"Despite the brain injury that took me out of competitive sports & put me on a completely different path, I remained the optimist I've always been
I was optimistic through the five concussions that followed over the years; I was optimistic through the one that caused debilitating physical symptoms that I take medication for. For months, I went between home and work. I had always experienced fatigue but I wasn’t used to being home that much. One night, I rolled out my yoga mat in my living room because I needed something to do
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I had been to enough classes over the years to piece together some poses and it was fun. I kept coming back to my mat and was seeing improvement in my brain injury symptoms such as balance, concentration and coordination. I had a regular home yoga practice going when I acquired my last concussion. This one was different- I had experienced emotional symptoms before but nothing like this. I cried everyday but used yoga to maintain my mental health just enough to function
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One day, I found Suzan Colon’s book, ‘Yoga Mind’. I went through the 30 day program, learning about the Yamas and Niyamas of Yoga. It was in this learning that I was able to admit that my outward optimism hid feelings about my brain injury that I had never showed anyone. I continued to use yoga’s asanas and principles in my daily life, and looked at myself and my brain injury in a different way; I’m still optimistic but know it’s okay and normal to feel upset or angry about what has happened. Yoga gave me the courage to speak openly and honestly about my brain injury
. A few months later, I made the @_yogabrain account with the intention to share how yoga helped me with other survivors. I’ve had the honour and pleasure of sharing my story and connecting with yogis, survivors, teachers and students all over the world- with and without brain injuries. I just completed 200 hours of Yoga Teacher Training in California and can’t wait to see where this will take me in my yoga journey"🙏
