As I sit and wonder where to start, I suppose I will start with my introduction to Yoga 4 Change. It was March 2020 and I was a mess. I was unhealthy, I was scared, my body was fatigued, and I was ready for change. I came to Coalition Recovery with my husband, who was also over the path we had somehow veered onto, and entered the building with tears streaking down my face. The one thing (other than getting clean) I was looking forward to was yoga. Every Tuesday and Thursday morning the day would start with an hour of yoga, the practice I had held so dearly for many years prior and had lost grasp of during addiction. I had become so stagnant. I was happy that this would become a major part of my recovery and life once again.
The first Tuesday I had the opportunity to work with Y4C I remember feeling anxious, nervous, and excited. The last time I was in a group setting doing yoga I was very evolved in my practice so it was strange to feel so unbalanced and anxious coming onto the mat. Then, Susie and Matilda walked in. They were smiling, vibrant, kind, and welcoming. I immediately began to feel my anxiousness start to melt. They explained who they were, what they did, and handed out an index card for the feelings of “before and after” our yoga practice. I remember circling words like “stressed”, “anxious”, “overwhelmed”, and “tired.” After an hour led by Matilda in breathing, postures, and a gentle meditation I felt better. Not great, because it was the start of a road of hard work let’s be honest, but better. The circles on the back of the index card reflected this.
Fast forward a couple of months. I was back on my mat, and back into my life! My practice felt stronger, I had began to do yoga on my own time again, and I announced that I was going to start my 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training. I had been considering YTT for a few years before, but decided to pursue monetary fulfillment instead. Always in the back of my mind, I knew I wanted to be a yoga teacher, but it took a backseat. Shoot, there for a while I think it was in the trunk underneath my unused mats. After the direction my life took, and dedicating myself to health, happiness, and healing, I realized that pursuing what made me the happiest would be the most beneficial. After leaving Coalition Recovery I dove headfirst into my Teacher Training online. COVID made the decision to go online the obvious choice for me. This also allowed me to train on my own schedule, pace, and continue to balance my healing and family life. My husband, kids, and family were all so supportive of my choice and knew that this was exactly what I needed to do. Extra shoutout to my husband who nudged me to enroll and then nudged me again to the studio, hesitation almost got the best of me.
During this time I kept in touch with Susie who was always incredibly encouraging to me. Yoga 4 Change became a quintessential part of my recovery, and helped me to find my confidence on the mat once again. I do believe if it wasn’t for Yoga 4 Change I may have put off my dream of becoming a yoga teacher longer, or maybe even altogether. Having a wonderful yoga program made a vast difference in the way recovery felt for me. Every Tuesday and Thursday my mornings shone a little brighter during what I feel was the dawn during the darkest time in my life. I could also see this in many others that surrounded me at the time, even those significantly less excited about yoga than myself. People who may have never considered yoga before Yoga 4 Change came into their lives.
Now, I am a 200 RYT teaching at Luminary Yoga and Wellness in New Port Richey, FL. I get to say that I teach yoga for a living! I can honestly say that my style of teaching is directly reflective of where I am at in life. I am gentle, steady, and evolving. Susie and I continue to keep in touch and she has even come to one of my classes, so far. I hope to not only stay with the alumni program through Y4C, but to also become a part of the team some day. I believe in the purpose, and the passion here. I believe my story will help me to be an example to those who may feel hopeless when coming onto the mat for the first time (or like me, coming back onto it). I hope to reflect this in my teaching, anywhere I teach; the belief that anybody, and I do mean any body, can do yoga.
Blog written by: Janice Gallagher
Check out Janice’s teaching schedule: https://luminary-yoga.com/
