We just took a new class at called Roll and Renew, where we literally rolled over yoga tune up balls to massage our achy muscles and fascia. As we sip our coffees, we marvel at the little tune up balls ability to make us feel, well, renewed. A stark difference from pre-yoga Carrie who struggled to get out of bed in the morning, due to years of anxiety and depression. She had been taking a combination of anti-depressants, anti-anxiety medication, mood stabilizers, and talk therapy but nothing seemed to work.
Two years later Carrie repeatedly claims yoga changed her life. She moaned as she described waking up every morning to her friends bouncing out of bed, ready to seize the day, when all she wanted to do was seize her pillow and go back to sleep.
On the last day, one of her friends suggested they each share something they were proud of about themselves. After all, many of them had recently turned fifty and it was a big milestone. Finally, when it was her turn, she burst into tears. She felt guilt, sadness, anger, embarrassment, and exhaustion.
However, as she allowed herself to face these emotions, she began to feel something else, relief. She marveled at how easily they came up with compliments, and even more importantly, how they saw a very different person than what Carrie saw in herself.
She realized in that moment something needed to change. Starting with her perception of herself. Over the next few months, and with much support from her friends and family, she took small steps that reaped big rewards, and so began her love of yoga.
