How I began My Yoga Journey

This is the story of how yoga was introduced into my life.  It is actually funny.  As I remember those times I hear in my head what my teacher Swami Sita said about there are no coincidences, all things happen for a reason even if we don't understand it at the time or even ever understand it at all. 

I was about 26 years old, a single mother of two girls working at the daycare that they attended.  At this point in my life I felt almost no purpose in my life.  I knew it was my job in life to take care of these two beautiful children I was blessed with and I took that job very seriously.  So much so that I didn't realize that I wasn't taking care of myself. 

Sometimes I felt like I was in a cycle.  Wake up, get the kids ready, go to work, get the kids home from work, get the kids ready for bed, go to bed, then do it all over again.  Even work felt like that mundane cycle.  Go to work, work hard come home exhausted, barely have enough energy to get the kids dinner and to bed, barely have enough money to pay the bills, once they are paid, then do it all again.

My sister was in the military at the time and my now hubby, was then one of my good friends.  I met him at the daycare because he took his son there as well.  My sister came to visit me often and she would be the one to "take care" of me.  She would take me shopping and buy me the things I didn't buy myself because I was providing for the girls.  She is famous for her shopping skills BTW.  My "friend" Christopher would meet me weekly for breakfast and we would talk about our lives and our kids and just enjoy each others company.  He did then, as he does now travel a lot for work.

Christopher was out of town for a few months on a sabbatical from work and during that time my sister comes for one of her usual visits.  We shop and visit  the usual stuff sisters do.  This trip we seem to take a bunch of pictures of each other, together, and the girls.  I told her I would develop them and send her copies (remember...the old days when we had to develop film...LOL).  When I went to pick up the pictures and took a look at my 26 year old self I was a little freaked out.  I am over weight, I look unhappy, unhealthy, and frumpy.

After this I realize that I need to snap out of this place I am in and take charge of my life.  I decide that I will start to exercise.  I get the girls we head over to good ole Wal-Mart so I can buy a workout video (yes video as in VHS...that is all there was for the common folk in those days).  As I am there at Wal-Mart the two girls in the cart browsing the workout videos I realize that most of them are aerobics.  That is not going to work for two reasons.  One, I live on the third floor of my apartment building and two I can't afford to buy shoes to do aerobics in AND the workout video.  I keep looking around and I see a video with Denise Austin on the front with no shoes on and it's Beginner Yoga and Pilates video.  No need for shoes, I made my choice.

I get home with my new video and get the girls fed and to bed by 8:30pm and look forward to staring my workout.  I started to feel better about myself, I had more energy, something for "me" to look forward to, and I lost about 25 pounds.  I was amazed!  As I started to feel and look better my outlook on many things also changed and helped me on the way to the person that I am today.  

My friend Christopher got back into town and we reconnected.  Our schedules had changed since we had last met for breakfast so we decided we could meet for dinner as "friends".  He was shocked to see all the changes in me, and the "friends" thing...as hard as we both fought to be just friends it didn't work as we were falling in love.

Since my first experience with yoga my interest grew.  I would read anything and everything I could about yoga, it's history, origin, and asana (poses).  I dreamed of becoming a yoga teacher and sharing my love of yoga with as many people as I could.  I am so blessed to be able to be living that dream.  My one love made sure that I could live my dream of my other love.  For that I am grateful everyday as I grab my mat to go teach, share, and learn.