Yoga through the Years
Before a regular yoga practice became part of my life, I was 24 years old and taught elementary school. Other than asthma, I didn't have any aches or pains to note other than the fact I was very disconnected from my body. I took classes for about six months before I finally learned to breathe. I moved my body every class but had no idea that I was just going through the motions. I was 24 after all and could mimic all the shapes with ease… but something magical happened once I could move my own breath. Once I started to breathe with intention, each movement felt like a moving meditation. My inhaler no longer needed to breathe well. And I could actually feel what was happening in my body versus just living in my head. Before yoga my head was a very crowded place to be!
Twenty-six years later, my yoga has been my guiding light the whole way. It first supported me as I moved across the country. I made new friends and connected with other yoga teachers in Charlotte, offering me community in a new place. My breathing practice and hours of cat / cow pose helped me labor and deliver my first child and eventually my second. As I kept breathing and moving, yoga literally created the community that still nourishes me today right here at Greenville Yoga. In my thirties, I developed panic attacks and suffered from generalized anxiety. It was then that an acupuncturist told me about Yin Yoga (aka Taoist Yoga) and my world shifted again. Instead of trying to perfect the shapes of yoga and control my breathing, I learned to let go and surrender. It was the exact support I needed to let go of my perfectionism and fall more fully into my life. As my physical practice softened, this gave my mind and heart permission to soften as well. This led to many life changes – a divorce, a move, buying an old gas station, raising kids into teenagers who are now young adults. While my physical practice waxed and waned for a few years, my devotion to my breath and watching the nature of my mind never faltered. However, near fifty and struggling with the newfound joys of perimenopause (hello my first ever back pain), my yoga practice has been brought back to life. I can’t do all I used to on my hands after 20+ years of a flow practice, but I can still listen to my body. I can still move in a way that feels comforting and strong. I can still breathe and be. No matter where life has taken me, my yoga and my breath have been my companion. When I don’t know where to turn, it always meets me right where I am and reminds me to take a breath and listen in. ~Liz Delaney
