"It wasn't until I started having my first few panic & anxiety attacks that I realized yoga was so much more than physical"
.
"I was and am an extremely active person - I thrive when I eat well & move my body a lot! I had a total hip replacement in high school, & although that slowed me down for a bit, it also floored me to be the best version of myself.
I knew I had boundaries to abide by with my new titanium hip, but these boundaries also made me flirt with the line of temptation in regards to pushing my physical limits.
So I went off to college, ready for a new adventure & to push my boundaries
.
I wanted extra credits my first semester of college & found a 2 credit yoga class. I didn't know it at the time, but that hour long beginner yoga class (which I viewed merely as a supplemental exercise to my already rigorous schedule) would turn into a full blown lifestyle
.
I dabbled in & out of a Bikram yoga studio for the next couple of years as well as regular vinyasa style classes- & eventually into studios that offered all types of yoga. I loved the way yoga made my body feel & look, but I was so hyper focused on just that.
It was all a physical practice for me
.
It wasn't until I started having my first few panic & anxiety attacks that I realized yoga was so much more than a physical asana practice
.
I started committing myself to a home practice & began to eat up research about the mental benefits of yoga. As a psychology major, mental health is & was a huge passion of mine & there seemed to be high correlations with positive mental health & adopting a yoga lifestyle
.
Fast forward a few years later, I completed my first 200 hr YTT.
College, post-college, graduate school & now "adulting"- all these phases of life have brought about change, discomfort, & uncertainty.
But it is through yoga that I have been able to find balance for my mind, body, & spirit.
More than anything, yoga has taught me how to live a life of gratitude- for my physical health definitely- but even more importantly, for my mental well being, allowing me to dance through the bumps with grace 🙏
