I tried yoga in my mid-20s and whilst it appealed to my “ego” to sound trendy by telling my friends that I was going to yoga classes something didn’t gel. I couldn’t switch my mind off; I struggled with understanding how and when to breathe. Ultimately I was not able to connect with the deeper spiritual level of mental and physical well-being that yoga brings.

Sound Familiar??

Fast forward to 2014, I had not attempted to bend myself into any pretzel type shapes, nor meditated for over 15 years. In short I had spent 16 plus years pushing on the treadmill for “success” and trying to be something and a version of me for everyone else. I had a huge monkey on my back, was burnt out and had given all my energy to other people and things, without storing some back for me. In the process I had lost me, I was tired, irritable, diagnosed with work-related depression and lost. Coupled with food allergies, brain fog, and mood swings, something had to give before I did.

Lindy Blisset – Inspiration

In June 2014, I embarked on a course of KORE and Cupping therapy with Lindy Blissett initially I went to see Lindy to help relieve my bloating and the weight gain that I had been suffering with since June 2011  yet could not shift.  For 3 years, I had been walking around quite simply feeling crap.  I had been to see my GP who told me to eat less and move more, joined slimming world and had paid over £200 per month for a personal trainer, nothing worked.  I was holding onto weight, my stomach area was solid, I looked pregnant,  was constipated, I was having strong reactions to food.  Being “me” on the outside I kept smiling through it and joked that I was Violet Beauregard. On the inside, I was scared, exhausted and lost.

Within minutes of being in Lindys Treatment Cabin at the bottom of her garden, she got to the route cause to treat as opposed to the symptoms.  I was lying on Lindys treatment bed with Chronic Candida, adrenal fatigue  Burn out & depression.

Through the course of the initial 12 weeks treatment with Lindy, I started to connect with my body again and understand the link between the mind and the body. I began to appreciate how my body responded in a positive way to relaxing, taking time out, breathing deeply and being still. How switching off from the “noise” of day to day life was having massive positive impacts in all areas of my life. Lindy was the first person to advise me to “Let go”.  I didn’t really understand what she meant by Letting go, I thought that was all easier said than done.  She advised me to be kinder to myself, to slow down, and gently pointed me towards Yoga. Lindy gave me the strength, guidance, support and keys to many doors to unlock.

Returning to Me

Whilst Lindy is also a qualified Yoga teacher, initially I  didn’t want to go to her class as a return to Yoga in case I didn’t like it and was scared I would hurt her feelings. I am a member of Bannatyne’s Wellingborough  so in late June 2014 I took Lindys advice and joined Pat Davies at her class; I went with no expectations and was just ready to give myself over to the class and see what happened (little did I know that this is the best way to enter into yoga) what happened was magic!

Pats style as a Yoga Teacher brought something I had not experienced previously and that was spirituality & connecting. In Pats class, I was able to lift the lid off a box that had been packed away at the back of a cupboard for many years. I found a new sense of confidence and self. I sought out other Yoga Teachers joining Lindy Blissett and Karen Churchill and David Cosserat. All teachers styles are different and complimented each other, each opening different levels and insights into the practice. Slowly over time I felt I was coming back to me and to the world, no longer being a passenger but actually awake. In January 2015 I started a Yoga Foundation Course with David at Inner Healing School of Yoga

Through yoga, I am learning the art and value of patience and acceptance of self. This flows through into patience and acceptance of your environment. Everything will fall into place in the right time. The answer is to work with the gentle rhythm of life; to breathe in and out relinquish control and learn to let go.

Yoga is not always practiced on a Mat

Yoga is now part of my everyday life and habit, in the same way, that for some a day is not complete if they haven’t updated their Facebook status. Yoga has enabled me to take the things I have learned on the mat and take them into everyday life. I have evicted my “ego” and am able to recognize quicker when it is trying to make an appearance. My home,  work life and relationships have improved 10 fold I work to the premise what best serves me, not ego or “should do’s” thus enabling me to switch off from “noise” and from feeling of guilt etc. I value the journey and lessons I had to learn to get me to this current place, and am so very grateful for those people who have helped me to get this far. Like all students of yoga I recognize that I am a work in progress and have a long way to go on my journey. The next steps for me are to improve my practice and to work to gain my yoga teacher qualification so that I may be able to share with others the value of this great practice.

I am grateful that Yoga is not just a thing I do. It has become part of who I am.