I walked into Leap yoga in January of 2017.
I signed up online; avoided eye contact as I entered the lobby and set my mat in the darkest, farthest corner of the room. I was exhausted and depleted.
My personal practice had become stale and repetitive. The yoga classes I was teaching were steeped in dogma and rigidity. My monkey mind a constant flow of should not and do not. I had become obsessed with the “right” version of the pose and lost the curiosity and play that originally drew me to yoga.
Worst of all, I had stopped listening to my body. When a version of a pose hurt, I pressed on, usually followed by a bout of self deprecation like, “don’t be a wuss go into the fire.”
I judged my practice against the people around me. My lunges weren’t deep enough, my back bends inadequate. How could I ever reach enlightenment if I couldn’t even do a handstand?!
My practice reflected my life and my life reflected my practice.
Rigidity. Dogma. Self Hate.
Then, Aaron Pappas walked in to teach. I am forever grateful for the short time I was able to practice under Aaron.
He was funny, creative and open. Suddenly, I was exploring different versions of each pose. There was space for creativity and curiosity. I was challenged to listen to my body, it’s limitations and it’s desire for expansion.
I took these tools, openness, curiosity and fun off of my mat and out of the Leap studio.
My life began to reflect my practice. Curiosity replaced rigidity.
Creativity replaced dogma.
Self love replaced self hate.
Awareness. Healing. Change.
I’ve spent the last 18 months studying Yin Yoga, Meditation, Ayurveda, Reiki and how the body stores trauma. I use all of these tools when teaching clients of Yoga Support.
Yoga Support is a nonprofit that helps brain surgery patients and those affected by traumatic brain injuries get their lives back.
Our patients often suffer from depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, managing emotions and the aftermath of traumatic events. We use yoga, meditation and breath work as tools to help alleviate these effects.
Please join us for a 75-minute class on June 24th. You’ll experience elements of a Yoga Support session and leave with tools to take off of your mat and into your every day life.
Maryeth Loriaux