How Yoga Changed My Life

This is the story of how yoga changed my life. I have always been a physical person. I grew up dancing ballet and continued to teach ballet until I had my second child. I participated in heavy hitting cardio classes until I was 39 weeks pregnant with my third child. Then I had that third child:

My family in 2011: Me and Pants, Bear 5 yrs, Bub 2 1/2 yrs, and Josh

You see that happy looking family? What is really going on with the sweet mom there? I always struggled a bit with postpartum depression and my third pregnancy rocked me. Since Josh and I were outnumbered, I felt that I had to stop doing anything for “me.” I felt guilty for giving more attention to the baby than my other kids and I became angry and resentful. I cried every night as the sun set.

After 10 months of these feelings, Josh, my husband, finally said, “You need to get some exercise.” I remember looking at him like, “how is that even an option?” I felt that I needed permission to take care of myself. I could not fathom dragging myself out of bed for the 5:00am cardio classes that I was taking before. My local gym had an 8:30pm yoga class and maybe I could feed Pants, put Bub and Bear to bed, and leave everyone with Josh. The class time checked all my mommy duty boxes.

My First Yoga Class

I went to that class. I did not own a yoga mat and had no intention of getting of one because I did not want to invest money into something that would not last. So I sat on the bare floor in the back of the room and we breathed. It felt like the first time I had taken a breath in 10 months.

How yoga changed my life? We started to move (a vinyasa style class) and I felt my muscles come alive again. With the breath connected to the movement, I felt both calmed and powerful at the same time. I felt the control and flexibility of the ballet I loved, and the vinyasa movement took me out of my head. It was an amazing experience and I wondered why I had never taken the opportunity to try yoga. Do you think I bought a yoga mat (paid link) ? Indeed I did! Many in fact!

I practiced consistently for a year. In my home life, my outlook was completely changed. I no longer felt guilty for my outlet because I knew that I was a better mother and wife when I returned from my calming and stimulating yoga. You cannot help others if your cup is empty. I could see how yoga changed my life already.

How Yoga Changed My Life- Abroad

My husband’s life was in turmoil however. He was working for a company that was quickly going under and my husband was going down with the ship. Josh started the application for the US Air Force and I looked for ways that I could help support the family finances from our home.

Since I was not a stranger to teaching, I looked into 200-hour Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training program. This seemed a good fit because if my husband did get accepted into the military, we would be moving and yoga is something I could teach anywhere. The training was excellent and I started teaching a group of wonderful neighbors in my home. Then Josh was accepted into the US Air Force and I became “Yoga Traveler.” This is how yoga changed my life and continues to change my life.