I found yoga in the winter of 2023 when I was having trouble with joint pain in my knees and back from previous sports-related injuries. I had been to physical therapy numerous times in the past for the pain, but I was having difficulty keeping myself accountable to complete the exercises outside of the appointments. 

A family member actually recommended yoga to me. Initially I was really nervous and resistant to try it. I had some preconceptions about what skills and traits a person needed prior to doing yoga – such as needing to be flexible, knowing the yoga terms and poses, and having a ‘slim’ body with perfectly matching yoga clothes… I quickly realized how wrong those preconceptions were.

As someone in the mental health care profession and working towards a graduate degree, I have always known the immense benefits that the mind-body connection has on mental well-being, but sometimes (or maybe most of the time) I would fail to apply the same standards to myself as I did to my clients. I decided to join the Inner Fire Yoga community to see if it could help with my physical and mental health, figuring that it was time to finally ‘practice what I preach.’ 

When I arrived at my first yoga class, I was incredibly grateful for the welcoming energy and quickly realized that there are so many kinds of people who practice yoga, all at different ability levels. I even discussed with the teacher about what types of modifications I could make to the poses to make sure my joints were properly protected.

Over the next year I attended classes whenever I could, and gave myself grace when I couldn’t. I promised myself that no matter how I looked that day, what clothes I wore, and what my ability level was, to just try to show up and let my body guide my practice. Sometimes that means I’m in a baggy t-shirt, sometimes I fall out of the poses, and other days I am pleasantly surprised when I am able to effectively challenge myself and try something new. 

While I’m still newer to my yoga practice, I am excited to attend more classes and try out all the different styles that Inner Fire Yoga has to offer!