Sunday, August 16, 2009

Yoga

As long as I can remember, I wanted to do yoga. Even growing up in a tiny Texas town, knowing nothing about yoga, I had a sense that it was something I wanted to learn about and do. I finally got my chance at the La Jolla YMCA after I had Claire. I loved it from the first class. After a year or two, I went to a 200-hour Yoga Alliance accredited yoga teacher training program. I loved that too. Then I started teaching adults and preschoolers. It was great.

When we moved to New York, instead of teaching professionally, I practiced yoga on my own, keeping strong and flexible and focused during pregnancy and the year post partem. I volunteered at our church branch, teaching first on Saturdays, and then during early morning seminary for seminary moms and other relief society sisters willing to get up. I loved seeing the women develop in strength and confidence.

Now that we've moved to Provo, I'm once again practicing on my own. I'm looking forward to teaching again. Getting a paying job would be nice, but I'm more excited about sharing yoga with those who would otherwise not be able to practice, seeing others benefit from something I love.

I'm not sure how I could have known I would like yoga, when I had only heard of it, vaguely. I'm grateful I found it, because it is part of who I am.

4 comments:

Valerie said...

Wish I lived closer, I'd take a class from you! I really miss Lisa's class at the YMCA.Yoga was really transforming for me. It gave me a sense of strength and calm that I hadn't found anywhere else. I need to start getting into my own routine now.

Leslie said...

I, too, am grateful that I discovered yoga. I hope to be staring a class (as a student, not a teacher) this fall if everything falls into place. Good luck with getting something started in Provo!

denebug said...

I still miss Lisa's classes. She is a wonderful teacher.

Part of the reason I went through the teacher training was so that I would have the knowledge and confidence to continue practicing after I left the safety of the La Jolla YMCA.

For personal practice, you can always do a series of sun salutations on a regular basis (twice a day or twice a week) and add standing/strengthen asanas and relaxation stretches as your body demands.

Rebecca said...

It's good to find things we can be passionate about and good at too. It's bonus if it happens to be good for us as well. I remember hearing you did yoga was one of the first things I learned about you when you moved here (a get together at Medina's so long ago.)