a passion for the yoga she practices at least five times a week and teaches as well. After being diagnosed earlier in February 2007 with Graves disease people including doctors thought she would never practice Bikram again because of sensitivity of the heat. Blanca proved them wrong and returned to yoga. The yoga has done nothing besides help her and convince her of the true medical and mental benefit's as well as physical benefit's that this yoga brings to everyday life.

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Jalena Bamberger

Hi! I was born in Santa Rosa, Ca. in 1985, and other than short trips around the world, I have lived in Santa Rosa my whole life. I am currently a student at Sonoma State University, working on a Bachelors Degree in Anthropology. I began practicing Bikram Yoga with my mother and father in 1999. My mom Janine Bamberger became a Bikram Yoga teacher in 2000 and my father in 2002. Together they owned a Bikram Yoga School in the northern part of Santa Rosa from 2001 to 2005. It was a family affair. I became very involved with the studio and eventually both of my parents encouraged me to become certified as a Bikram Yoga Instructor. I attended the Bikram Yoga Teacher Training in 2004, and began teaching with Bill Butcher and Jackie shortly after. Yoga has helped me in so many ways; physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. The longer I practice the more I realize how much I love it and need it.

TAMMY COURTS

Tammy was introduced to Bikram Yoga by a co-worker at a stressful, high paced job. She found the class both challenging and refreshing. She continued to practice on a regular basis and found that she felt more relief from day to day stressors and was healthier and stronger than she had been after eleven years of running and aerobics. After practicing for almost two years, she attended Teacher Training and received her teaching certificate in the Fall of 2003. Tammy continues to find the Bikram series physically and mentally challenging. She reports that a consistent yoga practice keeps her grounded. Tammy has enjoyed health benefits from yoga including relief from a sleeping disorder. Since earning her teaching certificate, Tammy has taught in Elk Grove and Granite Bay, California, both suburbs of Sacramento, Bangkok, Thailand, Manila, Philippines, and in Stockholm and Malmo, Sweden. Tammy’s enthusiasm for teaching yoga comes from the opportunity to share with others. She believes that “you should do what you love and love what you do.”