“Embrace each challenge in your life as an opportunity for self-transformation.” – Bernie S. Siegel
Hello! My name is Michelle and I’m honored to have this opportunity to share my transformational yoga journey with you. What a journey it has been. Yoga has been part of my life for quite a while now. I attended my first class twelve years ago, but it wasn’t until a couple years ago when my life got turned completely upside down that I truly began to understand the impact and importance of this practice.
Upon graduating from UConn in May 2014, I was blessed with the opportunity to move out of Connecticut and work for my uncle at his alternative medical practice in Boulder, Colorado. Living in Colorado was a dream I had for years, so I jumped on it immediately! Two weeks after graduation I packed my stuff into my Honda Civic, and I set off for Colorado with my best friend as my copilot. Living there was everything I imagined and more. My work was meaningful and rewarding. I was meeting like-minded and inspiring people, work-trading at yoga studios and going hiking in the Rockies in my spare time.
Brainard Lake- one of my favorite hikes!
Towards the end of 2014 I met my boyfriend Erik. He was originally from Akron, Ohio but moved to Denver after he graduated college in 2010. Things were going really well with us, and in the summer of 2017 we moved in together. About six months later, he received a phone call that would completely change the course of both of our lives. His mother, who had battled ovarian cancer and gone into remission, was not doing well. Her cancer was back and this time it was terminal. Erik knew he had to go back to Ohio to be with his mother. There was no other option. As for me, as much as I loved Colorado, I wanted to be there for him. I wanted to help. In high school I watched my step dad lose his battle with pancreatic cancer, and so I thought I was at least a little bit prepared for the road ahead (ps – I was wrong).
Erik and I on a hike to see the Aspens changing!
After that call, things moved quickly. About a month and a half later we moved to Akron and took on the role of full-time caregivers. We did the best we could but it was so difficult. His mom hated the fact that we were putting our lives on hold for her. She hated the fact that she was sick and dying. Us being there was a constant reminder of those facts, and a reminder that things would never go back to the way they used to be. When she passed away at the end of June 2018, Erik inherited her house and we decided we would stay in Ohio for a while and try to make the best of a bad situation.
This was much easier said than done. I didn’t realize how much of my self-worth and identity were intertwined with my job until I no longer had one. I felt totally purposeless. On top of that, I had no support system aside from Erik who was deep in his own grieving process. I became depressed and started thinking I made the wrong decision moving to Ohio. I was so focused on the past and how great my life had been before. I started operating under a victim mentality, blaming others and my current situation for my unhappiness.
Around this time I met a new friend Robyn who told me about YogaSquared, and after my first class I started coming to class as much as I could. I was immediately drawn to the wonderful vibe and community that Nikki and Kate have created. Gradually, yoga allowed me to shift my perspective and helped me to drop the victim mentality that I had been clinging to. It helped me to take my life into my own hands and create my own happiness and find gratitude in the little things. It brought me back to myself. And it brought so many beautiful people into my life.
Robyn and I at Elevate Akron!
After a year of consistent practice and healing, I decided I wanted to take a deeper dive. For years I had dreamt of becoming a yoga teacher, but had put it on the back burner. Now the fire was reignited, and I felt that it was finally my time. I knew I wanted to fully immerse myself in a program so I started looking up intensive trainings and found one in Costa Rica that sounded like everything I was looking for. So I took a leap of faith and signed up.
The training was everything I was hoping for and so much more. Each day we’d wake up for morning practice from 6-8am. Then we’d eat breakfast in silence, overlooking the garden where most of our food came from, and past that, the jungle and blue ocean waters. Iguana and sloth sightings were commonplace. After breakfast, class began. We studied history, philosophy, mythology, asana, pranayama, Sanskrit, anatomy, business, ethics, mudra, mantra, meditation, and ourselves. Then we’d have lunch and a break to go to the beach, take a walk down the jungle path, or head to town for an iced cacao. After break we’d come back for class, then dinner, more class or evening practice, and finally off to bed to wake up and do it all over again!
Each day was challenging in the most rewarding way. I learned so much about the philosophy of yoga. I met and formed meaningful relationships with so many amazing people. I reconnected with nature and with my true Self, and was reminded of the interconnectedness of all things. I am incredibly grateful for the experience and for everyone in my life who made it possible for me to do.
The Maha Shala, where we spent most of our day practicing, learning, dancing, and more!
During those four weeks, though we were busy, I was able to truly pause and reflect on my life. It was in reflection that I realized if I hadn’t decided to come to Ohio, if I hadn’t decided to do what I did for my boyfriend and his mom, I probably would have never signed up for the training at all. And at that moment, a major realization hit me – that there is a purpose for everything. Even the tough stuff. Every challenge is an opportunity for transformation and growth. Sometimes it just takes a little shift in perspective to see these challenges as opportunities.
Ready to teach my very first class!
It’s been a little over a week since I arrived back home to Ohio. I can feel the shift that has occurred within me. I find myself feeling very grateful for things I used to take for granted, like the snow for example. But even though I feel the shift, my work has only just begun. Now, the challenge lies ahead to apply what I have learned in a centered and meaningful way, integrate these teachings into my everyday life, and share what I have learned with others. But I am embracing the challenge, because I know now that challenges are simply opportunities for transformation. I know that my journey is just beginning, and I’m ready to flow with whatever comes next!