I actually dislike saying that yoga can change your life. It’s cliché.
Also, it’s a lie. I’m now of the belief that yoga doesn’t change your life; it just helps you come back home to what you’ve always had within you. It’s a function of subtraction, rather than addition.
You don’t need to change anything about you. Just get rid of the parts that aren’t you.
So really, this should be called “How To Get Rid of The Parts That Aren’t You.” But you wouldn’t have clicked on that. (Call me out if I’m wrong.)
Anyway. Yoga has helped me come back home where I belong – comfortable in my own skin and accepting of who I am.
It all started when I was little. I liked to pass my time telling stories. Out loud. To no one in particular. I’d walk around my room with something in my hand (usually a pom pom) and just talk. I crafted these imaginative narratives in my head and then just rattled them off, making things up as I went along. Stuff just came to me.
Somewhere along the line, probably closer to middle school, I decided my storytelling might make me weird. So I stopped. And I never told a story out loud again. Until I started teaching yoga…
I later found out that my parents once asked my first grade teacher if they should take me to a doctor to get me checked for mental problems. Thank you, Mrs. May, for reassuring mom and dad that their child was not mentally handicapped. In fact, my teacher encouraged the creativity.
Once I stuffed the creativity aside for more practical applications of my mental acuity, I started experiencing a lot of stress caused by a bad case of perfectionism. This is when I first came to yoga, searching for a cure to my frequent panic attacks that left me shaking uncontrollably and incredibly distracted.
Yoga cured the panic attacks. It’s also put a pretty big dent in the chronic perfectionism. Most importantly, it invited me to explore my creative side.
And so it led me to where I am today, helping me shed all the pieces I picked up along the way that were trying to dim my light.
Yoga affected me in profound ways, and I’m forever grateful for the practice. But I’m not the only one!
I asked women in my life who have inspired and influenced me and here’s what they have to say about how yoga changed their lives:
“Yoga teaches me to experience the reality and richness of human emotion. Pain, bliss, grief, strength, spinning, stillness, humility, grace, gratitude, failure, judgment, boredom… you name it, yoga has directly or indirectly pulled up a chair and sat down in that space. It clears this pathway, then illuminates it. It’s a practice that always gets me home, back to myself.”
~Kelly Newsome, Higher Ground Yoga
“Some time along the last decade of practicing and studying yoga I became more considerate of the effect my actions, thoughts, and energy have on the world around me. In doing that, I think it made me a better person all around.”
~April Armistead, Hearts Expanding
“Yoga is my life: asana practice, breath-work, meditation, and the rich yogic philosophy on how to live in a balanced way and truly excel as a human being. Yoga has given me a well calibrated compass to my true self, my soul. Through this practice I have come to recognize the deep impact we can have on others when we tend to our inner garden first. As within, so without. Not a day goes by when I am not deeply grateful for this path and the transformation and personal development it offers.”
~Kia Miller, Radiant Body Yoga
“Yoga opened the door of a mental cage I had built for myself over the years, allowing me to emerge in full freedom of expression, releasing myself from the prison of a lie that said ‘I am not enough. I am not what the world wants. It (along with the infamous, anonymous ‘they’) will laugh and reject me.’ What a tremendous relief to reveal to the world the truth of who I am, the beauty of my spirit and the kindness and compassion of my heart.”
~Marsha Austin, Radiance Power Yoga
“Of all the places I’ve gone and things I’ve accomplished, yoga has probably been one of the most transformative and influential part of my journey because it gave me the awareness to connect mind, body, and soul. The allure of strength and flexibility initially attracted me to yoga, but it was learning the balance- both on the outside and the inside that really enlightened me to the importance of self-love, self-care, and digging within myself to find the courage and confidence to embrace all the gifts the universe is waiting to share with me.”
~Amanda, Grow Soul Beautiful
“I am balanced. I am powerful, compassionate and accepting. I am changing the world by helping others peel back their layers, to the core.”
~Cara Ferrick, CorePower Yoga Regional Director
“When you make yoga a way of life, you stop faking the funk. You become the funk, the present, the spice, creative genius, expansiveness+ clarity. I feel this every single moment.”
~Lo, Y is for Yogini
“Yoga has changed my life in every way possible. I choose my words and battles wisely and move away from judgement quickly. I treat each day as a gift and find happiness in moment to moment instead of living in the past or future with a sense of fear. It’s made me completely choose love.”
~Kathryn Budig, KathrynBudig.com
“Breath by breath my practice has allowed me to realize that I am not defined by my thoughts, that I am bigger than my fears and brighter than my doubts.”
~Tammy Lyons, Inner Bliss Yoga Studio
“Very simply, yoga saved my life, helping me to stay afloat during what was otherwise the most unhealthy and turbulent chapter of my life. Depression and anxiety had me paralyzed and suicidal thoughts seemed tempting, but I somehow kept up a daily practice of Bikram Yoga — sweat streaming down my face often masking the quiet tears. I didn’t understand HOW this practice had shifted me so profoundly but I knew the next step was to shift my research career so that I could quantify, explain and share these benefits with others.”
~Stephanie M. Shorter, PhD, Skullshine Yoga
“The practice of yoga has provided tools for me to crystalize and refine my life’s purpose while creating space for the possibility to experience the state of Yoga which is Samadhi (enlightenment), Bliss, Happiness through compassion for all beings. It has continued to open me up, not just physically (although its nice to have open hips, shoulders and hamstrings, etc) but mentally, psychologically and energetically. It reveals yourself to yourself. You become more attuned to who you TRULY are, which is YOGA. A being that is a divine badass capable of greatness through uplifting the lives of others. It’s super rad stuff! “
~Giselle Mari, Funky Jiva
“Yoga has changed my life in so many ways that it’s challenging to pinpoint one main thing or reason. It continues to break me open everyday, both on and off my mat. It truly is a life practice. Over the past 10 years, the meaning of yoga continues to evolve in various ways for me, being a new yoga studio owner, yoga teacher and enterpreneur. I see yoga as more than just asana, but an opportunity to connect with others on a deeper level.”
~Malia Scott, Say Om Yoga
“Upon discovering yoga during my sophomore year in college, my mind, body and soul experienced a complete transformation. My body was slimmer and more toned than before, I began to build more self confidence and respect for myself and I exuded this new demeanor with positivity and grace. I thrived with this new attitude and never looked back. Every time I step on my mat, I get to experience this transformation and remind myself of how grateful I am to have this practice in my life.”
~Denelle Numis, New Miss Yoga
Who’s next? Has yoga changed your life (or helped you come back home)? Share your story in the comments below!
