A Path to Healing
I love the saying “Many paths lead to the same destination”. There are an unlimited amount of paths that will lead a person to start practicing yoga. You may even take several paths before making a commitment to integrate yoga into a daily part of your routine.
I took several paths until I finally started to not only practice yoga, but to embody yoga. It happened in the most natural way. Prior to this embodiment of yoga, I practiced on and off for many years. I remember the first time I was introduced to yoga was in high school in the early 1990’s. My gym teacher focused a few classes on the practice of yoga. Literally, the only thing I remember about those classes is laying on the floor looking at the ceiling thinking how bored I was. I didn’t give yoga another thought until around 2009 when I purchased a couple yoga dvd’s and spent a little time off and on enjoying this type of “excercise”. I did enjoy those practices a little more than I did in high school, but I still only looked at it as a nice form of stretching.
Fast forward a few years to 2014…I finally began practicing at a studio in my hometown. I took a Yoga 101 workshop and thoroughly enjoyed all that I learned. I started to realize that yoga is so much more than postures, movement and stretching. I was learning to use my breath to calm my mind and my body. I practiced for several months at this studio…and then life got it the way. At the time, I was a full-time real estate agent and worked a lot of hours each week. My priorities were work and relaxing looked like having a glass of wine (or several) and watching TV. Of course…more and more life got “in the way” of this all important path of healing, so it fell by the wayside for several more years. I may have dabbled more here and there, always wanting to have a consistent practice, but never allowing myself and my healing to be a priority in my life.
In the fall of 2020, I went to sit down on the floor of my office in a crossed-legged position (sukhasana posture). I could not. My left hip was so tight that I wasn’t able to come close to sitting comfortably on the floor like that. This took me by surprise! I was 43…so of course I thought this must be what happens now…my body, joints and muscles are getting stiff with age. No way was I letting this happen! So…that was my sticking point to start a consistent yoga practice and incorporate it into my daily life. This physical ailment led me onto a path of not only healing my body…but so much more!
Some people are led to yoga by a need for emotional and mental healing, some are led to yoga by a need for physical healing. It doesn’t matter how you arrive, because the practice of yoga will continue to heal you on many different levels.
So, in 2020 I started practicing yoga at home for one year basically everyday. I then joined a yoga studio (Pranayoga Institute, in Fort Wayne, IN) in 2021 and found such a rich community full of like-minded people, and wonderful teachers who made me feel so welcome. I have learned so much more about yoga than I ever knew existed. I knew as I was starting to embody yoga, that I had to teach what I was learning. When you start feeling so good, you of course want to share with others! I completed my teacher training at Pranayoga in September of 2022, and started teaching right away. I truly feel that I have found my path (my dharma). I’m continuing my education in yoga and am currently in the 300HR teacher training to further my knowledge. I feel blessed to be able to practice and share what I’m learning.
The benefits of yoga are many, and the paths to yoga are many. You might have several first steps before discovering what this ancient Indian practice can offer. Take as many steps as needed, they are all worth it. You are worth it!
