"Growing up, I had never been athletic. I signed up for my first yoga class in college out of sheer curiosity, thinking it would be a way to get some exercise without having to face the dreaded gym machines. I now see it as one of the most serendipitous moments of my life"
.
Meet Tatiana @tatiyogini sharing her #yogasavedmylife story with us. These are .
.
"It felt like I'd ‘scored’ athletically when, during that first class, I discovered I could reach my hands to the mat in forward folds, & my toes behind my head in Halasana (Plough). Not yet knowing that yoga isn’t about how bendy your limbs are, I was happy to feel like a success at the gym
.
.
I also loved the way I felt after every class, walking out with a spring in my step from the newfound balance & alignment. I didn’t realize it at the time, but by showing up on my mat, I was planting the seeds for transformation in other areas of my life
.
.
My practice was consistent over the years, but sometimes fell out of my routine. A turning point came when, as a graduate student, my anxiety exacerbated to a point where it manifested itself in my physical body as an unrelenting tinnitus, creating a vicious cycle of anxiety. Overwhelmed, & having not received a clear diagnosis or treatment for the incessant, deafening ringing in my ear, I turned to a local studio in the hope of finding peace, & ultimately, a cure for my symptoms. From that point on, my discipline & belief in the practice strengthened as my anxiety & tinnitus began to melt away
.
.
The more I practiced, the more I was able to cultivate equanimity off the mat, regardless of what was going on externally. What may have started as merely a stretch became so much more. My practice blossomed into a philosophy & lifestyle that I continue to nurture each & every day
.
.
On the mat, there’s nowhere to hide. Your only task is to face where you are, as you are, & breathe into that space. Only then can you finally let things go
.
.
Through yoga, I found my inner warrior of light
.
.
It is now my privilege to share the practice with others, and hopefully contribute to guiding my fellow warriors back to their inner light, in even the smallest way ❤"
