Yoga was the furthest thing from my mind when I first went to live in America several years ago. I had been a swimmer for all my adult life and had always been in great shape and good health. That was until daily outdoor swimming in Florida left me with such a severe ear infection that I couldn’t stand up, let alone swim! My days taking laps of the pool were over.
Aside from the worry of it returning, I also suffered (and still do) with balance issues. It turns out that our ears do so much more than hear, they help control our balance too. I was beside myself; swimming was all I had ever known.
It was my husband who first suggested yoga. He had always wanted to try it and he thought it might help with my balance. I had always thought yogis were very hipster and intimidating (a large misunderstanding) so the thought of turning up to a group class terrified me.
So, we enlisted a private yoga teacher to come to our home to show us both the ropes. I thought I was going to be fairly flexible after years of swimming (another large misunderstanding). However, I hadn’t even got past the first pose of taking a seated cross-legged position when I realized just how wrong I was. After 30 years+ of desk work, my hips were so tight they wouldn’t open out and let’s just say that touching my toes was a work-in-progress. Even balancing on one leg was a struggle. Yoga was not for me.
However, my husband - who was quite smitten with our weekly practice - urged me to continue and that’s when the magic happened. I relinquished the struggle of trying and dropped my ego. So what if I couldn’t master the poses? At the end of each session, I felt fantastic. I couldn’t quite define it at first, but it was a calm relaxed feeling that washed over me. The stresses of the day melted away and each night after my practice, I slept like a baby. My body also felt looser and less stiff somehow. Changes were happening that I couldn’t even define. But one thing I did know; I wanted more.
Fast forward several years later and after completing oodles of hours of training and parting with large wads of money. I am now a qualified Vinyasa/Yin/Restorative yoga teacher with specialist Menopause accreditation. My journey may have begun on shaky legs but it began with that one single step.
Having the courage to try something new and accept failure were hurdles I had to face but they were all part of my journey. If we wait for things to happen or the right time, then probably nothing will ever happen. By bravely taking that first step, all the other steps will follow. And, you don’t have to travel a thousand miles to achieve your goals. Just take one step at a time. You will get there.
Interested in taking your first step? Contact Yourself Yoga where we specialise in menopause yogha and will nurture you on the start of your yoga journey.
If you are going through menopause and would like to know how yoga can help, click here to obtain a copy of my FREE e-book . This demonstrates a selection of yummy Restorative yoga poses that bring relief to menopausal symptoms including anxiety, overwhelm, brain fog, fatigue and stress.
You can also join our Facebook group Yoga for Peri/Menopause and enjoy free tips, advice, yoga sequences, classes and meet other like-minded women who are undergoing the same challenges.
If you're ready to give yoga a go and learn how it can help alleviate menopause symptoms, why not enjoy a 7-Day FREE trial to our online yoga memberships? Find out more here.