The Journey Has Already Begun

Hello!

I intend to chronicle my yoga practice and discoveries in this blog in the hopes that it will help and encourage others in their practice, but also as a reminder to myself of where I've been and where I hope to be in my practice!

That being said, a little history.

My first experience with yoga occurred in high school. I took a couple classes at a local studio, and enjoyed the experience, but I wasn't quite ready to commit. I think the incense threw me off a bit (and gave me a headache... don't get me wrong, I love incense, but inhaling that much made my head spin).

I didn't encounter yoga again until college. I majored in theatre, and our stage movement teacher, Melli, incorporated yoga into our warm-ups. This is when yoga really started to click for me. I loved the way it made me feel, and I discovered that the stretching and focus on alignment was actually alleviating some minor lower back pain I'd been having trouble with (flat feet....it's a curse).

From there I decided to try a class setting again, this time at my college's health complex, and fell head over heels (let's be honest, in yoga this is pretty common) for yoga. I took classes when I could fit them into my schedule, and discovered that my favorites were combinations of yoga and pilates, and the vinyasa flow classes. The higher impact and level of difficulty the better. I'm also very competitive with myself and a bit of a daredevil, which can sometimes lead to injury, but if focused, has enabled me to achieve poses I would have never thought possible.

My exploration deepened when I embarked on a nationwide theatre fringe festival tour as a cast member of a show. Several other members of the group enjoyed practicing yoga, and so we began to practice together in all sorts of odd settings on the road. Our fearless leader Megyn helped to guide us through podcasts published by a studio she frequents in NYC (Yoga To the People, I highly recommend it). This was a really valuable time for my practice, as I began to see it as not just a form of exercise but as a way to clear my mind and focus and to do something for myself and my body.

I graduated from college this past May, and made it a goal for myself to become certified as a yoga teacher. I haven't set a specific time by which I hope to achieve this goal, but I'm not necessarily in a hurry. For now, I think it is more important to explore the many forms of yoga, find what works for me, and build a more consistent practice. I am trying out different studios and classes in Indianapolis for the summer, and I hope to find a studio I like and become a member/regular of in Chicago when I move there in August.

So why Yoga?

I played many different sports as a child, but set aside athletics in high school to pursue other interests. It always has been and still is my goal and dream to become a professional actor. The demands of a stage and film actor generally include a fit body. Yoga for me has become a way to work out and stay fit. It is never boring, never the same, and never a chore, which was always my problem with hopping on the elliptical or going for a run. What's even better about yoga is that is has greatly improved my posture and body and breath awareness, which all play into my abilities as a performer as well. Its helped me become more graceful, balanced, and able to center and focus myself.  Yoga grants me the ability to calm myself and discover inner peace unlike anything else has. For me, after I complete my time on the mat for the day, it is the closest thing I have come to a religious experience. I want to share with all who are willing to listen the many benefits of yoga.