The Transformative Power of Yoga: A Journey Beyond the Mat

Hi there!

I wanted to take a moment to talk about why I practice yoga. I started this blog post off by beginning to list the many benefits of yoga. It seemed a bit generic so I wanted to touch on a few of the personal reasons that I practice.

Let’s start from the beginning. My first yoga class was actually at a gym. I don’t remember the teacher or the specifics, but what I do remember is that feeling that I felt as I left my first yoga class. I walked into that class a nervous, stressed out, confused human being. I walked out of that class feeling confident, grounded, ready to take on the world. From that moment, I craved more. Fast forward a few weeks, I began to “studio hop”. If you offered yoga, I wanted to come! I tried SO many different kinds of yoga. I wanted to find what I liked best.

As my journey with yoga progressed, I found myself at a yoga studio not too far from home. I can remember every little detail of that class that I took, thirteen years ago. The way the room smelled, the warm breeze that poured into the tranquil space I found myself in, it was a summertime evening with just the right temperature, the sound of my teacher’s voice as I melted into my mat, the way I felt grounded down, the feeling of peace that seemed to take over every inch of my body and mind, that post yoga bliss that I carried with me for the next day. I kid you not, if I close my eyes, I go right back to that moment. Fast forward to this current day. I am now a registered yoga teacher with my very own studio. That feeling that I cultivate in my own yoga practice was something that I knew that I had to share with the world. I had to do my part and for me this is my path to true bliss.

Over the years, I have found myself in moments of panic, of fear, of uncertainty. I highlight the negative because yoga has taught me the way. Yoga has guided me to find peace within myself. To weather any storm that I find myself in. It does not matter what is going on around me. As long as I can control what is going on within me. As long as I can find my breath, as long as I can turn to my yoga practice, then I am able to bring myself back to where I feel most at peace.

What is your “why”? Why do YOU practice yoga? I would love to hear more!