My journey on the mat began with a car accident. I flipped my Suburban three and a half times diagonally, with no seat belt on. (I know; what a choice on a day of chaos.) I then spent seven months in a neck brace, followed by physical therapy. I was introduced to yoga at a spirtual retreat in southern California and I began to learn the basics.
It wasn’t until my big brother / hero, suggested that I start practicing yoga with him. (With a history of participating in extreme sports, his own back was shot… until he began practicing yoga.) He frequented a beautiful studio run by an angel named Andrea. Off I went, loving the time on Tuesday & Thursday mornings with my big brother, and Andrea’s flows were magical. These two days quickly became something I looked forward to every day. I remember thinking “Is it Tuesday yet?”. I couldn’t wait to see him and have our time in the studio together.
Not knowing Sanskrit names for postures, I began to learn from a Goddess named Leah, I followed her movements and began to learn the names and what the different poses were. She has had a profound effect on my flexibility and my practice itself & continues to inspire me to this day. I spent a year and a half learning and growing on and off the mat, I had found what I was looking for my entire life, I found myself, my practice, my light, and my breath.
And then the romance started… I fell in love with yoga – the practice, the breath, the moments of pause. I found more and more reasons to schedule work and meetings around my yoga schedule.
It became clear that it was time to start my own yoga studies. Through the process I would weave in my own personal experience, including all its ups and downs, and things that no one thinks they will survive. Practicing yoga saved my life.
