my yoga story (3): eco yogini

How did you first come to end up in a yoga class? What brought you there, were you reluctant and how did you feel after your first class?

My first yoga class was in a studio in Montreal- but I barely remember it honestly. While in grad school I had decided that in order to manage my IBS (which was making my life almost unbearable) that I would try Yoga. A friend suggested it, and I will admit some ‘I want to be like her’ was involved. I bought a Seane Corn DVD and practiced in my jammies on a quilt between my desk and my bed. It wasn’t pretty.

We shopped around the city for the perfect yoga teacher and found him at the YMCA of all places. Sigh- Jim from the UK. He had such a lovely accent and wasn’t bendy at all. It was great. Although my yoga buddy was *the* most gumby-strong person, for some reason I never felt insecure of bothered that I wasn’t an asana-perfect yogini during those first classes. It wasn’t until Jim had to return to the UK that I realized the instructor (for myself) makes all the difference in how I feel about my body and my experience during a yoga class.

Tell me a little about your life before yoga. How is it different now you practice regularly.

Hm. My life was… more stressful. During my undergraduate degree I pushed myself pretty hard to keep up my scholarship. It involved a lot of IBS and a lot of weight loss, which was pretty scary. During the summers I bartended right up until my last year in my masters degree (when I did what I considered a cushy research assistant job). So no real vacation for six years.

Through both degrees I also had two catastrophic and one not so great relationships. The first and last were doozies and I have no idea how I came out of them intact. During that last relationship I became nothing- and for a whole year thought this was a normal way to live.

My life is much more active and aware now that I practice yoga. I’m much better at handling emotional stress and my IBS is extremely manageable. Although using techniques off the mat to deal with anger has been tricky, I find myself stopping and simply experience my surroundings so much more. I also value my body and my Self to the point that I cannot even believe that girl in Montreal four years ago was me. I think Andrew played a big part in that, as did Yoga.

What style of yoga do you find yourself drawn to practice (and teach if you are a teacher)? What teachers and other mentors have influenced you along your path?

I am one of those ‘my practice has evolved and changed’ persons. I started with Ashtanga, power vinyasa flow because that’s what my friend liked and because it suited my Type A personality. I still really like a strong vinyasa practice, but Ashtanga’s strict posture sequence really irritates me… (haha, sorry!). I’ve been trying to find balance and have been appreciating yin type classes that force my mind and body to slow down and increase mindfulness and patience. It’s been challenging, but I see the benefits in my vinyasa practice already. No more popping in and out of postures for me.
An obvious first teacher would be Seane Corn- listening to her speak about yoga off the mat and yoga asana as a moving prayer really influenced and inspired me.

While living in BC, surprisingly enough, my colleagues and families have taught me many things about what is important in life. I have never been so influenced and changed than from working with children with special needs and their families.

Every yogi has one favourite and one least favourite asana. Tell me a bit about yours.

My favourite asana is downward dog. Crazy, I know. (Nope, I love down dog! – Rachel) I remember when an instructor said that downdog would become a resting pose and I thought ’she is effing bonkers’. However, as my practice and strength increased there is nothing more satisfying than a really great downdog. It’s been fun to feel my heels slowly work their way to almost touching the floor over the years and to finally feel at home in this inversion.

My least favourite asanas are the revolved triangle-half moons. They are so difficult and they make me feel so awkward and insecure. I am unhappy every single second that I’m in them (even with blocks) and I feel completely ridiculous afterwards. Not one benefit noted. I also am not a fan of shoulderstand. It doesn’t make me happy, it’s uncomfortable and often it will have this weird anxiety-increasing affect.

How do you live your yoga off your mat, every day?

I think my job really is a part of my yoga in every day. I love my clients and helping to open that conduit of communication between parent and child. These families teach me what love and patience really means.
As my yoga means connection with Earth and the Goddess, living a sustainable life is also how I try to bring yoga off the mat. I think this question is one that I’m still working on how to truly bring to life though… as is our Journey.

Eco Yogini is a Paediatric Speech-Language Pathologist living in Halifax Nova Scotia Canada (one site quoted her as a UK blogger hehe!). She has been practicing yoga for about five years now and loves it. She hearts music, the environment and her family and is a firm feminist

Follow her blog here!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 14th, 2010 at 9:08 am and is filed under my yoga story. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.