Why Practice? Here's My Yoga Journey Story

We all roll out our yoga mats for different reasons, but what brought us to our practice?

Here’s the beginning of my love story with yoga.

Humble First Impression

A decade ago, as a young, impressionable co-ed at the University of South Carolina, my favorite food was orange juice (not much has changed), MySpace was my jam and Yoga 101 was just another elective I was determined to ace.

To be honest, this class did not spark my passion for yoga (although, I did get an A ;)). My cloudy memory recalls almost everything except actually learning about yoga. I remember the smell of chlorine from the swimming pool down the cement hall. I remember the class being right before or right after lunch and feeling either hangry or uncomfortable sitting on the floor in fitted yoga pants after an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet (oh hi unlimited froyo). I remember the excessively sweaty hands of the lone male in our class that I always seemed to partner with. And I remember my blue mat from Walmart that I shockingly only recently tossed when I moved up to Chicago.

What I do remember is our teacher explaining how moods can affect the taste of a glass of water and how to eat chocolate mindfully (I see you, Nutella).

Uninspired after this semester, I unsurprisingly rolled up my mat and diverted my drishti for a few years.

Getting Back Into the Flow

As a fitness enthusiast, it was only a matter of time before I made my way back to my blue mat. The power of suggestion led me back to yoga, after a masseuse recommended yoga to relieve shoulder tension. Looking back, I’m not sure how massages fit into my modest budget, but alas, the next thing I knew, I was a regular at the YMCA’s daily yoga classes, even arriving early to get the good spots up front by the mirrors.

As I started to deepen my practice, I began branching out to dedicated yoga studios (mostly thanks to Groupon). The more studios and styles I tried, the more I couldn’t get enough.

This was especially true in my mid-20s when I took some time off to live in and travel around Australia and Southeast Asia. Between my odd job shifts, Huntsman spider heart attacks and questionable hostel backpacker bunks (documented in my first travel blog), I found solace, comfort and clarity through yoga. After om-ing, sweating and back bending my way through my 15-month quarter-life sabbatical, I realized how beautiful and universal this practice truly is. And I realized yoga was more than just a hobby or fad workout for me.

Natural Progression from Student to Teacher

Following my return to the “real world,” I decided to pursue my 200 hour Yoga Alliance teacher training in order to share yoga with others. Studying, practicing and talking all things yoga for five full weekends with a group of equally passionate yogis was such a fulfilling experience. And, even after 200 hours of yoga immersion, there’s an ocean more to learn, and my training only ignited the desire to learn more about this incredible ancient practice.

Since receiving my certificate, I’ve taught all sorts of classes to all sorts of students. I first spread my yogi toes at the front of the class at the studio I trained at, teaching hot (and I mean hot) hatha and vinyasa athletic-style classes. I then taught flow classes in non-traditional settings like breweries, museums, gardens and apartment complexes before moving to Chicago, where I joined an “on demand” yoga teaching platform. With this company, I was able to share a variety of yoga styles, including hatha, vinyasa and yoga sculpt, with students across downtown Chicago, usually in the posh on-site yoga studios in luxury high rises (amenities have really improved in complexes!). Now, I live in Seattle, and dipping my toes in the virtual teaching space.

So, here I am, wide-eyed and yoga hungry (mindfully, of course). Hoping this honeymoon phase lasts for many moons to come.