I took my first yoga class about eleven years ago. It was a nice, slow, restorative class.
Although I enjoyed the class, and could feel the benefits of relaxation, stress reduction, and flexibility, I found myself leaving there and trying to squeeze in a Jazzercise, Zumba, or some other cardio workout.
Life got busy and hectic and I gained weight, stress, aches and pains. In 2012, I tried my first Power Yoga class in a heated studio (not Bikram hot- just heated to about 90 degrees.)
My first class was an intro to Power Yoga/Restorative class. I convinced a friend to go with me because I was stepping out of my comfort zone, and I needed a buddy to step out with me. I thought I may be forced to stand on my head or put my feet behind my ears or something. That was not the case at all. The poses were not complicated, and the more advanced poses had modifications for each one.
About fifteen minutes into the class, my friend and I looked at each other, and I quietly mouthed “I think I may die right here!” (If I knew then what I know now, I would’ve listened to my wise teachers more and taken that child’s pose when my body said to). By the end of the class, Savasana as it’s called, I felt so good that I didn’t want to leave. I seriously said to my friend, “I’m not sure if I just had a workout, a massage, or a glass of wine, but I feel amazing.”
I knew I would be back for more. If I’m being honest, I stepped into that heated yoga studio because I wanted to get healthy, feel better, and look good. I had no idea the mental benefits it would bring.
We all have those things in life that blindside us, at 4:00 p.m. on a Tuesday- You know, those things we don’t plan for…I’ve had many, and I am sure, if you have lived long enough, so have you. For me and my knock-your-feet-out-from-under-you, life-changing experiences, the guilt and uncertainty were packed tightly into every cell of my body.
Many classes later, at the end of an intense yoga practice, tears were falling from my eyes and I didn’t know why. God, as good as he always is, had placed one of the nicest, most genuine pastors I’ve ever met on the mat beside me. I’ll never forget, he gently said to me, “it’s okay to cry; tears heal, don’t hold them back.” I’ve probably never told him how much that meant to me. Then, quietly and without drama, lady after lady whispered as she passed my mat “I cry sometimes on my mat too.”
I know now, that we are like an onion- with many layers to us, and as we get more mindful in our bodies and listen to what we really need, we start to peel away, layer by layer, all the heavy things that weigh us down. I started to feel lighter, little by little, and it wasn’t just from the pounds melting away.
Since then, I’ve had a committed practice both at home and at my local studio; I’ve taken boot camps and trainings under Baron Baptiste, Byran Kest, Annette Tersigni-Yoga Nurse, and numerous other teachers, both locally and across the country. I have completed Power Yoga Teacher Training with Bryan Kest, The Yoga Nurse Essentials course, and have also taught at the corporate level- promoting back safety, flexibility, mindfulness, and stress reduction.
In June of 2015, I opened Yoga @ the Barn in Jena, LA. I am forever a student myself, and I am continuing to seek further trainings and certifications. I am also a registered nurse and a registered respiratory therapist- I know the importance of taking care of your body, and linking it with your breath. I am certainly no wise master or guru who has life figured out. I do, however, love yoga and the benefits that come along with it, and I am looking forward to sharing my practice with you!
Namaste’ Y’all,
Lori
