My Why: How Yoga Changed My Life

In 2011 I was in a five-car pileup and I was number three. My vehicle was totaled and as a result I would have lasting injuries that would only intensify as the years went on.

I did not have any fitness or wellness routine. My body just felt broken and it was an extremely lonely feeling. The concept of pain management through medication did not make sense to me. We do not get to the root of the problem. We just mask it and then in the morning feel worse than the day before. I tried yoga and my first class I hated it. I had no connection with the instructor. These movements were foreign to me and it was not on my bingo card to become my passion.

After my best friend passed away in 2013 and the Happy and Healthy Bucket List came to fruition one of the items was to get a new exercise routine that I enjoyed. I walked into an aerial yoga class by accident and I quite literally fell in love with yoga. I went back time and time again because the traction of the hammock silks gave pain relief. With the right instructor the right atmosphere the right music and Vinyasa Flow it was heaven.

I was hooked.

My early years in yoga were about accomplishing every pose every arm balance and every shape. About five years in my lower back on the left side started to really hurt. Again doctors could not offer solutions. MRIs confirmed my L3 was deflated. In early 2020 I began sleeping on my floor again seeking relief from the pain. This is when my yoga transformation really began. I was desperate for answers.

The crazy peacock poses and arm balances slowed and were replaced with a gentle practice. More Yin and Restorative. Stretching. Breathwork. Meditation. Chakras.

As I started adjusting to this new reality I wanted to learn more about the why. Why did medication not work but this slower practice alleviated pain?

I became certified in 2020 to teach yoga. I started to understand why yoga helped me so much and to this day if my body is hurting or I am stressed, I go into the Zen Den and do yoga.

I started taking private clients after becoming certified specializing in Slow Flow Gentle Vinyasa and Restorative. I also found that animals were extremely healing to me so teaching in rescues also seemed to help our furry friends as well.

In 2023 I was finally able to sleep in a bed again. Something worth noting because I got certified as a life coach shortly after is that physical health is one thing but mental health is completely different.

When my best friend Caleb passed away, it shattered my soul. The pain was manifesting in my body. Stress can and will do that to you. Therapy, wellness retreats, breathwork, meditation and self-care are so important for your overall health.

As a yoga instructor and practitioner myself I know this form of wellness can help both mental and physical healing.

You have to be the hero of your story. Choose yourself and your happiness above all.

Then choose to make a positive difference for those around you. A story I come back to time and time again is the starfish story.

A small change can make a big impact.