My Yoga Story
I’ll let you into a little secret, my life hasn’t always been quite this holistic!
About 15 years ago, I finished uni, got a job that I really wanted and quickly moved up through the ranks (probably too quickly to be honest, but that’s a story for another day).
I was earning money, had a cool apartment in the city centre and a great social life, but something was missing – I was anxious, super stressed and suffering from out-of-control eczema on my face.
I had no idea what was going on, how long I was going to be able to carry on living like that or how to make it stop.
Then one day, my friend heard a celebrity talking about hot Yoga classes on the radio & found a hot Yoga studio had just opened nearby. We decided to go along to a class, just to see what it was all about.
My mum had previously been practicing Yoga, so it had been on my periphery for a while, but I had never actually practiced it myself or really knew too much about it.
What is hot Yoga?
Hot Yoga is basically practicing physical Yoga poses (asanas) in a room heated to about 38*C (it’s hot ). The idea is that the heat helps your flexibility, boosts your circulation & detoxifies your body through sweat.
I did not know when I walked into that hot Yoga studio, that hot Yoga is NOT recommended for complete beginners!
In that first class I didn’t think about any of my worries or stresses, I didn’t think about work or my skin problems. I just focused on getting through those 90 minutes and getting out of that boiling room!
Craving that Yoga feeling
After that class, something happened. I started to crave that feeling of not thinking about anything. The feeling of physically moving the body and then a deep relaxation at the end of class. I wanted to be able to link my breathing with my movements & not have to gasp for air in certain poses.
I’ve never been particularly sporty & really enjoyed the non-competitiveness of a Yoga class. I loved that everyone was moving and breathing together, but also doing their own thing and working on their own issues.
I bought myself a 15 day pass at that Yoga studio & went back 10 times during those two weeks! I dropped a dress size, felt fitter, stronger and more in-control than I ever had. Something had switched in my brain and it felt amazing!
Yogi Lifestyle
Soon, Yoga became a way of life for me. I was going to a class every day, either in my lunch break or after work. I met loads of lovely people at the studio & felt really inspired by the teachers, as I delved deeper into Yoga & wellness.
But it wasn’t just the physical poses & the classes that I noticed changes in, I started to notice changes in myself too. I was becoming much more self-aware, able to notice when my stress levels were rising or patterns of anxiety where starting to show up. I started to eat better, sleep better and make better life choices for myself.
I noticed that I wasn’t as reactive to stressful situations (and people) and felt more calm and relaxed. My eczema disappeared as I started to practice more & more self-care and I started to set boundaries for myself.
I think Yoga was probably the catalyst to make me take a sabbatical from my stressful job and go travelling around South East Asia! Of course, I ended up at a Yoga Retreat in Thailand for a little while .
Still a Yoga student
I’m still a Yoga student now, after almost 15 years! I still go to classes & still get inspired by other teachers in-person & online. I’m still learning things about myself & using Yoga and meditation as a way to help me live my life in the best way I can.
Taking my Yoga Teacher Training in 2014 was one of the best decisions I made and led me to where Eat. Sleep. Yoga is today, with plenty more trainings along the way & probably many more on the horizon too!
I love practicing Yoga, teaching Yoga & generally just talking about Yoga and I hope I get to continue practicing/teaching/talking about it for many more years to come!