She is a lovely, bubbly, confident lady with dark hair and twinkly eyes who I had assumed was in her mid 60s. She had a hip replacement a few years ago and took a short time off from yoga but came back stronger and fitter as soon as she could. After todays conversation I now know she is actually a very spritely 82 years young! She also wanted to tell me why she started yoga twenty years ago.
She told me she had had PTSD and depression from a bad car accident in which she was not physically hurt but emotionally scarred from. It left her completely full of fear - not even able to venture along the small cul-de-sac where she lived. She was depressed and it was all triggered by this terrible accident in which the car had rolled over and over and had ended up in a field.
So this morning she quite matter of factly told me that this was the reason she started yoga all those years ago, managing to get herself to a class and noticing that immediately there was something that helped her to find some peace of mind. Something I had talked about in my introduction today had resonated with her and she felt she wanted me to know why she had begun her yoga practice.
We sometimes get so bogged down with different types of yoga, what IS yoga, what ISN'T yoga? What types of yoga are best? Which class should we choose? Which teacher? How often should we practice?
Sometimes that first step of going to a class can lead us into places of great healing. If the first class you attend is not quite the right fit for you - then don't be afraid to try other classes. Message the teacher to ask questions, have a good read of their blog or website and see if anything they write resonates with you. It could be the start of something really special that will last you a lifetime (or perhaps many lifetimes....)
For details of Claire's Classes in Sale see www.yogiclaire.com
