what yoga means to me.

my yoga journey started in high school. during an extremely hard time in my high school career, yoga became a safe place for me. i learned that i have control over my thoughts, and through breathing deep i learned to find and live in peace. of course, i brought my own spirituality into all of this, letting yoga be a stomping grounds for me to work through scripture in my mind and meditate on the sweet words. the whole process was very healing, so when i got to college i continued my journey with a level 1 certification through yogafit. i started teaching at the gym on clemson's campus and fell in love with it even more. two years later i got my next yoga certification through yogafit and kept teaching until i graduated.

for now i'm not teaching, although i hope to be again in the future. as much as i miss teaching, this little break has been an opportunity for me to come back to my yoga roots...

a yoga session can completely turn my day around. sometimes i have those days where i just feel down. maybe i'm tired and am having trouble being productive...or i'm ancy from working in the house all day and eat ice cream for lunch (whyyyy???). all it takes is a 60 minute yoga session to release endorphins, balance my hormones, and completely transform my mood. my crappy turns into happy...

yoga causes me to stop and be still. other days i'm up at 7 running around at the hospital...then i'm spending the evening trying to get everything checked off my to-do list. yoga causes me to take a break, slow down, and be still. it helps bring my focus back to the joys of life rather than what i can accomplish in a day's time.

yoga increases my confidence. there is nothing that can make you feel good about yourself like getting that difficult yoga pose you've been practicing for months. once, i was looking at a yoga picture thinking, "wow, i hope i can do that pose one day." the next month, i was doing the pose! my body is constantly surprising me with things it is capable of, and i'm reminded that i am much more equipped than i realize, on my yoga mat and off.

yoga is one of the ways i take care of myself. when i think of taking care of my myself, i think about cooking and eating healthy meals, running, bubble baths, massages, and yoga...when i practice, i know i'm not just taking care of my body, but i'm taking care of my mind too. i'm not just stretching my muscles, but i'm strengthening them. i'm not just balancing my thoughts, but i'm balancing my hormones. i know that through my yoga practice, i can be a better wife and partner and to my husband. i can be a better sister, a better daughter, and a better friend...ultimately, i can be a better me.

yoga demolishes my stress and anxiety. stress...gosh. i've had my experiences with that junk....especially through college. i swear yoga is what kept me sane most of the time. i've often found myself thinking "if i can just make it through this, or just get through that, the stress will be over." but whether i'm in college, moving and unpacking, or starting a new job, the stress is all the same! no matter the season of my life, it seems to follow me....if i let it. i've learned it's not about "surviving" and until the stress passes, but it's about managing it. learning that i have a choice in how i handle anxiety, and that i am not bound to it.

one of the coolest things about yoga is that it has different effects on every person. every body needs something different, and your body is one of the greatest tools in telling you what you need. it will tell you and lead you there, if you let it. it might be through yoga, it might be through cooking, it might be through running. but what ever it is, i encourage you to listen to it...

do you practice yoga? i would love to hear what it has meant to you!