"Like so many in this community, yoga found me when I needed it most"
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Meet our friend Salwa @theflatfootedyogi sharing her #yogasavedmylife story with us. These are her words 💚
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"Dance was the biggest, most important part of my life growing up. After I graduated high school, still recovering from tearing my ACL, the dance life started to fade away
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During that same time, I was in the thick of an abusive relationship. I gained a ton of weight, lost all of my confidence, & felt like the Sahara inside because I felt like I had no tears left to cry
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One day while on an extended stay visiting my family in Egypt, I was introduced to yoga. Since I still had my flexibility, I found familiarity in the movement & poses. I felt something coming back to me; a part of myself I lost
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Throughout the rest of my undergrad and still bound by the handcuffs of gaslighting, screaming matches and threats, I was in and out of yoga classes. I found myself craving them more and more and it didn’t seem to matter how much I weighed or what was going on at home. On the mat, only my breath mattered
, . The more I practiced, the more confident I felt, and finally worked up the courage to leave my toxic relationship. I was finally free!
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I traveled, continued to practice, taught friends, & found that no matter what was going on in my life or where I was, I was home on my mat 🙏
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Fast forward 10-ish years – a yoga teacher training opportunity fell into my lap just 5 minutes down the road from me. FINALLY! The moment had arrived after 14 years of practicing– a part of my destiny I was waiting for 💚
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Now when I teach, I keep the traumas in mind. I keep the variety of bodies & abilities in mind. I keep accessibility in mind. Ego work, self-love and compassion, mind-body connection, and releasing what no longer serves is all interwoven through the asanas
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All I want to do is share the ever-evolving healing practice of yoga with the world, because it sure as hell healed me "🙏
Salwa
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