Meet @charlotte.e.yoga sharing her #yogasavedmylife story with us 💚
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"I’m Charlotte. I’m 44 & based in the UK. I became unwell with gradual onset CFS/ME at age 21 & was quickly housebound & unable to work. At that time there was no real internet access, very little in the way of alternative therapy & even less awareness of the condition than there is now
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In a way, this was good as I had no idea how life-changing the condition would be & how few people were thought permanently to recover
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I was hospitalised & took my first yoga class in hospital - the class was really simple & I couldn’t do much but something about the way it made me feel lit a deep curiosity that has grown stronger in the 24 years since 🙏
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In fits & starts, I began a daily practice, studied philosophy extensively & trained as a teacher in 2008
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Life with CFS/ME is challenging in so many ways - apart from the big things like career and relationships, it affects your ability to do countless little things every day that other people take for granted; getting your own shopping, socialising, sometimes even getting to the bathroom on your own. At 29, I was diagnosed with MS, and at 38, ulcerative colitis, & each of these brought new challenges. I have experienced significant and life-changing recovery from CFS/ME through the DNRS programme and continue to work with it
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Ulcerative colitis, which is an inflammatory bowel disease resulting in pain, bleeding, diarrhoea and bowel incontinence, remains my current challenge
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Through the whole period, yoga asana has kept my body as fit as it could be, but more importantly, the spiritual and meditative practices that physical yoga led me to have completely altered the trajectory and orientation of my life
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Through yoga, I found curiosity, joy, perspective and purpose that endure beyond the condition of my physical body and I’m so grateful for that 💚 Charlotte
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