How I fell into yoga

I first fell into yoga in 2017 after a severe heartbreak trying to find a means to sooth my aching heart. I was willing to try anything at that point in time to help me heal. Initially, practicing yoga helped me by focus my mind on something different than my emotional pain. It helped me tune into my body and spend time getting to know my physical self. Discovering what felt good for me in that moment and exploring myself more.

Trying something new and out of your comfort zone is always helpful when you’re not sure where to go next in life and want to move on from where ever you were.

By practicing yoga, I started consistently showing up for myself. I began to develop a healthy relationship with myself and started to focus on creating goals for myself. I finally was able to get out of my head and focus solely on something so simply but we often forget: breathing and moving. I helped me feel present within myself, within both my mind and body. Sometimes in life we feel out of control with our own thoughts, not sure how to stop them or unaware of how to stop replaying certain traumatic events. Being able to slow down my mind helped me feel in control of myself which gave me confidence as at the end of the day, the only thing we truly have control of is ourselves.

Connecting movements to your breath gave me something to focus my mind on and it became meditative. It was fun to challenge myself when a difficult asana (posture) arose in class. I saw it as a metaphor for life. When challenges arise, do you automatically know in your body you do not have the energy to try, are you afraid to try due to the fear of failing, or do you find excitement in trying something new? Like each posture, each challenge in life is different. Sometimes we automatically know in our gut, sometimes we get held back by fear, and other times it’s really fun and exciting to push ourselves to grow! Each one of these feelings are okay, as we all experience each of them, they are different each day as well.

Yoga helped me realize the importance of having personal goals and to be excited and motivated within myself when I actively work towards them or accomplish what I wish. It also helped me creatively think from coming from different angles or approaches to reach the goal I have in mind.

I first found yoga in 2017 after a severe heartbreak. Initially, practicing yoga helped me focus my mind on something other than my emotional pain. It helped me tune into my body and spend time getting to know my physical self. I finally was able to get out of my head and focus solely on something so simply but we often forget: breathing and moving. I helped me feel present within my own mind and body. Being able to slow down my mind helped me feel in control of myself which gave me confidence. 

Practicing yoga has affected my life in so many ways. Yoga was my gateway into redefining my path and my worth. I became more mindful of what I consumed such as tv, social media, food, people, material goods, etc. It helped me develop a deeper connection and understanding of myself. It’s helped me heal and focus on the bigger picture in life rather than getting wrapped up in the pain I was experiencing. 

It’s difficult to describe exactly all the effects yoga has had in my life and influenced/impacted me into a more mindful and intentional life. Yoga was my gateway into redefining my path and it helped me grow into so much more such as redefining my worth and what I wanted to attract moving forward in life. I became more mindful of what I consumed such as tv, social media, food, people, material goods, etc. It helped me develop a deeper connection and understanding of myself. It’s helped me heal and focus on the bigger picture in life rather than getting wrapped up in the pain I was experiencing.

Yoga truly is a personal practice to help you connect deeper to yourself. The physical movement (asanas) is just the beginning. As with anything in life, it grows in time and if you enjoy it and continue to practice, your fruit from the seed you plant will be beautiful!

Disclaimer: I don't believe yoga is for everyone. There are so many wonderful modalities and tools in life that will benefit you and give you the results you desire. Yoga is just a tool to tap more into your body and mind and to build a beautiful, loving relationship within yourself. Just with any skill in life, the more you practice, the more fruitful the outcome will be. I also believe it's more beneficial to not have expectations when starting some things(: