My Yoga Story

From what I can tell, those who find their way to yoga do so in the right moment. For me, it was no different. I first began practicing in my late teens (nearly 20 years ago). It was a sport more than anything, and I enjoyed pushing my body and sweating in heated and power vinyasa classes. Then, in my early 20s, I herniated 2 disks in my lumbar spine. Badly. No one tells you that you can injure yourself in such a way so young. In those days, that kind of injury wasn't common for someone my age, much less to the extent of mine. 

​

For many years, I struggled with movement. Stiffness, pain, inflammation, nerve irritation, and muscle disfunction set in. I did everything the doctors told me, engaged with physiotherapists, took anti-inflamatory shots, and reviewed MRIs with the experts. I had many moments where my knees would buckle, and I would literally collapse on the floor, unable to walk for days, sometimes weeks. I tried chiropractic therapy, massage, acupuncture, physio,  pilates with seniors (too hard), private pilates, special techniques from Japan, Thailand, and Peru. Nothing stuck. I was in chronic pain for 8 years throughout my 20s. The worst part was my limited mobility because I LOVED movement. I would ignore my pain, often, and reinjure myself. I worsed my condition several times, and even herniated a third disk later in my 20s. I thought I could wrestle with my mind and overcome it, but my body needed nourishment and I didn't know how to give it what it needed. I even tried yoga in those years, but it just resulted in more pain, more stiffness. I constantly followed my flexible, super-strong instructor's wishes rather than listening to my own body, and I paid for that dearly. 

​

Then, one day, I decided I would just go to yoga regularly and take all the modifications I needed. I would push the ego aside and be gentle and soft. The first few months were hard. I knew I was stronger, but I couldn't show it. It was like balancing a fine line where I knew I could leap, but if I did, I'd likely fall back into the abyss. So I just stayed the course. Within six months, my body looked different. Areas that had been completely deactivated turned on suddenly. And my flexibility? Wow. Even my mom, who was a dancer and still is the most flexible person I know without any conditioning, couldn't do some of the poses I was doing with ease. It was a wild transformation. 

​

One morning, in 2019, after sticking to this routine, I woke up and something was different. It took me a moment, but when I realized I hadn't woken up with stiffness and pain, I was shaken in the most beautiful way. I had literally forgotten what it felt like to be pain-free, after 8 years of constant discomfort and pain. I knew it was the wisdom of yoga that led me to that point. No other medicine gave me the strength- inner and outer, tools, and awareness to find my body again. Many people say that the mind-body connection is basic, but when it has been broken for so long, that reconnection is the most wonderful feeling you can imagine. 

​

I decided to pursue a yoga teacher training later that year mostly to better understand my own body and continue my healing journey. I didn't realize that the experience would generate an intense curiosity of Vedic traditions and teaching yoga. At the end of that course, I led a candlelit class for the other students. Tears were shed and the energy in the room was ineffable. Following the course, one of the instructors said it was my dharma (duty) to teach, and I still feel that this is true for me too. 

​

Today, I continue to teach, mostly online, and I am currently studying to become an Ayurvedic practitioner. My teaching style focuses on connecting with the body, growing, healing, and observing both the body and mind. While Western medicine is wonderful in emergency situations, I have found yoga and other ancient medicine to be the foundation for healthy living every day. I would be honoured to guide you and lead you in this practice someday.  Please join me online or in the flesh when I have in-person offerings. I hope to see you soon. ♡