A Yoga Teacher’s Yoga Journey
Yoga has been one of my "things" for a while now. Just like everything else, the practice came and went before I truly dedicated myself to it. I wanted to write about my yoga journey for inspiration to people who are starting yoga, or anything else in their life for that matter. I like to think of my journey in separate "parts."
Part 1: My yoga journey began in 2006 when my doctor prescribed the practice to my exercise regime for my lower back pains. As a 16-year old, I would go to class with my mom so naturally, I thought it was lame. A couple year later during my senior year of high school, my parents let me know we were moving to San Antonio. I was DEVASTATED. Like if someone had just killed my puppy kind-of devastated. When I got to San Antonio, all I did was play my drum set (yes, I played the drums). The only time I left my house that summer was to go to sushi or a Bikram yoga class. Literally… I think I went 10 days once without a shower (unless sun bathing in my pool counts?). This is where I would say my yoga journey began.
Part 2: Fast-forward 2 years to 2009. I am a sophomore in college, and had an extremely skewed view of “health”. I thought if it was whole wheat or protein it was healthy; I lifted weights 5-6 times a week and rarely partied (which was short lived). During this “health” kick, I lost myself in an extremely unhealthy relationship but felt that my “healthy” lifestyle made up for it. For some reason, I couldn’t find my groove so I started committing myself to my mat again. This is part 2 of my journey. I found the challenge of each asana (physical pose) rewarding and actually liked myself when I showed up on my mat. My practice was still somewhat “gentle” and shallow. I could flow through the entire power yoga class and could nail a crow pose and a headstand. A handstand and other advanced poses seemed impossible but those were my goals for my practice. I never grew in my actual understanding yoga.
Part 3: Fast-forward another 3 years when I moved to Scottsdale for my job. Although it was a blast and I met some amazing people, I was extremely stressed out, somewhat lonely, and had A LOT of things going through my mind in-regards to life choices and relationships. I found a tiny studio in Tempe called “Laughing Buddha” (if you’re ever in Scottsdale... go to Dusty’s class). This is where my practice and outlook on yoga changed. I learned to let go of my day and use breath as a guide. I fell in love with yoga for everything it was and the way it changed my life. Here is where I began to incorporate arm balances and advanced poses as a part of my practice. Here I was told you CAN do it. So I did! I practiced Every. Single. Day.
Part 4: The hardest part of leaving Arizona was saying good-bye to my yoga studio. When I moved to Dallas, I tried several studios before I found my yoga home at Gaia Flow Yoga. The community, practice, class layout, and even the music all resonated with me to the core. I had been waiting for the right time in life to go through yoga teacher training because I wanted to make sure I could offer value to my students. I wanted to help people find themselves on the mat as I had. After several year of practicing, I finally decided it was the right time to do my YTT and I found the perfect place to do so.
Part 5: After completing the course, my physical practice changed immensely… but not because I got stronger. My physical practice advanced because I was able to let go. I let go of the desire to impress myself or to prove anything to anyone. I FIRST listened THEN acted. I used breath to help me float. I took every word of advice into consideration and viewed adjustments as a gift.
My yoga journey has only begun. I am in love with the practice and what it brings (and has brought) to my life. I have seen the practice bring LIFE to my friends. It has brought me back myself. Whether you have never done yoga, just starting, or have been practicing for years… yoga is a life long journey. You never know where the journey will lead you!
Namaste
