"I often get asked “how did you get into yoga?” & when I wanna keep things short I usually just respond with “pain”
Sure my body felt a ton of physical pain prior to yoga, mostly from a life threatening car accident I was in at the age of 14, but what I’m really referring to is emotional pain
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On the outside I look like your typical privileged American female, however, my past is deep & it’s ugly
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We all suffer from some kind of emotional pain - mine mostly caused from an extremely abusive & toxic relationship
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Yoga was my outlet. My therapy. The only thing that had me feeling “normal” again
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I used to push my body past it’s limits in the gym to look a certain way & it wasn’t until I found yoga when I realized that looking a certain way does not lead to internal happiness. Three years into my practice and some days my tight shoulders STILL need a strap to do the full expression of the pose in the second picture. But it’s all good because I know my shoulders are tight for multiple reasons. I was a swimmer my entire childhood & I’ve also had a lot of emotional pain that gets stored away as tension in the shoulders
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As I practice the asana I uncover the layers of my past, allowing myself to let go, release, and move forward. One day I won’t need the strap.
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My practice has helped awaken my soul & find my true self. My practice has helped me find acceptance, internal happiness, and self love
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So for those of you who want to “try” yoga, I encourage you to start by closing your eyes in a seated position. Start to breathe and notice what kinds of thoughts come up? Where does your body ache? Everything you experience is a direct result of physical & emotional trauma that you’ve been through. And it’s up to you the practitioner to work through that & to find internal happiness which will ultimately make the world a better place 🙏"
