#YogaSavedmyLife (My share from Fierce-calm.com) 

My long-winded journey with Yoga wouldn’t have started without my long-winded journey to meditation. In 2013, a year after my mom passed away, I found myself burnt out and boozed up in a city I loved but didn’t always love me back. New York. 

So, I bought a one way to ticket Hawaii and seven months and seven countries later I found myself in Thailand at a seven-day silent mediation retreat. I ended up there purely by a moment of “grace.” I was robbed on a beach in Vietnam, and left with absolutely no money. All alone with nowhere to go, it was here that in some of my darkest times, I found my way to incredible light. 

I still didn’t do yoga, like yoga or get why people did. I grew up believing that a work out wasn’t worth it if you weren’t sweating, losing weight and almost puking by the end of it so I resisted Yoga after trying it a few random times.  I considered it glorified stretching and I didn’t “need that.” 

It wasn’t until I lived at The Sivananda Ashram in 2015 where I was required, as a Karma Yogi, to do two hours of Yoga every single day. I complained everyday how much I hated it especially those horrible pointless breathing exercises (pranayama) until one day towards the very end of my four months stay, I realized that yoga was a “work in,” not a “work out.” I was fascinated by the philosophy and the mind body connection. I couldn’t believe I had breathing wrong my entire life. 

My love and deeper understanding didn’t really flourish though until I finished my Yoga Teacher Training in 2017 at age 31. Now I can’t imagine my life without it and I’m in the best physical shape in my life without doing anything BUT Yoga. It’s funny how much the ego fights for our limitations. 

Speaking of ego, I no longer take that judgmental inner critic voice so serious thanks to Yoga. I’ve learned it’s not about getting anything, it’s really about undoing everything. Yoga combined with my daily meditation practice has truly saved my life from addictions, mental health issues, stored trauma, and much more. It has allowed me to align with my highest most authentic self.  

Yoga is a Sacred Science that works for anybody and everybody at any age!