One and a half years ago, the sky was blue and so was I. I could barely get out of bed. The world was caving in on me, not knowing how to make it stop or how I could feel anything but pain. I was suffering. Emotionally and physically, feeling like my soul was dying. All I could do was sob. My marriage was doing a downward spiral; my 58 year old menopausal body was feeling the effects from aging and I ached all over. The hot flashes were ongoing and almost unbearable. Every little bit of passion I had ever felt in my life was dying. I felt helpless and hopeless.
As I was driving to work, I saw a sign; literally. It was a yoga studio that I had passed several times, but had never seen it. That day I saw it. When I got to work and looked it up and thought “why not”? The price was right so I decided to give it a shot. After all, I needed exercise and thought this might work better than a gym for me. So it was decided. After work I went to check it out.
I walked through the door and saw this sweet angelic face sitting behind the desk who greeted me with the most loving smile. I almost thought she was smiling at someone behind me. I had never been there before but all of a sudden I felt like I was home. I was scooped up by loving yoga arms and a sense of peace fell over me that I hadn’t felt in a very long time. I signed up for the introductory special at Yoga Blend and then it changed my life.
Why do I want to teach yoga? The answer is simple. I want to be able to help ease someone else’s pain and suffering as my teachers have eased mine. I want to be able to show other people, especially woman my age going through all the changes that I am experiencing, that we don’t need to suffer. By aligning our breath and movement together we can reduce physical and emotional pain. That life is not close to being over, but that it is close to really beginning. That a happy life is a choice we can make and that 58 years old is not too old to reinvent yourself and become the person we have always been deep down inside. To be who we truly are at the core of our being no matter what our age or stage of life.
It’s really hard to say which of my teachers has inspired me the most as I learn something different from all of them. But Bekah Finch Turner at Yoga Blend was the first voice to lead me to my inner self. I never tire of listening to her stories that seem to touch my very core. To this day, no matter how I feel, when I hear her voice I move to that place of bliss and peace. Christy Marsden (owner and teacher at Yoga Blend) has taught me what community is and has helped me push through some very difficult pain to get to the other side. I am still working through it all and will the rest of my life, with the help of Yoga. But now, I know I can. My home is at Yoga Blend and I would so love to have my teachers continue to share their love and knowledge of teaching with me.
I believe that no matter what we do in this life time, we should always act from a place of love and send that energy back into the world. I believe that it is our responsibility to give back what we have been blessed with. If I can make an impact on the world it would be to help others learn the most essential part of growth and balance. To help others know that they are loved, one down dog at a time!
2012 Yoga Scholarship Essay
By: Debbie Lowe
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