Yoga … A Journey To Yourself

“Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self” – The Bhagavad Gita

Yoga is a journey, a continuous journey without end and a journey that is as individual as you are.  My journey started back in the summer of 2014.

After supporting my partner through a very sudden & traumatic health issue and after the birth of my second child I found myself engulfed in a wave of over powering worry. Anyone who suffers with anxiety will know how truly crippling it can be and how much it affects your whole life…… So after hearing about the benefits yoga can have on the mind, I decided to give it a try ….. This is where my journey began.

 

When I first started out I used to practice just me, by myself at home, moving along to a YouTube tutorial and photographing the progression along the way.  The thought of attending an actual yoga class and joining in practice amongst others honestly scared me. I was plagued with thoughts of “what if people stare at me” , “What if I lose my balance and fall on my face” , What if I’m doing it all wrong” …. All these fear based thoughts kept me at home, practicing alone …..when in reality they were all just excuses.

Now 2 years down the line , I attend a regular weekly class which I love! I feel so comfortable amongst the others which I never thought I would & I have found a whole new love for yoga just by pushing myself and stepping out of my comfort zone.  I have found a place I can go to just be me, switch off, unwind and relax …….. I have even found new friends. I have found that yoga is not just about flexibility progression, It’s about life progression!  I have found that all my previous concerns were for nothing , nobody is staring they’re all focusing on their own journey ……during my time on my mat I’m barely even aware that there is anyone else around me, I’m quite sure everyone else is the same.  I have lost my balance many times , I have stumbled and I have fallen (luckily not flat on my face) but I got back up and carried on…. It happens to us all.  I’m not doing it wrong, there is no “wrong way” to do it…. We all have different bodies and levels of flexibility… Everyone works to their own ability…. It’s not a competition.

But the main thing I have found is myself, so consumed underneath the title of mother, partner, daughter, sister , auntie , friend …… There is me …. I’m Still here, still on my little journey …. And still very much a priority in my own life.

We spend so much time (especially as parents) putting other people before ourselves, making sure our children etc are content, happy & healthy……that we sometimes end up forgetting about our own self importance , our own happiness , our own health.

So inhale the future and exhale the past , let go of negativities, set yourself goals , make time for yourself , and remember …. Nobody can make you happy until your happy with yourself first