Member-only story
Becoming a Yoga Teacher at 44
It all started as a New Year’s resolution back in 2009.
I needed to find an exercise program that I could do consistently. Middle-aged and overweight, I was not enthusiastic about joining a gym. I have always hated running. Giving up on exercising after a week was my typical pattern.
I was lamenting about my resolution to my hairdresser when she suggested yoga. She told me it was relaxing, and that anyone could do it. That sounded good to me.
My first yoga class was not relaxing. It was a challenge.
I loved every minute of it.
I started going to yoga every day. I struggled to do the most basic poses, but there was something about the way it was taught, and about how my body responded that kept me coming back.
Finally, I found my exercise calling. I was hooked.
My Yoga Journey
Most of my life, I avoided exercise. In fact, I lived in fear of it.
As a result, I was always the last picked in gym class for teams. I was afraid of being hit by a dodgeball or softball. Unlike the other kids, I could barely run. Each year, I flunked the Presidential Physical Fitness Test. I just believed I was incapable of physical fitness.