Getting to Know Me

♪ Note: this article is also available as a podcast episode. (Scroll down to find the podcast or click here for this week’s episode.)

“It’s nice to meet you”, I whispered to myself.

I was 17 years old, and I had just had an experience that opened a lot of old wounds. Emotionally, I was in a bad place, and I was begging for healing. Not knowing anything about the things I know now, I decided to do a fitness program to distract me. (“At least I’ll be strong.”) It worked, a little bit. I loved getting stronger, but I missed some of the flexibility that had always come naturally to me. After a while, it led me to look for some stretching videos…

I ended up at a 30-day yoga challenge. I’ve always loved challenges, and I was more than ready to jump in, but a part of my brain thought yoga just wasn’t for me.

Nothing could have been further from the truth. On a 20-dollar mint green yoga mat, in a sunlit corner of my bedroom, I started a journey that would ultimately lead me here. Not only did I find flexibility in my body, I discovered a thousand corners of my mind I’d never seen. Yoga brought light to the dark, and made me see the shadows weren’t so scary after all. I finally met myself.

I showed up on my mat every single day, and I am not exaggerating when I say that it changed my life. After three months, I knew I wanted to share this magic with others. I vowed to keep practicing, and take a yoga teacher training when I was ready.

Two weeks after my twenty-first birthday, it was time. I got on a plane for a transformational solo journey. I spent a month on a tiny island in the Mediterranean sea; practicing, studying, embodying, connecting, experiencing, feeling, and growing. I studied with an amazing teacher who pushed me to show up for myself, and transform my shyness into humble confidence. Once again, yoga helped me see who I was beneath all the layers.

This is my story. The story of a broken teenager who transformed into a passionate young woman with so much to live for. Or maybe it is the story of a girl who realized she was never truly broken to begin with. Above all, this is a story of hope. And isn’t that what we all need right now?

I know the world can feel really heavy, but we need to believe in the future. Forgive our past, accept the present, and show up for the people we will be tomorrow. Are you ready? If you need some guidance, I am right here.

I will teach you about yoga. Yoga will teach you about yourself.

Today and every day, I am doing the practice. I am getting to know me.

Love,
Flora