"I have Asperger Syndrome & though I may look happy & healthy in this photo - & I am, mostly - the truth behind the image is that I have been struggling with my mental health all my life"
"Very few people know I have Asperger Syndrome. This was finally diagnosed only about 10 years ago and I sit at the mild end of the spectrum, yet it has been affecting all aspects of my life
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There is no one-size-fits-all image of AS, especially in women as recent studies have demonstrated. For me, it has meant feeling everything to the highest possible degree. Feelings, emotions, sounds, smells, they are all magnified. I have an extraordinary memory which has helped me to be very successful in my job, but it also means I can rarely forget things no matter how hard I try
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AS also led me to develop anorexia aged 14, which brought me to the brink of death. All of these factors meant I was relentlessly bullied throughout school, something which scarred me for life
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And yet, this makes me who I am. I feel deeply, I love deeply, I empathise deeply. I’ve had years of struggles, but it has made me the woman I am today
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When I found yoga, about 8 years ago during a particularly dark time, it felt like coming home 🙏 Practicing yoga has helped me enormously - it has taught me to accept and love myself while continuously working on being and doing better
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Whenever anxiety bubbles over, I know that my mat is my safe place. This is why I chose to train as a yoga teacher: I know the magic healing it can bring to people’s lives 🙏 Luisa
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