A Brief History
Yoga is more than just movement
Many people know that yoga encompasses so much more than down dog and the warrior triplets. There are 8 limbs of yoga actually, and the movement only represents one limb. Learning about the other 7 brought me to a place of peace, acceptance and preparedness for life. I spent my later 20’s being obsessed with working out, clean eating, greening up my routine and ridding my body of toxins. I really accepted that processed sugar, white flour and vegetable oil are the root of most illnesses. I felt invincible, from a physical, mental and even immune system level.
I enjoy studying, learning, practicing and most of all reaping the benefits of my hard work. This mentality served me through school, sports, the military, Tabata class, horseback riding, being a wife and just about every facet of my life. Until however, we made the RADICAL decision to ‘try.’ (More on my fear of terms like ‘getting married’ and ‘having a baby’ later…) ‘Trying’ consisted of decreasing my already rare alcohol consumption from the occasional bourbon to never and my keeping my processed food binges to a minimum. After a few months, I wasn’t terribly discouraged but decided I may need to dedicate some hard work to the effort. So I studied…studied how to eat for fertility, how to reduce stress levels and exercise for fertility. Which basically means, work out if you don’t or stop working out if you do. I tried both. I learned about the follicles, sperm counts, body temperatures, ovulation predictor kits…a lot of ‘trying’ for someone who never wanted kids in the first place. At this point I passed up fun flying trips like Mongolia, Alaska and Nepal out of concern for ‘missing the window.’ I stopped working out as vigorously, avoided vacation to zika infested places (oh by the way, that’s all the best ones in southeast Asia!). Ultimately, I started to drive myself crazy.
Enter yoga. I substituted yoga for HIIT and Tabata in an attempt to encourage egg quality or strong uterine lining. Slowly, my attitude changed from a feeling of ‘failing’ at what I was ‘trying’ so hard to do to that of acceptance and surrender to divine timing. I allowed myself to take work trips to Fiji, Thailand and Micronesia. All awesome experiences which provided additional elements and subtle signs pushing me forward. I wanted to learn more about this practice which sneakily impacted my life so profoundly. I picked up a few books off required reading lists for yoga teacher trainings and really devoured the philosophy. Learning about the other 7 limbs revealed insight into why my home asana practiced transformed my life. I decided to put ‘trying’ on hold and go to yoga teacher training. This was the experience of a lifetime. It not only let me center my equilibrium after losing myself to the TTC game, but also recharge my enthusiasm for life after nearly a decade of filling a strictly disciplined military role. I did not grow up with that discipline and conforming really tipped me off balance. My dosha shifted from a Vata/Pitta to that of a Kapha/Pitta. I adjusted my diet, exercise and workout to support balancing my doshas and found a whole new take on life. I lost a few pounds of heavy mental sludge and left refreshed and ready to quit ‘forcing’ something to happen and accept life as it comes. Check out below for my recommended reading/listening and for a few prenatal friendly dosha balancing sequences.
Pitta Balance Sequence (coming soon)
Kapha Balance Sequence. A little quicker paced and slightly more invigorating to get the blood moving. It should inspire and motivate. Use the Spotify playlist here.
Vata Balance Sequence. Try streaming this Spotify playlist along with the video for added ambiance. This is a gentle slow flow to calm erratic energy.
https://www.wtfyogapodcast.com/listen