Yoga for me has become a very important aspect of my life. I have a hectic life, like many people today, and Yoga helps me stay centered, balanced, and gives me the ability to restart/refresh after each crazy day. I really don’t know what I would do without yoga!
I tend to be uptight and a control freak, I need things to be organized, planned and mostly predictable. That changed after the birth of my son, Andrew. A baby has no idea what any of that means, so I was in for a rude awaking. All the control in my life went right out the window and so did a little of my sanity. I have always used exercise to help work out stress in life, for me it’s been running. When I became pregnant with Andrew I ran till I was about 5 months pregnant, then became so exhausted I had to stop, I would still walk but it was not the same.
After the birth of my beautiful baby boy I had made the decision to breast-feed him, and I did for a year. He refused a bottle so no one else could feed him; we were two peas-in-a-pod for a year, never apart for more than an hour. I quit my job and dedicated my time to my son.
After my year of breastfeeding, my son gained some independence and so did I! We starting running, everyday after work, I would put Andrew in the stroller and off we went, it was wonderful. I slowly started to feel like myself again. Then in August of 2011 I decided to jump into Yoga. I began with an Intro to Yoga class, I just thought it would strengthen me as a runner and give me some time to myself. The class went through the very basics of Yoga and so needless to say I fell in love! I completed the 6-week into class and continued with 6 weeks of a Beginner class. The instructors were telling me to try the Intermediate and Advanced classes, I was a ballet dancer for 13 years so I had a bit of an advantage.
I started going Monday through Thursday. I worked out a schedule with my husband and parents to help watch Andrew while I squeezed in an hour-and-a-half of Yoga. I was so drawn to the challenge of Yoga and the beauty of the poses and the amazing way Yoga made me feel, I was addicted. I starting reading any and all books on Yoga I could get my hands on! It has become a huge part of my life, and has made me a better person, so it felt natural to pursue the next step, teach yoga.
I would love to expand my art, into teaching, what a wonderful thing to share this gift I have gained from Yoga, teaching people how to use Yoga as I do, a way to deal with the crazy life we all have to live. To give back all that I have gained would be a blessing, to say the least, plus getting to make a living doing something I love to do, that would be such a dream come true!!
Breezy Osborne is that yoga teacher for me; she is an amazing person who carries that over into her teaching of Yoga. Breezy gives me the knowledge and the challenge I crave but she also gives me the gift of relaxation and feeling good while practicing, she brings love, light and gratitude, to quote her, to each class. Breezy really gives you an understanding of what the practice of yoga is all about, feeling good, and I hope to be half the teacher she is, I am very lucky to have had her as a teacher from the beginning.
Anamaya, in Costa Rica to me seems top notch, the classes cover it all. It really seems to immerse you in the entire experience of Yoga, from the food you eat to the amazing accommodations. The environment of Costa Rica just adds to the experience. The teachers are also among the best.
Not sure I can make an impact on the world, but I do know that wherever I end up teaching and practicing I will give this love I have to each of my students. My hope is for each student I receive to feel the same love and deep enrichment Yoga can bring into his or her life. Giving mom’s, dad’s, students, and hard working people the ability to refresh their days, and helping each of them to use Yoga as a tool in dealing with all the stress that life can sometimes become.
I will carry my knowledge with pride and hold it in my heart to share. I would also like to focus on athletes, giving them this gift to strengthen their skills, as Yoga has done for me. All around Yoga has been a wonderful life-changing thing for my family and me and I just have to share my love of Yoga!
2012 Yoga Scholarship Essay
By: Shea Pickens
If you liked this article and want them to win a free yoga teacher training, then make sure to vote for her by leaving a comment (scroll all the way to the bottom), and sharing this article on Facebook or Twitter. Each comment, Facebook, and Twitter share counts as one vote and you can do all three!
Are you interested in becoming a yoga teacher? Then visit our Yoga School Directory to find the right teacher training. Or, visit our Yoga Retreats page to explore beautiful yoga vacations from around the world.
