Healing Myself on the Mat

I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now… And I guess now is as good a time as any! My yoga journey has been a windy one, full of ups, and downs, but has just recently begin to open up. Wait, let me back track a little…

My first yoga class was probably the most intimidating class ever. Seriously. July 5, 2007: I walk in to EWY, nervous and out-of-shape. If my physical state didn’t make me uncomfortable enough, the other people in attendance of the class were as follows: Marilyn was instructing — SCOTT and some beautiful, tall pilates instructor were the other two people practicing. So, here I am, huffing and puffing and chubby through my first true yoga class, (which also happened to be Forrest) and in the presence of 3 other incredibly in-shape people. Yikes. I remember Marilyn said to me “You did great! So, we’ll see you tomorrow?” I just laughed at her – then I looked up and realized she was serious.

My first couple months went by rather similarly, as I had not yet realized how detrimental things like diet, coffee and alcohol can be… along with a practice of 1-3 times a week, I just wasn’t getting a whole lot out of yoga besides a workout. My practice waxed and waned throughout the next year, and in July of 2008 I left for the Peace Corps in West Africa. Finally getting the opportunity to travel and see other parts of the world, I was excited and terrified of the journey that lay at my feet. I was ready to live and learn in a new country and community. Little did I know, fate didn’t really have my same goals in mind.

I lasted 2 months in Africa. Not from lack of enthusiasm or love or dedication to the people of my country, my fellow volunteers or myself, but because I got pretty much every sickness/amoeba/ parasite that you can in a 3rd world country. I’ll spare you the details, but in 2 months time I went from being a healthy and care-free young woman, to enduring debilitating pains in various parts of my body. And nothing helped. At all. Every doctor said there was nothing wrong with me, and even if they did have the slightest clue, they would give me a prescription that did nothing.

So, by the time late October rolled around, I thought to myself that I need to get back into yoga and maybe that will help ease some of my (at this point) chronic pains. I walked in the door, and there stood the beautiful and ever-kind Lisa. I told her a little about my practice, what I had done within the past year, and that I couldn’t really even walk at a fast pace, let alone do anything cardio with having these severe pains. She was supportive, and the first class was surprisingly not terrible. It was hard, but not as bad and painful as I thought it would be. I continued on, going first 2 times a week, then making it up to 3, then 4 … this time mainly focusing on Flow instead of Hot like I had in the past. Destiny talked to me about how I need to breathe to the place of an injury, and think about its healing continuously while I practiced. Marilyn and Lisa, too, taught me how I have to focus my breath to become successful in my practice and to open up places of hurt…And the remarkable, amazing thing is that when I practiced yoga, my pains were significantly lessened.

And then it happened… one Sunday evening in Lisa’s class, I laid back in Sivasana, and realized the pain had gone. It was GONE. I just laid there and cried tears of joy from realizing that even if western medicine didn’t have an answer for me, I had other options – and those options cured me.

Yoga helps and nurtures us into becoming the beings that we are meant to be. If you love your body, eat and drink healthy, fresh food, and practice yoga, then you WILL be healthy. I am now practicing yoga 5-6 times a week, and I can finally start to feel the difference – the real difference. I can breathe in a way I never have before… and that makes me so happy. Plus, I look better than ever in my jeans! Namaste.