Can Yoga Change Your Life?
Read what Yoga Centered Students have to say...
I turned to yoga during a long and difficult year, when I was working way too much, feeling unhealthy, unhappy, and constantly overwhelmed. I knew yoga would do me good. But like a junkie who wants help but can't drag himself into the methadone clinic to get it, I let month after stress-filled month go by without stepping onto a yoga mat.
The day I finally signed up for classes at Yoga Centered is the day that ridiculous year started to turn around. I left my first sweaty Vinyasa Flow class feeling so good I couldn't wait to come back. Yoga quickly became a daily habit, and the benefits were phenomenal. The back-to-back head colds that had been plaguing me ceased. The clouds of gloom hanging over my head started to lift. I worked more efficiently. The insane work load continued, but I gradually discovered that the yogic state of mind I was cultivating in class --that focused sense of ease that gets you through challenging poses --was something I could draw upon to help me get through all sorts of difficult situations. The job pressures have lightened up since then (thank goodness), but I'm still practicing yoga every day. I'm totally hooked, and totally happy about it."
-David Thompson
"Before yoga I was very unaware, unfocused and I was always losing things. This was not how I wanted to live my life and it was yoga that helped me to make a huge change. Now, I feel so much more aware and alive in every moment and I spend much less time dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. This helps me to stay focused and to be so much more organized. Practicing yoga also reminds me to stay open to ideas and people and a variety of situations that I may otherwise resist. This acceptance makes me a lot happier and a lot nicer!" -Molly Egan
"I was overweight and unhappy with my body but I had heard that anyone could do yoga. I was a little nervous to try it at first but, even though I could hardly do any of the postures, everyone at Yoga Centered was so supportive and helpful that I felt comfortable right away. Now it really feels like my second home. Its been amazing to see how what I learn from Yoga effects my whole life. I am so much healthier and happier with my body and I’m filled with this newfound inspiration to make a positive difference in the world!" -Judy Bevington
"I used to make a lot of choices and do a lot of things not realizing how bad they actually made me feel. Yoga helped me to recognize this. I quit smoking and eat a lot healthier now. But even though I know there’s a million health benefits from practicing yoga, those things have become just an added bonus -- I get on my yoga mat every day primarily because it reminds me of what’ s important in life, it makes me happier, less stressed, and more at peace." -Holly Jarrard
"At the time I started yoga I was going through a very difficult time. I had just given birth, I was feeling fat, emotional and ungrounded. I was inspired to give yoga a try because I noticed that the people who practiced it regularly seemed really vibrant. From my very first class, I was immediately intrigued -- it was obvious right away that there was a lot for me to learn here, a lot to feel and experience. It felt good right away.
Yoga definitely played a part in reconnecting me with ME and supporting this change. Now I feel so much stronger in my body. My posture feels better and I just feel more secure and balanced walking through the world." -Anszil Keown
"I initially tried yoga because of a back injury and it contributed greatly to my recovery. Once recovered, I quit practicing, but later on began to think that yoga might help with my decreasing mobility and agility, which was creeping up due to age! I remember that it was savasana (the final resting pose) at the end of my second class at Yoga Centered that hooked me. I was able to relax so deeply that I felt I had an “out-of-body experience”.
I began doing yoga consistently and so many other changes and health benefits followed. My immune system got much stronger. When I first moved to Puna I developed a chronic cough –but after about a month of yoga my cough went completely away. I used to get 2-3 colds a year but in 4 1/2 years of practicing yoga I have had only one cold.
Sometimes I find that when I’m stressed or really busy I resist going to yoga -but once I'm there I can instantly let go. I realize it’s these times that it’s MOST important for me to show up. I am able to relax and experience a sense of clarity. After yoga class, I am able to be more productive and prioritize my life for the better. I can't imagine my life without yoga now. I am so thankful for it everyday."-Bud Carlson