Yoga found me at a time in my life when I needed it most.
A time where I was desperately seeking positive transformation and light.
Yoga knew what I needed, even before I knew…
Like a lot of people, I was initially attracted to the physical aspect of yoga. Of course, I knew that breath and meditation existed, but I remained oblivious to any of the benefits that weren’t physical. I simply wanted to regain my flexibility, tone up and attain more body awareness.
I have ALWAYS been incredibly active (I was lucky enough to grow up in a family of fitness lovers! We eat, sleep, play sport, repeat.)
Throughout my school years I did everything from competitive swimming (5am – 7am most mornings!), gymnastics, aerobics, surf life saving, netball, cheerleading, tennis, soccer, athletics and cross country running etc. Sport was what we lived for, and we loved it! I adored knowing what my body was capable of and trying to push it harder each day.
But as I grew older and developed depression, I began to withdraw from everything that I once loved.. Including sport. Everything became harder and life became heavier. Even getting out of bed and breathing seemed impossible some days. I ended up quitting all my sporting commitments and curling up into a ball of self hatred.
Yoga found me here. Laying in bed, scrolling through pictures of beautiful and elegant yoginis contorting their bodies in to the most extraordinary positions. My curiosity began to take over, and I wondered if maybe my body was still capable of moving in some of the ways it used to when I did gymnastics (over 6 years before). So, I tried. I woke up at 4:30am one morning, went to the beach to attempt some poses I had seen and take some pictures of the sunrise.
To be honest, I wasn’t very good. My body couldn’t bend or fold like it used to, but it did feel good to stretch my body. And it was beautiful to see the sun rise. So, I began doing it more often. Constantly finding more and more poses to try.
For the first two years of my yoga journey, that’s all I did. That is all I knew about yoga. I didn’t go to classes or a studio to practice, I didn’t join the poses together or “flow”. I just stretched. And at the time, that is exactly what I needed.
A time where I was desperately seeking positive transformation and light.
Yoga knew what I needed, even before I knew…
Like a lot of people, I was initially attracted to the physical aspect of yoga. Of course, I knew that breath and meditation existed, but I remained oblivious to any of the benefits that weren’t physical. I simply wanted to regain my flexibility, tone up and attain more body awareness.
I have ALWAYS been incredibly active (I was lucky enough to grow up in a family of fitness lovers! We eat, sleep, play sport, repeat.)
Throughout my school years I did everything from competitive swimming (5am – 7am most mornings!), gymnastics, aerobics, surf life saving, netball, cheerleading, tennis, soccer, athletics and cross country running etc. Sport was what we lived for, and we loved it! I adored knowing what my body was capable of and trying to push it harder each day.
But as I grew older and developed depression, I began to withdraw from everything that I once loved.. Including sport. Everything became harder and life became heavier. Even getting out of bed and breathing seemed impossible some days. I ended up quitting all my sporting commitments and curling up into a ball of self hatred.
Yoga found me here. Laying in bed, scrolling through pictures of beautiful and elegant yoginis contorting their bodies in to the most extraordinary positions. My curiosity began to take over, and I wondered if maybe my body was still capable of moving in some of the ways it used to when I did gymnastics (over 6 years before). So, I tried. I woke up at 4:30am one morning, went to the beach to attempt some poses I had seen and take some pictures of the sunrise.
To be honest, I wasn’t very good. My body couldn’t bend or fold like it used to, but it did feel good to stretch my body. And it was beautiful to see the sun rise. So, I began doing it more often. Constantly finding more and more poses to try.
For the first two years of my yoga journey, that’s all I did. That is all I knew about yoga. I didn’t go to classes or a studio to practice, I didn’t join the poses together or “flow”. I just stretched. And at the time, that is exactly what I needed.
It wasn’t until January of 2016 that I actually discovered the true essence of yoga.
I had been asked by so many people to come and host yoga retreats all around the world. Which sounded like the most amazing opportunity! But I still had no idea what I was doing! So, I decided to deepen my practice by immersing myself in a 200hr yoga teacher training course in Byron Bay.
https://www.byronyoga.com/
I had been asked by so many people to come and host yoga retreats all around the world. Which sounded like the most amazing opportunity! But I still had no idea what I was doing! So, I decided to deepen my practice by immersing myself in a 200hr yoga teacher training course in Byron Bay.
https://www.byronyoga.com/
It was HERE, that I truly fell in love with yoga and everything it encompasses. It was HERE that I learned yoga is so much more than just the physical postures and movements. It is HERE that I realised yoga was a way of life, not a sport.
And once I had made these discoveries, I fell even more in love with it.
Somewhere throughout this journey, I found self-confidence again. Self-confidence helped me gain self-contentment. And this contentment helped me to regain my happiness, therefore my life…
Yoga helped me to find beauty in even the simple things in life. It allowed me to find gratitude and also enabled me to see life through entirely new eyes; eyes of appreciation, love, kindness, happiness and grace. Yoga was what taught me how to love myself again, and loving myself allowed me to wholeheartedly love others too.
Nowadays, I try to live my life through yoga… Awareness, breath, consciousness, curiosity, compassion, depth, dharma, kindness and love. I try to be kind, understanding, thoughtful, judgement free and to move with intention. I’ve learned to listen to and honour my body. I’ve learned to embrace the connection between my body, mind, spirit and my soul.
Nowadays, I try to live my life through yoga… Awareness, breath, consciousness, curiosity, compassion, depth, dharma, kindness and love. I try to be kind, understanding, thoughtful, judgement free and to move with intention. I’ve learned to listen to and honour my body. I’ve learned to embrace the connection between my body, mind, spirit and my soul.
I then did my 300hr advanced Yoga Teacher Training in Ubud, bali, Indonesia in November 2019.
I chose to do it with a Yoga school called East+West. Where they bring in Teachers and Gurus from India, to teach us here in the West more about the traditional practices and teachings of Yoga and the Yoga Philosophy. It was SUCH a beautiful, warming and humbling experience - truly!
I could not recommend it higher!
I chose to do it with a Yoga school called East+West. Where they bring in Teachers and Gurus from India, to teach us here in the West more about the traditional practices and teachings of Yoga and the Yoga Philosophy. It was SUCH a beautiful, warming and humbling experience - truly!
I could not recommend it higher!
The more I learn about yoga – the more I realise I am yet to learn, and the more I fall in love with the practice. It seeped its way into my life when I needed it most. And although yoga was not the only thing that aided me in my recovery from depression, it was certainly a big contributor and a huge blessing for me.
Now, I practice most days, both on and off the mat. I teach yoga classes at my local yoga studio in Newcastle, and I have even begun hosting my own yoga retreats across the globe!
I feel as if my yoga story is only just beginning, and I am excited to see where it takes me in the years to come…
Love and light,
Sjana x
