"Yoga helped me to open my heart, leave behind the pain of the past, & move forward to manifest a life of happiness & bliss
I began to practice yoga over 10 years ago, but strictly for the physical aspects, to strengthen my back & gain flexibility. I was lucky enough to find a studio & instructor whose style I clicked with. I soon became addicted to the sweaty, bendy workout. ...a workout, or so I thought .
However, my practice began to evolve over the years, started to really teach me significant lessons about life, & most importantly, myself
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During a 108 sun salutations for the Autumnal Equinox about 8 years ago, our instructor told us that the Equinox that year coincided with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which was a time for introspection & repentance
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I was going through a lot in my personal life at the time & chastising myself for being stupid enough to make the mistakes that led to the pain & disappointment I was feeling. When she asked us to set our intentions for that practice in alignment with forgiveness, something inside me said I needed to stop being so hard on myself & took that moment to try to forgive myself
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I’ve overcome difficult relationships with others in the past, but it never occurred to me until that very moment that I needed to reconcile the relationship with myself. I thought to myself “Who ever heard of forgiving themselves to overcome pain and suffering??” That realization rocked my world and resulted in an unexpected but totally cathartic emotional release. I was gobsmacked
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I am most grateful for the love & compassion my yoga has cultivated within me. By approaching life, particularly difficult moments or people, with an open heart, I've learned how to soften the sharp edges of my highly emotional, sometimes irrational, disposition. An open heart & outlook of love for all is a continual lesson that teaches me to be more accepting & less judgmental, encouraging me to apply honest vulnerability to help me spread love & service to all beings and situations I encounter, bringing light and hope to my path towards bliss 🙏"
