Thinking back to being a kid who hated PE class and dreaded playing any sort of sport because of my social anxiety and fear of failure, it’s funny how my life now centers so much around physical activity. I love hiking, swimming, surfing, running, tennis, cycling, Pilates, barre... but always, ALWAYS, I come back to my first and truest love: Yoga.
Yoga was the first physical activity I ever did that didn’t make me fear failure. When I practiced asana, I felt free, unbound, unjudged, able to be content with myself exactly as I was.
I still feel that way. As a teenager, my yoga practice helped me feel more confident and more comfortable in my own skin. I learned to trust my intuition and my natural wisdom. It helped me overcome years of insomnia caused by incessant worrying. It reduced my anxiety and gave me strength to get through many bouts of depression.
In many ways, I am still that girl: an impatient perfectionist who worries too much, a little neurotic, often anxious, and struggling through bouts of depression. But through it all, yoga has given me a safe home to return to again and again. It hasn’t taken away my troubles but it has given me a constant and unwavering feeling of hope, Love, and connection that stays with me in always no matter what challenge I might be facing. Yoga is my ally when life gets chaotic. It’s where I return to rehab when my body becomes sore or injured from the other activities I do. It’s also where I feel most connected to my Source. Yoga practice for me is like a moving prayer, an offering, a chance to open up to the deepest and truest part of who I am.
I am forever grateful for my practice. It is the greatest possible gift now to be able to pay it forward by teaching yoga to others and helping them to rediscover the beautiful light within themselves. I am forever grateful also to the many teachers throughout the years who have touched my soul and influenced my practice. Namaste.