MY YOGA JOURNEY

MY YOGA JOURNEY

-

BECOMING A "YOGI"

QUE ES YOGA?

In short, Yoga is a discipline that includes the use of physical, mental, and spiritual practices. 

A mind - body practice if you will, that uses breathing techniques, exercise and meditation.

It falls under the holistic health practice category and is said to help to improve health and happiness. 

In the simplest of terms, Yoga basically means "union". 

I can sit here and discuss every detail about it, as it is so much more but for the purpose of this blog we'll keep it short lol

WHY PRACTICE YOGA?

I believe testimonials are important in helping figure out what and why someone  would chose to practice. 

I've personally always been interested in and practicing Yoga postures for quite some time. I have also always been very interested in the practice and the ties to Indian culture and Buddhism.  Most of all I chose to begin practicing Yoga as a commitment to my mental health and spiritual growth. 

    HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT IT? 

My mom always had many self-help books growing up, as I grew I became more aware of them and started to figure out what they would help with. One of the books she had, which I now have in my library was a Yoga book in Spanish! My dad also was very interested in the practice because of the increase in flexibility. Overall, even though my family never truly practiced Yoga, the seed was planted. 

HOW DID YOU START?

To be completely transparent, I saw Yoga as a luxurious practice. You know the type of thing that only slim, white women with matching workout sets did? I would ask myself, "How could I ever feel comfortable in this space as a Latina?" In the midst of the Stay at Home Order, my distractions were limited. So much media intake was becoming overwhelming and my anxiety became a lot more evident to me. I started to think, why this wasn't accessible to me? I switched the narrative and asked what am I doing to block my accessibility to this practice. I began my research and stumbled across a program, I second guessed a lot.... I sent in some questions and all that was left was for me to "commit". As I thought about my fear and anxiety, I searched deep within my purpose and made the decision to commit to this 8 week program. Because I mean... what better time than now?

WHAT DOES YOGA MEAN TO YOU?

Yoga, is a commitment to my wellness. It is a promise to give and receive peace. I feel passionate about growing my Yoga practice so I can create opportunities for accessibility to my community. When I told my dad about my program he told me, "Esta bien daughter! Yo voy a ser tu primer estudiante!" This meant the world to me, and grew my passion within... never did I ever think to hear those words from my father. I think about my fears of stepping into a Yoga studio, and my wanting to undermine the practice because I created this idea that it could NEVER be for me. I compare that to how I feel now after practicing for a month, and how it has been an immense shift and rollercoaster of emotions to say the least. It has created opportunities for me that I didn't see before, most importantly I feel I am able to consciously play a part in my mental, emotional and spiritual growth. 

CLOSING

My passion for growing my Yoga practice stems from wanting to grow and help others through sharing my growth, to my community and others. I am pursuing to be the model I didn't see. The brave Latina on the mat, working on herself and dedicating herself to her well-being.  I'm striving to find my peace to share my knowledge of obtaining peace with others. I practice Yoga to become a better version of myself, to create unity within myself and with others.