How It All Began...

I am not really sure what lead to me sign up for my very first yoga class eleven years ago. Perhaps it was the appeal of longer, leaner more flexible muscles, or maybe it was the idea of improved posture with the possibility that my mere 5"4 frame could possibly grow that desired extra inch or so. At the time I had very little knowledge of what yoga was and was completely oblivious as to how it was going to impact my life, but the idea of hanging from a wall of fixed loops and ropes intrigued me, while the notion of standing on my head instilled a sense of fear, some resistance, and challenged me to step out of my comfort zone.
Over the next few years I practiced once, maybe twice a week, enjoying how I felt while practicing in the classes, but not seeing any big changes in myself until I was hit by a car as a pedestrian.
I suffered from a sublexed T9 in my spine, some shoulder, wrist and hip issues and found myself unable to sit comfortably for more than a minute or two. I could not get comfortable because my alignment was askew, which put pressure on so many areas of my body. That was when yoga became my therapy.
I had gone to physio, but it only seemed to make the situation worse. The issues I was having while walking were becoming more frequent and excruciatingly painful so I left it up to yoga to heal me. Around the time of my accident, (perfect timing really)a couple of yoga studios opened that offered unlimited monthly passes with the option of several classes per day at various times throughout the day, everyday of the week which allowed me to attend more classes and lead me on a quicker path to recovery, not to mention a whole new yoga experience.
Instead of sitting on the couch while watching a movie I would find myself unconsciously moving to engage in some yoga whether it was just a few rounds of sun salutations, downward dogs or a full session in a quiet room. I had benefitted from yoga on a purely physical level. Seeing the improvements in myself built up a trust in yoga and a love for yoga, but this was just the surface and I knew it then. I felt this incredible need to go to India, to be submerged in the culture, learn yoga from those who had learned it from their grandparents, who learned it from their grandparents and so on. I felt I needed to develop discipline for the practice and discover the deeper changes I knew it could offer. It was not until I ventured over to India that I truly learned what yoga is...