I was recently asked this question.
A: Yoga in earnest can strip you of your masks and covers and expose you to yourself. Which of course is great, and scary. Not exactly what I would sign up for if on the brochure. I've learned the deeper the work the more likely the changes you initiate will take hold.
I began yoga about 10 years ago after the birth of my fourth child. My uterus was collapsing as all the babies I carried were all quite large and surgery was recommended. I thought I'd give yoga a try first. I attended my first class at our local recreation center, mainly because they had childcare. The teacher was fabulous and unknown to me she was a senior student/teacher of Richard Freeman (of course, I do live in Boulder CO after all). After about 4-5 years of attending her class at the rec center she convinced me to attend the Yoga Workshop studio, Richard Freemans studio, her home studio. It was quite intimidating at first and why it took so long for her to convince me to attend. In my mind I was just a mom trying to get in shape and keep my body whole. I loved those first years of yoga, and I am still friends with many of us who attended this class regularly. This happens I noticed in yoga, you don't just attend a class, you become friends. At this time I was just starting the mala business, BaliMalas.com, another great story for another day. I had met a really dynamic woman named Shiva Rea while attending my first Yoga Journal Conference to sell our malas. She knocked my socks off! Shiva, who also used to be a student of Richards was at a conference in Denver that OmTime Yoga was sponsoring. I attended and began practicing more and more at OmTime where Shannon Paige Schneider, a senior practitioner of Shiva's teaches. Here is where my physical desire for yoga healing transformed deeper into my spiritual/emotional healing with yoga. My uterus was no longer an issue, my health was now optimal but my soul was still a bit unawakened and unobserved.
I joined Shiva's teacher training and between Shiva and Shannon and many many tears on the mat my soul is more awakened and more in the light. All the while my family and dear husband have riden this wave of yoga with me and supported me through it all. I am almost complete with my 500 hour teacher training of Shiva's. My goal is to complete this summer by end of July.
So yes yoga has positively changed my life. I have a thriving business that supports and spreads love to sooooo many because of yoga. Click here for more on the how and why of my business. I teach yoga twice a week at CU and a class at Om time which so lifts me each time. My physical body is quite possibly the best it has been my entire life. At aged 46 it is nice to love my body. My relationships have thrived and deepened. My husband was talking to Shiva at the conference we sponsored just last month and said "my wife loves you and you have changed her life". My emotional health and spirituality feel so right and inspire me each day as a result of my work with yoga. The key here is to always keep returning to your reflection. What are you seeing in yourself. What is being exposed. Keep showing up and shedding yourself on the mat. Let the tears flow. I love that my mat has been soaked in sweat and tears. I try not to wash it too often as a reminder of what has transpired on it.
Much love to those who ask the questions, the curious ones. You are on your way.
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