This is the wonderful @lds.yogi Lisa Allen, teaching yoga & campaigning alongside @communityogi to end the stigma around mental health. She came forward immediately to share her story when she learned of our #yogasavedmylife campaign. These are her words ❤
" At one point, I almost died from a severe case of Anorexia (that I didn't even know I had). That was truly when reality struck- I was really sick, I couldn't fight it alone .
My diagnosis with Bipolar Disorder shortly after helped me make more sense of my habits & behaviors. I went back to college & decided that becoming as educated as I possibly could about my personal struggles would not only help me, but help me to help others .
In all my years of study, I have been intrigued by Stress Management & how it improves Mental Health. Originally, I thought my passion was Nutrition but then realized Positive Stress Management incorporated Nutrition and so many other wonderful things! .
As I continued learning, I took the initiative & started applying all that I was absorbing through my studies. I became a different person. I learned to love & appreciate food. I stopped beating myself up with exercise and found joy in moderation & yoga
I focused more on mindfulness, meditation, & my YOGA practice. I got married, worked hard to get my menstrual cycle back in working order, & I was able to have the sweetest, perfect baby! I graduated from college & even got off of my medications for awhile. I now help others with what used to be a major weakness. YOGA SAVED MY LIFE❤ .
I am trying to #raiseawareness and help #stopthestigma surrounding mental health as being this negative, unspoken disease. When we choose to learn from it, mental illness can become a strength to the individual living with it & their families & support systems alike. I am working with @communityogi to help fund existing & future programs through the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Northern Nevada. Sign up to take part in our event or just donate online by visiting https://communityogi.com/NAMI-fundraiser