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Six years ago I stepped into my first yoga class. A girlfriend and I decided we needed a little yoga in our lives…what we encountered was a small, dimly lit room with some candles, a little breathing and a VERY serious crowd at the local rec center. We stuck with it initially, but slowly decided we liked walking our dogs better then hanging out with a bunch of serious folks intent on breathing. Yoga was not for us.
Still, I was seriously into Tae Kwon Do and whitewater kayaking, and all the strength I had built up was decreasing the flexibility I once had. A friend at Tae Kwon Do recommended I give yoga another try and insisted I try Willow Street. I had my doubts, but grudgingly agreed to go. That's when I found Anusara and Kate Miller, my first teacher. It's also when I figured out that yoga could be fun. Within 6 months, I had ditched Tae Kwon Do and dedicated myself to a serious practice of yoga.
I did not know then how much this practice would change my life. Stepping onto the mat for the first time, I brought with me some serious baggage from a past relationship, one that had broken my will and spirit, making me a shadow of who I had once been. I started Tae Kwon Do as a way to combat my low self esteem and fight back. Knowing that I had the ability to kick some major butt helped me feel stronger, but it did nothing to heal the rest of the emotional wounds that had festered for so long.
Anusara yoga, and the Willow Street kula, cultivated such a rich and healing environment for me that, slowly, I began to be a whole person again. Over time, I noticed that my mind wandered less, I was able to approach people with more ease, and my overall health improved…after years of carrying an inhaler I woke up one day and realized that I had not had an asthma attack in ages.
Yoga also fed into my kayaking. Running a rapid, I now breathe with the waves, inhaling as I climb to the crest; exhaling as I dip into the trough.
This practice we participate in is not an instant fix, but a journey. Today's society looks more towards the quick remedy, with eyes fixed on the end result. Doing this, looking only towards the destination, denies us the pleasure of enjoying the trip.
I started my journey with the familiar, the physical. As I was ready, I stepped more into meditation and everyday has been a progression inward. The whole way, I have had the support of the kula behind me, and that has made all the difference.
In addition to our kula, my support system has included my teachers Kate Miller, Suzie Hurley, Jenny Otto, Desiree Rumbaugh and John Friend. Most importantly, it has included my husband, Jeff, who loves, encourages and supports me through this journey. It is to them I that bow with gratitude and love.
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