Yoga rescued me, showing me how to rescue myself. After leaving Rugby, a sport I cherished for its camaraderie and life lessons, I sought solace in yoga. My first class felt like coming home. I knew at that moment that yoga would be a lifelong pursuit and that I'd eventually become an instructor.

 

As I distanced myself from organized religion, yoga became my sanctuary, a place where I could harmonize my body and spirituality, finding peace and relief from a lifetime of anxiety and depression. Gradually, I reclaimed my power and self-worth, shedding layers of self-loathing and shame.

 

Though my pain was often hidden, I faced body image issues that kept me from the studio. Yoga gave me a voice, a platform to speak life into others while healing myself. It helped me confront discomfort, trust in my capability to navigate life's messiness and rediscover my innate gifts and purpose. I also believe that yoga helped rewire my dysregulated nervous system and I found it was the best "medicine" I had experienced to date. In this process of rewiring, I was able to reestablish trust with my body, and its wisdom, and more easily access my intuition.