You ever hear the old saying that you walk through a door and another one opens?
Just over a year ago I walked into a door like that at Serenity Yoga in Mineola, Texas. My shoulder was hurting and my range of motion was compromised. I was not living life. It was living me. Yoga had helped me before. Could it help me again?
I kept walking through that door at Serenity Yoga. Something in me was drawn to the practice. Yes, I was starting to feel somewhat better but it was more than that. At the time the studio had two instructors; Tammy Blakemore and Marsha Fehl both of which are exceptional! They soon became my friends and mentors guiding me through the yoga practice as I became more familiar and in tune to my own body. The women at the studio were so nice and welcoming. I felt at home. I felt safe.
The next thing I knew I had picked up a book titled Yoga Mind by Suzan Colon. The author, Suzan, had just finished her Yoga Teacher Certification in New York City when in a parallel life her dear friend and former co-worker, Francesco, had a horrible accident taking a dive into a pool where he broke his neck. He went from being an able-bodied man to being a quadriplegic in just one moment. A breath.
Suzan went to see Francesco. She walked through that door. It was not easy. She wanted to see him and to make sure he was okay. With physical trauma comes emotional trauma. She wanted to help. The doctors said he would never walk again. Suzan had become a yoga teacher so she could help others feel what she felt in her practice. How could she do that with Francesco?
Then it occurred to her. You don’t have to get in the poses to do yoga. All you have to do is breathe! Suzan guided her friend with yoga breathing techniques and yoga philosophy a few times a week and over time a miraculous event happened; Francesco’s deflated lung re-INFLATED!
The nurses and doctors could not believe it! But the doctors continued that he would not walk again. His response was always, “When I Get Better…” Suzan and Francesco continued to practice Yoga. With the power of the breath and the power of the mind Francesco continued his journey of healing his physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being. He did not wait to walk again to engage in life again. He does need some assistance but he eats on his own and uses a wheelchair to get around. He is a successful CEO of his own company and he lives a very full and enriched life. Francesco is using his tools! He is living his Yoga! After being moved from reading Yoga Mind I knew I had to teach yoga. I felt it was my calling. I started shadowing Tammy at the First United Methodist Church in Mineola, working with seniors doing Chair Yoga. She then referred me to Yama Yoga Studio & Wellness Center in Canton, Texas. I walked through another door and I met Summer Smith! She challenged me and guided me yet the work was my own. I found another friend. Another mentor. She helped me to go from the darkness and towards the light.
I graduated January 2019 and I returned to Serenity to teach. The owner, Sharon Jones, had a place for me. I found the door that started my journey. It felt as if I were walking home. I am so grateful to have the support and fellowship of these beautiful women as they grow and learn with me through my journey of teaching with all it’s twists and turns.
Sometimes the hardest thing is walking through that door.
As far as my shoulder… well, it is still healing. It is a journey. Physical, Emotional, Mental, and Spiritual. And that is okay because I am happy where I am today!
When I get better…
