My Yoga Journey

Most people go to yoga because they have injuries or want to become more flexible, or chill out… Yoga changed my life! It brought me balance and growth.  Along with my medical spa, my dream is to share this knowledge and spirit of yoga with you!

I took my first yoga class at a local gym in Asheville in early 2000’s. It was a calm, mellow and almost sleepy class. It was not for me. I took my next yoga class at the request of a co-worker. It was Bikram yoga. It was hot and I was miserable.  However, I found myself going back for more. I spent most of the standing series in child’s pose trying to catch my breath and not pass out. After years of average workouts lifting weights with very little cardio, yoga was definitely different. It woke my body up.

As time went on, I was able to finish class with fewer breaks and without leaving the room for air. My flexibility started to improve as did my strength, balance, and mental focus. I finally found a compliment to weightlifting and life.

I continued my yoga practice at Y2 after moving to Charlotte in 2013. While both were hot yoga, it was so different from Bikram. There was music and it was LOUD. The poses varied from class to class.  I loved it!

I knew yoga would be a journey of personal growth and self-discovery and I wanted to learn more! I found it to be a spiritual practice that started to help me connect to my inner self and a higher power.

I took up running after moving to Charlotte. I didn’t lift weights quite as much, but I became a running fanatic. I finished many 5K’s, two half marathons and was training for a 208-mile relay race when my knees took a turn for the worse. Running Crowder’s Mountain was more challenging than anticipated. I was unable to run distances or even walk upstairs after that without immense pain. I had the worst case of runner’s knees and needed knee supports for both knees. I continued with yoga as it helped increase my range of motion in my joints and strengthen muscles around my knees. I was able to run 5K’s again. I was finally pain-free.

As my yoga practice grew, I found it helping me get out of my own head. It emphasizes the importance of being present in the moment. I became more mindful and my concentrating skills continue to develop.

Twenty years later, the journey continues. I finished my 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training this past weekend at Y2 here in Charlotte and could not be more excited.

Let me be the first to tell you that yoga teacher training (YTT) is so much more than just practicing yoga. The entire experience challenged me in ways I never thought it would and will become a cherished time in my life that I will continue to grow immensely from.

First you need to understand that yoga is not just about the physical practice (asana), which is just one of the 8 limbs of yoga (will discuss at another time). Yoga is so much more. Yoga itself is a lifestyle, it’s not just about moving and sweating and getting a workout which many people believe all yoga is.

Teacher training guides you through the physical practice and poses but it also dives into other areas of yoga that teach you how to be a better person and to take life with grace. It teaches you how to handle the good and the bad and heal from the past, it teaches you how to act with integrity, how to make the most of life, how to embrace all that is given (or not given) to you, and more, so much more.

It will push you to your breaking point, tears will be had, and that breaking point will lead you to your breakthrough. YES!!

I am very excited to start teaching in and around the Charlotte area and continue practicing! I’ll keep you updated.

Namasté