Yoga with Annie

I, personally, have been on a journey to find my truth and my path for a very long time. When I completed my 200 Certification and became an instructor, I did not know if I really wanted to teach. I wanted to advance my knowledge in the traditions of yoga and hone my personal practice. I needed to challenge myself. You see, I am a Lyme Warrior. I have had Chronic Lyme Disease since 2010. I have ingested so many different medications to combat the spirochetes that attack my immune system, some worked for a while, some not at all. With each medication came side effects, some were physical, others were mental. It was completely debilitating at times. Every aspect of my well being was affected. I was defeated. Yoga became my refuge. Yoga helped calm the chaos that took up residence in my mind. The Eight Limbed Path spoke to me on a deeper level and began to pe*****te every facet of my life. Could I commit to following in these foot steps to awaken to a higher purpose? Can I stand to be in this pose longer than I have been? Can I push through? I discovered strengths and perseverance in me, I hadn’t known existed. I found the community breath of yoga energizing and supportive, softly encouraging me to hang on.

I will honestly tell you, my chattarunga is not perfect, my right hip splays awkwardly in Warrior, my legs don’t always knit perfectly during inversions...my practice is perfectly imperfect. The discipline and commitment I learned while studying for my certification was difficult to achieve and not always easy to sustain. Eventually, I was able to strip away the ego involved and it was then that I began to bask in the light. I no longer looked to see the person next to me to compare my stance in a posture. I focused on my adjusting my alignment and meeting my breath. The simplicity and wisdom of Patanjali’s sutras began to make sense to me. Somewhere in there, I found Me! I began to breathe through the tough stuff on and off the mat. I found peace in living in the now instead of belaboring some moot point of yesterday or becoming anxious over tomorrow’s unknown. This moving meditation of breath and asanas has quieted my anxieties, ignited my inner fire, opened my heart space, and cleared my mind and body of all negative dukka, to arrive at a state of samadhi, the perfect union of the individualized soul with the infinite spirit. Through this practice and in this heart space, I found myself and my tribe. Come grown with us. Namaste.