"I was a junior in college when my cousin, was struck by a car and passed away overnight. He was like a little brother to me
In the middle of senior thesis, about a year after losing my cousin, my dad passed away in his sleep
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I became consumed by this fear that I was next, that the minutes where ticking down and that I was never safe. Looking back I realize these tragedies had caused PTSD and that I'd been struggling with depression long before that
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When I graduated college I decided to commit to yoga. I thought yoga was just stretching and meditation, something that had seemed boring to me just years before. But this time I came to it seeking grounding and peace. I found far more then I bargained for
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My first class made me sweat so much I broke out in hives. I was not an active person and wasn’t expecting to use every part of my body and breath in yoga. But this didn’t scare me away, because I realized that I was so focused during practice that there was no room for my anxiety and fearful thoughts to creep in. I came to yoga to find inner peace, and it is helping me find that, but I also gained a new respect for my body
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For the first time in my life I felt confident, capable and like my body wasn’t the enemy. I could see my hard work pay off and was able to take the lessons from my classes come to use when depression came knocking
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Last year I did teacher training, and I am so so proud to be a part of such a supportive, inclusive and healing community 💚 Sophia"
