What Is Yoga?  

Yoga to me is being present and in the place of solitude.  It’s a great way for me to escape the stresses of everyday life of living in Vancouver and it keeps me grounded.  

It’s the stillness when I need calm and is a place of energy when I need uplifting.  There are many physical benefits of yoga such as improving balance, endurance, flexibility, and strength.  

Meditation

Meditation helps keep your mind strong, relieves stress and anxiety, and can strengthen your immune system.  I found by doing yoga it helped with my stress, my emotions and taught me different techniques to handle stressful situations better.   

Being a single parent throws a lot at you!   I have found that since doing yoga I was less irritable and took better control of my emotions.  Taught me to breath, how to clear my mind and be in the present.   

 Adult

It wasn’t until early in my adulthood, I tried my first yoga class.   It was something I only did casually and did not go in with the right mind set.  I wasn’t allowing myself to open up or find the solitude needed.   

I was going more for the physical benefits but not the full experience.  I just couldn’t open my soul, be in the present or clear my mind. It wasn’t until a couple years ago, going through a nasty divorce, working a full-time stressful job, being a single parent and all that it entails.  

Sleepless Nights

I ended up not being able to control my emotions and having a lot of sleepless nights.  My emotions started to spiral out of control and it started to not only affect myself, but my kids, and all my relationships.    

One day I worked with someone who was a Yoga instructor.  We had many great conversations.  I observed the way this person dealt with stressful situations and they did it in such a calm manner.  I started going to the library to get books out on yoga and meditation. I also decided to try out another class.  I then travel all over – Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, Halifax or Montreal –  and started a yoga teacher training.

Long Time

For the first time in a long time I was able to breath, clear my head and it taught me different techniques to handle stressful situations.  

It brought me back to a state of calm and helped me regain my true sense of self.  It helped me remember to simply breathe and be. Since then I have been practicing regularly and yoga to me has been my savior.  

Like I said above it helped find my place of solitude.  It has made me into the person I have always wanted to be.  

In Sum

I am approaching and achieving things in life I have never thought possible.  I want to be that positive role model in other people’s lives and take the knowledge I learn and pass it on to others.  

I really want to focus on family yoga as it has helped and benefited my family tremendously!  Yoga has created such a great bond between us.