Confident African American Woman in Her 40s Doing Yoga Outdoors with Hands in Prayer - Stockfoto

The start of my yoga journey coincided with the beginning of my life in the United States. I discovered yoga while waiting to start college as an international student for my bachelor’s degree in Photography. I began my first in person classes with a live yoga instructor on campus, experiencing fundamental yoga principles and postures with a trained yogi for the first time. As my strength and flexibility grew, I instinctively knew that I’d be doing yoga for the rest of my life and practicing would keep me calm and centered during turbulent times. My instincts turned out to be spot on. In my junior year of college, my mother got diagnosed with breast cancer and my world turned upside down. As the economy crashed along with my mom’s health during the Recession, I leaned on my yoga practices even more. Yoga kept me centered and focused as I navigated through financial challenges, graduating Magna Cum Laude, producing a photo exhibition and supporting my mom through her health crisis. I have continued to use yoga as a core self-care practice for my mental and physical health and strength, especially during trying times. There have been many periods when I have stopped due to life’s twists and turns, but I always come back to my need to use the breath and asanas to reconnect me to stillness and calm. Practicing yoga in a more deep and meaningful way has not always been easy. Doing yoga in a studio has sometimes been cost prohibitive, but I find creative ways to get the deep connection of practicing with people; despite usually being the only black woman in the room. I have been wanting the opportunity to deepen my practice for many years with yoga teacher training. The pandemic turned out to be a blessing in disguise; I was blessed with scholarship to pursue a 200-hour Yoga Teacher training from My Vinyasa Practice. Now as a certified instructor, I not only get to deepen my understanding of yoga philosophy and incorporate it into my life, but also share it with others.