” Letting go is the hardest asana” – Unknown

There are times in life when, we need to breathe, show gratitude, lower our stress levels, live in the present moment and the list goes on. All of these things are proven benefits of practicing yoga. Sadly, my first couple of experiences with yoga left nothing to be desired. Practicing yoga is something I have always wanted to do (in theory), due to the benefits, and the perception of freedom that presents itself when being in all those nifty poses. During my first few experiences there were a few things I enjoyed, there was still something missing. Three years ago due to some work and life challenges I decided to give yoga another try. Looking back I realize I was not open to slowing my mind, body and soul down long enough to truly receive the energy that yoga provides.  I believe the places I attempted to practice yoga did not help my cause. Though I love the use of rec centers for certain types of workouts, yoga did not properly translate for me there. The energy was stale and offered no sense of peacefulness. My main reason for trying it again was the “come to Jesus” talk I had with my life coach; she made it clear, I needed to find outlets to help me discover my zen and simply “let go” of the fight or flight situation I was immersed in at the time. Since flying was not an option, I chose to fight with a holistic approach. 

 Three years later, I’m beyond grateful to have found, Elevate Yoga, a studio that became my happy place the moment I walked in providing me with a refreshing sense of calm and stillness.  I gravitated toward the classes that provided a restorative and relaxation piece to my practice since I was looking for some type of sanity at the time. I admired the warm, euphoric laid back personalities of the instructors. After attending my first couple of classes, it was solidified that this was my “place” to practice yoga. I had a couple of great instructors, but my favorite instructor is Laurel. The first time attending the Flow to Restore class with Laurel, I fell in love with her vibe, calming nature and the music she chose to play. The song I vividly remember playing when I walked in was, “For Love of Da Game” by DJ Jazzy Jeff (Instrumental), ummmm…..DJ Jazzy Jeff and yoga, sign me up. Needless to say, `I was hooked and I have gone to this class since, every Sunday night. Ironically, yoga has been the pill I have needed to digest, so I can slow down and savor life.  My personality is go-go-go and I have a tendency to hold onto things that do not serve me.  However, the hippie in me, said I needed to make a change, and slow my shit down, let go and just breathe. I love the feeling of being more connected to my breath and releasing the bad juju.  It has become a part of my routine and my meditation through movement. The stretching of the body is almost meditative and provides a blanket of calmness. I’m at the point where I notice the difference in my energy when I miss a Sunday.  I can say with 100% certainty, my mindset has grown and changed after making yoga a part of my life consistently. It has helped me to find the serene in stressful situations, get my mind right when shit goes awry and the best benefit…I found my breath. 

*If you have Spotify, check out my Yoga Chill playlist*