I’ve been anxious since I was a child, and am prone to feeling overwhlmed with a family of anxious humans. School was the factor that exacerbated my anxiety growing up. While college went better than high school, there were several months right before my last semester of college, where I struggled with keeping my mental health in check. I signed up for a 30 days for 30 dollars package at a local studio. My therapist suggested I try it as a way to help with my overwhelming anxiety in daily life.
Nervous and unsure of what I was getting myself into I tried many classes in those 30 days and found the ones I enjoyed. To save money, as a poor college student, I volunteered at the studio in exchange for classes. This allowed me to work with the owner of the studio and the teachers on the art of listening to my body and being okay with not getting poses exactly as they were pictured.
I started taking yoga classes every week and designed a routine where I would start my week with a yoga class to set the tone for myself. This routine helped me to finish college, and a get a job just after graduation and feel much less overwhelmed by daily life. I still have a form of this practice in my current daily life.
The experience of starting yoga helped broaden my community at a difficult time in my life, and ultimately gain a tool that has served through other difficult times over the last 10 years.
From the inner peace that has come with the added tool of yoga practice and philosophy, I’ve been able to advance professionally without my anxiety getting the better of me and take more risks personally. It is a hobby, practice, and philosophy I will always be grateful for starting and has provided so much joy and sustained me in the darkest of times.