I’d like to share my personal experience with yoga and meditation.

I have struggled with depression, anxiety, and chronic illness for over a decade. Nothing I tried seemed to work; I went to multiple therapists and psychiatrists, tried numerous medications, attempted running, etc. I had always been too intimidated to try yoga. I had always been under the impression that since I have a chronic illness (Multiple Sclerosis) that yoga just wasn’t for me. But as you will see, I was wrong!

Several years ago, I had went to a silent group meditation and LOVED it! The energy was amazing and I felt so at peace afterwards. Unfortunately my schedule conflicted with it, so I fell out of the practice. Fast forward to 2016, I was pregnant with my second child and I had the urge to find a meditation group in Norman that I could join. Unfortunately, my inquiry resulted in a backlash on social media arguing that meditation is against Christianity. That was such a negative experience for me, that I took a break from meditation and honestly, I was too scared to “mess” with meditation for fear of what other people would think of me. A few months after that backlash, I gave birth to my son 3 months early. My son’s premature birth sent me into a tailspin of depression, anxiety, extreme anger, and PTSD. I struggled SEVERELY for 2 YEARS! Nothing was working for me. I felt entirely hopeless. It wasn’t until the beginning of this year, 2019, that I decided to restart my journey with meditation. I became completely committed to my practice. I created a meditation room in my house, a very small space, but it was just for me to meditate and calm myself. Around this time, I also decided that I need to take better charge of my health. I decided to finally try yoga and WOW, it was incredible! I fell in love instantly! Since being diagnosed with MS since 2006, I have always felt that my body was my enemy; that I was defective. Yet with yoga, I have become empowered within my body and discovered that my body is my friend and it is doing the best it can to support me. It has been through my practice of  regular meditation, yoga, and readings that I feel that my life, my mindset, and my emotional well-being have been completely transformed!

I want to offer this peace and calmness of body, mind, and spirit to everyone! Please do not be intimidated by yoga; yoga is truly for everyone! There are so many styles of yoga and my studio is focusing on gentle yoga, along with accessible yoga (a way to integrate all abilities and levels of experience in the same class by implementing the mat, a chair, or a wall). Meditation can also seem intimidating because people feel if they can’t stop their thoughts then they have failed, but that is not the case! Just like yoga, there are many styles of meditation and I am sure that we can find one that works for you!

In love and light,

Angela

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